Video

August 12, 2016

How the Shadow Banking System Fueled the Great Recession

Almost a decade has passed since the start of the Great Recession of 2008 and yet many of us are still confused about what caused the financial crisis. We know financial intermediaries like Lehman Brothers played a part, though we’re often unclear on the details. Continue Reading...

August 09, 2016

‘I learned more at McDonald’s than at college’

Unlike some colleges, McDonald’s does not have “safe spaces” or “trigger warnings.” Instead, they have a requirement that employees put the concerns of the customers ahead of their own. Olivia Legaspi, an undergraduate at Haverford College and former McDonald’s employee, says that expectation helped her learn an important lesson about work and life: serving others comes first. Continue Reading...

August 05, 2016

Working overtime or working less?

Earlier this year the Obama administration announced the publication of a new Department of Labor rule updating and expanding overtime regulations (here’s an explainer article on what it is and means). Continue Reading...

July 25, 2016

Is free trade a form of warfare?

Throughout his presidential campaign Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed that Mexico is “killing us on trade” because of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). This metaphor of trade as war or conflict is a common trope among leftists. Continue Reading...

July 22, 2016

Economics Is for Everyone

People have strong opinions on a variety of subjects in which they don’t have an advanced degree or training. Yet when it comes to economics many people defer to “experts.” But as Ha-Joon Chang, a South Korean economist who specializes in development, says, “Economics is for everyone.” Continue Reading...

July 05, 2016

What Would Happen If We ‘Forgive’ Student Loan Debt?

Student debt has become a hot issue this election season, with both Democratic candidates — Clinton and Sanders — offering proposals for forgiving student loans. But what would happen if the U.S. Continue Reading...