November
Up one levelThe Young Economist
Economics often presumes that people act rationally. Ulrike Malmendier knows better.
The Thin Veneer of Globalization
VICTOR DAVIS HANSON says that the spread of economic wealth and instant media coverage are working to the advantage of America’s enemies.
The Perils of a Late Landing
Political shifts occur in Washington when monetary policy is tight—that is, interest rates are much higher than growth rates. DAVID MALPASS paints such a scenario for the 2008 presidential election. It would damage the economy and the chances of the Republican candidate.
Organs for Sale
Eleven Americans die each day because they can’t get a kidney transplant, writes Dr. SALLY SATEL, who was one of the lucky ones who did get one. The best way to provide more kidneys is to give donors compensation. Here’s how a market in organs can meet moral objections.
Patriots vs. Redskins
Who has it right, and who has it wrong? KEVIN HASSETT on the economics of managing an NFL football team.
Question & Answer
To help elucidate the mysteries of climate change, Kenneth Green answers fourteen questions and separates hard fact from speculation.
10 Best Business Movies
When THE AMERICAN set out to choose the ten best business movies of all time, we looked for three qualities: (1) a great movie, (2) a relatively realistic picture of business, and (3) an attitude not openly hostile to capitalism as we know and love it.
Learning to Love Charlie Rangel
Afraid of or dismayed at the new chairman of the Ways and Means Committee? Rangel has hugged Fidel and compared George Bush with notorious racist Bull Connor, but he may have hidden virtues when it comes to free trade.
The American Interview
Intel chairman Craig Barrett says America’s global economic dominance is threatened from within.
A Starting Point for Sarbox Reform
Sarbanes-Oxley has been burdening executives with cost and anxiety for years. But reform may finally be on the horizon.
Coulda, Shoulda, Woulda
A new look at the motivational speaking industry shares the faults of its subject
What Are Women Worth?
A new study suggests that Wall Street still has different standards for men and women.
The Secret Life of Lou Dobbs
Why did the influential CNN business anchor undergo an abrupt metamorphosis from corporate sycophant to fire-breathing populist? LUKE MULLINS found the surprising answer in Rupert, the hardscrabble Idaho town where Dobbs grew up.
Rwanda Redux
A decade after the genocide, Rwanda, with help from two Chicago financiers, has been spreading the idea that it’s a good place to do business, not just a place for do-gooders to come help. Now, it’s the most improved country in Africa.
Spooky Serendipity
When you use the iPod’s shuffle feature, the machine seems to know what is taking place around it. Is randomness part of Apple’s grand scheme? Can cell phones do it better?
Two Cheers for the FDA
The recent decision to allow silicone breast implants was a sadly unusual victory of evidence over fear for the agency.
The Class Struggle of Jim Webb
Billed as a moderate, the new Virginia senator sounds more like an old-school leftist.
The Puzzle of Parisian Partisanship
Of all large European nations, France is the country where political leaders are most vocally opposed to capitalism and globalization--at least in theory.
China's New Scramble for Africa
The Chinese are looking at Africa as a business opportunity, not a charity case. America should pay attention.
Remembering Robert Altman
The late director had an unusual gift, maintaining artistic independence inside the studio system.
Want to Control Spending?
Give taxpayers a voice in government. If the federal government were as good at saving taxpayer money as it is at spending it, we'd all be better off.
Thinking Inside the Box
A "fair trade" critic of Wal-Mart ought to focus on keeping markets free—in part by fighting the rents that Wal-Mart extracts from local governments.
Does Anybody Really Know How to Limit Government?
They said they'd keep the federal government strictly limited—and they failed. No, I don't mean the Republicans in Congress. I’m talking about a far more esteemed group of intellectuals: the Federalists, who urged the ratification of the U.S. Constitution.