tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65988318643339903752024-03-13T23:34:47.328-08:00Students Who Enjoy Economic ThinkingThe weekly musings of the SWEET scholarsAdam Levyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15257124483756325652noreply@blogger.comBlogger760125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598831864333990375.post-90841281258500838082018-04-24T19:08:00.002-08:002018-04-24T19:10:32.232-08:00Thinking About Environmental Economics in Alaska<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
April 25, 2018 Dinner/Discussion<br />
<br />
For our last SWEET meeting, we have a very special guest - Camilla Kennedy. Camilla currently teaches Environmental Economics and Policy at the University of Alaska Anchorage and works as the Economist for the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation. She received her BA in Economics from UAF and her Masters in Environmental Economics from the London<br />
School of Economics. She is an alumni of Students Who Enjoy Economic Thinking (SWEET) from 2007-2011, however, she considers herself a lifelong student of economic thinking.<br />
<br />
It was suggested last week that we discuss the merits of House Bill 199 which mirrors the Stand for Salmon ballot initiative. The bill has drawn the opposition of oil and gas, mining, logging and
construction trade groups as well as most Alaska Native corporations for
being a de-facto prohibition on new development, such as Pebble Mine, in Alaska. Pebble Mine is a mineral exploration project investigating a very large copper, gold, and molybdenum mineral deposit in the Bristol Bay region of Southwest Alaska. Proponents argue that the mine will
create jobs, provide tax revenue to the state of Alaska, and reduce
American dependence on foreign sources of raw materials. Opponents argue
that the mine would adversely affect the entire Bristol Bay watershed;
and that the possible consequences to fish populations, when mining
effluents escape planned containments, are simply too great of a risk.<br />
<br />
<u>Some questions to consider: </u><br />
<br />
Are the potential environmental impacts real or exaggerated?<br />
<br />
Do the benefits of the project exceed the costs in the short run and long run?<br />
<br />
If the project is approved, will the development of the minerals in this region continue the "resource curse" in Alaska?<br />
<br />
<a href="http://alaskajournal.com/2018-04-11/latest-fish-habitat-bill-goes-too-far-or-not-far-enough#.Wt_rD8gh2b8" target="_blank">HB 199 (Stand for Salmon Initiative)</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/wonder-list-bill-weir-alaska-pebble-mine/index.html" target="_blank">Pebble Mine</a><br />
<br />
<u>Other topics we could discuss with Camilla:</u><br />
<br />
Fairbanks <span class="st">North Star Borough being reclassified as a “serious” <i>nonattainment</i> area for fine particulate air pollution. </span><br />
<br />
<span class="st">The Alaska water and sewer challenge. </span><span class="st"></span><span class="st">Over 3,300 rural Alaska homes lack running water and a flush toilet. Most of these homes are located in 30 “unserved” villages.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span class="st"><span class="st"><i></i></span> </span><span class="st"></span><br />
<span class="st"><i></i></span><span class="st"></span></div>
Sherrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08598870792394832442noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598831864333990375.post-49179088604034955432018-04-17T08:19:00.000-08:002018-04-17T09:49:39.196-08:00The Grecian horse: does immigration lead to the deterioration of American institutions?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
April 18, 2018<br />
Dinner/Discussion<br />
Kayak Conference Room<br />
<br />
Dr. Alex Padilla will be speaking on immigration Friday, April 27, at 10:30 & 2:15 in the Schaible Auditorium. Here is a copy of his recently published paper: <a href="https://www.blogger.com/The%20Grecian%20horse:%20does%20immigration%20lead%20to%20the%20deterioration%20of%20American%20institutions?" target="_blank">The Grecian horse: does immigration lead to the deterioration of American institutions?</a><br />
<br />
<u>Abstract:</u><br />
Concerns about the institutional impact of immigration, particularly in
the United States, are not new. We can trace them back to Benjamin
Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and Alexander Hamilton. More recently, in
response to a literature that questions the desirability of current
immigration restrictions, Borjas (J Econ Lit 53:961–974, <span class="CitationRef"><a href="https://rd.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11127-018-0509-5#CR17" role="button" title="View reference">2015</a></span>)
speculates that immigrants coming from countries with poor institutions
could reduce substantially the institutional quality in the United
States to a point where it could negate all economic gains associated
with immigration in terms of GDP and income. Using the Economic Freedom
of North America index since 1980, we find no evidence to corroborate
Borjas’s concerns. However, we find mixed evidence that immigration
increases minimum wages and union density. <br />
<br />
Here is a short video that frames some of the arguments against immigration: <a href="https://youtu.be/9w1DeNrZYLE" target="_blank">The 5 Best Arguments Against Immigration—and Why They're WRONG</a><br />
<br />
Are there, however, other legitimate reasons to slow down immigration into the United States? Philip Cafaro argues that a serious commitment to environmentalism entails ending
America’s population growth by implementing a more restrictive
immigration policy. <a href="https://cis.org/Environmental-Argument-Reducing-Immigration-United-States" target="_blank">The Environmental Argument for Reducing Immigration to the United States</a><br />
<br />
Was Alexander Hamilton right about immigration? <a href="https://amgreatness.com/2016/12/21/hamiltons-actual-views-immigration/" target="_blank">Hamilton’s Actual Views on Immigration</a> <br />
<br />
What about Milton Friedman's argument that you can't have free immigration when you have a welfare state? <a href="https://youtu.be/JQzW6DNkP_8" target="_blank">Milton Friedman on immigration</a> </div>
Sherrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08598870792394832442noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598831864333990375.post-68894728241243339592018-04-07T19:02:00.001-08:002018-04-07T19:04:14.503-08:00What Can Uber Teach Us About the Gender Pay Gap?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
April 11, 2018 SWEET Dinner/Discussion</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
4:30 to 6:00 p.m.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Kayak Conference Room (outside of library)<br />
<br />
Thank you, William Czyzewski for this discussion topic.<br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://freakonomics.com/podcast/what-can-uber-teach-us-about-the-gender-pay-gap/" target="_blank">Link to Podcast</a><br />
<br />
<br />
The gender pay gap is a hot topic in many academic circles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is of interest for economists and
activists alike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Commonly, the U.S.
