I had cataract surgery last week and it brought to mind a knotty problem the Bureau of Labor Statistics faces in tabulating the Consumer Price Index: How do we account for getting “more bang for the buck” when we measure…
The costs of Sunday liquor sales
There often are situations where government action to solve one type of “market failure” creates another. That is the case with Minnesota laws that ban sales of packaged liquor on Sunday. Enacted to prevent what economists would see as the…
Economics both cause and effect in Ukraine
The diplomatic crisis over Ukraine hangs primarily on geopolitical questions that have festered since the Soviet Union collapsed over two decades ago. But any international political or military crisis inevitably involves some economic issues in terms of causes and effects.…
Let’s not get carried away with Minnesota budget surplus
Along with several other states, Minnesota has returned to a budget surplus after some sharp deficit years. Whether that is because of luck or good policy is a matter of divided opinion. But there reportedly is about $1 billion on…