Tag Archives: economics
Whatever happened to black cat toffee?
Back in the day, name brand chocolate – Coffee Crisp, Mars bars – made up a small percentage of the average trick-or-treat haul. I remember getting candy apples, rockets, tootsie pops, suckers, caramels, "boiled sweets" (hard sugar candy), raisins and the dread black cat toffee. Nothing – in terms of quality or in terms of […]
How to find a topic for an economics research essay
Calculus. Years of macro theory. Micro theory. Econometrics. Study the lecture notes, practice old exams, give the prof what he or she wants. It works. Until the day the prof says "Come up with an original research topic." Panic. "But no one's ever taught me how to be original."
Economics, History and the Shrinking Middle
As an economic historian by training, I’m always aware of the unique ground straddled by practitioners of the cliometric craft. We are economists by training and in terms of many of the questions we are interested in, but much of our research focuses on collection and analysis of primary sources.
Are Quebec-born NHL coaches more likely to win the cup?
Historically French Canadians have been underrepresented on English Canadian NHL teams, relative to their representation on U.S.-based teams. The underrepresentation of people from Quebec is particularly dramatic behind the bench, in the coaching staff.
Adverse selection and single-blind peer review
The American Economics Association has announced that, as of July 1, 2011, its journals will be moving from double-blind to single-blind peer review. The identity of a paper's author will now be revealed to any potential referees. The Association gives three reasons for its decision: "Easy access to search engines increasingly limits the effectiveness of […]
Are gifted education programs a waste of money?
In my latest Globe and Mail piece, I summarized a study by Sa Bui, Steven G. Craig, and Scott Imberman on the effectiveness of gifted education. The authors look at students in a large urban American school district who were evaluated for gifted programming in grade five. They ask: Who does better on the grade 6 and 7 […]
Riding the Loser Cruiser
People will use public transit if it's the lowest cost way of getting from point A to point B. Costs have three components. The first is money costs – the cost of gas or a bus fare or a train ticket. The second is time costs – the opportunity cost of time spent driving or […]
Musings on Good Friday
Today is Good Friday, the end of Lent, the Christian period of fasting or sacrifice. In Europe, it was once traditional to fast, or give up eating animal products, for the duration of Lent. That traditional sacrifice is the source of some well-known Easter rituals. We're celebrating the end of Lent today with hot cross […]
Understanding Victim Fine Surcharges
In Canada, people who break the law pay a “victim fine surcharge.” For federal offences, the surcharge is 15 percent of any fine imposed. For criminals who are not fined, a set surcharge of $50 or $100 is imposed, depending upon the severity of the crime. The funds raised through these fines stay in the […]
Conspicuous Politics
Today, I walked past a garden with a beautiful display of snowdrops and crocuses – and a Green Party lawn sign. A house with a bicycle locked to the railings at the front of the house – and an NDP lawn sign. A house with a neatly laid out garden – and a Liberal lawn […]
Worthwhile Canadian Initiative 
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