Schansberg: Virus to Test Education’s Worth
by Eric Schansberg, Ph.D. Economists talk about the “human capital” and “signaling-screening” aspects of education. The impact of the COVID-19 virus on schools and students allows us to consider these two ways in which schooling is useful for individuals and society. Human capital is the role of education in building general and specific skills. In elementary and Read the full article…
Backgrounder: The Flu and City Finance
by Jason Arp On Friday the 13th, I attended an emergency meeting of local government officials regarding the Wuhan Flu or novel coronavirus. A variety of city and county elected officials were convened for a briefing from the county health department. After an assortment of scary words, like “pandemic,” “quarantine” and “police power” were pronounced, Read the full article…
Morris: Stupidity Also Is Contagious
by Leo Morris If enough people do something utterly stupid, you have to do it, too. That’s an Immutable Law of the Indifferent Universe that I just made up at the supermarket the other day. Having completed my run at the coffee section and the bread and donut aisle, I was confronted by nearly empty Read the full article…
Keating: Populism, the Good and the Bad
by Maryann O. Keating, Ph.D. When ordinary people feel that politicians and experts lack answers to important questions, they respond to leaders offering a complete change of course. Such changes are often referred to as being populist. Populism is a political philosophy directed to the needs of the common people and advocating a more equitable Read the full article…
Morris: ‘Indiana Beach,’ R.I.P.
by Leo Morris Sorry, Hoosier tourists – you’ve just been given one more reason to cross a state line in search of that perfect day trip. Indiana Beach, the amusement park operated on the shores of Lake Shafer in White County for nearly 100 years, has been shut down by its corporate owners in California. Read the full article…
Keating: Hoosiers Don’t Need 5G, or Do They?
by Barry Keating, Ph.D. Turn on the television, and every third add is for something called 5G. The adds say that 5G is fast, reliable, and the next “must-have” technology. But what is 5G, and do you need it? Your current smartphone is probably a 4G device. That is, it uses 4th generation cellular technology. Read the full article…
