Economics
Can Industrial Policy Help Revive Struggling Regions?
A new paper co-authored by Yale SOM’s Cameron LaPoint looks at an effort in 1980s Japan to narrow economic inequalities between geographic regions, in order to understand the potential impact of the similar U.S. CHIPS and Science Act, enacted in 2022.
Medicare Helps Close Racial Gaps in Access to Healthcare
In a new study, Yale SOM’s Paul Goldsmith-Pinkham and his co-authors use the transition to Medicare eligibility to test whether universal health coverage can help reduce racial disparities in health.
Controlling the Virus Is the Key to Reducing Inflation
Yale SOM’s William English, a former economist at the Federal Reserve, explains the role of COVID-19 in the spike in prices, considers how policymakers can respond, and confronts the sheer uncertainty of the times.
Lack of Access to Mental Health Treatment Reduces Lifetime Income
Prof. Barbara Biasi and her co-authors found that those who couldn’t access treatment for bipolar disorder paid a price over the course of their careers—suggesting that lack of access to care can worsen economic inequality.
Without a Local Newspaper, Americans Pay Less Attention to Local Politics
Prof. Michael Sinkinson and his co-authors look back at when television, not the internet, was the new technology chipping away at newspaper circulation. They find that when readership diminished, engagement with local politics did too.
How the ‘Nixon Shock’ Remade the World Economy
In a new book, Yale SOM’s Jeffrey Garten explores Richard Nixon’s decision to delink the dollar from gold, which remade the global monetary system in an instant.
Can ‘Sin Taxes’ Do a Better Job?
A new study co-authored by Yale SOM’s Katja Seim examines how successful the uniform liquor tax in Pennsylvania is at generating revenue and discourage drinking, and concludes that a uniform tax leads to higher prices on products bought disproportionately in high-income areas when compared to a more variable approach, effectively subsidizing liquor consumption in low-income areas.
Can Congress Create Real Competition for Big Tech?
Last week, members of Congress from both parties introduced a series of bills to curtail the dominance of the major technology firms. We asked Prof. Fiona Scott Morton if the proposed legislation would help level the playing field.
Century-Old Harvard Records Show How Social Connections Help the Elite
A study co-authored by Yale SOM’s Seth Zimmerman, drawing on a trove of archival student records, suggests that membership in exclusive clubs propelled students from the top prep schools to higher incomes, while good grades did little to lift other students into the top-earning tier.
Social Media Is Addictive. Do Regulators Need to Step In?
Yale SOM’s Fiona Scott Morton and her co-authors argue that smarter and more robust antitrust enforcement can help, by making room for new social media platforms that promote themselves as healthier alternatives.
Does Health Insurance Improve Individuals’ Financial Health?
In a new paper, Yale SOM’s Paul Goldsmith-Pinkham and his co-authors find that when Americans turn 65 and start to receive health insurance through Medicare, there is a measurable decline in debt, particularly in the South and among those with the greatest debt.