Archive

  • For Climate Migrants, Does the Past Shape Current Perceptions of Conflict?

    For Climate Migrants, Does the Past Shape Current Perceptions of Conflict?

    As climate change has altered environments across the globe, it has caused mass migration. For example, an intense drought in Honduras recently led thousands of people to leave their homes and head north to Mexico for an opportunity to earn an agriculture-based living. In Honduras and many other countries impacted…

  • Motores del crecimiento, el caso a favor de la equidad

    Motores del crecimiento, el caso a favor de la equidad

    ¿Porqué hay países ricos y países pobres? Esta cuestión ha plagado a economistas desde que Adam Smith escribió “La Riqueza de las Naciones”, publicado en 1776. El crecimiento económico ha sido modelado de forma analítica desde mediados del siglo XX por Solow y Swan, con aportes en años sucesivos por…

  • The Impact of Sanctions on Iran’s Energy Sector

    The Impact of Sanctions on Iran’s Energy Sector

    The recent withdrawal of the United States from the multilateral Iran Nuclear deal (commonly known as JCPOA) reimposes American sanctions on the purchase of Iranian oil and natural gas. The decision from the Trump administration will have wide-reaching effects on everyone from bankers and insurers to international shipping companies and…

  • Default Risk Dangers: The Effect of Downgrades in Public Credit on the Economy

    Default Risk Dangers: The Effect of Downgrades in Public Credit on the Economy

    Declining trust in a government’s fiscal health and a negative economic outlook often go hand in hand. It is generally accepted that the effects of a declining economy, such as an eroding tax base and an increasing need for public services, can strain a government’s budget. A new study, however,…

  • Can Variable Transit Fares Increase Equity?

    Can Variable Transit Fares Increase Equity?

    Campaigns to introduce what activists call “fair fares” on mass transit systems have recently taken root in U.S. cities. The idea behind these initiatives is to introduce a pricing system that is less regressive in order to promote equity for low-income riders. Most major U.S. public transit systems, including New…

  • The Unintended Public Health Consequences of Immigration Policing

    The Unintended Public Health Consequences of Immigration Policing

    From the Trump administration’s promise to build a wall along the Mexican border to the separation of children from migrants attempting to enter the U.S., issues related to immigration policy have dominated American politics. Recent proposals by the Trump administration have attempted to restrict legal immigration by requiring green card…

  • A Data-Sharing Framework To Ensure Self-Driving Cars Are Road-Ready

    A Data-Sharing Framework To Ensure Self-Driving Cars Are Road-Ready

    Rapid advances in technology have made autonomous vehicles (AVs)—once the realm of science-fiction—into an emerging reality. Auto industry newcomers such as Waymo and Tesla now compete with incumbent car manufacturing giants in a race to be the first to produce a commercially viable AV. In their haste to beat their…

  • Prohibir las comisiones bancarias, ¿una política adecuada?

    Prohibir las comisiones bancarias, ¿una política adecuada?

    A principios de noviembre de 2018, se propuso en el Senado mexicano la prohibición de 14 comisiones bancarias con el objetivo de “hacer más justa e igualitaria la relación entre los ciudadanos y la banca.” La razón es sencilla: el crédito es limitado y caro, por lo que la prohibición…

  • The Impact of Machine Learning on Economics: What Machine Learning Can (and Cannot) Do for Economic Research

    The Impact of Machine Learning on Economics: What Machine Learning Can (and Cannot) Do for Economic Research

    Machine learning (ML) is most commonly understood as a set of computational techniques applied to big datasets in order to make granular predictions for businesses, from advertising to fraud detection to user recommendations. Yet another, perhaps less appreciated, application comes from academia, where social scientists have slowly but steadily begun…

  • Do Arts Industries Lead to Gentrification?

    Do Arts Industries Lead to Gentrification?

    Urban revitalization projects that use arts-based industries have had mixed results and are often accused of causing gentrification and displacement. Gentrification occurs when an area “improves” its look and feel, leading a wave of higher-income groups to enter an area and to increase the cost of living there. As a…

  • Integrated Systems Retrofits: A Strategy for Optimizing Building Energy Use

    Integrated Systems Retrofits: A Strategy for Optimizing Building Energy Use

    Approximately 40 percent of all carbon emissions in the U.S. are produced by buildings, with most coming from commercial and residential buildings. These buildings are significant contributors to total electricity consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. Retrofit projects provide opportunities for existing buildings to correct their negative environmental…