Does it matter if Trump doesn’t like economists?
President Trump downgraded the chair of the Council of Economic Advisers from its perch on the Cabinet. Should we care?
Academic rigor, journalistic flair
Analysis and Comment
How Democrats can help Trump make the ACA’s replacement ‘terrific’
A 2010 law that requires the executive branch to set goals and an obscure Senate rule may be the Democrats' best chance to influence GOP plans to repeal and replace Obamacare.
The US$100 trillion case for open borders
Opening borders is the easiest way to tackle global poverty and it would make already wealthy countries richer, too.
Why US should treat Mexico as a vital partner, not a punching bag
A former ambassador to Mexico explains how Trump's rhetoric is sparking a backlash that could endanger U.S. economic and national security.
Who will pay for Trump’s ‘big, beautiful’ wall?
President Trump signed an executive order to get construction started and ask Congress to pay up front, but good luck getting Mexico to foot the bill.
Will Trump’s ‘color-blind’ pro-business policies help black entrepreneurs too?
Despite an entrepreneurial heritage, black self-employment rates are about half that of whites. Could a rising economy lift their boats too?
Staying politically neutral is more dangerous for companies than you think
Companies historically have avoided taking stands on contentious issues, but new research suggests consumers punish businesses that don't stand up for their core values.
Why Brazil is winning its fight against corruption
By exposing, prosecuting and sentencing Brazil's corrupt politicians, prosecutors, judges and citizens are draining the swamp that has overwhelmed the country for so long.
What does ‘America first’ mean for American economic interests?
Trump's 'America first' rhetoric implies that the internationalism and ‘enlightened self-interest’ that built the postwar order was a big mistake. The evidence and basic economics disagree.
How anti-LGBT laws foster a culture of exclusion that harms states’ economic prosperity
Conservative lawmakers are proposing 'bathroom bills' and other measures that discriminate against LGBT individuals. Beyond the moral concerns, there are large economic costs as well.
An original Republican tax plan offers Trump a radical tool for corporate tax reform
The GOP has a proposal on the table that could send shockwaves through the tax avoidance industry.
Why Wall Street’s Dow 20,000 is totally meaningless
The world's most famous stock index just broke 20,000 for the first time. Here's why it doesn't really matter.
Trump, trade and the TPP: Seven essential reads
Trump formally pulled out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership and signaled his intention to begin renegotiating NAFTA. Here's some context.
Greeks are overworked and exhausted from the debt crisis
After eight torturous years of crisis, Greeks are working long and hard with very little to show for it.
Paid family leave policies are expanding, but are new mothers actually taking time off?
If President Trump follows through on his campaign promise, new mothers may soon have six weeks of guaranteed paid leave. But something is keeping them from using the benefits they already have.
Why it’s so hard for women to break into the C-suite
While Clinton's popular vote win shows progress toward gender equality, her rival's nomination of just three women to his Cabinet is a reminder of how much work still needs to be done to overcome bias in management.
Why the ‘free market’ for drugs doesn’t work and what we can do about it
Trump has vowed to use new bidding procedures to curb the soaring cost of new drugs. There's a better solution, however, that doesn't risk also curbing the development of lifesaving treatments.
Theresa May’s hard Brexit hinges on a dated vision of global trade
The PM is overestimating Brexit Britain's place in the world as she boldly strides out of the single market.
How timekeeping software helps companies nickel and dime their workers
If you think the hours you work are all converted directly into dollars, think again. There are a lot of ways employers can manipulate your time – some of which are legal, others highly questionable.
Will the ‘Trump rally’ continue through 2017?
A common Wall Street adage claims: 'As January goes, so goes the year.' What does that mean for investors as stocks look set to end President-elect Trump’s first month in office higher?
It’s official: inequality, climate change and social polarisation are bad for you
The World Economic Forum draws a straight line from social injustice to many of the risks facing the world in 2017.
How speeding up payments to small businesses creates jobs
Research suggests paying small businesses just a couple of weeks faster can help them become more profitable, hire more workers and grow more quickly.
Why Istanbul is struggling to become an international financial centre
Does the Turkish government have ulterior motives in its attempt to make Istanbul a global financial centre?
How ride-hailing apps like Uber continue cab industry’s history of racial discrimination
Cab drivers have long discriminated against African-Americans and other minority groups. New research suggests ride-hailing apps haven't solved the problem.
