What’s hot in public econ? Here are some of the most popular @jpube.bsky.social papers from the past 90 days. Free to read: www.sciencedirect.com/journal/jour...
Ben Lockwood
@benlockwood.com
Business Economics and Public Policy prof at Wharton. Optimal taxation, inequality, and behavioral economics. benlockwood.com bepp.wharton.upenn.edu/profile/benlo/
25 First Dates Slumdog Half-millionaire Three-and-a-half Pounds Vicky or Cristina Barcelona
Oren Ziv@orenziv.bsky.social · 2y agoGuys, come on, the Q effects of a tariffs are negative. Also, in the spirit of the CEA, you can assume a trade elasticity of 4 and then divide that by 4 for no reason, so assume a pass-through rate of 100%. So 50.5 Dalmatians.
Watching March Madness, it sure feels like this would be a good venue for an ad campaign from universities about how America’s higher ed system is one of its greatest strengths.
Ever start taking a screenshot on Mac (Cmd-Shift-4), then panic because you anchored in the wrong place? Hit Spacebar—you can reposition the selection anywhere. I repost this every now and then to pay it forward. Changed my life when I found out 😄
Glad to see this getting some attention! (gift article) #EconSky
People love the IRS’s free tax filing website. Its future is unclear.
Elon Musk wants great government technology. It already exists with IRS Direct File.
wapo.st
Ben Lockwood@benlockwood.com · 2y agoA bright spot in recent tax policy has been the success of the IRS's in-house Direct File program, which allows many taxpayers to file taxes for free online through a simple interface, even on their phones. Let me tell you why I think so, and why Direct File’s future is at a crossroads. #EconSky
You shouldn’t finish every book you start. Abandoning a book is not an admission of failure—it’s a sign of wisdom. You’ve decided to let go of sunk costs. The purpose of reading is to be entertained and informed. If a book doesn't bring joy or insight, it’s time to move on.
A bright spot in recent tax policy has been the success of the IRS's in-house Direct File program, which allows many taxpayers to file taxes for free online through a simple interface, even on their phones. Let me tell you why I think so, and why Direct File’s future is at a crossroads. #EconSky
A government program made tax filing free and more efficient. Musk and DOGE may get rid of it anyway
The fate of the IRS Direct File program is unclear as Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency cleave their way through the federal bureaucracy. Republicans and commercial tax preparation...
apnews.com
Congestion pricing targets even more externalities than I realized. From the Jan. 5 start of congestion pricing to March 6, complaints about honking were down 69% relative to last year (via NYC's 311 portal).
Guan Yang@guan.dk · 2y agonice
Great piece on the mechanics of achieving PA’s recent success in promoting reform. “The visibility of the initiative also encouraged a sense of competition among cabinet officials. The mantra of “moving at the speed of business” was widely adopted among those working with the governor.”
Don Moynihan@donmoyn.bsky.social · 2y agoNew, from me: I’ve been writing about the damage done at the federal level, but am also looking for positive examples. Permitting reform in PA is one such case. Rapid and positive change is possible by improving state capacity rather than destroying it. donmoynihan.substack.com/p/permitting...
Ok, following on that last thread, here are my suggestions about how to be a good mentor (though this is still a work in progress!) (And others should feel free to add to my list!) A🧵
Zero-sum thinking is a key mindset that shapes how we view the world. A little thread to highlight our work on its roots with @sahilchinoy.bsky.social, @nathannunn.bsky.social, Sandra Sequeira.🧵1/23 scholar.harvard.edu/files/stantc...
An incredible photo posted today by French President Emmanuel Macron. The floor of Notre Dame Cathedral is filled with the workers involved in the 5 year project to restore the building following the devastating fire in 2019. 1/2
Submit your papers to the next @cepr.org Public Economics Annual Symposium, taking place in Cologne on June 5-6, 2025. Co-organized with @sigginho.bsky.social and Johannes Spinnewijn, keynotes by Cecile Gaubert and @omzidar.bsky.social! cepr.org/events/cepr-...
CEPR Public Economics Annual Symposium 2025
PDF document / 207.07 KB
cepr.org
Am I the only one longingly googling “bluesky app tapbots” [date filter = last 2 weeks] on a regular basis?
Agree, fantastic paper. I strongly agree with point (2) here—if it looks like risk from a distance, it might induce behavior evolved to handle risk. Relatedly…
Ryan Consell@stealingfromwizards.com · 2y agoWeird animal of the day: the blue morpho butterfly. Those shiny blue wings, NOT BLUE! If you ground up the butterfly and sifted through the remains, there would not be a shred of blue in it. They're blue for the same reason bubble and oil slicks are blue: thin film diffraction!
We've created a starter pack for all of the economics journals on Bluesky. Please nominate other journals to join the list. go.bsky.app/4kR21vX
Office conversions taking off: • 63 conversion projects in 2023 • 73 completed this year • 309 planned or under way, 3/4 office -> resi • 38k units in works • half of $1.12b in Manhattan office purchases were for conversions • 12% of Cleveland office space is converting www.wsj.com/real-estate/...
Office Conversions Find New Life After Property Values Plunge
Developer efforts to convert emptying office towers into residential buildings have largely gone nowhere. That may finally be changing.
wsj.com
Look at who has just begun to post substance here
Journal of Public Economics@jpube.bsky.social · 2y agoJust published in Journal of Public Economics: "From viewers to voters: Tracing Fox News’ impact on American democracy" By @elliottash.bsky.social, Sergio Galletta, Matteo Pinna, & Christopher S. Warshaw. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Remember that type 1 and type 2 errors go the same order as the boy who cried wolf. Type 1 - villagers believed there was a wolf (effect) when there wasn't. Type 2 - villagers didn't believe there was a wolf (effect) when there was. #StatsSky
A great JMP thread from one of our excellent students on the market this year from Wharton, Benji Edelstein (@benjonomics.bsky.social)!
Benji Edelstein@benjonomics.bsky.social · 2y ago🚨JMP Thread 🚨 🚰🏡Water scarcity is a global challenge, especially in the context of climate change. How do local water scarcity management policies affect housing markets, water use, and welfare? My job market paper explores these questions in the Front Range of Colorado.🧵
Think you know about guaranteed income? Prove it: forecast the results of two pilot programs in Chicago and Cook County before they are known: socialscienceprediction.org/predict/r/bf... Accurate forecasts get a prize.
Unconditional cash transfers in Chicago and Cook County
The regular provision of unconditional cash transfers to individuals is a tactic to fight poverty that has attracted significant interest from researchers and policymakers. Despite this interest, many...
socialscienceprediction.org
I created a starter pack focused on the economics of taxation. I'm unsure if I can grant editing access, but please feel free to suggest any additions! go.bsky.app/QmnUAzv
Cool tool for building your network - figure out who your mutuals are following who you haven't found yet. By count (gets big accounts) By proportion (gets niche accounts) Username only, or generate a one time app password in settings to follow directly from the page.
Bluesky Network Analyzer
Find accounts that you don't follow (yet) but are followed by lots of accounts that you do follow.
bsky-follow-finder.theo.io
I’m mostly on here for econ talk and yimby takes, but for anyone into jazz piano, Jon Batiste released Beethoven Blues on Friday and it is fantastic. album.link/i/1769426743
There's an oversold flight from Madison to NYC, and they're offering a free Lyft to Milwaukee (~1hr drive), a direct flight to NYC, and an Amazon gift card. The gift card is up to $1500, but no one is budging. It feels like a mini anti-corporate rebellion, and I'm curious to see how far it goes.
