Motivations, Market Failures, and Alternative Outcomes “Recent market events like the “flash crash” of 2010, algorithmic failures at Knight Capital, and the release of Michael Lewis’s book Flash Boys (2014)—with his claims that markets are “rigged”—have heightened scrutiny of high-frequency trading (HFT) and increased demands for more aggressive regulation. However, HFT has several empirically demonstrated benefits, and the …
The Other Fiscal Cliff Resides In a Chart While running some queries on Google’s Ngram Viewer, a phrase-usage graphing tool searching over 5.2 million books in Google’s digital library, I came across a rather startling trend. When comparing the use of the terms “monetary policy” and “fiscal policy” I discovered that discussion of fiscal policy …
“There are studies that indicate that economic growth slows when public and private debt exceeds 260% to 275% of GDP. The U.S. hit the 260% level in 2000.” A recent paper by Hoisington Investment Management Company (available here) does an excellent job describing why the Federal Reserve is, and will continue to be, unsuccessful in …
Consumer choice trumps coercion every time. David Harsanvi at Reason.com argues why your judgement about which healthcare option is best for you is better than the collective judgement of 51.1% of the electorate. “Let me put it this way: There’s this Chinese restaurant near my house. It’s not the cleanest place, granted. And the folks …
From Reason.com – Obamacare’s Authoritarian Problem Read More »
“…tax haven abusers force other Americans to shoulder their tax burden.” U.S. PIRG, an organization I don’t generally have much in common with, published an interesting and informative report on offshore corporate tax havens. While I don’t necessarily agree with the causes of the problem the author suggests, I agree with the effects. From U.S. …
Offshore Corporate Tax Havens Shift Burden to Individual Tax Payers Read More »
Is the private sector the solution to a public sector problem? I haven’t been blogging much lately. This is primarily due to the overall heightened state of daily outrage I’ve been walking around in for about the last year and a half. A friend told me this morning that this is a privilege reserved for …
A Busload of Silicon Valley Programmers: The Senator John McCain Solution to Obamacare Read More »
“Regardless of government healthcare mandates or other regulatory policies, market forces are always at work…Obamacare is a bad idea that may only get worse.” By Holly A. Bell Regardless of government healthcare mandates or other regulatory policies, market forces are always at work and will mold the healthcare market to adjust to the new regulatory …
What Might “Obamacare” and the Healthcare Industry Look Like in 2038? Read More »
“The fact that it has not disappeared from the planet, and could potentially return to countries like the U.S. under the right conditions,makes sector analysis as a measure of structural unemployment look more like the cyclical model” By Holly A. Bell In a recent article, Paul Krugman asked: “Is there any point to economic analysis?”. …
Configuration Unemployment: Measuring Structural Problems in a Contemporary Economy Read More »
“I’ll leave labeling the “school” of economics I fall into to others.” By Holly A. Bell When I discuss economic issues people often ask me which “school” of economic thought I subscribe to. This question usually leaves me a bit tongue-tied because my approach to economics doesn’t fit neatly into any specific “school” as they …
The Bell School of Economics: An Holistic and Interdisciplinary Approach Read More »
From the Cato Institute: High Frequency Trading (HFT) is a form of algorithmic trading where firms use high-speed market data and analytics to look for short term supply and demand trading opportunities that often are the product of predictable behavioral or mechanical characteristics of financial markets. Some opponents have argued that these practices create risk …
