May-0507
Up one levelNews Media Flux Hinges on Advertisers
If you want to understand the wrenching dislocations in today's newsrooms, look to the advertisers whose purchasing decisions drive the business.
To Make Mortgages Fair, Keep Disclosures To a Page
A simple summary is the best way to make sure borrowers understand their loans.
Send Sarbanes-Oxley to the Court of Investors
A new study sees only one side of the cost/benefit picture.
Schumpeter Revealed
A new biography offers the best description yet of the great economist and his times.
These Shots Won’t Drive Gun Control
The Virginia Tech massacre shows how much ground advocates have lost.
The New Cassandra
From policy to personality, Christopher Buckley’s latest satire is full of timely warnings.
Vive la Réforme?
Sarkozy’s victory in Sunday’s presidential election leaves him with a heavy burden.
Lesson from Brazil: Pharma Needs to Explain its Pricing
A tiered model, based on ability to pay, is optimal—but will only work if the industry stands up for itself.
On Nantucket Sound, Environmentalists Find an Alternative Use for Their Energy
A new book chronicle’s the liberal locals’ struggle to stop an unsightly wind farm.
The UN’s Tyrant-Friendly Bureaucracy
Saturday’s vote putting Zimbabwe in charge of a human rights body doesn’t make it any easier to take the body seriously.
Solar Power’s Time to Shine?
Thanks to cheaper solar cells, the technology may finally be economically viable, says a new book.
A Free-Market Outpost in the Midwest
A new book details the influential economists at the University of Chicago.
Forecast: Open Skies Ahead
A new U.S.-European pact will mean more competition, less red tape, and—probably—lower fares.
The Grand Bipartisan Trade Deal
What have Congress and the White House really agreed to on trade? It’s hard to say, judging from their widely differing views of last week’s deal.
Obama’s Symbolic “Solution” to High Executive Pay
His new bill to let shareholders complain about golden parachutes is a political move that will only confuse the issue.
Carbon Taxes Versus Carbon Markets: What’s the Best Way to Limit Emissions?
Cap-and-trade markets have greater political momentum, but most economists favor a carbon tax. Here’s our guide to the debate.
Health Targets Should Come With a Warning
Grand goals will only help world health if they can be measured—and achieved.
Canada’s Problem: Domestic Trade Barriers
Free trade among the fifty states may account for much of the U.S. productivity advantage over Canada.
E-Voting Threatens Election Integrity
Rush Holt’s bill, which was recently approved by a House committee, would be a big improvement.
The Sudden Ubiquity of China
It’s not just a western obsession: Beijing really is ramping up diplomatic engagement all over the world.
German Growth Means a Chance for Reform
Center-right leader Angela Merkel is missing an opportunity. She should take a cue from her left-of-center predecessor, Gerhard Schroeder, particularly on labor market reforms.
Podcast with Mauro De Lorenzo
Mauro De Lorenzo explains how China erodes international agencies’ influence in the developing world.
Foreign Investors Prefer Predictability to Democracy
A study of recent investment flows says that being a democracy may actually make it harder for a developing country to attract capital from abroad.
House Democrats: Confused at the Pump?
Wednesday’s legislation on fuel price “gouging” was an odd moment for Democrats. If they really care about global warming, they should be glad to see gas prices go up.
Want to Own a Law Firm?
An Australian firm’s decision to go public raises some fascinating questions.
Dan Practice
A study of recent investment flows says that being a democracy may actually make it harder for a developing country to attract capital from abroad.
Sanctioning Talk on Darfur
Wednesday’s announcement of new U.S. sanctions creates the impression of action—but it probably won’t actually help those who are dying in Sudan.