unadjusted average female annual wage is 78% of male wages (<a href="http://money.cnn.com/2015/04/13/news/economy/equal-pay-day-2015/">http://money.cnn.com/2015/04/13/news/economy/equal-pay-day-2015/</a>).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, this number does not take into
account factors like the jobs being performed and the years worked within those
industries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After making adjustments to
account for additional factors, amongst college graduates, the gap shrinks to
about 88-93% (<a href="https://www.aauw.org/aauw_check/pdf_download/show_pdf.php?file=The-Simple-Truth">https://www.aauw.org/aauw_check/pdf_download/show_pdf.php?file=The-Simple-Truth</a>).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This gap has been an issue of debate for some
time, and a series of new studies by John List, chairman of the University of
Chicago economics department, Rebecca Diamond of Stanford Graduate School of
Business, and Jonathan Hall, who leads the public policy and economics team at
Uber, has studied the pay gap at Uber.<br />
<br />
Some questions to think of while listening to the podcast:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
1.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why were the researchers confident
that their data could avoid gender biases?</div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;">2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What
contributed to the pay gap found in the study?</span>
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1073786111 1 0 415 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin-top:0in;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:8.0pt;
margin-left:0in;
line-height:107%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#0563C1;
mso-themecolor:hyperlink;
text-decoration:underline;
text-underline:single;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
color:#954F72;
mso-themecolor:followedhyperlink;
text-decoration:underline;
text-underline:single;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
font-size:11.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:11.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
.MsoPapDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
margin-bottom:8.0pt;
line-height:107%;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;
mso-header-margin:.5in;
mso-footer-margin:.5in;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
-->
</style></div>
Sherrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08598870792394832442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598831864333990375.post-60170576678361106292018-03-06T20:34:00.000-09:002018-03-06T20:34:18.917-09:00"Free, Fair and SMART Trade"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
SWEET Meeting March 7, 2018. 4:30 to 6:00 Kayak Conference Room in Library<br />
<br />
WHEN President Donald Trump tweeted “We want free, fair and SMART
TRADE,” on March 1st, trade-watchers groaned. Later that day, after
months of back-and-forth between the protectionists and the globalists
in the White House, he appeared to deliver the tariffs he has long been
promising. He announced tariffs of 25% on imports of steel and 10% on
those of aluminum.<br />
<br />
<span class="st">Mr. Trump is using the “<wbr></wbr>national security <em>argument</em>,” also called the “national <em>defense argument</em>.” This <em>argument</em> suggests that it is necessary to protect certain industries with a <em>tariff</em> to assure continued domestic production in the event of a war. Do you think their is validity in the application of this argument to Trump's proposals or is it a guise to shield American steel and aluminum producers from competition.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="st">Do you think that impacted countries will win in their suit in the Word Trade Organization? Do you think the judges will rule for or against America in these suits? If the body of judges rule in America's favor, do you think other countries will retaliate and enact their own tariffs using the national defense argument? What type of retaliatory actions by other countries do you expect? Who are the winners from Trump's proposed tariffs? Who are the losers?</span><br />
<br />
<span class="st"><a href="https://www.economist.com/news/business-and-finance/21737843-get-them-he-causing-chaos-president-donald-trump-wants-tariffs-steel-and" target="_blank">President Trump wants tariffs on steel and aluminum</a> </span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/05/opinion/trump-tariffs-trade-recession.html" target="_blank">Don’t Worry About Trump’s Tariffs</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/04/trumps-steel-tariffs-are-earning-him-cheers-from-democrats-and-unions.html" target="_blank">Trump's steel tariffs are earning him cheers from Democrats and unions—but giving the GOP shivers</a> </div>
Sherrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08598870792394832442noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598831864333990375.post-54397154752320181212018-02-14T15:46:00.000-09:002018-02-14T15:46:03.828-09:00Sam's Club CatastropheIn January of this year, Walmart closed a total of 63 Sam's Club stores across the nation, including in Puerto Rico. According to an article by Daniel Keyes, 10 to 12 of the closed locations are to be turned into e-commerce distribution centers. However, this left 11,000 people without work (over 9,000 affected) in short notice.<br />
<br />
<i><u style="background-color: yellow;"><b>NOTE:</b> We will be having our first meeting of this semester next week on February 21st at our regular time and place. We will be taking student organization pictures, too. </u></i><br />
<br />
Questions:<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Who benefits most from this shift? Who suffers? Explain.</li>
<li>Do you believe that the benefits of implementing e-commerce distribution centers outweigh the costs associated with implementing the change?</li>
<li>How will (or has) this impacted the Fairbanks community? UAF? Alaska businesses? Alaskan Villages? Is there anybody else you can think of who would be impacted by this?</li>
<li>With this closure, there are/were 51-53 buildings vacant. What, in your opinion, is the best use of these vacant buildings?</li>
</ol>
<br />
<br />
Articles for Reading:<br />
