I had another dream, I had another life
A recent article in Vox outlines the problem of anti-trade populism: Bernie Sanders sells himself as a champion of the little guy. But talk to economists and development experts, and you hear something different: Sanders’s policies on trade would hurt the very poorest people on Earth. A lot. Here is the basic issue. Sanders has, … Read more
I’m no political expert, but here is my thinking as to why Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats may have decided not to even try to impeach and remove President Trump (this time): they want him right where he is. Before the mob breached the Capitol yesterday, Trump was powerful enough within the GOP that he … Read more
From Art Carden over at Forbes: A new paper forthcoming in the journal American Economic Review: Insights estimates the effect of trade with China on American consumers and shows us what we stand to lose if we don’t end the trade war. In “Estimating US Consumer Gains from Chinese Imports,” economists Liang Bai of the University of Edinburgh … Read more
Over at the Peterson Institute, there is a rundown of Elizabeth Warren’s “A Plan for Economic Patriotism.” You can read the analysis for yourself here, but I wanted to point out three things that jumped out at me: The comparison to Trump (see the photo above). The number of “Good idea, but…” Almost every potentially … Read more
This is part of the Stuff I Say at School series. The Assignment A critical literature review of political ignorance among the public. This section briefly (though not exhaustively) shows how political knowledge affects political preferences and, therefore, potential policy outcomes. The Stuff I Said Somin writes, “Ignorance of the structure of government suggests that voters often … Read more
This is part of the Stuff I Say at School series. The Assignment 1. Do you feel that a country can thrive in an insular or isolated capacity? Is exchanges needed for a country to be successful? Do you see any examples of countries who have been reluctant to adopt new ideologies or integration? 2. … Read more
The above comes from a recent study of The New Populism project. This reduction in economic inequality may lead some populist supporters to feel vindicated. However, the study continues by pointing out that “the fiscal policies of populists are less progressive than non-populists. This is what we might have expected; they are not reducing inequality … Read more
This is part of the Stuff I Say at School series. The Assignment After listening to [Benjamin] Ginsberg‘s lecture, do you agree with his assessment that politics is all about interests and power? The Stuff I Said Kevin Simler and Robin Hanson’s recent book The Elephant in the Brain demonstrates that these underlying desires for power and status inform … Read more
A few posts ago, I wrote the following: In short, ignorance and fear of the unknown or “the other” (which ends up manifesting as racial resentment) lead to anti-immigration sentiments. Many have been quick to point out that economic anxieties didnot play a significant role in the rise of Trump. Cultural values, for example, played … Read more