Ben Lockwood
@benlockwood.com
Business Economics and Public Policy prof at Wharton. Optimal taxation, inequality, and behavioral economics.
benlockwood.com
bepp.wharton.upenn.edu/profile/benlo/
benlockwood.com
bepp.wharton.upenn.edu/profile/benlo/
Reposted by Ben Lockwood
What’s hot in public econ?
Here are some of the most popular @jpube.bsky.social papers from the past 90 days.
Free to read: www.sciencedirect.com/journal/jour...
Here are some of the most popular @jpube.bsky.social papers from the past 90 days.
Free to read: www.sciencedirect.com/journal/jour...
July 9, 2025 at 12:23 PM
What’s hot in public econ?
Here are some of the most popular @jpube.bsky.social papers from the past 90 days.
Free to read: www.sciencedirect.com/journal/jour...
Here are some of the most popular @jpube.bsky.social papers from the past 90 days.
Free to read: www.sciencedirect.com/journal/jour...
25 First Dates
Slumdog Half-millionaire
Three-and-a-half Pounds
Vicky or Cristina Barcelona
Slumdog Half-millionaire
Three-and-a-half Pounds
Vicky or Cristina Barcelona
Guys, come on, the Q effects of a tariffs are negative. Also, in the spirit of the CEA, you can assume a trade elasticity of 4 and then divide that by 4 for no reason, so assume a pass-through rate of 100%. So 50.5 Dalmatians.
May 5, 2025 at 4:33 PM
25 First Dates
Slumdog Half-millionaire
Three-and-a-half Pounds
Vicky or Cristina Barcelona
Slumdog Half-millionaire
Three-and-a-half Pounds
Vicky or Cristina Barcelona
That really does ruin it. Especially the 0.5.
May 5, 2025 at 4:26 PM
That really does ruin it. Especially the 0.5.
What do you think of this exercise as a commentary on whether the methods are trustworthy, rather than on the truth of the implied conclusion? (This reminds me a bit of the height tax paper and its authors’ differing interpretations of it.)
May 2, 2025 at 6:38 PM
What do you think of this exercise as a commentary on whether the methods are trustworthy, rather than on the truth of the implied conclusion? (This reminds me a bit of the height tax paper and its authors’ differing interpretations of it.)
Watching March Madness, it sure feels like this would be a good venue for an ad campaign from universities about how America’s higher ed system is one of its greatest strengths.
March 21, 2025 at 12:47 AM
Watching March Madness, it sure feels like this would be a good venue for an ad campaign from universities about how America’s higher ed system is one of its greatest strengths.
Reposted by Ben Lockwood
Ever start taking a screenshot on Mac (Cmd-Shift-4), then panic because you anchored in the wrong place? Hit Spacebar—you can reposition the selection anywhere.
I repost this every now and then to pay it forward. Changed my life when I found out 😄
I repost this every now and then to pay it forward. Changed my life when I found out 😄
March 18, 2025 at 5:31 PM
Ever start taking a screenshot on Mac (Cmd-Shift-4), then panic because you anchored in the wrong place? Hit Spacebar—you can reposition the selection anywhere.
I repost this every now and then to pay it forward. Changed my life when I found out 😄
I repost this every now and then to pay it forward. Changed my life when I found out 😄
Reposted by Ben Lockwood
You shouldn’t finish every book you start.
Abandoning a book is not an admission of failure—it’s a sign of wisdom. You’ve decided to let go of sunk costs.
The purpose of reading is to be entertained and informed. If a book doesn't bring joy or insight, it’s time to move on.
Abandoning a book is not an admission of failure—it’s a sign of wisdom. You’ve decided to let go of sunk costs.
The purpose of reading is to be entertained and informed. If a book doesn't bring joy or insight, it’s time to move on.
March 15, 2025 at 3:26 PM
You shouldn’t finish every book you start.
Abandoning a book is not an admission of failure—it’s a sign of wisdom. You’ve decided to let go of sunk costs.
The purpose of reading is to be entertained and informed. If a book doesn't bring joy or insight, it’s time to move on.
Abandoning a book is not an admission of failure—it’s a sign of wisdom. You’ve decided to let go of sunk costs.
The purpose of reading is to be entertained and informed. If a book doesn't bring joy or insight, it’s time to move on.
Direct File’s future is in doubt as this administration evaluates whether the renew it. I hope they do. Taxpayers say it makes filing easier and more efficient. If the administration allows the program to scale up, it will get credit for that improvement. (Not to mention the boost to GDP.)
