Archives: December 2006

Krugman Shifts on the Deficit

Posted by: Michael Mandel on December 25, Categories: Fiscal Policy

For years, I've argued that the hardline anti-deficit position of the Democratic party was a political and economic loser. For example, here I wrote in December 2004: From Walter Mondale's...

More money for stem cell research--and jobs

Posted by: Michael Mandel on December 21, Categories: Health

In the midst of a state financial crisis, Governor Jon Corzine of New Jersey just signed a bill giving $270 million for stem cell research in the state. The funds,...

My Shot at the Big-Time

Posted by: Michael Mandel on December 11, Categories: Journalism

..otherwise known as the Today Show (weekend edition). Why anyone would want to talk to an economics journalist at 7AM on a Christmas-y Saturday morning is beyond me, but there...

Slowing Productivity Growth?

Posted by: Michael Mandel on December 11, Categories: Growth

As you folks know, I'm still worrying about a slowdown in productivity growth. Here's an interesting new chart from the New York Fed The bar represents the probability of being...

China moves into second place for R&D

Posted by: Michael Mandel on December 04, Categories: Tech

A new report from the OECD says: China will this year for the first time spend more on research and development (R&D) than Japan and so become the world’s second...

My Portfolio...

Posted by: Michael Mandel on December 01, Categories: Investments

Not that anyone really cares, but this morning I shifted my 401k portfolio more towards international equities and away from domestic equities. Unfortunately the reallocation doesn't take effect until the...

One more thought about the minimum wage

Posted by: Michael Mandel on December 01, Categories: Labor Market

Just one more follow-up to my discussion with Robin Hanson about whether there is a consensus among economists about the minimum wage. Yesterday Greg Mankiw wrote a note about a...