-<a href="http://www.newsminer.com/news/local_news/hundreds-crowd-fairbanks-sam-s-club-as-store-reopens-for/article_5c2b151e-f7d7-11e7-8642-3b94cce0f523.html">Fairbanks</a><br />
-<a href="https://www.npr.org/2018/01/12/577713374/wal-mart-closes-63-sams-club-stores-leaving-11-000-employees-without-work">Across the Nation</a><br />
-<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/heres-why-walmart-is-closing-63-sams-club-stores-2018-1">Why did they do this?</a>Destiny Dowlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17113177489966319124noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598831864333990375.post-22611390727072449542017-11-27T14:07:00.001-09:002017-11-27T14:07:24.748-09:00Alaska Gasline Development Corporation (AGDC) Natural Gas Pipeline Agreement with China Sinopec.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The pipeline as envisioned would rival the famed trans-Alaska oil
pipeline, a major project of a generation ago. This pipeline has been a
dream for Alaskans for years, seen as a way to provide economic
certainty as oil production from the North Slope declines.<br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Alaskans have long awaited the construction of a natural gas pipeline which has not yet materialized. Do you think that this new agreement will be the impetus for it to actually happen? </li>
<li>Is China, with its links to North Korea, our friend or foe? </li>
<li>Would the new pipeline impede the diversification of Alaska's economy and keep its citizens dependent on natural resources?</li>
<li>Would this new project solve Alaska's budget crisis </li>
<li>Would this project benefit Alaskans through lower energy prices?</li>
<li>What are the merits of the project? What are the weaknesses?</li>
</ul>
<a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/alaska-signs-gas-pipeline-project-deal-with-china-2/" target="_blank">Alaska signs gas-pipeline project deal with China</a><br />
<br />
</div>
Sherrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08598870792394832442noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598831864333990375.post-40690301553232434032017-11-13T07:11:00.003-09:002017-11-13T07:11:28.545-09:00What Are the Secrets of the German Economy — and Should We Steal Them?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It appears that Germany's government policies, industrial relations, and high-end
products have helped its manufacturing beat back the threats of
globalization. There is much political-rhetoric about the demise of the manufacturing sector in the U.S.: <br />
<blockquote>
Bernie SANDERS: We have had, for the last 30+ years, disastrous trade policies. </blockquote>
<blockquote>
President TRUMP: We’ve lost <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" target="_blank">60,000 factories</a> since China joined the World Trade Organization in 2001. </blockquote>
Should the U.S. adopt more protectionist policies similar to the Germans to help maintain the manufacturing sector in the United States? How important were the 2003 Hartz reforms (decreased government assistance to the poor and unemployed; easier for firms to <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" target="_blank">fire employees</a>; and <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" target="_blank">encouragement of</a> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" target="_blank">more</a> part-time, low-wage, non-union jobs) in turning the Germany economy around?<br />
<br />
At the end of the podcast, Jeromin Zettlemeyer states that the U.S. has had its own comparative advantage and this has had the unfortunate side effect of
wounding its manufacturing sector:<br />
<blockquote>
<em>ZETTELMEYER: A very important reason why traditional manufacturing has declined in the U.S. </em>— <em>which is completely under-emphasized, particularly by the Trump administration </em>—<em>
is domestic competition; extremely dynamic growth in new sectors in the
United States, particularly, of course, the computer industry and the
software industry, the platforms, the I.T. giants. This growth sucks
away labor and makes it harder for traditional companies to compete. </em></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<em>This has nothing to do with globalization. This has something to
do with technical change, but it has a lot to do just with the general
dynamism of the U.S. economy. One of the reasons why the manufacturing
share is high in Germany is because the German industry lacks this
dynamism. The U.S. has traditionally been a much more dynamic economy.
The U.S. has a very good model and what the U.S. should focus on is to
maintain and improve its model, not about copying the German one. </em></blockquote>
<br />
To what degree does Germany's focus on tradition impact innovation? Is it a reasonable tradeoff? Should the U.S. attempt to adopt institutions of the German economic model?<br />
<em></em></div>
Sherrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08598870792394832442noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598831864333990375.post-60224003253712050902017-11-07T17:57:00.001-09:002017-11-07T17:58:31.605-09:00Estate Tax Repeal<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Last week we talked about President Trump's tax reform plan. Our discussion mostly centered on exemptions, deductions, fewer tax brackets and corporate tax rates in the United States. The repeal of the estate or "death" tax was briefly brought up. Do you think the estate tax should be abolished? Would eliminating the estate tax reduce charitable giving? Is the estate tax unfair to the wealthy? Do you believe we should keep the estate tax to reduce inequality? Do you think inheriting large sums without tax undermines people's motives to work
hard in the future and, thus, undercuts the principles of capitalism? Is the estate tax a form of forced income redistribution? (If our discussion begins to dwindle from the estate tax topic, what are your views on inequality in the U.S. and what should be done about it?)<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ashleaebeling/2017/09/27/trump-gop-tax-framework-calls-for-estate-tax-repeal/#6cdae1551174" target="_blank">Trump GOP Tax Reform Framework Calls For Estate Tax Repeal</a><br />
<br />
The inheritance tax, or estate tax, is a tax which the United States
levies on the total taxable value of the estate of a deceased person.
