Written by Mariah Barnetche Immigration has been a defining feature of the United States, contributing to its unique mosaic of diverse cultures and demographic evolution. Yet, immigration has remained a focal point of political debate for decades, with politicians weighing in economic concerns and considerations it brings forth. (Klobucista et al., 2023). Critics raise concerns…
Category: Boundaries of Economics
False Commodities: Karl Polanyi in the 21st Century
Written by Claire Arp “Nineteenth century civilization has collapsed,” So goes the opening words to The Great Transformation, Karl Polanyi’s magnum opus that laid the foundations for the modern fields of economic sociology and anthropology (Polanyi, 1944). From the context of his life, it’s not hard to see where this perspective stems from; born to…
The Ongoing Rise of the Esport Industry
Written by Connor Greig In the past several years, there has been a meteoric rise in a new kind of athletic competition. Its largest events have seen tens of millions of live viewers, its participants endure hours of daily training, and it has even been broadcasted numerous times on ESPN (Schudey et al., 2023). Instead…
Is AI taking over the job market?
Written by Tianqi (George) Sun Artificial intelligence has drastically taken the world by storm when ChatGPT was released. It has brought light to software developers’ work for decades. Everyone seems to have some use for the chat bot. To some students, the emergence of AI felt like paradise, because it saved them from writing their…
Opinion: Why are Local Businesses More Vital to the Local Economy than Large Corporations?
Written by Tianqi (George) Sun When talking about entrepreneurship, people’s minds always divert to companies such as Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, and Meta. To most people, these businesses are the pinnacle of gathering resources and benefiting the United States by providing thousands of jobs. Even lots of kids dream to be famous entrepreneurs like Jeff Bezos, Elon…
AI on the Labor Market
Written by Advay Singh Artificial intelligence (AI), is a rapidly expanding field, often considered the fourth industrial revolution (Li et al., 2023). Taking automation to the next level, it’s hardly an inconspicuous innovation. Its impacts on several disciplines garner praise as well as criticism; there are many conflicting viewpoints of the impact of AI on…
The Price of Stars: The Economics of Online Ratings and Reviews
Written by Dhruvi Dedhia Would you rather watch a movie rated 8/10 on IMDb or one rated 4/10? Or want to stay at a 5-star hotel as opposed to a 2-star one? Several studies have shown that consumers tend to be heavily affected by user reviews (i.e., ratings and feedback by consumers who have purchased…
Op-Ed: Patagonia Proves the Success of Sustainable Corporations
Written by Gabby Land As the world becomes increasingly more concerned about social justice, inequality, and sustainability issues, many consumers are looking for accountability in the companies that they buy from. Alas, the concept of benefit corporations, or “B Corps” offer a vehicle for companies to demonstrate their commitment to social and environmental performance and…
Benefits and Critiques of the Field of Behavioral Economics as it has Developed
Written by: Anjali Kota A relatively new field of study in the branch of economics is behavioral economics, the intersection of psychology and economics. The field of behavioral economics places an emphasis on why consumers make certain economic decisions by taking rational choice theory and interpreting it using actual consumer psychology. While traditional economics is…
Opinion: Financial Literacy 101: A Finance Survival Handbook for Students
Written by Tianqi (George) Sun Financial literacy is crucial to a student’s well-being in college. Personal finance education should begin as early as possible to set a strong foundation and prevent financial difficulties later in life. However, the resources for financial literacy are limited and not always easily accessible. Plenty of students who are living…