Archive for the ‘Ethics’ Category
Link: http://www.marketplace.org/topics/economy/new-financial-innovation-housing-market
Summary: Large investors have started buying houses–in the past few years, they have bought almost 200,000 new homes. The strategy was to buy low, and set the rent high. Interestingly enough, housing prices have appreciated, and rental prices have stayed the same, which results in not as big of a profit for the investors. This has created what they call rental-backed securities.
Original Air Date: October 13, 2014
Length: 2 minutes 52 seconds
Link: http://www.econtalk.org/archives/2014/07/chris_blattman.html
Summary: Russ Roberts interviews Chris Blattman of Columbia University on the subject of radical poverty and how the infusion of cash affects growth, education and political behavior.
Original Air Date: July 21, 2014
Length: 71 min
Link: http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2014/05/02/308640135/episode-536-the-future-of-work-looks-like-a-ups-truck
Summary: This podcast outlines how information technology is being used to measure efficiency in certain markets, such as the United Parcel Service (UPS). Whether you are inside a truck driving or in an office, information technology can track almost everything you do.
Original Air Date: May 2, 2014
Length: 14 min
Link: http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2013/10/10/229126568/is-welfare-a-rational-alternative-to-work
Summary: Michael Tanner, a senior fellow from Cato Institutes argues that choosing welfare may be a sound economic decision. How does the system set up choice for individuals? Considers the system, its incentives and the implications for rational economic actors.
Original Air Date: October 4, 2013
Length: 6 min
Link: http://www.npr.org/2012/06/04/154287476/honest-truth-about-why-we-lie-cheat-and-steal
Summary: Planet Money interviews Dan Ariely, professor of Psychology and Behavioral Economics at Duke University, about his book The Honest Truth About Dishonesty. Ariely notes that most individuals do not conduct their daily affairs on strict cost-benefit analysis but rather tend to cheat, lie, and steal as long as they don’t cross a certain moral threshold.
Original Air Date: June 4, 2012
Length: 8 min
Link: http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2013/08/23/214928040/episode-482-why-the-u-s-keeps-sending-weapons-to-egypt
Summary: A discussion of the economic and business factors within the U.S. that complicate the question of whether the U.S. should be sending aid in the form of weapons to Egypt during its ongoing political crisis.
Length: 13:08 min
Original air date: August 23, 2013
Link: http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2013/07/09/200401407/episode-471-the-eddie-murphy-rule
Summary: The Planet Money team consider the movie Trading Places and it’s scheme to make millions short-selling commodity futures (specifically frozen orange juice concentrate). Includes explanations of commodity futures trading, short-selling, and regulation of futures trading.
Length: 26:05 min
Original air date: July 9, 2013
Link: http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2013/06/11/190746413/episode-465-myanmar-opens-up
Summary: In the context of its t-shirt project (see tags) Planet Money considers whether or not producing t-shirts in Bangladesh is helpful to the country’s economy and people. This debate follows the tragedies in the garment industry in Bangladesh in 2012-2013. Features an interview with a woman who was worker in a garment factory in Bangladesh in the late 90s, and is now a labor activist, and a discussion of the role of garment manufacturing in the economic development of many countries.
Length: 16:48
Original air date: May 14, 2013
Link: http://www.freakonomics.com/2011/01/13/freakonomics-radio-the-economics-of-trash/
Summary: Freakonomics radio sheds a bit of light on the insidious characteristics of the “economics of trash” and asks how incentives effect the level of trash produced by the average household.
Original Air Date: January, 12 2011
Length: 22 min
Link: http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2013/01/18/169719749/episode-431-a-billion-dollar-bet-against-weight-loss-shakes
Summary: Planet Money considers the debate in the investment world over whether the company Herbalife is a pyramid scheme. Also features a discussion on the ethics of short-selling.
Original air date: January 18, 2013
Length: 17:00
audioecon 