The amount of tax is calculated regardless of the method in which the
assets of the estate are transferred to the person's heirs: assets
included in a will, transferred automatically because the person died
intestate or as an insurance benefit or account payoff. Inheritance tax
is paid by the executor of the estate or by the person in charge of its
assets.<br />
The United States has a consolidated policy on inheritance
and gift tax so that a person cannot give away his or her estate to
potential beneficiaries shortly before death in order to avoid taxation;
beneficiaries would simply pay gift tax rather than inheritance tax in
this case. The federal government makes a distinction between the "gross
estate" (all assets) and the "taxable estate" (assets less a certain
number of allowable deductions such as funeral expenses, some charitable
contributions and various other deductions).<br />
<br />
In most cases, if the estate is left to a charitable organization or a
surviving spouse, no inheritance tax is due. There are also exclusions
for a certain portion of the estate; however, these have been frequently
changed by recent tax legislation, and usually, it is worth consulting a
professional to determine what amount of the estate is not taxable
under current federal law. In part because these complexities make it
possible for some wealthy people to establish shelters that let them
avoid estate tax; the estate tax debate has been going on for years. </div>
Sherrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08598870792394832442noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598831864333990375.post-86567825715546491922017-10-31T11:14:00.003-08:002017-10-31T11:14:40.998-08:00Trump's Tax Reform Dissected<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Dear SWEET Scholars,<br />
<br />
Along with Thai food, we will be discussing Trump's Tax Reforms tomorrow from 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. in the Kayak Conference Room. I'm looking forward to seeing all of you sweet people!<br />
<br />
1) Who benefits from Trump's tax plan?<br />
2) Do you think the U.S. can afford tax cuts?<br />
3) Will tax cuts pay for themselves through higher growth?<br />
4) Is the top federal corporate tax rate too high?<br />
5) Do you think the tax cuts will pass? <br />
<br />
<a href="https://mises.org/wire/trump%E2%80%99s-tax-reform-dissected" target="_blank">Trump's Tax Reform Dissected</a><br />
<br /></div>
Sherrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08598870792394832442noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598831864333990375.post-57537055269219875392017-04-09T18:23:00.002-08:002017-04-10T16:42:22.858-08:00Ethics: What role does ethics play in economic decision making and governance?<div class="s3" style="line-height: 21.6px; text-indent: 36px;">
<span style="line-height: 21.6px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Last week during the SWEET meeting we were discussing the future of Economics at UAF. At some point during the discussion the role of ethics in economic decision making was mentioned which started a somewhat explosive tangent. This week, I would like to expand on the role of ethics in economic decision making and how sometimes ideology can lead policymakers astray. </span></span></div>
<div class="s3" style="line-height: 21.6px; text-indent: 36px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">I think we all know that economics is not just a discipline used to boost the bottom line of businesses and corporations. Some in the SWEET discussion group who will go unnamed here (you know who you are) would argue that ethics is subjective and therefore should consulted based on the whim of the people making decisions. This of course means that key policy makers could just decide to completely disregard or at the very least reduce the ethical concerns and legitimate consequences of externalities to mere tertiary</span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> consideration. I would like to offer the position that this ideology of what I call ‘Free Market Fundamentalism’ is very dangerous for politicians and other government officials to have because it means that the government is corrupted to favor the interests of corporations and other big businesses over the people they are elected to represent. </span></span></div>
<div class="s3" style="line-height: 21.6px; text-indent: 36px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="s3" style="line-height: 21.6px; text-indent: 36px;">
<span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Here are a few articles that look at the ethics of past and present economic decisions rather than just the bottom line: </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 21.6px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> <a href="x-apple-ql-id:///word/%20https:/thetyee.ca/Opinion/2011/10/14/Canadian-Ethical-Challenges/%20%20%20"><span class="s4" style="color: #0563c1; line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">https://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2011/10/14/Canadian-Ethical-Challenges/</span><span class="s4" style="color: #0563c1; line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> </span></a></span></div>
<div class="s3" style="line-height: 21.6px; text-indent: 36px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://ritholtz.com/2008/12/the-financial-crisis-and-the-collapse-of-ethical-behavior/"><span class="s4" style="color: #0563c1; line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">http://ritholtz.com/2008/12/the-financial-crisis-and-the-collapse-of-ethical-behavior/</span></a><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"></span></span></div>
<div class="s3" style="line-height: 21.6px; text-indent: 36px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3110222/"><span class="s4" style="color: #0563c1; line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3110222/</span></a><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"></span></span></div>
<div class="s3" style="line-height: 21.6px; text-indent: 36px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 21.6px;">
<span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Based off of that reading, consider the following questions: </span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">1. </span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">What role does ethics play in economics</span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> and governance</span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> if any</span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">? </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">2. </span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">What is the role of government in terms of regulation and how does that relate to ethics? </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">3. </span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">If we lived in an Anarchic society with no government, what kind of recourse could people expect? Would it really be as efficient or more efficient than our current legal system? </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">4. </span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">To continue from question 3, what would recourse in this hypothetical society be predicated on? Wealth? Survival of the fittest (most heavily armed)? </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"><span style="text-indent: 0px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"><span style="text-indent: 0px;">5. Is there any meaningful way to reform the government? Or are the incentives for corruption too strong to overcome for public officials? </span></span></span><br />
