04 | September | 2012

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Tuesday night links

Mark J. Perry | September 4, 2012, 10:50 pm

1. Northwest Natural Gas Co. has asked Oregon regulators for permission to reduce rates for residential customers by 8% and commercial users by 9%. The Portland-based company also filed a request in Washington to curb residential rates there by 9% … read more >

Pethokoukis

Again, which Bush policies caused the Great Recession? And which of Obama’s ended it?

James Pethokoukis | September 4, 2012, 6:42 pm

Democratic National Convention – Charlotte, North Caorlina The narrative I am hearing at the DNC is that President Bush’s policies caused the Great Recession, and President Obama’s policies ended it and launched a strong recovery. Thus the Obama slogan, “Forward.” … read more >

Carpe Diem

Huge economist gender gap on policy issues

Mark J. Perry | September 4, 2012, 6:11 pm

From the newsroom at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln: “Is there a “gender gap” in the views of professional economists? A new national study (forthcoming in Contemporary Economic Policy) finds that while most economists agree on core economic concepts, values and … read more >

Pethokoukis

New evidence that Obama’s Keynesianism has had little positive impact

James Pethokoukis | September 4, 2012, 4:17 pm

Economist Daniel Gros compares the U.S. and Europe and finds America’s efforts at Keynesian stimulus have accomplished little. That, even though a) the U.S. has been been running deficits 40% bigger than Europe’s, and b) debt as a share of … read more >

Carpe Diem

Time Magazine cover story: It’s ‘deja vu’ all over again, part II

Mark J. Perry | September 4, 2012, 3:52 pm

From the Time Magazine article titled “Why We’re So Gloomy” (full article is behind paid firewall): Well, why are Americans so gloomy, fearful and even panicked about the current economic slump? U.S. consumers seem suddenly disillusioned with the American Dream … read more >

Carpe Diem

U.S. auto sales increase 20% in August to a 4.5-year high

Mark J. Perry | September 4, 2012, 3:37 pm

As predicted several weeks ago by J.D. Power based on the first 16 selling days of August, U.S. new car sales did reach a four and-a-half year high last month. Slightly more than 14.5 million units were sold in August … read more >

Pethokoukis

New paper gives a boost to NGDP targeting, Milton Friedman

James Pethokoukis | September 4, 2012, 3:25 pm

The idea that the Fed should target nominal GDP as a way of better balancing its inflation-unemployment dual mandate got a HUGE boost at the Jackson Hole meeting from a paper by economist and monetary policy expert Michael Woodford of … read more >

Pethokoukis

Forget Greece, the U.S. is now France

James Pethokoukis | September 4, 2012, 2:58 pm

The First Trust economic team of Brian Wesbury and Bob Stein offer an insightful comparison: The bottom line right now is that the US economy looks a lot like France. No, not the French economy today which is teetering on … read more >

Foreign and Defense Policy, Middle East and North Africa