Author Archive
Link: http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2012/04/25/151365350/how-to-make-it-in-the-food-truck-business
Summary: NPR sheds light on the competitive market economy of the food truck business in Manhattan,.
Original air date: April 27, 2012
Length: 14:24 min
Discussion Prompt: Restaurants are a common example of firms operating in a monopolistically competitive type of market structure. In what way do you think food trucks do or do not fall in that same market structure category? Explain using economic thinking.
Follow-up Prompt: The podcast discusses the particular strategies that food truck drivers might employ to be successful in their goal of maximizing profits. How do you think the type of market structure in which a firm operates impacts the strategic thinking and actions that firms engage in? You can make your comments relevant to the food truck example, or think more broadly and connect to other industries or examples.
Link: http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2012/04/24/151224338/were-headed-for-a-fiscal-cliff-should-we-jump
Summary: The team outlines the fiscal policies slated to be enacted in January after the presidential election. Simon Johnson, an economist and professor at MIT, explains the harsh realities of the “fiscal cliff” which the year 2013 will bring for the U.S. economy.
Original air date: April 24, 2012
Length: 21:20 min
Link: http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2012/03/27/149484066/the-tuesday-podcast-what-a-16th-century-guild-teaches-us-about-competition
Summary: Sheilagh Ogilvie, an economic historian at Cambridge University, outlines the importance of guilds in the 16th century and how their political and economic structures parallel modern workplaces and markets.
Original air date: March 27, 2012
Length: 30:15 min
Link: http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2012/08/10/158576358/episode-393-the-building-thats-in-two-countries-at-once
Summary: The team explains the challenges to doing business within the political and economic structure of the European Union. An office building between Germany and Netherlands is used as an example of the relationship and differences among the countries of the European Union.
Original air date: August 10, 2012
Length: 15:15 min
Link: http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2012/03/02/147826043/the-friday-podcast-chinas-giant-pool-of-money
Summary: NPR visits China to shed light to the economic trade surplus which the country is experience in relation to the U.S. To understand how 8 percent of the U.S. debt is held by China and how this giant pool of money has been gradually growing, NPR takes a tour around a fake-wood flooring export factory.
Original air date: March 2, 2012
Length: 15:10 min
Link: http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2012/01/24/145757370/the-tuesday-podcast-who-loaned-money-to-greece-anyway
Summary: NPR interviews Hans Humes, CEO of an American hedge fund called Greylock Capital management who explains the complexity of the Greek financial crisis and its impact on the Eurozone.
Original air date: January 24, 2012
Length: 15:05 min
Link: http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2012/02/21/147223073/the-tuesday-podcast-what-do-private-equity-firms-actually-do
Summary: The podcast outlines the practices and economic implications of private equity firms, as well as the risk involved in leveraging different companies. Bain Capital, the private equity firm co-founded by Mitt Romney, is used as the primary example.
Original air date: February 21, 2012
Length: 25:15 min
Link: http://www.freakonomics.com/2012/08/30/how-deep-is-the-shadow-economy-a-new-freakonomics-radio-podcast/
Summary: Freakeconomics radio interviews Sudhir Vankatesh about the size of the shadow economy and the variety of off-the book transactions that flow throughout our tax system. Examples touched upon range from illicit transactions such as drug trafficking to ordinary services such as hair-cutting.
Original air date: August 30, 2012
Length: 20:09 min
Link: http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2012/09/25/161749564/episode-405-cheating-stealing-and-quantitative-easing
Summary: The podcast outlines the black market of stolen bikes, cheating between countries (USA and China) in trade agreements and the changes of quantitative easing announcements between past and current years.
Original air date: September 25, 2012
Length: 14:21 min
Link: http://www.freakonomics.com/2012/08/16/freakonomics-goes-to-college-part-2-a-new-freakonomics-radio-podcast/
Summary: Part 2 of the dual commentary podcast focuses on the complexity of analyzing the true costs of earning a college degree and the hardships of finding suitable work after graduating from college.
Original air date: August 16, 2012
Length: 34:17 min
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