Alex James
@alexandergjames.bsky.social
Economist interested in tree houses.
Reposted by Alex James
After becoming a congressional leader, a politician’s stock portfolio beats out those of peers by 47 (!!!) percentage points a year through trades timed around bills and firms that later get government contracts
www.nber.org/papers/w34524
via @florianederer.bsky.social
www.nber.org/papers/w34524
via @florianederer.bsky.social
December 3, 2025 at 1:42 AM
After becoming a congressional leader, a politician’s stock portfolio beats out those of peers by 47 (!!!) percentage points a year through trades timed around bills and firms that later get government contracts
www.nber.org/papers/w34524
via @florianederer.bsky.social
www.nber.org/papers/w34524
via @florianederer.bsky.social
Should have raised prices for everyone, then given a domestic discount. Americans would feel like they are getting a deal, and foreign tourists wouldn’t feel like they are getting screwed.
So how does the ranger tell the “foreigners” from the “real Americans?”
Trump Administration Will Raise Prices for Foreign Tourists at National Parks www.nytimes.com/2025/11/25/u...
Trump Administration Will Raise Prices for Foreign Tourists at National Parks www.nytimes.com/2025/11/25/u...
Trump Administration Will Raise Prices for Foreign Tourists at National Parks
www.nytimes.com
November 26, 2025 at 5:16 PM
Should have raised prices for everyone, then given a domestic discount. Americans would feel like they are getting a deal, and foreign tourists wouldn’t feel like they are getting screwed.
Lol. I just realized Andrew Cuomo sounds exactly like Al Pacino. I’ll never not hear it now.
October 12, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Lol. I just realized Andrew Cuomo sounds exactly like Al Pacino. I’ll never not hear it now.
Reposted by Alex James
We were talking about how the oil industry in California will never be its former self today. How production is just not coming back no matter what the regulatory climate. And I found this image from the OC register from back in 2014.
Says it all.
Says it all.
August 12, 2025 at 10:09 PM
We were talking about how the oil industry in California will never be its former self today. How production is just not coming back no matter what the regulatory climate. And I found this image from the OC register from back in 2014.
Says it all.
Says it all.
Reposted by Alex James
Just published in @jpube.bsky.social:
"The impact of economic opportunity on criminal behavior: Evidence from the fracking boom"
By @brittanystreet.bsky.social
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
#econsky #publiceconomics
"The impact of economic opportunity on criminal behavior: Evidence from the fracking boom"
By @brittanystreet.bsky.social
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
#econsky #publiceconomics
August 6, 2025 at 1:10 PM
Just published in @jpube.bsky.social:
"The impact of economic opportunity on criminal behavior: Evidence from the fracking boom"
By @brittanystreet.bsky.social
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
#econsky #publiceconomics
"The impact of economic opportunity on criminal behavior: Evidence from the fracking boom"
By @brittanystreet.bsky.social
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
#econsky #publiceconomics
Reposted by Alex James
Reposted by Alex James
Do Markets Value Fed Independence? An Event Study.
July 16, 2025 at 4:59 PM
Do Markets Value Fed Independence? An Event Study.
Reposted by Alex James
July 6, 2025 at 3:23 PM
Alaska: Tax cuts for me, and also government spending for me.
July 3, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Alaska: Tax cuts for me, and also government spending for me.
Reposted by Alex James
This is a (less obviously corrupt) version of the deal Ron Johnson struck in 2017: complain about how terrible a bill is for the mass public, and then vote for it to provide a tax loophole for a small number of people.
That Alaska whaling captains provision likely sealed the deal.
www.politico.com/live-updates...
www.politico.com/live-updates...
Alaskan whaling captains score special tax cut in GOP megabill
A big boost in a deduction for some whalers' expenses would benefit subsistence hunters.
www.politico.com
June 29, 2025 at 2:07 AM
This is a (less obviously corrupt) version of the deal Ron Johnson struck in 2017: complain about how terrible a bill is for the mass public, and then vote for it to provide a tax loophole for a small number of people.
Reposted by Alex James
This is a travesty & a nightmare. The US was a founder of @gavi.org. It lowers global vaccine costs, has vaccinated 1B children, & averted 19M deaths. This pull out will cost 100s of thousands of children's lives a year - and RFK Jr will be personally responsible.
www.politico.com/news/2025/06...
www.politico.com/news/2025/06...
RFK Jr. says US won’t donate to global vaccine effort
Kennedy ripped into Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, in a video address at its pledging summit.
www.politico.com
June 25, 2025 at 1:59 PM
This is a travesty & a nightmare. The US was a founder of @gavi.org. It lowers global vaccine costs, has vaccinated 1B children, & averted 19M deaths. This pull out will cost 100s of thousands of children's lives a year - and RFK Jr will be personally responsible.
www.politico.com/news/2025/06...
www.politico.com/news/2025/06...
