Relevant and even prescient commentary on news, politics and the economy.

A Serious Misreading of Coase

A Serious Misreading of Coase Corey Robin is very insightful about a lot of things.  I think his take on conservatism, that the thread running through it is opposition to attempts to demolish pre-existing hierarchies, explains ideological twists and turns that would otherwise remain mysterious.  Don’t take this post as an expression of anti-Robinism. But […]

Marxism-Leninism In China Update

Marxism-Leninism In China Update The once-every five years Chinese Communist Party conference is now over.  It appears that Xi Jinping has not identified an heir to himself as his two predecessors did at the time of this equivalent meeting during their presidencies.  Furthermore, unlike either of them, Xi has joined Mao and Deng Xiaoping in […]

Top Marginal Tax Rates and Economic Growth

Top marginal taxation and economic growth by Santo Milasi and Robert Waldmann has (finally) been published here in Applied Economics ABSTRACT The article explores the relationship between top marginal tax rates on personal income and economic growth. Using a data set of consistently measured top marginal tax rates for a panel of 18 OECD countries […]

House Passes Senate Tax Reform Budget Resolution and Creates 2018 Budget

Everyone is reporting a 2018 Budget has been passed. Tucked away inside the 2018 Budget is a Tax Reform Resolution which allows the House to write the bill. The House has passed the Senate Tax Reform Budget Resolution creating a $1.5 trillion deficit with a 216-212 vote. What this means in the Senate is a […]

Lower taxes generate growth to replace lost revenue?

(Dan here..lifted from 2010 Angry Bear postings and still centrally relevant.  More to be posted) A Proposed Bet for Professors Bryan Caplan and David R. Henderson   by Mike Kimel A Proposed Bet for Professors Bryan Caplan and David R. Henderson (and Anyone Else Who Believes Lower Taxes Generate Faster Economic Growth) Cross posted at the Presimetrics blog. Professors […]

Genetics as an Omitted Variable in Psychology and Social Science

Here’s the abstract of an article by Frank Schmidt in the Archives of Scientific Psychology: Governments often base social intervention programs on studies done by psychologists and other social scientists.Often these studies fail to mention other research suggesting that such interventions may have a limited chance of actually working. The omitted research that is not […]

What is the Matter With the Iowa ACA?

The story as it is told is “Iowa’s Healthcare Market has imploded.” Companies have gone out of business, lost money, premiums increased, policies canceled, etc. “ With Obamacare’s fifth open-enrollment season kicking off on Nov. 1, the consequences are playing out across one of America’s most politically influential states as residents struggle to maintain coverage.” […]

Corporate Profit Tax Cuts and Wages: Silly Theory

I jump at a rare chance to disagree with Paul Krugman and as a bonus also with my very good friend Brad DeLong, because Krugman just tweeted that Brad is right Brad is right here: Mankiw et al have clearly made a math error https://t.co/HpyVdoyRCT 1/ — Paul Krugman (@paulkrugman) October 24, 2017 update: Krugman […]

Corporate Profit Tax Cuts and Wages: the UK Experience

Corporate Profit Tax Cuts and Wages: the UK Experience Kimberly Clausing and Edward Kleinbard have each written some interesting papers on transfer pricing. Here they team up on a different topic: The President’s Council of Economic Advisers claims that slashing the corporate tax rate to 20 percent would boost the average American’s wages by $4,000 […]