Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. Macro-economics studies the large-scale behaviour of the whole economy. Micro-economics studies small-scale behaviour from individual transactions to the behaviour within particular ...
17
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1answer
1k views
Can we end poverty for $US175 billion per year?
A recent question brought up the claim that poverty can be eliminated for 175 billion a year. I found this claim
To end extreme poverty worldwide in 20 years, Sachs calculated that
the total ...
25
votes
5answers
2k views
Can we grow enough crops to feed all people on Earth?
Vegetarianism is heavily promoted. But let's say all people on Earth stop eating animal products. Can we grow enough crops so all people on the Earth are provided with enough healthy, nutritious food? ...
20
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2answers
1k views
Do tax cuts stimulate an economy?
Every election cycle, I keep hearing that tax breaks stimulate the economy.
Are there any well-known studies or scientifically-backed examples from history that shed light on whether or not this ...
13
votes
7answers
767 views
Can a society become unhappier with an increase in wealth?
People like to claim that less developed countries are happier, because they live the simple life and stronger family ties. We've all heard the saying:
Money can't buy you happiness.
Which is ...
3
votes
3answers
1k views
Does the US government voluntarily underreport inflation?
According to Shadow Government Statistics, inflation in the USA is around 11%, not 3% as the official statistics claim, as shown in this chart:
(source)
In fact, they suggest that the US government ...
32
votes
2answers
747 views
What are the scientifically established effects of Daylight Saving Time?
Since the US recently went on to DST, I thought it'd be appropriate to ask this:
I've heard many claims made about DST, ranging from "It saves electricity" to "It balances out daylight hours" to "It ...
21
votes
2answers
665 views
Do patents boost innovation?
In a recent judgement Europe's highest court ruled that Stem Cells derived from human embryos cannot be patented (see BBC story here). This provoked many scientists to argue that both research and the ...
21
votes
3answers
1k views
Is Peak Oil still set for 2013?
There have been various dates that I've read about the prediction of peak oil. Some claim 2020s, others say 2050 as the final decade any oil will exist. Another website I read recently has predicted ...
23
votes
2answers
961 views
Is there economic data to suggest whether or not trickle-down economics provides a net increase in standards of living?
One of the chief arguments for Reagan's fiscal policy of trickle-down economics was "money was all appropriated for the top in hopes that it would trickle down to the needy." Essentially that by ...
14
votes
1answer
733 views
Do automobile manufacturers make parts wear out and break easily, just so they can make more money?
It is sometimes heard that automobile manufacturers design low-quality parts that wear out or break easily, so that they can make money on the repair or replacement of these parts.
I believe this to ...
11
votes
1answer
399 views
Do CFLs have a significant impact on your light bill?
I just moved into my own apartment, and I've taken quite an interest in being as energy-efficient as possible (simply because, hey - I'm paying the electricity bill now!).
I've been wondering - are ...
18
votes
1answer
710 views
Organic food is worse for the environment because it requires more land than non-organic food
I've heard that organic crops and husbandry are worse for the environment than non-organic equivalents because in the absence of pesticides and fertilizers much more land is required for an organic ...
-2
votes
2answers
332 views
Politicians claim there have been big “cuts” to education, has this ever actually occurred?
Some media have in the past reported that the education has been/or will be cut by the GOP at the federal level.
For example: Bush Cuts Education 2002 budget.
May 2, 2002 Sen Jack Reed of Rhode ...
22
votes
1answer
529 views
Is drug development far cheaper than Big Pharma wants us to believe?
In an article titled "The Make-Believe Billion - How drug companies exaggerate research costs to justify absurd profits" in Slate the author writes about a new study about the costs of drug ...
12
votes
3answers
1k views
Does the Bilderberg Group have influence on world events?
Is there any evidence to support the claim the Bilderberg Group have control of the world and its money supply?
Is there evidence to suggest they are planning on exterminating the majority of the ...
10
votes
3answers
512 views
Can a government stimulus cause a sustained improvement in the economy?
I was reading Can Anyone Really Create Jobs? from the New York Times. In the article, it is argued that, though more spending on the part of consumers is needed to improve the economy, a $400 billion ...
19
votes
5answers
1k views
Is more than 30% of US healthcare spending waste?
National healthcare spending in the USA consumes more than 18% of GDP and is growing rapidly. Europeans criticise the expense and relatively poor quality of the US system (for example, see this ...
9
votes
1answer
288 views
Is inflation in the US higher than government statistics suggest? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Does the US government voluntarily underreport inflation?
The Consumer Price Index claims to reflect "changes in the prices paid by urban consumers for a representative ...
5
votes
1answer
349 views
Payday loan interest rates - not representative?
On adverts for payday loan deals (UK), the representative APR is always displayed in small print, by law.
I always feel as though these loans, with their x-thousand % interest rates are ripping off ...
5
votes
1answer
365 views
Is there a link between rising UK youth unemployment and immigration from Eastern Europe?
The UK is facing a rise in youth unemployment, and it has been claimed recently that there is a link to immigration from Eastern Europe.
Can this be backed up or discredited?
Is there a link between ...
13
votes
3answers
2k views
If you raise taxes, will the rich will leave the country?
I often see/hear this argument used as an argument against raising income tax, at least here in the UK. The argument being the rich will leave, taking their cash out of the country, resulting in ...
9
votes
2answers
550 views
Are food deserts a real phenomenon?
According to Wikipedia, a food desert is a low income area where people there cannot access high quality or nutritional food, due to either a lack of transportation or a lack of real grocery stores.
...
8
votes
0answers
404 views
Is there a plateau in happiness vs. GDP per capita?
I remember reading about a study that had measured GDP per capita (or a similar parameter) and average (self-reported?) happiness in a lot of countries. It was hypothesized that there's a limit where ...
5
votes
2answers
611 views
Would the United States lose its title as the richest country if we exclude top 5% wealth holders?
I read this claim in Quora:
The "richest" country in the world (the u.s.) would assuredly lose that place if you excluded just the top 5% of wealth holders
Is this claim true? Is there any ...
2
votes
1answer
118 views
Are benefit-cost estimates for policies and projects accurate enough to be useful? [closed]
One of the ways the overall value of a project or a change can be evaluated is through the use of benefit-cost analysis. Quoted from the page:
Whenever people decide whether the advantages of a ...
