Will the credit boom be the next financial crisis for the UK?
The Bank of England Financial Policy Committee (FPC) has signalled that it has become worried again about debt. Their specific focus is households. Consumer credit, for example, grew by 10 per cent...
Employment gains from a higher Mexican minimum wage
A rise in Mexico’s poverty-level minimum wage increased both wages and employment in the area in which it was attempted, according to research by Jorge Bouchot, presented at the Royal Economic...
Micro Multi-Choice Quiz - revision for upcoming exams
If you're looking for a quick, 10-question multi-choice quiz on micro economic topics, try this activity. Called 'Jazz Hands' the activity draws out knowledge through multi-choice questions - there...
Parental investment in kids - a case of information failure?
Many parents believe that the time they spend with their kids is more valuable the older they are, and that investing time later isn't as useful if they invested early – both of which are wrong,...
Origins of Money - To replace taxes not barter
Money was not created to replace barter, as most historians suggest, but to boost trade that rulers could tax. This new theory of the origins of money is presented by central bank economist Vincent...
How uncapping the Swiss franc led to more car accidents
Soaring franc causes Swiss shoppers to pop across to Italy each morning – while Italian workers head in the other direction. A strong franc increased daily traffic at the Swiss border as shoppers...
How the razor introduced us to two-part pricing
Another excellent addition to the 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy series, as Tim Harford highlights the impact of the disposable razor on the modern economy. However, it's not so much the...
Can loss aversion improve exam results?
German school children do better in the same test when their marks don't start at zero. Can invoking the behavioural bias of loss aversion improve student motivation to score better in their exams?
EasyJet Ticket Pricing and the Game of Chicken
Unlike its planes, Easyjet prices go up but don't come down. Easyjet's dynamic pricing model may sometimes slow the rate at which ticket prices go up, but bargain-hunters who wait until the last...
Positive externalities from breakfast clubs
Providing school breakfasts free to all children in disadvantaged English primary schools helps them to make two months’ additional progress in reading, writing and mathematics over the course of a...
Did you know that in 2016 organic carrots were removed from the CPI calculation in 2016?
Focus on the Vietnamese Economy
Here is a curated listing of resources, research reports and contemporary tweets on the Vietnamese economy, another of the fast-growing frontier economies whose development path is of great...
Get Savvy With Systems - Doughnut Economics
The launch of Kate Raworth's new book Doughnut Economics is supported by a series of short videos outlining some of the major themes of the book. The Guardian carried a major article from Kate...
Shopper happy to shun ultimatum offers
Bad news for pushy sales people: putting pressure on us to buy now or miss out doesn’t necessarily make us go for limited-time offers. That’s the result of experimental research by Robert Sugden,...
Will Economists have the laugh last over Brexit?
According to Sir Vince Cable, the answer is yes! This article comes from a strongly Remain perspective but is very readable from a politician with a long history as a professional economist in...
The Apprenticeship Levy
This is an important intervention in the UK labour market and students are advised to be aware of the new apprenticeship levy as a fiscal/supply-side measure.
Focus on the Ethiopian Economy
I said at the Grade Booster revision event in Birmingham last week that, in my opinion, Ethiopia is one of the most interesting economies on the planet to study from an A level Economics...
Can fracking lift the Welsh economy?
Leading Welsh politicians seem to be getting ideas above their station. Fifty years ago, Labour held all but four of the Parliamentary seats, and had over 60 per cent of the vote. Now, the...
Robert Shiller on Narrative Economics
The word post-truth is a new addition to the English language in 2016. In this new video, Professor Robert Shiller, Nobel-prize winner advocates narrative economics: economics that respect the...
Why does 'Junk bond status' matter for South Africa?
As the calls for South Africa's President to step down from office gain ever more ground, it is worth looking beyond the simple 'corrupt leadership' view of development, and considering the...