Questions tagged [economics]

Economics is the analytical study of the costs and benefits of producing, distributing, and consuming goods and services. This tag should not be used for personal finance questions, nor for most questions about expensive items, e.g. exorbitantly priced houses, autos, jewelry. It can be used for current events, and in historical contexts.

  • Macroeconomics concerns itself with behaviors, trends and efficiency at an economy-wide level.
  • Microeconomics focuses on firm-level and specific industry-scale behavior, e.g. individual transactions, forces of supply and demand, competitive markets participants versus those who wield pricing power.

Economic concepts are applicable to business enterprises in the private sector, as well as in government. Economic systems vary, from laissez-faire to central planning. The scope of economic thought is broad, influencing social welfare programs, foreign trade, monetary policy, and much more.

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Does the UK provide 50% of EU's waters? And does this imply anything about fishing rights?

Leading Brexiteer Owen Paterson wrote in an article in the Telegraph about fisheries: At present, the UK provides 50 per cent of the EU’s waters but receives only a 25 per cent share of the Total Allowable Catch. Is this assessment correct in both…
Fizz
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Do one in three workers in Romania work for minimum wage?

I've read on a website that I don't know much about that (in 2017) Romania is a country viewed as an economic miracle in the European Union. Its unemployment hovers around five per cent, its growth rate is an EU best of over five per cent, and its…
Fizz
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Does wealth reduce compassion?

Daisy Grewal writes in the Scientific American in the article How Wealth Reduces Compassion: But research suggests the opposite is true: as people climb the social ladder, their compassionate feelings towards other people decline. Is that opinion…
Christian
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Have the Clintons received $153 million in speaker fees?

The Hill reported in an article entitled, "Clinton promises to release Wall Street transcripts if opponents do the same". Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, have racked up $153 million in speaker fees since 2001, including from…
Evan Carroll
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Did Comcast attempt to coerce Netflix by slowing down its traffic?

In 2014, a news story erupted over a dispute between Netflix and Comcast over connectivity and distribution. Comcast was accused of deliberately blocking or restricting Netflix traffic. For example, 100,000 people signed an online petition to the…
Dave
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Is helium being "wasted" on party balloons?

From Tim O'Reilly: Good Q?, the kind politicians are loathe to answer RT @jamesoreilly: "Is it right to waste helium on party balloons?" http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-24903034 … and from the linked article: Some scientists believe a…
Andrew Grimm
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Are there mobile phones in North Korea?

Is it true that there are no mobile phones in North Korea? I have heard opposing views saying that there is a working mobile network that many people use and views that say there isn't any of them in the whole country.
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Does pumping gas when the tank is half full and on the low flow setting provide an economic benefit?

There is a chain post making the rounds in my social networks. It asserts that gasoline vapors can affect how much fuel you actually get. To minimize the amount of vapor passed through the nozzle/meter you should: Pump gas at the slow setting Pump…
Freiheit
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Do casinos have a negative economic and social impact on the neighborhoods they are located in?

In a recent article of the Toronto Sun that discusses a proposed waterfront casino for the city of Toronto, the author Christopher Hume makes the following statement: Experience around the world shows that casinos are the kiss of death for the…
Brian M. Hunt
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Is avoiding global warming by preventing CO₂ emissions far too expensive compared to geoengineering or adapting to a warmer world?

Experts in the science of global climate change often criticise their opponents by disparaging their expertise in climate science. But experts in climate science are not experts in economics. So when they campaign for particular measures to combat…
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Are the specific claims from the "WSJ 16" climate skeptics true?

The Wall Street Journal letter by 16 "prominent scientists" has already provoked a question here ( Are the 16 scientists who claim that climate change is not something to worry about climate scientists? ). This question focussed on the credibility…
matt_black
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Are food deserts a real phenomenon?

According to Wikipedia, a food desert is a low income area where people there cannot access high quality or nutritional food, due to either a lack of transportation or a lack of real grocery stores. My question is, are food deserts statistically…
TheEnigmaMachine
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Did the Renault Espace sell only 9 cars when it was launched?

According to Richard Hammond of Top Gear, Renault's entry into the people carrier market sold just nine cars in its first month (1:18 - 1:27). However, I cannot find a single source to back up Hammond's claims. Is it true that this car was a flop…
Thomas O
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Does Great Britain have the lowest state pensions (relative to average wages) in the OECD?

I recently came across this political post on Facebook It is arguing that Great Britain is the 'worst' in the developed world, and I'm sceptical of a few assertions made here. UK pensions don't seem to be based on earnings - Where has this 29%…
AJFaraday
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Did ISP "pocket" $400 billion that was supposed to be dedicated toward fiber cable infrastructure?

Bruce Kushnick, author of "The Book Of Broken Promises: $400 Billion Broadband Scandal And Free The Net," makes some pretty major claims. The most prominent article, an ad for his book written by Bruce Kushnick, makes the following…
James G.
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