<div class="s3" style="line-height: 21.6px; text-indent: 36px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="s3" style="line-height: 21.6px; text-indent: 36px;">
<span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="s3" style="line-height: 21.6px; text-indent: 36px;">
<span style="line-height: 21.6px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">—Isaac Gage</span></span></div>
Destiny Dowlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17113177489966319124noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598831864333990375.post-32358777866832911212017-04-02T12:18:00.001-08:002017-04-02T12:18:22.805-08:00UAF Economics Program and SWEETHello all!<br /><br /><br /><br />Sherri will not be able to attend this next couple of meetings, however, SWEET will still be in session. This week's discussion topic is..... the peril of our economics program at UAF. Below is an excerpt from the report I wrote a couple of weeks ago on Sherri's lecture. <br /><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">
Now, all subdivisions of the economics program, including minors, majors and organizations such as Students Who Enjoy Economic Thinking, are at risk for being cut for financial reasons. . .<br /> <br />. . . Enrollment in the economics major started its suspension in April. Wall criticized this decision, saying the board should consider the cost/benefit analysis of cutting the economics program before making a final decision around June.<br /><br />The current decision-making process overlooks the benefits of keeping the program in the university, Wall said. The economics program is ranked 80 out of the 280 programs here at UAF. Despite being on the bottom of the School of Management curriculum, the program generates a copious amount of student credit hours for those in and out of the School of Management.<br /><br />Cutting the economics program would cost more in lost opportunities than it would save in cash, according to Wall.<br /><br />“The suspension of the program was cited for financial reasons… However, after just doing a brief cost-benefit analysis, the savings of eliminating the economics program would be very negligible,” Wall said. “It ignores things like return on investment, and where students go and how they are giving back and contributing to society. An economics degree is a very, very valuable degree.”<br /><br /><br />You can read the full article at https://www.uafsunstar.com/professor-criticizes-lack-of-economics-education/.</blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Other good articles to read and ponder (although a little outdated) include:</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<ul>
<li>http://www.newsminer.com/opinion/community_perspectives/economics-wrong-target-for-uaf-budget-ax/article_0201f12c-167b-11e7-82fe-efb33d8e9477.html </li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<ul>
<li> http://www.newsminer.com/news/alaska_news/budget-cuts-threaten-uaf-economics-major/article_5310849a-8939-11e6-b55d-f7e55b74f2aa.html </li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
<b><br /> Questions:</b><br /><ol>
<li>What does economics mean to you?</li>
<li>How has economics impacted your life?</li>
<li>What value do you see in keeping economics at UAF?</li>
<li>As a non-economics major, what value do you see in keeping SWEET?</li>
</ol>
<br />I look forward to seeing you all on Wednesday!<br /><br />-DestinyDestiny Dowlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17113177489966319124noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598831864333990375.post-16208275754065221122017-03-10T11:45:00.002-09:002017-03-10T11:46:00.256-09:00Private PrisonsCorecivic Inc. ($1.74 billion in yearly revenue) and
Geo Group ($1.61 billion revenue in 2011) are large companies that make
money by building and operating prisons. More and more prisons are not
being operated by the states they are in, rather being run by private
companies. This has resulted in a host of effects even for people not
normally associated with corrections and the legal system.<br />
<br />
Readings:<br />
<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2012/05/louisiana_is_the_worlds_prison.html&source=gmail&ust=1489247691504000&usg=AFQjCNGsfatL2F7eR39HiJRj9E_sN-QZBA" href="http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2012/05/louisiana_is_the_worlds_prison.html" target="_blank">http://www.nola.com/crime/<wbr></wbr>index.ssf/2012/05/louisiana_<wbr></wbr>is_the_worlds_prison.html</a><br />
<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2016-08-26/america-s-rocky-relationship-with-for-profit-prisons&source=gmail&ust=1489247691504000&usg=AFQjCNHgHo5ghq1hP9rB6wuj3SUwfQzLrw" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2016-08-26/america-s-rocky-relationship-with-for-profit-prisons" target="_blank">https://www.bloomberg.com/<wbr></wbr>view/articles/2016-08-26/<wbr></wbr>america-s-rocky-relationship-<wbr></wbr>with-for-profit-prisons</a><br />
<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/13/us/13judge.html&source=gmail&ust=1489247691504000&usg=AFQjCNFE80FtxWBLmHztsC4DD76TZU0AkA" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/13/us/13judge.html" target="_blank">http://www.nytimes.com/2009/<wbr></wbr>02/13/us/13judge.html</a><br />
<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2016/08/19/dont-end-federal-private-prisons/?utm_term%3D.84ea8f3594f8&source=gmail&ust=1489247691504000&usg=AFQjCNEZ2zYHj-rVinUfFSU43PqPUMfT1A" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2016/08/19/dont-end-federal-private-prisons/?utm_term=.84ea8f3594f8" target="_blank">https://www.washingtonpost.<wbr></wbr>com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/<wbr></wbr>2016/08/19/dont-end-federal-<wbr></wbr>private-prisons/?utm_term=.<wbr></wbr>84ea8f3594f8</a><br />
<br />
Questions:<br />
1. Why is this switch to private prisons happening? What economic forces might be causing the movement to private prisons?<br />
<div>
2. Should the state have a monopoly on prisons?</div>
3. Who, if anyone, stands to benefit the most from this switch?<br />
4. Who, if anyone, is harmed the most by this switch?<br />
5. In what manner, if at all, should the public benefit from incarcerated individuals?<br />
6. Is the movement towards private prisons a good change or a bad change? Why?BOPStackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11891278618481429284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598831864333990375.post-51885534075980352262017-03-07T19:24:00.000-09:002017-03-07T19:24:09.074-09:00Here We Go with Infrastructure Again<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
While economists have mixed views about the value of infrastructure spending, Donald Trump said the following in his recent address to a joint session of Congress:<br />
<br />
To launch our national rebuilding, I will be asking the Congress to approve legislation that produces a $1 trillion investment in the infrastructure of the United States—financed through both public and private capital—creating millions of new jobs. This effort will be guided by two core principles: Buy American, and hire American. We’ve already seen this in action with Trump’s executive action on the Dakota pipeline. It stated that the pipes have to be American-made.<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Do you agree with the statement that whenever government overrides the wishes of the market, it is not producing; it is destroying?</li>