March 13, 2025 at 8:23 PM
Direct File’s future is in doubt as this administration evaluates whether the renew it. I hope they do. Taxpayers say it makes filing easier and more efficient. If the administration allows the program to scale up, it will get credit for that improvement. (Not to mention the boost to GDP.)
Some say that the free filing options from private sources, like TurboTax, are enough. But this is one area where government is well placed to be more efficient—it has the information necessary to pre-fill tax returns. There’s a reason other countries do this in-house.
March 13, 2025 at 8:23 PM
Some say that the free filing options from private sources, like TurboTax, are enough. But this is one area where government is well placed to be more efficient—it has the information necessary to pre-fill tax returns. There’s a reason other countries do this in-house.
Direct File has been a big step toward making tax filing easier and more efficient. It has started small, with 12 states in 2024, and has expanded in scale (up to 25 states this year) and scope (supporting more tax situations, with plans to have more pre-filled information).
Direct File: IRS Successfully Piloted Online Tax Filing but Opportunities Exist to Expand Access
IRS is offering a new, free service to help taxpayers prepare and file tax returns electronically. It piloted Direct File in 2024 for taxpayers with...
www.gao.gov
March 13, 2025 at 8:23 PM
Direct File has been a big step toward making tax filing easier and more efficient. It has started small, with 12 states in 2024, and has expanded in scale (up to 25 states this year) and scope (supporting more tax situations, with plans to have more pre-filled information).
In contrast, the average American spends an estimated $210 and 11 hours to file their 1040 personal income tax return. Those are real costs—that time could be spent producing real goods and contributing to GDP. www.irs.gov/pub/irs-prio...
March 13, 2025 at 8:23 PM
In contrast, the average American spends an estimated $210 and 11 hours to file their 1040 personal income tax return. Those are real costs—that time could be spent producing real goods and contributing to GDP. www.irs.gov/pub/irs-prio...
Americans are often jealous (or incredulous) to find out that in many other countries it is trivially easy to file taxes—you receive a form pre-filled with info the government already knows about your tax situation. Denmark adopted this in the 1980s, and by 2020 most OECD countries had as well.
What are prepopulated tax returns?
taxpolicycenter.org
March 13, 2025 at 8:23 PM
Americans are often jealous (or incredulous) to find out that in many other countries it is trivially easy to file taxes—you receive a form pre-filled with info the government already knows about your tax situation. Denmark adopted this in the 1980s, and by 2020 most OECD countries had as well.
A bright spot in recent tax policy has been the success of the IRS's in-house Direct File program, which allows many taxpayers to file taxes for free online through a simple interface, even on their phones. Let me tell you why I think so, and why Direct File’s future is at a crossroads. #EconSky
A government program made tax filing free and more efficient. Musk and DOGE may get rid of it anyway
The fate of the IRS Direct File program is unclear as Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency cleave their way through the federal bureaucracy. Republicans and commercial tax preparation...
apnews.com
March 13, 2025 at 8:23 PM
A bright spot in recent tax policy has been the success of the IRS's in-house Direct File program, which allows many taxpayers to file taxes for free online through a simple interface, even on their phones. Let me tell you why I think so, and why Direct File’s future is at a crossroads. #EconSky
Congestion pricing targets even more externalities than I realized.
From the Jan. 5 start of congestion pricing to March 6, complaints about honking were down 69% relative to last year (via NYC's 311 portal).
From the Jan. 5 start of congestion pricing to March 6, complaints about honking were down 69% relative to last year (via NYC's 311 portal).
March 11, 2025 at 1:57 PM
Congestion pricing targets even more externalities than I realized.
From the Jan. 5 start of congestion pricing to March 6, complaints about honking were down 69% relative to last year (via NYC's 311 portal).
From the Jan. 5 start of congestion pricing to March 6, complaints about honking were down 69% relative to last year (via NYC's 311 portal).
Great piece on the mechanics of achieving PA’s recent success in promoting reform.
“The visibility of the initiative also encouraged a sense of competition among cabinet officials. The mantra of “moving at the speed of business” was widely adopted among those working with the governor.”
“The visibility of the initiative also encouraged a sense of competition among cabinet officials. The mantra of “moving at the speed of business” was widely adopted among those working with the governor.”
New, from me: I’ve been writing about the damage done at the federal level, but am also looking for positive examples.
Permitting reform in PA is one such case.
Rapid and positive change is possible by improving state capacity rather than destroying it.
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/permitting...
Permitting reform in PA is one such case.
