Economics
Annals of Inquiry
An Economics Lesson from Tolstoy
The Russian novelist believed that the dismal science was inescapably suffused with morality and politics.
Our Columnists
The U.S. Is Reaping the Benefits of Low Unemployment
In many ways, keeping the jobless rate low and the labor markets tight is the most effective and cost-efficient welfare policy there is.
Letter from Biden’s Washington
Bidenomics Is a Political Bust for Biden
On the perils of running a feel-good tour of America when the country is down in the dumps.
Our Columnists
The Free-Market Fundamentalism of Argentina’s Javier Milei
The President-elect, a right-wing populist with authoritarian instincts, has been compared to Donald Trump, but his radical views on the economy set him apart.
Annals of Artificial Intelligence
Will A.I. Become the New McKinsey?
As it’s currently imagined, the technology promises to concentrate wealth and disempower workers. Is an alternative possible?
Currency
Does the President Have Control Over Inflation?
Republicans have blamed Joe Biden for inflation rates, and Biden has claimed credit for reducing them. But maybe neither is entirely deserved.
Q. & A.
What a Ban on Non-compete Agreements Could Mean for American Workers
Companies often prevent employees from joining rivals. The Biden Administration wants that to end.
Our Columnists
A Humiliating End to Trussonomics
The British government’s dramatic U-turn shows how policy mistakes can be rapidly punished in times of global economic uncertainty.
Our Columnists
A Timely Economics Nobel—and a Warning
As Wall Street gets jittery, Stockholm honors three economists who warned about fragilities in the banking system.
Our Columnists
The Huge Economic Challenge Facing Liz Truss
As energy prices soar and living standards plummet, the new British Prime Minister is planning a vast bailout of households and businesses.
Q. & A.
How Not to Fight Inflation
Do the failures of Abenomics in Japan hold lessons for the United States?
Daily Comment
The Supreme Court Tries Overruling Physics
A destructive decision in West Virginia v. E.P.A.
Books
Would the World Be Better Off Without Philanthropists?
Critics say that big-time donors wield too much power over their fellow-citizens and perpetuate social inequality. But don’t cancel Lady Bountiful just yet.
Books
The War on Economics
Many progressives view the dismal science as their adversary. Yet it has often proved to be a singularly powerful ally.
Currency
How Much Do Things Really Cost?
True Price, a Dutch nonprofit, aims to help us grasp the real costs of consumption.
Daily Cartoon
Daily Cartoon: Tuesday, March 22nd
“Given supply shortages, political animus, and general global upheaval, our current offerings are neither hot nor dogs.”
Currency
How Significant Is Russia’s Partial Ban from SWIFT?
The move demonstrates the seriousness of the effort to punish Putin’s regime, but the effects may be limited.
Our Columnists
How Vladimir Putin Miscalculated the Economic Cost of Invading Ukraine
The Russian leader apparently failed to anticipate the unprecedented targeting of the Central Bank of Russia, a step that has battered the ruble and shaken the country’s financial system.
Our Columnists
The 2022 Economy Looks Strong, but Beware the Known Unknowns
COVID and policy changes could radically affect growth, inflation, and the midterm elections.
Our Columnists
An Optimistic Scenario for Inflation
The key thing for the economy, and for Biden’s political prospects, is whether rising prices turn out to be temporary or permanent.