30 | January | 2012

Saturday, May 18, 2013

Bringing Manufacturing Jobs Back to the U.S.

Mark J. Perry | January 30, 2012, 7:27 pm

Tonight’s “Rock Center” show on NBC at 10 p.m. ET will have a segment on the rebound in American manufacturing, featuring Lincolnton Furniture, a six-generation American furniture company, which has recently started making furniture in North Carolina again after previously … read more >

Economics

Credit ratings: Where ‘least wrong’ is the best we can hope for

Daniel Hanson | January 30, 2012, 4:43 pm

U.S. regulators think they can do better than the major credit ratings agencies. As part of the Dodd-Frank Act, U.S. regulators are no longer allowed to use ratings from independent companies to judge the appropriateness of bank capital levels. Under … read more >

Politics and Public Opinion

Yes, Intrade actually is that useful!

James Pethokoukis | January 30, 2012, 4:13 pm

Jonah questions the usefulness of Intrade, doubting whether the “wisdom of crowds” actually generates much predictive value when it comes to political prognostication. Don’t betting markets just follow the consensus, which generally follows the poll? Well, a 2010 study looked … read more >

Carpe Diem

The Rust Belt Came Back Strong in 2011; Midwest Manufacturing Is At the Forefront of the Recovery

Mark J. Perry | January 30, 2012, 3:43 pm

The Chicago Federal Reserve reported today that its Midwest Manufacturing Index (CFMMI) increased 1.7% in December, to a seasonally adjusted level of 87.4 (2007 = 100). Here are some highlights of manufacturing activity in the 7th Federal Reserve district that … read more >

Economics

CBO study concurs with Biggs-Richwine paper highlighting overpaid federal workers

Andrew Biggs | January 30, 2012, 3:36 pm

The Congressional Budget Office has released a new study showing that federal government employees receive significantly higher compensation than private sector workers with the same levels of education and experience. The CBO report confirms many of the findings of a … read more >

Politics and Public Opinion

Is Intrade really that useful?

Jonah Goldberg | January 30, 2012, 1:07 pm

I don’t want to start a war with my AEI colleagues, specifically Intrade junkies Mark Perry and Jim Pethokoukis, but can I offer a small bit of skepticism about Intrade? I understand why prediction markets are interesting. But am I … read more >

Economics, Energy and the Environment

The green-energy climbdown continues

Kenneth P. Green | January 30, 2012, 10:41 am

The rain in Spain may stay mainly on the plain, but it won’t be falling on giant solar panel arrays for very long: Spain is in full retreat on its ill-advised renewable push. That won’t come as a surprise to … read more >

Economics

The Obama stimulus: How Big Government screwed up the Big Spend

James Pethokoukis | January 30, 2012, 9:13 am

Recall the original Obama economic team. It consisted of President Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, and White House economists Lawrence Summers, Christina Romer, Austan Goolsbee, and Jared Bernstein. It was the Democrats’ Best and Brightest—but not … read more >

Carpe Diem

Want to Save Endangered Species? Hunt Them

Mark J. Perry | January 30, 2012, 12:58 am

On tonight’s show, “60 Minutes” profiled private big-game hunting in Texas, which has become a $1 billion industry and is credited with saving some exotic species that are now extinct in their native lands in Africa. It’s a great example of how private … read more >

Lean In… to Government?
Sheryl Sandberg's runaway best-selling book Lean In has managed to offend both the Left and the Right. Sandberg touts female hard-headedness, yet also calls for an elaborate government- and employer-supplied support system for women. […]
Are American Voters Racist?
Racial prejudice plays a very small role in American politics, but a highly disciplined sense of self-interest on the part of one group may play a very large role in the way the federal government functions. […]
The Perpetual Passion for Paper
Paper is becoming less important in some respects, but its strengths — prestige, utility, permanence, and security — are more essential than ever. […]
Could California Make a Comeback?
An unexpected glimmer of hope might cast a new light on the Golden State. […]