Trump’s business conflicts show it’s not always plain sailing for family firms
One cymbal manufacturer has survived 400 years, but most in-house companies fail to survive through the generations.
Does a healthy diet have to come at a hefty price?
Consumers tend to think that healthy foods have to cost more than their less nutritional counterparts. New psychological research looks at how pervasive this is.
Trump in transition
Trump’s trade policy is more predictable and less isolationist than critics think
Trade under Trump will mean more bilateral agreements, hard bargaining and ultimatums, a sharp departure from Obama's multilateral, win-win approach.
Trump snubs ethical norms because we’ve forgotten why they matter
We haven't had a major government ethics scandal since Watergate, which means Americans have forgotten how bad it can be. That's why Trump may end up accidentally reminding us.
How progressives can still make change in the age of Trump
Evidence from states shows why Trump’s brand of Carrier-style dealmaking won’t work
Why President-elect Trump doesn’t think he has a conflict of interest problem
How Trump’s deportation plan threatens America’s food and wine supply
Trump’s Carrier coup reveals credibility gap between Twitter rhetoric and economic reality
Inequality in America
Why inequality is the most important economic challenge facing the next president
Finding a way to reduce inequality is key not only to solving a host of other problems but also to rescuing America's fast-disappearing middle class.
How corporate America can curb income inequality and make more money too
Rather than pursue self-interested policies that widen the gap between rich and poor, companies can invest in their workers, curb income inequality and make more money all at the same time.
Trade
Want to help free trade’s losers? Make ‘adjustment assistance’ more than just burial insurance
Trade adjustment assistance, dubbed 'burial insurance’ by those it's supposed to help, needs to be significantly reformed so that future trade deals don't have so many workers feeling left behind.
Stumped about what to make of Obama’s TPP trade deal? You’re not alone
The 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership has its share of boosters and bashers. But for those still uncertain what it's all about and whether it's worth it, here's a primer.
Research and Expert Database
Editors’ Picks
As Trump mulls another ‘reset’ with Russia, he should consider perils of Big Oil diplomacy
As Trump explores warmer ties to Russia, he'd be wise to brush up on the history of past resets and the role the oil industry played in each one. The results weren’t good.
Election rage shows why America needs a new social contract to ensure the economy works for all
The collapse of New Deal-era policies gave rise to deep-seated frustrations. Addressing that anger will require mobilizing workers, business leaders and others to get wages rising again.
Trump can kill trade deals but he can’t kill globalisation
Many of the US’s current and mooted free trade negotiations are now dead in the water, but that doesn't mean it's game over for free trade.
Why companies like Wells Fargo ignore their whistleblowers – at their peril
The bank's recent scandal probably would never have happened had senior management only listened to Wells Fargo's whistleblowers.
What we can learn from market’s reaction to a President Trump
Research suggests their initial reaction may portend how they will perform in the coming months and even years.
What we can learn from Trump’s $916 million loss
A 1995 tax return shows a net operating loss so large that it raises concerns about whether it was reported properly – and if Trump has been honest about his taxes.
It’s time we reinvented labor for the 21st century
The link between labor's decline and stagnating worker pay has convinced some politicians that we need to rebuild unions. What we need are new labor policies for tomorrow's workforce.
What Peru’s new president can learn from Brazil’s fight against corruption
Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, known as PPK, became president arguably because his citizens are fed up with corruption. Scandal-plagued Brazil offers a template for how he could tackle it.
Love it or leave it: why the UK’s Brexit vote should matter to Americans
Polls show voters are beginning to lean toward leaving the EU, so it's time to brush up on what will happen if there's a Brexit – and why it matters on this side of the Atlantic.
Why it’s so hard for students to have their debts forgiven
About 10 million borrowers in the government's main student loan program are struggling to make their payments, yet unlike other types of debt, it's next to impossible to have it forgiven.
Is the American Dream dead?
Falling homeownership rates, stagnant wages and diminishing retirement savings mean that for more and more Americans, the middle-class dream is slowly dying – if it's not already gone.
Most Read past week
- Staying politically neutral is more dangerous for companies than you think
- Why US should treat Mexico as a vital partner, not a punching bag
- Who will pay for Trump’s ‘big, beautiful’ wall?
- How Democrats can help Trump make the ACA’s replacement ‘terrific’
- How to get ready for the economic recession coming in 2017
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