Minneapolis Fed should expand — not limit — ties with University of Minnesota
Collaboration between the Minneapolis Fed and the university has been a fruitful model for other universities and Federal Reserve banks.
Macro, Micro, Minnesota
Macro, Micro, Minnesota analyzes the big stories in the news through the lens of economics. It is written by College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University professor Louis D. Johnston.
Latest Nobel prize reflects how economics works — and what economists don’t know
Economists still don’t understand how financial markets work — and this shouldn’t bother us.
Looking beyond Yellen: How to build a strong bench at the Fed
Naming Janet Yellen to the the Federal Reserve Board is a beginning, but there are at least three, and perhaps four, other positions coming open.
Economics behind orchestra dispute: slouching toward the Lake Wobegon Symphony
The orchestra’s governing body probably is betting on economic rules that could result in costs declining and revenues increasing.
Why is the U.S. labor force declining and struggling?
Economists have several theories, and I have a hunch that we’re going through something we’ve been through before.
How to keep the Bakken oil boom from becoming a bursting bubble
North Dakota and Minnesota must act wisely to avoid the “resource curse.”
Picking the next Fed chair: Debate degenerates into a personality contest
We’re not hearing much about the role the Fed should play in regulating and monitoring our financial system.
Economic effects of extending marriage to same-sex couples
Our economy benefits when people can choose household arrangements that suit them and pool their incomes and spending decisions.
Reinhart-Rogoff economic study got it wrong, and so did the political reaction
This case carries an important lesson about the relationship among policies, politicians and academics.
U should separate from Fairview and hook up with Mayo
The move would produce stronger medical-education programs and promote better health care.
Sequestration, deficit, debt? Our real problem is the future ‘fiscal gap’
We have committed to spend more in the future than we have promised to tax ourselves.
Minnesota needs an economic report to the governor — just like the president gets
We could have regular analyses of where Minnesota’s economy has been and where it is going, all in one handy package.
Narayana Kocherlakota’s evolution as a central banker
The president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis is no longer an inflation hawk, and he’s helped convince his colleagues to change as well.
Raising minimum wage seems best anti-poverty option, given political realities
In a perfect world, there is definitely a superior policy: a guaranteed basic income or negative income tax.
Walker vs. Dayton smackdown: Which governor has the better economy?
Sorry, Gov. Walker. Minnesota has lower unemployment, stronger job growth and higher household income.
Evaluating the economic assumptions of Dayton’s budget
The governor’s budget makes several reasonable economic assumptions, but here’s one that raises a red flag among economists.
Lessons to learn from Dayton brothers’ fateful decision in St. Paul
The worst thing St. Paul can do is repeat these mistakes.
Economic theory gives us two ‘weapons’ to combat gun violence
We can use the tax system to reduce demand and offset some of the negative costs. And we can decide which products are too “noxious” to allow.
The economics of Black Friday and Buy Nothing Day
Households, as a group, don’t make their purchasing decisions on a whim, driven by the temporary sales of Black Friday or the strictures of Buy Nothing Day.
Why do we have a state budget mess? Think Ventura years and baby boomers
Now Gov. Mark Dayton and the new Legislature must confront a projected $1.1 billion shortfall in the 2013-2014 budget.
