The Left over Left is withering away
30 Apr 2015 Leave a comment
in politics - Australia, politics - New Zealand, politics - USA Tags: voter demographics
Richard Nixon’s public choice economics of the Vietnam anti-war movement
30 Apr 2015 Leave a comment
in labour economics, labour supply, occupational choice, politics - USA Tags: conscription, peace movements, Richard Nixon, Vietnam war
The Vietnam anti-war movement were primarily the result of the draft: hell no, we won’t go and the burning of draft cards. Richard Nixon was as cunning a rat who ever occupied the Oval Office. He was elected in 1968 to end the Vietnam war and to end the draft.
Nixon had an intuitive economic understanding that the anti-war movement’s rioting in the streets and campuses was very much motivated by private gain. In particular, the threat of being drafted. The notion that revolutions and political movements are motivated by private gain is not new.
Vietnamisation changed everything. In 1969, Nixon started the process of phasing down the sending of further combat troops to Vietnam and the phasing down of the draft. US troop withdrawal started on July 1st 1969 with completion dates – December 1970, June 1971 and December 1972.
By the beginning of 1972, over 400,000 U.S. military personnel had been withdrawn, virtually all combat troops. The protests were against ending up in the jungle – not up the rear with the gear. There were 24,000 US troops in Vietnam in 1972. This compares to 560,000+ in 1969.
A Vietnam vet told me that when he returned to his U.S. campus in 1971 for graduate studies, it was very quite compared to 1969 because the spectre of the draft had gone in their minds.
The anti-war movement was really motivated by hell no, we won’t go. As soon as the prospect of going to Vietnam faded away, so did the anti-war movement.
This is how fast America changed its mind on the biggest social issues
30 Apr 2015 Leave a comment
in economic history, economics of media and culture, economics of regulation, economics of religion, political change, politics - USA Tags: expressive voting, preference falsification
This is how fast America changed its mind on the biggest social issues bloom.bg/1DIk6PQ http://t.co/RjAiw0y2dV—
Bloomberg Business (@business) April 27, 2015
Democrat voters are turning against the idea of lower prices for ordinary families
29 Apr 2015 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, applied welfare economics, international economics, politics - USA, Public Choice, rentseeking Tags: antiforeign bias, expressive voting, rational ignorance, rational irrationality, voter demographics
As America inches towards a big trade deal with Asia, Obama faces a showdown with his party econ.st/1JJMJAE http://t.co/6qmt9GegWF—
The Economist (@EconBizFin) April 27, 2015
Partisan differences in preferred presidential traits
29 Apr 2015 Leave a comment
in politics - USA Tags: 2016 presidential election, voter demographics
Taxpayers in every country should get one of these charts
29 Apr 2015 Leave a comment
in income redistribution, politics - Australia, politics - New Zealand, politics - USA, Public Choice, public economics, rentseeking Tags: public sector transparency
Tax summary: here's another honest/informative version of @hmtreasury chart by @StrongerInNos that explains "welfare" http://t.co/SeH9FJIRWq—
Jonathan Portes (@jdportes) November 02, 2014
New Zealand does an excellent job in attracting skilled migrants
29 Apr 2015 Leave a comment
in human capital, labour economics, labour supply, politics - Australia, politics - New Zealand, politics - USA Tags: economics of immigration
Migrants (esp. new ones) to UK more likely to have tertiary education than migrants to Australia [OECD[ http://t.co/xfOSQmiCxd—
Jonathan Portes (@jdportes) March 05, 2015
Recoveries from recessions across the G-7
28 Apr 2015 Leave a comment
in business cycles, economic growth, Euro crisis, global financial crisis (GFC), great recession, macroeconomics, politics - USA Tags: British economy, Canada, Eurosclerosis, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, recoveries from recessions
UK recovery: stronger than Italy, weaker than US & Canada. http://t.co/C0TEsbzMm3—
Jonathan Portes (@jdportes) April 28, 2015
In another neoliberal victory, income taxes became more progressive in recent decades
28 Apr 2015 Leave a comment
in economic history, politics - USA, Public Choice, public economics Tags: conspiracy theories, Leftover Left, neoliberalism, taxation in the labour supply, top 1%
How much does each income group pay in taxes? bit.ly/1JHSCik by @aplundeen http://t.co/B66ynsUrkc—
Tax Foundation (@taxfoundation) April 14, 2015
The U.S. Income Tax system is progressive bit.ly/1FG9Usm by @aplundeen http://t.co/HXDWbvv1xy—
Tax Foundation (@taxfoundation) April 15, 2015
Would a living wage reduce poverty in America?
28 Apr 2015 Leave a comment
in labour economics, minimum wage, politics - Australia, politics - New Zealand, politics - USA, poverty and inequality Tags: labour demographics, living wage, poverty and inequality
Are White Republicans More Racist Than White Democrats? | FiveThirtyEight
28 Apr 2015 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, economic history, politics - USA Tags: Democratic party racism, racism, republicanism, Southern racism
% spent on housing as a share of disposable income, OECD members, 2014
28 Apr 2015 Leave a comment
in politics - Australia, politics - New Zealand, politics - USA, urban economics Tags: housing affordability, RMA, supply of land, zoning
New Zealand is pretty much on top of the world as to the amount of income that households must spend keep a roof. That success is a product of local council restrictions on the supply of land and national and local regulations such as under the Resource Management Act (RMA) that increase the costs of bringing lands in the market.
Source: OECD Better Life Index.
Note: Household net adjusted disposable income is the maximum amount that a household can afford to consume without having to reduce its assets or to increase its liabilities. It’s obtained, as defined by the System of National Accounts – SNA, adding to people’s gross income (earnings, self-employment and capital income, as well as current monetary transfers received from other sectors) the social transfers in-kind that households receive from governments (such as education and health care services), and then subtracting the taxes on income and wealth, the social security contributions paid by households as well as the depreciation of capital goods consumed by households.
Utopia, you are standing in it! 
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