Adam Smith, Revolutionary?
By 1800, Smith—once considered a friend of the poor and an enemy of the privileges of the rich—was already being refashioned into a icon of conservatism.
Economic Grrrowth in the East: Asian Tiger Economies
Can the conditions that produced the fast-growing economies of the Four Tigers—Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan—be replicated?
A Bank of Her Own
The first US bank for women was opened by a fraudster in 1879. It took 40 years for a reputable women’s bank to be founded in Tennessee.
Aspymmetrical Powers: Economic and Cyber Espionage
The lack of global governance over some acts of economic and cyber espionage is likely an intentional choice, one with varying benefits for state actors.
Wreckonomics: “Finders Keepers” in Maritime Law
Finding valuable treasure underwater is more complicated than “finders keepers, losers weepers.” Competing maritime laws govern the recovered riches.
Why is the US Dollar So Strong?
Not only did post-World War II policy give the United States a managerial position in the world order, it gave it an outsize role in shaping the global economy.
Food Price Inflation and Health
Periods of concurrent economic downturn and high food price inflation can exacerbate health threats for infants and children in developing countries.
Fighting for Sex Workers’ Rights in India
Labor unions for sex workers reveal how sexuality, gender, and caste intersect in a precarious and often dangerous work environment.
How We All Got in Debt
Consumer debt shapes American lives so thoroughly that it seems eternal and immortal, but it’s actually relatively new to the financial world.
Building an Economy on Paper Money
A shortage of coined currency led Pennsylvania to begin using paper money in the 1720s. The British didn't like it, but the colonists did.