Cowboy Economics News - December 2008 Archives
The worldwide financial crisis puts a new emphasis on infrastructure spending, seen by many governments as a way to head off economic downturn, and as a way of holding on to achievements made in the developing world. Recent research by the Economic and Social Research Council finds that Project Finance, one of the most commonly used methods of funding major infrastructure projects in the developing world, can pose potential risks in the communities in which it is deployed.
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The Science Coalition today urged Congress and the incoming Obama Administration to include funding for research in legislation currently being developed to aid in economic stimulus and recovery.
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The incomes of American families with children have become increasingly stratified since 1975, with income inequality increasing two-thirds during a 30-year period, according to findings published in the December issue of the peer-reviewed science journal American Sociological Review.
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 | Two Brown University economists have created a new data set that enables them to explain differences in countries' incomes based on their people's ancestral histories. They find that where the ancestors of a country's present population lived some 500 years ago is a significant predictor of economic outcomes today. ...> Full Article |
The impact of a Big-3 bankruptcy and restructuring would be severe, but frequently-quoted job loss figures are misleading and overstated, according to a new projection by the University of Maryland's Inforum economic research unit. In the worse case scenario, peak job dislocation from restructuring would be half of the 3 million commonly cited in the media.
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 | Fertilizer prices suddenly collapse in late 2008 ...> Full Article |
Homeowners have drawn on their biggest asset, the roof over their heads, not to fund "champagne moments" but to get through hard times; that's the finding of a preliminary study by Durham University. Mortgage equity withdrawal is a much more popular and frequent event than previously thought, found the academics.
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Surprising lessons from ketchup makers
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Examines the leading arguments for assigning an important role to tracking the growth of monetary aggregates
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The combined impact of low economic growth and decreased investments in agriculture could cause major increases in malnutrition in developing countries, according to new analysis by the International Food Policy Research Institute . The result could be 16 million more undernourished children in 2020. These findings were released today at the annual general meeting of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research.
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Genealogical tourism redefining leisure travel market, professor says
Rush to develop stock markets has huge downside
'Main Street' economic conditions misread by GDP
Stiff party competition, modest salaries good for state government, study shows
'Subjective time' can improve your bottom line