I don’t write about gentrification, but I read about it often. Most of what I read about gentrification is less lucid than I’d prefer, generally because it is vague, myopic, or needlessly narrative. This has started to bug me, and so I figured I’d try my own hand at writing about the topic. As far… Continue reading Gentrification
The State Does Not Enforce Most Agreements
In my prior post, I discussed the interesting case of certain right-wingers calling deregulation that they don’t like regulation. Specifically, I point out that when the state backs out of enforcing noncompete agreements, this is not regulation; rather, it is deregulation. It reduces the scope of the government. It imposes no rules on anybody. It… Continue reading The State Does Not Enforce Most Agreements
Regulation and private laws
Adam Ozimek wrote a piece titled “Can Regulation Create Good Jobs?” The jumping off point for the piece is the recent slate of discussion around Jimmy John’s requiring its employees to sign noncompete clauses: The latest of these [stories] involves a sandwich chain that allegedly asked its line workers to sign noncompete agreements. Such stories… Continue reading Regulation and private laws
How much do economists understand Piketty?
The IGM Forum asked economists to agree or disagree with this statement purportedly sourced from Piketty: The most powerful force pushing towards greater wealth inequality in the US since the 1970s is the gap between the after-tax return on capital and the economic growth rate. This question is getting at whether “r > g” explains… Continue reading How much do economists understand Piketty?
Wonderful Property Rights Dispute In San Francisco
Via @gojomo, I was directed to this article and video about a property rights dispute at a San Francisco public soccer field. As @gojomo points out, the property rights dispute mirrors some of the points I made many months ago about pick-up basketball and Grab-What-You-Can World. On one side of the dispute are neighborhood kids… Continue reading Wonderful Property Rights Dispute In San Francisco