Recessions, like earthquakes, are impossible to predict confidently
Some economic observers continue to warn about signs of a potential U.S. recession. Glenn MacDonald, the John M. Olin Distinguished Professor of Economics and Strategy at Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis, says many signs aren’t particularly reliable — but keep an eye on housing starts.
Interdisciplinary efforts on economic fragility spark new book, May 28 policy discussion in D.C.
In an effort to study causes and find solutions, Washington University in St. Louis faculty from across disciplines are examining economic insecurity through the university’s Livable Lives Initiative. One of the products of this interdisciplinary collaboration is a new book, “Working and Living in the Shadow of Economic Fragility.”
Former WUSTL professor’s theory presaged the Great Recession
If the titans of finance had only been paying attention, they would have seen that former Washington University in St. Louis economics professor Hyman P. Minsky had predicted the Great Recession decades before it happened.
Tax renewals: buying time or a ‘permanently temporary’ fix?
Cheryl Block, JD, federal budget and tax expert and professor of law at Washington University in St. Louis, weighs in on tax cut extensions. “We want it all: low tax rates, government spending on the programs we prefer, and — ideally — a balanced budget,” she says. “Perhaps not surprisingly, the desire for prudent budgets increasingly loses out to the first two demands.”
‘Politics and the Global Recession’ focus of public forum Feb. 25
The intricately intertwined relationship between the global economy and politics will be the focus of a public forum titled “Politics and the Global Recession” at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25 in the Knight Center. The program is being sponsored by the Weidenbaum Center on the Economy, Government, and Public Policy.
U.S. monetary policy focus of Feb. 5 forum
Experts from the St. Louis Federal Reserve and around the country will be on the Washington University campus Friday, Feb. 5, to discuss the Federal Reserve’s role during the recent recession and future directions for policy. The free public conference, “Monetary Policy Amid Economic Turbulence,” begins at 2:30 p.m. in the Bryan Cave Moot Court Room, Anheuser-Busch Hall.
Businesses increase innovation spending in recession
SawyerEven as the United States faces the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, businesses are spending more money on innovation, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report. Keith Sawyer, Ph.D., assistant professor of education and psychology in Arts & Sciences and one of the country’s leading experts on the science of creativity, says that investing in innovation is one of the best ways to beat the recession.
WUSTL hosts forum on financing university education
“Financing University Education” is the focus of a free public conference to be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 14, in the Bryan Cave Moot Court Room of Anheuser Busch Hall.
WUSTL hosts forum on financing university education in tough economic climate, April 14
“Financing University Education” is the focus of a free public conference to be held 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. April 14 in the Bryan Cave Moot Court Room. Anheuser-Busch Hall, Danforth Campus, Washington University in St. Louis.
A “Minsky moment”
FazzariWUSTL economist Steven Fazzari, Ph.D., argues that we have now reached the “Minsky moment,” the time when an unsustainable financial boom turns to bust. “The serious consequences for employment and economic growth in this crisis can be mitigated, but not eliminated, by the defensive financial bailouts that the federal government has initiated,” Fazzari says.
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