RockStarKevin

The Best Economics Blogs

Here’s my favorite 7 of this list

November 20th, 2008 | Category: QC7 | Leave a comment

“Promote then as an object of primary importance, Institutions for the general diffusion of knowledge. In proportion as the structure of a government gives force to public opinion, it is essential that public opinion should be enlightened.” George Washington, Farewell Address, September 19, 1796

Interesting video and poll here.

Zogby Poll
512 Obama Voters 11/13/08-11/15/08 MOE +/- 4.4 points

97.1% High School Graduate or higher, 55% College Graduates

Results to 12 simple Multiple Choice Questions

57.4% could NOT correctly say which party controls congress (50/50 shot just by guessing)

81.8% could NOT correctly say Joe Biden quit a previous campaign because of plagiarism (25% chance by guessing)

82.6% could NOT correctly say that Barack Obama won his first election by getting opponents kicked off the ballot (25% chance by guessing)

88.4% could NOT correctly say that Obama said his policies would likely bankrupt the coal industry and make energy rates skyrocket (25% chance by guessing)

56.1% could NOT correctly say Obama started his political career at the home of two former members of the Weather Underground (25% chance by guessing).

And yet…..

Only 13.7% failed to identify Sarah Palin as the person on which their party spent $150,000 in clothes

Only 6.2% failed to identify Palin as the one with a pregnant teenage daughter

And 86.9 % thought that Palin said that she could see Russia from her “house,” even though that was Tina Fey who said that!!

Only 2.4% got at least 11 correct.

Only .5% got all of them correct. (And we “gave” one answer that was technically not Palin, but actually Tina Fey)

UPDATE: Zogby won’t duplicate Obama poll…

November 19th, 2008 | Category: facts and charts | Comments (4)

buckets

November 19th, 2008 | Category: facts and charts | Leave a comment

Five Things Happy People Do

They find their most golden self.
They design their lives to bring in joy.
They avoid “if only” fantasies.
They put best friends first.
They allow themselves to be happy.

ht:Oprah Mag

November 17th, 2008 | Category: Happy Tuesday | Leave a comment

green with…

Policymakers frequently underestimate how much taxes will affect economic activity, particularly taxes that target the highest income earners. For example, the Luxury Tax of 1990 was intended to raise revenue from wealthy households by taxing yachts, private aircraft, jewelry, expensive cars, and other big-ticket items. But rather than increase tax revenue, this tax proved to be a net revenue loser. It brought in only half the revenue it was supposed to, because purchases of the taxed luxury items dropped substantially. In fact, the tax crippled the American yacht industry, leading to an estimated loss of 7,600 jobs. (ht:AmMag)

November 17th, 2008 | Category: Taxes | Leave a comment