<li>Are we really supposed to believe that Trump knows better how to transport pipe than the actual people who transport pipe?</li>
<li>What do you think of Pres. Trump's "Buy American & Hire American" agenda?</li>
<li>Should infrastructure construction be left to the private sector?</li>
<li>To what extent will government spending on infrastructure "crowd-out" the private sector? (Crowding out is a situation where personal consumption of goods and services and investments by business are reduced because of increases in government spending and deficit financing sucking up available financial resources and raising interest rates.)</li>
</ul>
<div>
To help prepare you for this week's discussion, here are some articles:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="https://fee.org/articles/here-we-go-with-infrastructure-again/" target="_blank">https://fee.org/articles/here-we-go-with-infrastructure-again/</a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="http://www.economist.com/blogs/buttonwood/2017/01/if-you-build-it" target="_blank">http://www.economist.com/blogs/buttonwood/2017/01/if-you-build-it</a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="https://www.mercatus.org/publications/would-more-infrastructure-spending-stimulate-economy-2017" target="_blank">https://www.mercatus.org/publications/would-more-infrastructure-spending-stimulate-economy-2017</a></div>
</div>
Sherrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08598870792394832442noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598831864333990375.post-71801038595429531782017-03-01T08:42:00.000-09:002017-03-01T08:42:15.057-09:00The Sweatshop Debate<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Professor Ben Powell will be giving two talks on Monday, March 6. At 10:30 he'll be talking about sweatshops, and at 2:15 immigration. He is the author of "Out of Poverty: Sweatshops in the Global Economy (Cambridge Studies in Economics, Choice, and Society)."<br />
<br />
Here's a link to United Students Against Sweatshops, a national student labor organization.<br />
<a href="http://usas.org/">http://usas.org</a><br />
<br />
Here is a link to a short video featuring Ben Powell:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://youtu.be/O2sW2wt3nLU">https://youtu.be/O2sW2wt3nLU</a><br />
<br />
This link shows the conditions inside sweatshops in Bangladesh.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://youtu.be/XU6pwiSTMso">https://youtu.be/XU6pwiSTMso</a><br />
<br />
And finally, John Stossel:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://youtu.be/0VaHmgoB10E">https://youtu.be/0VaHmgoB10E</a><br />
<br />
<br />
1) As western consumers and businesses, are we valuing people as whole human beings or exploiting them in a quest for productivity, profits and low prices?<br />
<br />
2) Should we boycott companies that use sweatshops on ethical/moral grounds?<br />
<br />
3) Should we boycott companies that utilize sweatshops that use child labor since we know that they are working instead of obtaining an education that results positive externalities in their society?<br />
<br />
4) Why do labor unions back anti-sweatshop campus organizations?<br />
<br />
5) Why does United Students Against Sweatshops also advocate for a $15/hour minimum wage?<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Sherrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08598870792394832442noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598831864333990375.post-51705935075943801172017-02-19T19:43:00.002-09:002017-02-19T19:43:33.209-09:00The DOW has exceeded 20,000: Does this mean we are in for a period of economic expansion?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
From this Forbes article:<br />
<br />
http://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelkay/2017/01/31/the-dow-jones-hit-20000-now-what/#5f2d51a17ed3<br />
<br />
"The Dow Jones Industrial Average hit 20,000. The aftermath was a barrage
of media stories—some encouraging, others less optimistic. The positive
stories prompted investors to buy more equities in expectation of more
future gain; the cynics foretold the forthcoming correction with a
warning: Get out of stocks. The one common theme all the articles share
is that, yes, something is going to happen next. And this something will
likely show gains and reverses, followed by more gains and more
reverses."<br />
<br />
1) Is the DOW an outdated and irrelevant formula?<br />
<br />
http://www.Npr.Org/sections/money/2017/01/04/508261371/episode-443-dont-believe-the-hype<br />
<br />
2) Are we headed towards a period of economic expansion?<br />
<br />
3) Should investors care? Should anyone?<br />
<br />
http://money.usnews.com/investing/articles/2016-12-19/5-things-everyone-should-know-about-dow-20-000<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7Kjf5TVYXM0/WKpzwNBUzxI/AAAAAAAAAVs/hDXpNkPOz-M7D1lY4iO_1XgLYmBRpGZQgCEw/s1600/gettyimages-630354220-e9959aefb05b78cbf5df01269640e1b73fcd9289-s1100-c15.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7Kjf5TVYXM0/WKpzwNBUzxI/AAAAAAAAAVs/hDXpNkPOz-M7D1lY4iO_1XgLYmBRpGZQgCEw/s320/gettyimages-630354220-e9959aefb05b78cbf5df01269640e1b73fcd9289-s1100-c15.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
Sherrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08598870792394832442noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598831864333990375.post-47040386774661862772017-02-12T18:03:00.000-09:002017-02-12T18:03:29.348-09:00Is it possible to align incentives to achieve desired outcomes?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
As you read these two articles in preparation for Wednesday's (February 13, 4:30 to 6:00 p.m.) discussion, ask yourself:<br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Is it possible to avoid switching effects and rewarding or punishing wrong behaviors. </li>
<li>Given the fact that people respond to incentives in unforeseen ways and the many margins of choice, will our incentive schemes always go awry?</li>
<li>Do charitable efforts do any good? </li>
<li>Should we not act on our good intentions? </li>
</ul>
<br />
<a href="http://www.econlib.org/library/Columns/y2006/Robertsincentives.html">Incentives Matter</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.econlib.org/library/Columns/y2007/Whitmanincentives.html">Slavery, Snakes, and Switching: The Role of Incentives in Creating Unintended Consequences </a><br />
<br />
As we discussed at last week's meeting, we would like you to blog a substantive comment AFTER the meeting before Sunday, February 19, at 11:59 p.m. </div>
Sherrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08598870792394832442noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598831864333990375.post-72631250150789978262017-02-08T03:12:00.001-09:002017-02-08T03:26:13.386-09:00Trump's New EPA Administration and the Economic Possibilities inside National ParksI must begin with an apology for entering this topic at such a late date, and will discuss this in greater detail at the SWEET meeting regarding blog discussion.<br />
<br />
On January 30 of this year, a H.J. Res. 46 was entered into the House by Rep. Paul Gosar [R] of Arizona. The joint resolution goes as follows:<br />
<br />
<div class="lbexHangWithMargin" style="text-align: left;">
Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the
