Category Archives: Dubious statistics

Why Behavioral Economics Needs Behavioral Biology: Avoiding Arms Races

Are behavioral economists really nudging people in the right direction?

Hubert Horan: The Airline Industry Collapse Part 6 – U.S. Airlines Lost Over $35 Billion in 2020

The airline biz is on track to being America’s biggest welfare queen.

Pandemics Swing Elections, But Not as Much as You Think

A discussion of election outcomes, using the Spanish flu as a case study.

“Almost Cartoonish Defender of the 1%, Kathryn Wylde” Rears Her Head to Attack Plans to Tax the Rich to Save New York City

The usual suspects, like Kathryn Wylde, try to defend why the top wealthy, who’ve made out like bandits under Covid, should not be made to share.

James Galbraith: CBO Not Competent to Assess Economics of Minimum Wage

James Galbraith slams an “unreliable” CBO report claiming that raising the minimum wage would reduce jobs.

Big Money Drove the Congressional Elections—Again

The press account of the 2020 Congressional races got the money part completely wrong: Republican outspending was key to their wins.

As Pandemic Surged, Contact Tracing Struggled; Biden Looks to Boost It

Biden still wants to ramp up contact tracing. But will it really do much good in the US?

The Dangers of Sustainability Metrics

A favorite topic: the downside of fetishinzing metrics.

Monetary Policy and Racial Inequality

Monetary policy does not lift boats in at all the same way.

As COVID Rages, Bankruptcy Cases Fall…..For Now

The good news about bankruptcy under Covid is not likely to last.

The Merits of Fire Sales and Bailouts in Light of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Fire sales are not as detrimental as executives desperate to save their jobs would have you believe. That means bailouts may be overdone.

Near-Term Covid Analyses Point to Risk of Medical System Breakdown, Other Severe Dislocations

The Covid situation is continuing to develop not necessarily to America’s advantage.