America, land of liberty? Part I: The New Deal and the Four Freedoms

By Yaz Naji · January 30th, 2017

In this three-part series, Yaz Naji traces how the idea of freedom in the United States has shaped its economic policy from the Great Depression to modern times. Part I explores the legacy of Franklin Roosevelt in shaping American concepts of positive freedom.

Why lemons don’t always make lemonade: The importance of information asymmetry

By Edmund Kemsley · August 5th, 2016

Is perfect completion feasible in a world where there is imperfect knowledge? Edmund Kemsley explores how information asymmetry can lead to market degradation and, in extreme cases, failure.

This article first appeared in Short Supply 2016 – check out the full magazine via the Short Supply tab at the top of this page!

The Economics of Beauty and Discrimination

By Suvi Lokuge · August 3rd, 2016

Suvi Lokuge investigates whether it pays to be pretty.

This article first appeared in Short Supply 2016 – check out the full magazine via the Short Supply tab at the top of this page!

Arthur Cecil Pigou: externalities and the answer to climate change

By Taylor Nugent · August 1st, 2016

Prices contain an immeasurable amount of information. They are the sum of an entire population’s private preferences and an indispensable signal to achieve an efficient allocation of resources. But what about the information they don’t include? Taylor Nugent examines the work of Author Pigou on externalities, and concludes that his eponymous tax is the best way to make prices reflect the costs of climate change.

This article first appeared in Short Supply 2016 – check out the full magazine via the Short Supply tab at the top of this page!

W Brian Arthur: the Complexity Economics vision

By Dr. Simon Angus · August 1st, 2016

This article first appeared in Short Supply 2016 – check out the full magazine via the Short Supply tab at the top of this page!

Ibn Khaldûn and Adam Smith—The Heroes of Modern Times

By Dr. Elias L. Khalil · August 1st, 2016

This article first appeared in Short Supply 2016 – check out the full magazine via the Short Supply tab at the top of this page!

The ‘Creative Destruction’ of Capitalism

By David Hurley · May 18th, 2016

Joseph Schumpeter reluctantly offers a stark account of the future of capitalism. Alarmingly, Schumpeter’s thesis is looking increasingly accurate.

This article first appeared in Short Supply 2016 – check out the full magazine via the Short Supply tab at the top of this page!

Game of Theories: John Nash and the Nash Equilibrium

By Justin Liu · April 20th, 2016

Game theory is used everywhere today, but few people could have guessed that John Nash’s theories could be so universally applied. Justin Liu reiterates the importance of theory in a modern context.

Economics: an intro

By Alex Millmow · February 25th, 2016

Alex Millmow, Professor in Economics at Federation University, provides new students and those returning to their studies in economics with some valuable advice, as well as a reflection on how the way the teaching of economics has changed in the past four decades.

A slow crawl up from death

By Charlie Mei · August 24th, 2015

Charlie Mei discusses the effects of the Black Death, and what it means for economies today.

The challenge of insignificance for climate change scientists

By Josh Brown · May 20th, 2015

At what point does rational debate turn irrational? Josh Brown examines how individual incentives are distorting rational arguments on climate change policy.

The Hanseatic League

By Elijah Lim · April 4th, 2015

Elijah takes us to Hamburg and reflects on the city’s heritage as a flourishing centre of the Hanseatic League.