Economics, Applied

Host Steven Davis sits down with guest Glenn Hubbard, former dean of Columbia Business School and chairman of the US Council of Economic Advisers under President George W. Bush. They critique industrial policy as practiced under Presidents Trump and Biden and contrast that practice to the insights of Adam Smith, Milton Friedman and Friedrich Hayek. They also sketch some elements of an economically...

Immigrants directly account for one-quarter of the economic value generated by U.S. patents. They account for more than one-third of that value after factoring in the collaboration benefits that immigrant inventors bring to native American inventors. Immigrant inventors also play a major role in the two-way flow of scientific and technical knowledge between the United States and other countries. C...

Steven Davis interviews Professor Jorge Guzman about the effects of coffee shops on business startups. Starbucks and other sit-down coffee shops offer social spaces where people can converse, exchange ideas, and build trust. In his recent research, Guzman investigates whether and when this networking aspect of coffee shops leads to more business formation in the local neighborhood. Tune in for an...

Sandra Sequeira joins host Steven Davis for a discussion of zero-sum thinking, the idea that one group’s gain is another group’s loss. They draw on Sandra’s research to delve into several questions: How prevalent is zero-sum thinking? What are its roots? How does it shape policy preferences? How does zero-sum thinking relate to the partisan divide?

Steven Davis speaks to Jens Ludwig about his recent work on "Predicting Police Misconduct.” They delve into whether we can predict which police officers are most at risk of serious misconduct. The potential benefits of accurate prediction are large, but it also challenging to develop and implement robust prediction models. ABOUT THE SPEAKERS: Jens Ludwig is the Edwin A. and Betty L. Bergman Distin...

Host Steven Davis is joined by Marco Tabellini from Harvard Business School to explore the political reactions to immigration. They discuss whether economic or cultural concerns drive backlash, and how these reactions influence policy outcomes. The conversation delves into historical and contemporary issues, providing insights into the complex economic, social, and political effects of immigration...

Central banks responded to the COVID-19 pandemic with large-scale purchases of bonds, commercial paper, and other financial assets. In some cases, central banks announced “open-ended” programs, with no explicit limits on the scale or duration of asset purchases. Did these open-ended interventions have larger effects on interest rates? On exchange rates? Is this type of purposeful policy vagueness...

It’s easier for two parents to provide the time, attention, love, and financial resources that help children thrive and lead successful lives than it is for a single parent. Yet the share of American children who live with two parents has plummeted in recent decades. The decline is especially steep outside of the college-educated class. Why are so many parents now raising children outside of marri...

Wednesday, April 24, 2024  “Russia is the home of not one, but two lost empires: The Russian Empire and the Soviet Union.” So writes our guest, Sergei Guriev, in a sweeping survey of recent research on Russian Economic History. Join Sergei and our host, Steven Davis, for a spirited conversation on Russian economic developments in the 19th and 20th centuries, the failures of central planning, and t...

Host Steven Davis and guest Elias Papaioannou discuss the resurgence of populism in Europe and the United States over the past fifteen years. They define populism, identify its economic drivers, and consider how democratic institutions moderate and respond to populist pressures. They also consider the implications for economic performance. They wrap up their conversation with some remarks on the o...

Host Steven Davis and guest Ayşegül Şahin explore the extraordinary behavior of US labor markets since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. They explain how the global crisis spurred remote work, instigated the "great resignation," drove job vacancy rates to all-time highs, restrained overall wage growth, and altered the structure of wages. Steve and Ayşegül also discuss how the recession and recov...

Steven Davis speaks with Emma Harrington about her recent study on the power of proximity in facilitating mentoring, employee feedback, and learning on the job. According to the study, software engineers give more written feedback to team members when working in the same building, as compared to working in nearby buildings or from home. Physical proximity has stronger effects on the feedback given...

Stijn Van Nieuwerburgh joins Steven Davis to explain how the remote work revolution affects urban property values, municipal tax revenues, and the outlook for cities. Stijn and Steve also consider how policymakers can respond to the challenges facing cities. In this regard, they discuss the conversion of vacant commercial buildings to new housing units , the need for regulatory reforms that lower...

Suhani Jalota joins Steve to discuss her study of how digital jobs can draw women into paid work in countries like India. The jobs, performed on smartphones, produce data that help train and evaluate AI models. Several job design features help overcome practical barriers to work and sidestep social norms that inhibit work for pay by married women. Jalota tells Steve how this idea can work in pract...

Raj Choudhury joins Hoover Institution fellow Steven Davis to talk about work from home and other flexible working arrangements. They discuss Raj’s study of the transition to remote work by US patent examiners, including its effects on productivity and employee morale. Next, they consider which jobs and organizations are suited for remote work, which are not, and what it takes to successfully mana...

Hoover Institution fellow Steven Davis and Nick Bloom discuss the big shift to work from home, what it means for productivity, why perceptions in this regard often differ between managers and workers, and why – on balance – the big shift is a blessing. For more information on the Economics, Applied podcast series, visit https://www.hoover.org/podcasts/economics-applied.

"Economics, Applied" is a new podcast series from the Hoover Institution hosted by senior Fellow Steven Davis. Each episode of "Economics, Applied" features Steven Davis in conversation with leaders and researchers about economic developments and their ramifications. The goal is to bring evidence and economic reasoning to the table, drawing lessons for individuals, organizations, and society. The...