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Newsletter
The ins and outs of unemployment insurance
Although the economy is rebounding, the unemployment rate remains high and private sector job gains remain weak. economists debate whether extending unemployment benefits keep unemployment artificially high by discouraging work.
Newsletter
Economic globalization
Globalization has been covered heavily in the news recently, with special focus on the rise of China in the global economy and the sense of more job insecurity in the United States.
Newsletter
The economic cost of war
It is difficult to measure the cost of the Iraq war and related expenses; it is at least as difficult to decide exactly what costs to measure. The May 2008 issue compares the two most widely cited estimates: one from the Congressional Budget Office and the other from researchers Joseph Stiglitz and Linda Bilmes. The newsletter also compares these estimates to U.S. GDP over the same time frame to get a better sense of the war's cost in relation to the entire U.S. economy.
Newsletter
Patents: protecting inventors and the public good
Patent rights are becoming increasingly controversial in areas such as pharmaceuticals and genetics. Should the public good come before the private gain of new product inventors or developers? The May 2010 Newsletter tackles this issue.
Newsletter
U.S. farm subsidies
Why should the average American care about the 2008 Farm Bill and farm subsidies? Farm subsidies can affect the price of food and can influence the amount of taxes we pay. This month's Liber8 newsletter explains why farm subsidies were originally used, spotlights the debate about their continued use, and points out some changes to the 2008 Farm Bill.
Newsletter
Retraining displaced U.S. workers
When the current U.S. recession ends and recovery begins, many pre-recession jobs, such as some in financial services and the automobile industry, will not return. So what are the options if jobs in your chosen industry no longer exist? The September 2009 Newsletter focuses on job retraining programs and lists some areas of projected job growth for the near future.
Newsletter
Deflation: who let the air out?
Inflation, deflation, disinflation. They affect the prices of everything we buy. To find out how and what?s happening in today?s economy, see the February 2011 newsletter, ?Deflation: Who Let the Air Out??
Newsletter
U.S. health care insurance and the uninsured
With continuing increases in both health care spending and the number of Americans who are uninsured, everyone seems to have an opinion on how to rein in costs and provide better coverage. This month's Newsletter offers an overview of why costs are so high and what can be done to improve the situation.
Newsletter
The environment is about economics, too
The cleanup cost of the April 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is estimated at $6 billion, not including the economic damage to the fishing and tourism industries, which will likely add several billion more. Proponents of stricter environmental regulation believe such catastrophes could be prevented at a reasonable cost. Opponents argue that many preventive procedures are too costly to justify, given the rarity of such incidents. Determining the right balance between preserving the environment and controlling costs is a difficult job for government regulators. Read the October 2010 ...
Newsletter
The U.S. personal saving rate
This month's newsletter focuses on the low and declining U.S. personal saving rate. As measured by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), the U.S. personal saving rate fell into negative territory during the third quarter of 2005 and has remained close to zero since then.