Are Free Markets Fictional?
Back in the 1940s, when America's post-war economic system was taking shape, many popular economists agreed that “free markets” were a fiction.
The Populist Power of the American Trucker
How did truckers nudge the American economy toward deregulation?
Elizabeth Warren
An early paper by Elizabeth Warren argues for a Financial Product Safety Commission that would regulate financial products.
Wampum was Massachusetts’ First Legal Currency
First Nations' seashell-derived wampum was Massachusetts' first legal currency, used as currency throughout northeastern America into the 19th century.
When America Went Crazy for Mulberry Trees
In the early 19th century, mulberry trees became associated with economic prosperity and morally upright productiveness, leading to a speculative bubble.
Paying People to Take Their Pills
The majority of medication-related hospital admissions were caused by noncompliance—when patients, for one reason or another, don't take their drugs.
Why Brands Want To Be Your BFF
Most contemporary consumers consider ourselves too savvy to be taken in by a corporation’s attempts to integrate seamlessly ...
Why Pay the Costs of a Wedding for One?
Self-marriage may be, at least in some cases, a ritual reclaiming a sense of control when women may have felt they've lost it.
How the Iran Hostage Crisis Changed International Journalism
On November 4th, 1979, Iranian militants took over the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. They seized 63 Americans, a number later ...
Did Better Household Technology Create the Baby Boomers?
The Baby Boomers have been blamed for everything from economic stagnation to America's current political situation. But where did they come from?