Econ Blog

your daily dose of economic commentary

USDA Forecasts Near Constant Farm Cash Income…As Long as We Dole Out $44.3 Billion

1. USDA Forecasts Near Constant Farm Cash Income…As Long as We Dole Out $44.3 Billion

Menzie Chinn discusses USDA forecasts for farm cash income and the significant role of government payments in maintaining income levels for farmers.

Closing tabs: the Saturday edition

2. Closing tabs: the Saturday edition

The post covers a variety of topics, including music reviews, personal reflections, and insights on social media, alongside mentions of economic and political issues.

My Head Talking to Hasan Minhaj

3. My Head Talking to Hasan Minhaj

Paul Krugman discusses economic growth, Bitcoin skepticism, and the intersection of economics and politics in his conversation with Hasan Minhaj.

Why America's extremes will both fail

4. Why America's extremes will both fail

An argument that American politics is increasingly dominated by engaged extremists due to technological changes, sidelining moderates and influencing policy-making through activist staffers.

Can government coerce women into having more babies?

5. Can government coerce women into having more babies?

Tyler Cowen examines the effects of coercive government policies on women's birth rates, using Romania's Decree 770 as a case study.

DVDs and public transit: Boycott drives people to ditch Big Tech to protest ICE

6. DVDs and public transit: Boycott drives people to ditch Big Tech to protest ICE

Juliana Kim discusses a boycott against tech companies perceived as supporting President Trump's immigration policies, urging people to abandon Big Tech.

Trump promised a crypto revolution. So why is bitcoin crashing?

7. Trump promised a crypto revolution. So why is bitcoin crashing?

An argument that examines the disconnect between political promises regarding cryptocurrency and the subsequent decline in bitcoin's value.

The economics of the NBA trading deadline (from my email)

8. The economics of the NBA trading deadline (from my email)

Tyler Cowen discusses the economic incentives driving NBA trades, particularly regarding luxury tax avoidance and team strategies influenced by collective bargaining changes.

Layoff Announcements: Do they Lead Actual Layoffs?

9. Layoff Announcements: Do they Lead Actual Layoffs?

An argument that layoff announcements correlate with actual layoffs, supported by data analysis and Granger causality testing, indicating rising layoffs expected in 2026.

10. Guest Contribution: “Caligula Reincarnated”

An argument that the unpredictable actions of a political figure reflect a departure from established norms, impacting both domestic and international economic and political landscapes.

Claude Code 15: The Results Are In: Can LLMs Replicate a PNAS Paper? (Part 2)

11. Claude Code 15: The Results Are In: Can LLMs Replicate a PNAS Paper? (Part 2)

The post details an experiment replicating a PNAS paper's text classification using LLMs, highlighting efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and the robustness of findings on political polarization.

American Decency Still Lives

12. American Decency Still Lives

An argument that American voters, despite economic concerns, are increasingly motivated by moral outrage against political brutality and injustice, challenging previous cynical assumptions about their engagement.

The US is a Small Country

13. The US is a Small Country

Jon Murphy discusses the economic implications of tariffs on trade, focusing on how they affect the burden on importing countries based on their size and market influence.

It's about to get easier for Trump to fire federal workers

14. It's about to get easier for Trump to fire federal workers

Andrea Hsu discusses a new rule that significantly increases President Trump's ability to fire federal employees.

From Jesus to Jurassic Park: This year's Super Bowl ads are playing it safe

15. From Jesus to Jurassic Park: This year's Super Bowl ads are playing it safe

Eric Deggans discusses how this year's Super Bowl ads prioritize generating buzz while avoiding controversy.

A Numerical Example Of Reswitching In A Model With Extensive Rent

16. A Numerical Example Of Reswitching In A Model With Extensive Rent

Robert Vienneau discusses a numerical example of reswitching in an economic model that incorporates land rent and varying labor requirements.

Cryptocrash

17. Cryptocrash

Paul Krugman discusses the recent crypto market crash, its implications for Bitcoin's value, and potential political consequences related to Trump's influence on crypto investments.

Official GDP vs. Alternatives: China

18. Official GDP vs. Alternatives: China

Menzie Chinn discusses discrepancies between China's official GDP figures and alternative estimates, highlighting issues in economic reporting and implications for growth and policy.

Claude Code Part 14: I Asked Claude to Replicate a PNAS Paper Using OpenAI's Batch API. Here's What Happened (Part 1)

19. Claude Code Part 14: I Asked Claude to Replicate a PNAS Paper Using OpenAI's Batch API. Here's What Happened (Part 1)

Scott Cunningham explores using Claude Code to replicate a PNAS paper on immigration rhetoric through NLP classification with OpenAI's Batch API.

Trump’s Pharmaceutical Plan

20. Trump’s Pharmaceutical Plan

Alex Tabarrok discusses the implications of Trump's pharmaceutical pricing plan, highlighting its economic effects and potential political backlash regarding drug prices in the U.S. and abroad.