Public Finance – Sound Economics

The European Pension Problem and what the U.S. should Learn from It

Posted on March 7, 2016 by Andrew Monaco — No Comments ↓

[This post was written for Sound Economics by Geremia Lizier-Zmudzinski] The 20th century saw a rise in global prosperity as medical and economic advancements contributed to vast improvements in the life of the average person. However, they haven’t come without unintended consequences – one of which is now very obvious in Europe. Thanks to rapid progress in medicine and health care, life expectancy across European countries has risen from 69 to 80 since the 1960’s. Meanwhile, as industrialization, global trade, and technological improvements, to name just a few factors, have improved the quality of everyday life, people are less inclined Continue reading The European Pension Problem and what the U.S. should Learn from It→

How Should Governments Deal With Poverty?

Posted on February 6, 2014 by Tom Merritt — No Comments ↓

With all the recent political debate over food stamp cuts and raising the minimum wage, the U.S. government is facing difficult questions of not only how to provide assistance to those living in poverty, but also how much. Brazil, on the other hand, is taking a much simpler approach: Just give people money. According to an article in the Washington Post, in 2002, Brazil began simply giving cash, loaded onto a card, to those living in poverty. Currently, 14 million people in Brazil are receiving these cash transfers. There is only one catch: these benefits are contingent on children in Continue reading How Should Governments Deal With Poverty?→