Assorted links to updates on some of the stories we’ve been following at Econbrowser, including declining Saudi Arabian oil production, the role of mortgage-backed securities, and pressures on public pension funds to take on additional risks.
The politics of future promises
I have been detailing concerns about meeting the pension and health care obligations of the city and county of San Diego. Although these challenges arise at the level of our local government, the problem appears to be national in scope, as a sampling of stories from PensionWatch makes clear.
Patent protection and technological innovation
There is a potential conflict between the two that we ought to revisit as the nature of technological advance itself undergoes profound changes.
The Coming (?) US Current Account Adjustment: Two Questions Inspired by Two Graphs
The IMF has recently released its Global Financial Stability report. Two figures inspired two questions from me.
New estimates of macroeconomic effects of tax changes
Berkeley Professors Christina and David Romer have an
interesting new research paper estimating the macroeconomic consequences of tax changes.
Trade adjustment via import compression or export expansion?
From Saturday’s New York Times, the case is made that the G-7’s dream scenario of global rebalancing, with more rapid growth in Europe pulling up demand for US goods, is finally underway:
The Last Throes of PoMo Macro?
Hedge fund regulation
Fed Chair Ben Bernanke yesterday explained why he sees no need for increased regulation of hedge funds.
Are Democrats Truly More Protectionist? (Part II)
There was some disagreement with my assertion that Democrats were — effectively — not as protectionist as many have argued. Here are some more thoughts on the matter, as the Administration prepares the case for countervailing duties on Chinese imports [1].
More on Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae
More data, that is, and more questions.