Archive for the ‘Government’ Category
Link: http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2011/06/13/137109349/the-friday-podcast-the-case-for-preschool
Summary: Discussion with economist James Heckman on the findings of a study of the economic and social impacts of preschool.
Original air date: June 10, 2011
Length: 21:14
Main story content begins: 3:12
Discussion Prompt: If you were the U.S. Secretary of Education considering whether to require universal preschoool for all children in the U.S., what factors from the podcast might you consider as you weighed the costs and benefits of this decision? What other factors (not included in the podcast) might you need to consider (or might, say, the President of the U.S. or Congress need to consider). Which of these factors do YOU think would be most important to consider, and why?
Follow-up Prompt: If you were promoted (!) to President, what sort of tradeoffs might you have to think about that are different from those of the Education Secretary? What might you have to take into account from that higher perspective? How can you see – from either position – that budgets reflect scarcity, choices and tradeoffs?
Link: http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2010/08/20/129328075/the-tuesday-podcast-allowance-economics
Summary: Interview with Economist Joshua Gans, author of Parentonomics, on the use of incentives for children and the lessons for economic policy
Original air date: August 20, 2010
Length: 18:09
Main story content begins: 2:42
Discussion Prompt: Why do you think it was difficult at first to determine the right reward to give to provide an incentive for the kids to use the potty? How do you think this discussion of incentives helps us understand the economic idea that “incentives and economic systems impact choice in predictable ways”?
Follow-up Prompt: The podcast also talked about the idea of ‘budget constraint’ through Bea’s allowance and about the concept of ‘leakage’ in an economic system. What do budget constraint and linkage mean and how are they demonstrated here? How do they help us understand the behavior of the children in this podcast? Can you think of any other examples of leakage associated with incentives, perhaps at the government level?
Link: http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2010/10/22/130757997/the-friday-podcast-the-price-of-lettuce-in-brooklyn
Summary: Explains CPI through a shopping trip with one of the federal employees in charge of contributing to the monthly determination of the Consumer Price Index.
Original air date: October 22, 2010
Length: 16:45
Main story content begins: 2:54
Link: http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2009/08/hear_how_the_gold_standard_fue.html
Summary: Liaquat Ahamed, author of Lords of Finance: The Bankers Who Broke the World, blames that economic collapse of the Great Depression on the boneheaded policies of the leading central bankers. Ahamed says much of the problem stemmed with a return to the gold standard.
Original Air Date: August 5, 2009
Length: 18:43
Main story content begins: 3:16
Link: http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2011/08/05/138934689/the-tuesday-podcast-the-patent-war
Summary: Discussion of how the U.S. patent system is not working for software and related technology.
Original air date: August 2, 2011
Length: 18:54
Main story content begins: 3:10
Link: http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2012/07/18/156928675/episode-387-the-no-brainer-economic-platform
Summary: Presentation of a hypothetical presidential campaign platform that economist from across the political spectrum would support.
Original air date: July 18, 2012
Length: 26:54
Discussion Prompt: One economic platform in the podcast is that the government should cut corporate, income and payroll taxes. How this might impact the economic environment of the country? Why were some panelists in the podcast opposed to cutting these taxes?
Written Assignment Prompt: Consider these economic platforms from a political point of view. What are the strengths and weaknesses of each? If you were a political strategist, could you present these ideas in a way that the public would understand?
Link: http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2012/07/20/157105414/episode-388-putting-a-price-tag-on-your-descendants
Summary: A discussion of how the choice of discount rate impacts public policy decisions such as flood protection actions in Los Angeles and New Orleans.
Original Air Date: July 20, 2012
Length 17:38
Link: http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2012/03/23/149235180/the-friday-podcast-the-surprisingly-entertaining-history-of-the-income-tax
Summary: A discussion of the origins and history of the income tax in the U.S.
Original Air Date: March 23, 2012
Length 19:20
Main story content begins: 3:12
Link: http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2012/02/03/146363292/the-friday-podcast-is-hosting-the-super-bowl-worth-it
Categories: Economic impact analysis, Government, sports economics, urban economics
Summary: A consideration of the costs and benefits to the city of Indianapolis for building a stadium to attract the Super Bowl.
Original Air Date: February 3, 2012
Length 19:15
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