Category Archives: Social

IMF Researchers on Inequality on Social Capital

Posted on August 26, 2016 by Nicholas Gruen

Growing Apart, Losing Trust? The Impact of Inequality on Social Capital There is a widespread perception that trust and social capital have declined in United States as well as other advanced economies, while income inequality has tended to increase. While … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics and public policy, Philosophy, Political theory, Social, Social Policy | Leave a comment

Is destroying illegal ivory a really bad idea?

Posted on April 12, 2016 by Paul Frijters

Governments around the world have in recent years destroyed their seized stockpiles of illegal ivory, egged on by the World Wildlife Federation which believes it sends a signal to gangs that kill Elephants and Rhinos for their tusks. In January, … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics and public policy, Environment, Miscellaneous, Politics - international, Social, Society, Uncategorized | 8 Comments

Rich countries and happiness: the story of a bet.

Posted on December 10, 2013 by Paul Frijters

Do countries that are already rich become even happier when they become yet richer? This was the essential question on which I entered a gentleman’s bet in 2004 with Andrew Leigh and which just recently got settled. The reason for … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics and public policy, Ethics, Geeky Musings, History, Humour, Life, Literature, Miscellaneous, Philosophy, Politics - international, Social, Society, Uncategorized | 5 Comments

Working on a bike

Posted on July 14, 2013 by Nicholas Gruen
Posted in Gender, Life, Social, Society | 1 Comment

Spending more time with the kids

Posted on May 2, 2013 by Nicholas Gruen

Economic Conditions and Child Abuse by Jason M. Lindo, Jessamyn Schaller, Benjamin Hansen – #18994 (CH HE LE LS) Abstract: Although a huge literature spanning several disciplines documents an association between poverty and child abuse, researchers have not found persuasive … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics and public policy, Education, Social, Society | 1 Comment

Measurement in social science: hard, but worth it

Posted on February 16, 2013 by David Walker

A video and an essay all on the same subject: measurement in the social sciences. Summary: It’s really worth doing and doing better, even though it’s really hard. First, health statistician and visualisation expert Hans Rosling, co-founder of Gapminder and … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics and public policy, Social | Tagged | 2 Comments

You can survive on Newstart but you can’t live on it

Posted on January 6, 2013 by Ken Parish

Troppo readers may have noticed a Christmas “silly season” debate about an ill-advised assertion by Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs Jenny Macklin to the effect that she could live on Newstart Allowance (aka “the dole”) if she … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics and public policy, Politics - national, Social | 51 Comments