All Research

All Research

History of Technology: Cheaper, Cleaner, Easier
Article
Knowledge Problem

History of Technology: Cheaper, Cleaner, Easier

Every fall since 2020 I have been teaching energy economics in Northwestern University’s Master of Science in Energy and Sustainability (MSES) program. I team teach with my friend Mark Witte, and my…

The Power of Pivots: How Smart Companies Change the Game (with Gary Shapiro)
Podcast

The Power of Pivots: How Smart Companies Change the Game (with Gary Shapiro)

What separates the companies that successfully pivot from those that become cautionary tales in business history? How do government regulations either foster or hinder innovation in today’s tech landscape? And…

Determinants of Industry Concentration and Dispersion
Working Paper
AEI Economic Policy Working Paper Series

Determinants of Industry Concentration and Dispersion

Abstract Given the political and public interest in rising industry concentration in developed economies, researchers have been working on uncovering underlying mechanisms and implications. Various causes of concentration have been…

How Much Do Consumers Hate Online Ads? Not Much!
Blog Post
AEIdeas

How Much Do Consumers Hate Online Ads? Not Much!

The Program on the Economics of Privacy at George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School has been looking at empirical evidence around people’s privacy interests. Among their recent presentations was a paper in progress…

Twenty-Four Ways to Understand 2024
Article
The Dispatch

Twenty-Four Ways to Understand 2024

Economist Deirdre McCloskey opens The Narrative of Economic Expertise with an observation that blew me away when I read it as an undergraduate: It is pretty clear that an economist, like a…

Why The Washington Post’s Non-Endorsement Is No Cause for Alarm
Blog Post
AEIdeas

Why The Washington Post’s Non-Endorsement Is No Cause for Alarm

Much digital ink has been spilled over The Washington Post’s decision to forgo endorsing a presidential candidate this year. The Post frames this as a return to its roots, with owner Jeff Bezos reportedly viewing it…

Does Privacy Regulation Compromise the Public Good?
Blog Post
AEIdeas

Does Privacy Regulation Compromise the Public Good?

In the early days of the internet, a commonly-heard mantra was “information wants to be free.” To many, this meant no charges should be imposed for either the use of…

Maine Shows the Way: Low Earth Orbit Satellites Can Rescue the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program
Book
AEIdeas

Maine Shows the Way: Low Earth Orbit Satellites Can Rescue the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program

As the Kamala Harris-Tim Walz and Donald Trump-JD Vance campaigns pour resources into Maine to compete for electoral votes, both the Vice President and former President Trump could benefit from…

Regulating Artificial Intelligence in a World of Uncertainty
Book

Regulating Artificial Intelligence in a World of Uncertainty

Key Points Read the pdf. Executive Summary New and increasingly capable artificial intelligence applications are a fact of life. They offer great promise of advances in human welfare but also…

The Energy Permitting Reform Act Doesn’t Go Far Enough
Op-Ed
RealClearPolicy

The Energy Permitting Reform Act Doesn’t Go Far Enough

This summer, Senators Joe Manchin and John Barrasso’s Energy Permitting Reform Act passed out of the Senate Energy and Natural Resource Committee by a 15-4 vote and the House of…

Free Speech, Smartphones, and Ballot Selfies: A Little Self-Restraint, Please
Blog Post
AEIdeas

Free Speech, Smartphones, and Ballot Selfies: A Little Self-Restraint, Please

Arriving at the polls on November 5, some voters will be tempted to capture and post a selfie with their completed ballot, perhaps to let followers know who they voted…

How Tech Regulatory Approaches Have Changed, and Not for the Better
Article
The Dispatch

How Tech Regulatory Approaches Have Changed, and Not for the Better

As president, Bill Clinton had failures, both personal and professional, but one thing he got right during his time in office was the Framework for Global Electronic Commerce. Released in July…

Take the Under
Article
The Honest Broker

Take the Under

In the Financial Times over the weekend, John Burn-Murdoch discussed how projections of global population keep decreasing: Burn-Murdoch concludes: [T]hese estim­ates are extremely fuzzy and based on frame­works that were true in the…

Cybersecurity Concerns with QR Codes: Staying Safe in the Digital Age
Blog Post
AEIdeas

Cybersecurity Concerns with QR Codes: Staying Safe in the Digital Age

Quick Response (QR) codes, those black and white squares whose popularity surged with the rise of contactless interactions during the COVID-19 pandemic, from restaurant menus to parking meters, have become…

TikTok’s No Good, Very Bad Day in Court
Book
AEIdeas

TikTok’s No Good, Very Bad Day in Court

Last month, the DC Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral argument in TikTok Inc. v. Garland, which tests the constitutionality of a federal law that would ban the popular social…