final rule of the National Park Service relating to “General Provisions and Non-Federal Oil and Gas Rights”.</div>
<div class="lbexIndent" style="text-align: left;">
<i> Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled, </i>That
Congress disapproves the rule submitted by the National Park Service
relating to “General Provisions and Non-Federal Oil and Gas Rights” (81
Fed. Reg. 77972 (November 4, 2016)), and such policy shall have no force
or effect.</div>
<div class="lbexIndent" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="lbexIndent" style="text-align: left;">
Voting has yet to take place.</div>
<div class="lbexIndent" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="lbexIndent" style="text-align: left;">
If this bill passes, it will weaken the protection that National Parks currently in place, and allow for an increase of mineral/oil extraction. As of this writing, Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park in Michigan has already experienced exploratory drilling for minerals by a Canadian company.</div>
<div class="lbexIndent" style="text-align: left;">
<br />
<b>Questions to Consider:</b><br />
<b> </b></div>
<div class="lbexIndent" style="text-align: left;">
1) Do the economic prospects outweigh the environmental impact on our National Parks? <br />
2) Will we see this increase in Alaska under Trump's administration?<br />
3) Is this how Alaska pulls itself out from under our growing state deficit?<br />
4) Will this ultimately be in Alaska's best interest?</div>
<div class="lbexIndent" style="text-align: left;">
<div class="code">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="lbexIndent" style="text-align: left;">
Food for thought:</div>
<div class="lbexIndent" style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.alaskafishradio.com/pebble-mine-getting-thumbs-up-by-trump-admin-new-investors-put-in-32m-since-election/">http://www.alaskafishradio.com/pebble-mine-getting-thumbs-up-by-trump-admin-new-investors-put-in-32m-since-election/</a></div>
<div class="lbexIndent" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="lbexIndent" style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://www.npca.org/articles/1462-house-moves-to-encourage-drilling-in-national-parks#sm.00001tneilnm97f4lrlvc0wiw1o5u">https://www.npca.org/articles/1462-house-moves-to-encourage-drilling-in-national-parks#sm.00001tneilnm97f4lrlvc0wiw1o5u</a></div>
<div class="lbexIndent" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="lbexIndent" style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2017/02/porcupine_mountains_copper_min.html">http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2017/02/porcupine_mountains_copper_min.html</a></div>
<br />
<a href="https://www.abqjournal.com/940598/arizona-congressman-wants-more-drilling-in-national-parks.html">https://www.abqjournal.com/940598/arizona-congressman-wants-more-drilling-in-national-parks.html</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10447125778005178536noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598831864333990375.post-14066633489581035392017-01-28T14:14:00.001-09:002017-01-28T14:14:59.977-09:00The effects of pipelines. Helpful or harmful?Most of today's news is filled with information about protests against pipelines such as the Keystone XL pipeline of the Dakota access pipeline. Protesters claim that it is harmful to the environment and infringes on the historical significance the land has to certain groups. How much of this is true? What are the alternatives to pipelines? Can we stop this tide if progression?<br />
<br />
http://www.eia.gov/petroleum/transportation/ -Amount of oil transported by train.<br />
http://www.cnbc.com/2014/08/06/after-billions-spent-are-pipelines-safe.html<br />
http://safetydata.fra.dot.gov/officeofsafety/publicsite/summary.aspx<br />
https://www.sayanythingblog.com/entry/dakota-access-pipeline-follows-existing-gas-line-protest-area/<br />
<br />
Please look at the links above and any additional resources you can find and come charged to this Tuesdays meeting.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13009182869378687673noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598831864333990375.post-12148228385642959392017-01-21T09:34:00.003-09:002017-01-21T09:34:49.687-09:00An economic analysis of climate changeClimate change is something that will be affecting our future and that of our posterity.<br />
<br />
"<span style="background-color: white; color: #0c0c0c; font-family: "Libre Baskerville"; font-size: 14px;">Economists have differing views of how to best deal with the problem of climate change, despite widespread scientific consensus on the reality of the trend. Though disagreements persist on whether to stop climate change, adapt to the climate or not focus on the climate at all, adaptation might become the only option if no other action is taken."</span><br />
<br />
<b>Here is a link to the article that I wrote about it:</b><br />
<br />
http://www.uafsunstar.com/an-economic-analysis-of-climate-change/<br />
<br />
<b>Here are other sources which were linked in the article:</b><br />
<br />
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=99888903<br />
<br />
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/in-theory/wp/2016/09/19/when-it-comes-to-climate-change-lets-get-our-priorities-straight/?utm_term=.706071f82264<br />
<br />
<b>Some questions to consider:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
1. How many resources should we be using to address climate change?<br />
2. What about leaving Earth? Is that possible/ethical?<br />
3. Will humans be able to devise a solution to this problem?<br />
4. Is it possible for society to exist without creating a greenhouse gas problem in the process?<br />
5. What are effective ways to deal with climate change?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08858620936414930916noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598831864333990375.post-8171550667039626992016-12-02T12:10:00.000-09:002016-12-02T12:25:11.614-09:00The Economics of MarriageWho you marry is one of the most important decisions you will make in your life. While most products and legally-binding agreements have a set service life or contract time, it is exceedingly rare to find a circumstance where one puts money, products or services down "until death do us part." If you are going to make a decision based on "forever", you had better have an understanding of what you are gaining and what you are giving up. To explore this topic, I have included the following links.<br />
<br />
Freakonomics Podcasts:<br />
<a href="http://freakonomics.com/podcast/why-marry-part-1-a-new-freakonomics-radio-podcast/" target="_blank">Why Marry? (part 1)</a><br />
<a href="http://freakonomics.com/podcast/why-marry-part-2-a-new-freakonomics-radio-podcast/" target="_blank">Why Marry? (part 2)</a><br />
<br />
Additional Thought-Inducing Readings:<br />
<a href="http://freakonomics.com/tag/marriage/" target="_blank">Hodgepodge of Marriage Phenomena</a><br />
<a href="http://freakonomics.com/2009/02/12/co-author-confusion/" target="_blank">Marriage Increases Inequality</a><br />
<a href="http://bigthink.com/harpys-review/the-freakonomics-of-marriage-or-if-im-married-how-come-im-not-rich-yet" target="_blank">Marriage Benefits the Middle Class More</a><br />
<br />
Some questions to think about:<br />
1. What benefits do you hope to gain from marriage?<br />
2. What are the consequences of getting married?<br />
3. What benefits do you hope to gain from not getting married?<br />
