Intro to Economics

June 05, 2018

Physical capital and diminishing returns

Note: This is post #81 in a weekly video series on basic economics. How did Germany and Japan achieve record economic growth following World War II? A primary reason is physical capital. Continue Reading...

May 29, 2018

An introduction to the Solow Model

Note: This is post #80 in a weekly video series on basic economics. The Solow model was named after Robert Solow, the 1987 winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics. Among other things, the Solow model helps us understand the nuances and dynamics of growth, says Alex Tabarrok of Marginal Revolution University. Continue Reading...

May 22, 2018

The puzzle of economic growth

Note: This is post #79 in a weekly video series on basic economics. Why are some countries rich and others poor? There are various factors that interact in a dynamic and changing environment. Continue Reading...

May 15, 2018

How geography affects economic growth

Note: This is post #78 in a weekly video series on basic economics. You could fit most of the U.S., China, India, and a lot of Europe, into Africa. But if you compare Africa to Europe, Europe has two to three times the length of coastline that Africa. Continue Reading...

May 08, 2018

The importance of institutions

Note: This is post #77 in a weekly video series on basic economics. When it comes to understanding economic growth, says Tyler Cowen of Marginal Revolution University, institutions are often critically important. Continue Reading...

April 23, 2018

What caused the rapid rise of ‘innovationism’?

Note: This is post #75 in a weekly video series on basic economics. While there have always been inventors and innovators, that number exploded after the eighteenth century. Why has innovation grown so rapidly? Continue Reading...

April 09, 2018

How growth rates affect the wealth of nations

Note: This is post #74 in a weekly video series on basic economics. In the previous video in this series we learned a basic fact of economic wealth—that countries can vary widely in standard of living. Continue Reading...