Category: Boundaries of Economics

Written by Lily Liang The ability of citizens to influence public policy with votes is the fundamental character of democracy, making the upcoming election day one of the most highly anticipated political events. Without continuous elections, policy makers have relatively little incentives to respond to preferences of the governed. However, as inequality rises in the…

Written by: Dhruvi Dedhia Whether it’s trying to sell Michigan Football tickets on GroupMe, or having to scour the web for cheap resales because concert tickets sold out within minutes, everyone’s encountered ticket resales in some capacity. Ticket reselling, also called ticket scalping, is “the act of purchasing tickets for an event, such as concerts,…

Written by: Sunjna Namjoshi As climate change accelerates, the U.S. faces a pivotal moment to reshape its economy and environmental future. Transitioning to a green economy is a necessary response to environmental challenges and a monumental economic opportunity. However, political obstacles—ranging from partisan gridlock to the influence of fossil fuel interests—threaten to stall progress. “The…

Written by: Sierra Perrin Hee Real estate generates almost 17% of Florida’s GDP, but with increases in tropical storms Florida’s housing market has had to adapt, becoming more reliant on wealthy home buyers (Coren, M. J., et al., 2024). Due to recent hurricanes, especially Milton, less affluent homeowners are beginning to pack up and move…

Written by: Jocelyn Branham San Francisco, one of the largest technology capitals in the country, has in recent years become the testing ground for autonomous vehicles (AVs), also known as driverless cars. While there are an estimated 41 companies currently testing AVs in The City (Shaban et al., 2024), the most commonly known are Waymo…

Written by: Ali Pullaro When a category five hurricane hits the coast, it leaves more than just shattered homes and uprooted trees in its wake. The devastation goes beyond what may initially meet the eye. These storms wreak havoc on local and national economies. The true economic toll of a hurricane isn’t measured only by…

Written by: Rohan Girvin Drug Prices are Higher in the United States  Despite the United States being a global superpower, leading the world in nearly every facet of innovation and growth, the US struggles greatly with the high costs of pharmaceuticals and medications that are essential for many people to survive. Data gathered in 2022…

Written By: James Kluge Starting February 10th, 2021, residents of Texas experienced the worst power outage in state history, all stemming from the polar vortex. An extreme snowstorm quickly morphed into a humanitarian crisis when the non-weatherized Texas power grid failed, leaving 4.5 million families without heat and electricity and at least 246 dead over…

Written By: Connor Greig The logic behind gambling has always seemed like quite a mystery; if the house has an edge, why should one even play? This question has stuck in my head throughout the years, but it has become even more resonant as I have progressed through my education in economics. If someone’s goal…

Written By: Colin Pfeifer From running a lemonade stand in kindergarten to working a 9 to 5 job, our lives are structured around monetary motivations. However, it would come as a shock to many people that the first market society (one principally organized around markets and currencies) did not fully form until the 19th century…