Macroeconomic theory suggests that without any outside intervention, the macroeconomy will self-adjust and return to its long-run state after short-term shocks. The decision for policymakers thus boils down to a cost-benefit analysis taking into account factors like intertemporality and risk tolerance — they can either wait and allow the economy to adjust organically, or sink resources into actively trying to stabilize the economy, taking on the risk of further destabilizing it.Continue Reading

Downward trends in enrollment have had a ripple effect at institutions across the country. As decreases in enrollment continue, schools are feeling pressure to keep tuition affordable. Although inflation has pushed up the prices of most goods and services, the necessity for more students has incentivized institutions to keep tuition prices relatively low. Continue Reading

Globalization is not new. People have traded goods across oceans and continents since the Silk Road. But this 2,000 year legacy may now be in jeopardy as an increasing number of experts warn that globalization, as we know it, may be coming to an end.Continue Reading

The COVID-19 has, unequivocally, triggered a global crisis comparable in size to historical precedents such as the Great Recession of 2008. While the two may be similar in their ramifications, the current crisis differs significantly from the 2008 crisis. This article discusses noteworthy insights for policymakers and investors alike. Continue Reading

In 1971, President Richard Nixon officially proclaimed a war on drugs. Since then, the United States has spent well over $1 trillion on drug prevention and detainment. “If we cannot destroy the drug menace in America, then it will surely in time destroy us,” Nixon told Congress in 1971. “I am not prepared to accept this alternative.” The goal of the war on drugs is to reduce drug use. The specific aim is to destroy and inhibit the international drug trade — making drugs scarcer and costlier, and therefore making drug habits in the US unaffordable.Continue Reading

So what is a Flex Format store? They’re smaller Target stores carrying just a fraction of the products of full-line locations, with selections individually tailored to fit the specific needs of the surrounding community. Most include a CVS-branded pharmacy, an order pickup area, customer service, and a Starbucks-branded cafe. Clocking in at just 12,000 square feet, the Berkeley Shattuck location in particular is just 8% of the size of your average 145,000-square-foot Target store. The Shattuck location is one of the smallest in the chain, with typical Flex Format locations ranging from 25,000 to 40,000 square feet. Target seems to be heavily leaning into the Flex Format idea, as nearly all of its store openings planned for the next few years fall within the concept parameters. Continue Reading