Reposted by Alex James
Wild how the Fed chair saying that *entire regions of the United States* won’t be able to get a mortgage in the next decade barely registered as a news event
June 18, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Wild how the Fed chair saying that *entire regions of the United States* won’t be able to get a mortgage in the next decade barely registered as a news event
Reposted by Alex James
We're delighted to share the first of our new Economist In Action videos. @simonhrjohnson.bsky.social explains how to find out whether rich countries have good institutions because they are rich, or whether they are rich because their institutions are good.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=n91H...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=n91H...
Simon Johnson: How do good institutions influence economic growth?
YouTube video by CORE Econ
www.youtube.com
June 16, 2025 at 6:53 PM
Prettiest fish I’ve ever caught.
June 15, 2025 at 12:32 AM
Prettiest fish I’ve ever caught.
Reposted by Alex James
Fossil fuel execs have talked for years about how they are "saving" Africa and solving energy poverty. Probably best to listen to Africans on that score: drilled.media/news/total-m...
Dispatch from the Front Lines of Mozambique’s Gas Gamble
Mozambique’s LNG project was supposed to bring prosperity to the country. Instead it has fueled the fires of civil unrest. And while local residents are struggling to survive, a small cadre of elite c...
drilled.media
May 29, 2025 at 2:50 PM
Fossil fuel execs have talked for years about how they are "saving" Africa and solving energy poverty. Probably best to listen to Africans on that score: drilled.media/news/total-m...
Reposted by Alex James
A long long time ago, in a far away galaxy... the US used to tax the rich
May 23, 2025 at 8:19 PM
A long long time ago, in a far away galaxy... the US used to tax the rich
Reposted by Alex James
Seems like energycommunities.gov, which provided resources to help enable economic revitalization in fossil fuel dependent communities, has been taken down by DOE
May 12, 2025 at 1:21 PM
Seems like energycommunities.gov, which provided resources to help enable economic revitalization in fossil fuel dependent communities, has been taken down by DOE
Catastrophic fires may be deadlier than we think. Here’s why:
April 14, 2025 at 12:19 AM
Reposted by Alex James
The bipartisan belief that America would be a better place if *other people* worked in a factory.
www.ft.com/content/8459...
www.ft.com/content/8459...
April 13, 2025 at 5:44 PM
The bipartisan belief that America would be a better place if *other people* worked in a factory.
www.ft.com/content/8459...
www.ft.com/content/8459...
Reposted by Alex James
I don't think people realize that in important respects tariffs are now higher & more inflationary than what was announced on last Wednesday.
Since then we've gone from 54% to 125% on China, our 3rd largest trading partner. That outweighs delaying the increases on 70+ others.
Since then we've gone from 54% to 125% on China, our 3rd largest trading partner. That outweighs delaying the increases on 70+ others.
April 9, 2025 at 10:51 PM
I don't think people realize that in important respects tariffs are now higher & more inflationary than what was announced on last Wednesday.
Since then we've gone from 54% to 125% on China, our 3rd largest trading partner. That outweighs delaying the increases on 70+ others.
Since then we've gone from 54% to 125% on China, our 3rd largest trading partner. That outweighs delaying the increases on 70+ others.
Good time to call your senators and representatives.
April 7, 2025 at 2:45 PM
Good time to call your senators and representatives.
One of the biggest mistakes a government can make when managing an oil boom is eliminate a tax. They r just too hard to re-implement later on.
Alaskans pay no individual statewide taxes. We're almost a decade into our budget problems. We all receive a check from the state every year.
And we fire our best teachers and wonder why they leave.
And we fire our best teachers and wonder why they leave.
A West Anchorage English and drama teacher says he is among the reported 185 district staff members being moved or cut as part of a displacement plan by ASD.
April 4, 2025 at 12:02 PM
One of the biggest mistakes a government can make when managing an oil boom is eliminate a tax. They r just too hard to re-implement later on.
Spent the last few days in Norway. What a beautiful country, it’s UK+Alaska…I trust everything stayed on the rails while I was gone….right?
April 3, 2025 at 11:34 AM
Spent the last few days in Norway. What a beautiful country, it’s UK+Alaska…I trust everything stayed on the rails while I was gone….right?
Reposted by Alex James
“.. average traffic speeds .. increased by 15% following the introduction of congestion pricing ..
“.. reduced realized travel times .. by approximately 8%.” #NYC
“.. reduced realized travel times .. by approximately 8%.” #NYC
An analysis of the first 2 months of New York City's congestion pricing policy shows that road speeds increased and emissions decreased inside and out of the congestion zone, from Cook, Kreidieh, Vasserman, Allcott, Arora, van Sambeek, Tomkins, and Turkel https://www.nber.org/papers/w33584
March 24, 2025 at 11:44 AM
“.. average traffic speeds .. increased by 15% following the introduction of congestion pricing ..
“.. reduced realized travel times .. by approximately 8%.” #NYC
“.. reduced realized travel times .. by approximately 8%.” #NYC