Rapid and positive change is possible by improving state capacity rather than destroying it.
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/permitting...
Permitting Reform in Pennsylvania
Some good news on the nuts and bolts of making government work better
donmoynihan.substack.com
March 6, 2025 at 1:42 PM
Great piece on the mechanics of achieving PA’s recent success in promoting reform.
“The visibility of the initiative also encouraged a sense of competition among cabinet officials. The mantra of “moving at the speed of business” was widely adopted among those working with the governor.”
“The visibility of the initiative also encouraged a sense of competition among cabinet officials. The mantra of “moving at the speed of business” was widely adopted among those working with the governor.”
Reposted by Ben Lockwood
Ok, following on that last thread, here are my suggestions about how to be a good mentor (though this is still a work in progress!)
(And others should feel free to add to my list!)
A🧵
(And others should feel free to add to my list!)
A🧵
January 7, 2025 at 10:44 PM
Ok, following on that last thread, here are my suggestions about how to be a good mentor (though this is still a work in progress!)
(And others should feel free to add to my list!)
A🧵
(And others should feel free to add to my list!)
A🧵
Reposted by Ben Lockwood
Another thing I made this year: Real and implied birds.
December 20, 2024 at 6:52 PM
Another thing I made this year: Real and implied birds.
Reposted by Ben Lockwood
Zero-sum thinking is a key mindset that shapes how we view the world. A little thread to highlight our work on its roots with @sahilchinoy.bsky.social,
@nathannunn.bsky.social, Sandra Sequeira.🧵1/23 scholar.harvard.edu/files/stantc...
@nathannunn.bsky.social, Sandra Sequeira.🧵1/23 scholar.harvard.edu/files/stantc...
December 3, 2024 at 3:23 PM
Zero-sum thinking is a key mindset that shapes how we view the world. A little thread to highlight our work on its roots with @sahilchinoy.bsky.social,
@nathannunn.bsky.social, Sandra Sequeira.🧵1/23 scholar.harvard.edu/files/stantc...
@nathannunn.bsky.social, Sandra Sequeira.🧵1/23 scholar.harvard.edu/files/stantc...
Reposted by Ben Lockwood
An incredible photo posted today by French President Emmanuel Macron.
The floor of Notre Dame Cathedral is filled with the workers involved in the 5 year project to restore the building following the devastating fire in 2019.
1/2
The floor of Notre Dame Cathedral is filled with the workers involved in the 5 year project to restore the building following the devastating fire in 2019.
1/2
November 29, 2024 at 6:26 PM
An incredible photo posted today by French President Emmanuel Macron.
The floor of Notre Dame Cathedral is filled with the workers involved in the 5 year project to restore the building following the devastating fire in 2019.
1/2
The floor of Notre Dame Cathedral is filled with the workers involved in the 5 year project to restore the building following the devastating fire in 2019.
1/2
Reposted by Ben Lockwood
Submit your papers to the next @cepr.org Public Economics Annual Symposium, taking place in Cologne on June 5-6, 2025. Co-organized with @sigginho.bsky.social and Johannes Spinnewijn, keynotes by Cecile Gaubert and @omzidar.bsky.social!
cepr.org/events/cepr-...
cepr.org/events/cepr-...
CEPR Public Economics Annual Symposium 2025
PDF document / 207.07 KB
cepr.org
November 29, 2024 at 7:37 PM
Submit your papers to the next @cepr.org Public Economics Annual Symposium, taking place in Cologne on June 5-6, 2025. Co-organized with @sigginho.bsky.social and Johannes Spinnewijn, keynotes by Cecile Gaubert and @omzidar.bsky.social!
cepr.org/events/cepr-...
cepr.org/events/cepr-...
Am I the only one longingly googling “bluesky app tapbots” [date filter = last 2 weeks] on a regular basis?
November 28, 2024 at 6:56 PM
Am I the only one longingly googling “bluesky app tapbots” [date filter = last 2 weeks] on a regular basis?
Reposted by Ben Lockwood
November 28, 2024 at 5:52 PM
I like the urgency and thrill story. Not sure I believe discounts are simpler than stable prices. I can also believe this is highly heterogeneous—Johnson’s strategy came from his success at Apple retail, which has stable prices, but it fared terribly at JCP.
November 28, 2024 at 5:40 PM
I like the urgency and thrill story. Not sure I believe discounts are simpler than stable prices. I can also believe this is highly heterogeneous—Johnson’s strategy came from his success at Apple retail, which has stable prices, but it fared terribly at JCP.