4. What are the consequences of not getting married?<br />
5. Do you think that men and women get the same things from a marriage?<br />
6. Is marriage really an equal partnership?<br />
7. Has marriage changed over the years?<br />
8. How does divorce affect your estimation of marriage? BOPStackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11891278618481429284noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598831864333990375.post-39798945082123919972016-11-25T15:23:00.000-09:002016-11-27T21:59:55.118-09:00Humans Need Not Apply<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Pq-S557XQU">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Pq-S557XQU</a><br />
<br />
This video gives an explanation for how robots and AI may overtake nearly all jobs in the not-so-distant future, a premise which before fell under the process of creative destruction. As menial labor jobs are destroyed, jobs open up to to maintenance and building those robots.<br />
<br />
However, Grey brings up the idea — what about when those robots can just build and maintain themselves?<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.economist.com/news/books-and-arts/21669597-computers-will-get-smarter-humans-charge-machines-thinking">http://www.economist.com/news/books-and-arts/21669597-computers-will-get-smarter-humans-charge-machines-thinking</a><br />
<br />
Also here's another interesting article about the same idea.<br />
<br />
<br />
Some questions I think might be good to think about are:<br />
<br />
Is the analogy comparing humans losing their jobs to horses losing their jobs valid?<br />
<br />
What can humans do in the future if the demand for humans is so low? Will human populations fall as there is less to do in the world?<br />
<br />
Are there positive and negative externalities to humans not having jobs?<br />
<br />
Would this lead to a Star Trek-esque society (where people don't have to work because scarcity is a thing of the past so people just do stuff in order to live a more fulfilled life)?<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08858620936414930916noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598831864333990375.post-42741513726489147092016-11-10T16:31:00.002-09:002016-11-10T16:31:46.465-09:00In regards to previous discusionIn the last SWEET meeting I talked about the dude who broke down Trumps campaign in relation to The Art Of War by Sun Tzu well here are his posts about it.<br />
<br />
post one (on the art of war): http://imgur.com/account/favorites/HO5TT<br />
<br />
post 2 (on trumps attacks at Hillary): http://imgur.com/gallery/SxpJC<br />
<br />
post 3 (on The Wall): http://imgur.com/gallery/ZtcSTAlaskaalienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11180175061954079009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598831864333990375.post-28556563000410884312016-10-25T17:20:00.000-08:002016-10-25T17:20:31.049-08:00Who will you choseThe crook or the offensive groper? these are the main arguments used by opposing sides to justify their reason for voting for the other party. attached are some pages listing why to vote for one side or the other. along with that there are some questions I'd like everyone to think about for tomorrows meeting. Apologies for the lateness of this posting.<div>
Who do you think we should vote for?</div>
<div>
What about 3rd party? do they have a chance?</div>
<div>
Opinions on Trump?</div>
<div>
Opinions on Hillary?</div>
<div>
Who votes for Giant meteor for President?</div>
<div>
Also what about economic benefits will each bring to the table, the last two links bring you to pages that show their stance on everything imaginable. </div>
<div>
Lastly from the "media" sources below do you think that they are reporting this information on a bias for one side or the other? (sources were screened but not </div>
<div>
http://townhall.com/columnists/johnhawkins/2016/02/27/40-reasons-not-to-vote-for-donald-trump-n2125585</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
http://townhall.com/columnists/johnhawkins/2016/08/06/25-reasons-not-to-vote-for-hillary-clinton-n2202375</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFNq2MjaCC0</div>
<div>
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/features/why-not-to-vote-for-trump-from-a-to-z-w441964</div>
<div>
https://www.google.com/#q=why+vote+for+hillary&eob=m.0d06m5/m.07g82/full</div>
<div>
https://www.google.com/#q=why+vote+for+trump&eob=m.0cqt90/m.04gg7xx/full</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13009182869378687673noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598831864333990375.post-63393711128890936312016-10-15T19:31:00.001-08:002016-10-15T19:31:10.774-08:00Worldwide Wifihttps://www.cnet.com/news/facebooks-self-flying-solar-powered-internet-broadcasting-airplane-has-a-successful-first-flight/<br />
<br />
https://www.wired.com/2016/07/facebooks-giant-internet-beaming-drone-finally-takes-flight/<br />
<br />
https://www.wired.com/2016/02/google-shot-laser-60-miles-just-send-copy-real-genius/<br />
<br />
<br />
Some Questions.<br />
<br />
1. Since both google and facebook are US based companies would the company's in the wifi barren places (thinking 2nd and 3rd world countries) follow local law or american law.<br />
<br />
2. how do you think technology and industry would advance in these countries if everyone had access to the internet. Would we see a rapid jump towards modernization or would there be little change with the majority of the inhabitants still not having access despite its presence.<br />
<br />
3. what impact would this have culturally with the people suddenly having access to the internet and through that the entire rest of the world?<br />
<br />
4. what monetary reason would these companies have to provide such a service to small poor countries? Would the goverment pay or would the provider have something like add revenue?<br />
<br />
5. I have mostly applied this to poorer countries but could this also revolutionize Americas internet system?Alaskaalienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11180175061954079009noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6598831864333990375.post-62129472821517271982016-09-30T17:44:00.003-08:002016-09-30T17:46:33.024-08:00Big Data, why should we care?<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jGhRiwGHh30" width="480"></iframe><br />
<br />
This video from Forbes gives a very concise explanation of big data, and some of its many uses.<br />
<br />
For those concerned about the misuse of data, I found some of these ted talks insightful (and a bit frightening): <a href="http://www.ted.com/playlists/130/the_dark_side_of_data">http://www.ted.com/playlists/130/the_dark_side_of_data</a><br />
<br />
If you want to look more into the benefits of big data, there are some talks about that as well: <a href="http://www.ted.com/playlists/56/making_sense_of_too_much_data">http://www.ted.com/playlists/56/making_sense_of_too_much_data</a><br />
<br />
And then, some questions that big data raised for me:<br />
<br />
With the amount of data that is being collected, should people have more rights regarding their data?<br />
<br />
What are some of the potential costs to society for Big Data?<br />
<br />
Do the benefits of Big Data make it worth surrendering our information? (obviously many people are willing, but would they be as willing if they knew the extent of the data collection?)<br />
<br />
And lastly, what would you do about it? do you care?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15747017615526734440noreply@blogger.com4