Mastodawn

Timothy Taylor 4d ago

Snapshots of Global Defense Spending https://conversableeconomist.com/2026/05/13/snapshots-of-global-defense-spending/

Timothy Taylor May 7

History of the Disposable Diaper https://conversableeconomist.com/2026/05/07/history-of-the-disposable-diaper/

History of the Disposable Diaper - Conversable Economist

When I was a young teenager, changing diapers for my baby brother and on babysitting gigs, it was all cloth. I could change a sleepy baby's cloth diaper in the dark, large safety pins and all. A couple of decades later when I was a parent, it was all disposable. What happened? Virginia Postel tells

Conversable Economist - In Hume’s spirit, I will attempt to serve as an ambassador from my world of economics, and help in “finding topics of conversation fit for the entertainment of rational creatures.”

Timothy Taylor May 6

How AI Boosts International Trade https://conversableeconomist.com/2026/05/06/how-ai-boosts-international-trade/

Timothy Taylor May 1

Spring 2026 Journal of Economic Perspectives Freely Available Online https://conversableeconomist.com/2026/05/01/spring-2026-journal-of-economic-perspectives-freely-available-online/

Spring 2026 Journal of Economic Perspectives Freely Available Online - Conversable Economist

I have been the Managing Editor of the Journal of Economic Perspectives since the first issue in Summer 1987. The JEP is published by the American Economic Association, which decided back in 2011–to my delight–that the journal would be freely available online, from the current issue all the way back to the first issue. You can download individual

Conversable Economist - In Hume’s spirit, I will attempt to serve as an ambassador from my world of economics, and help in “finding topics of conversation fit for the entertainment of rational creatures.”

Timothy Taylor Apr 30

Global Trade Imbalances: Actual Problems, Unlikely Solutions https://conversableeconomist.com/2026/04/30/global-trade-imbalances-actual-problems-unlikely-solutions/

Timothy Taylor Apr 24

World War Trade https://conversableeconomist.com/2026/04/24/world-war-trade/

World War Trade - Conversable Economist

The world economy is now about a year into President Trump's assault on the global trading system. Richard Baldwin reviews what has happened and suggests where it is all headed in World War Trade (Centre for Economic Policy Research, 2026), a long essay in the form of a short online book. As Baldwin notes: "The

Conversable Economist - In Hume’s spirit, I will attempt to serve as an ambassador from my world of economics, and help in “finding topics of conversation fit for the entertainment of rational creatures.”

Timothy Taylor Apr 23

Declining Survey Response and Government Data https://conversableeconomist.com/2026/04/23/declining-survey-response-and-government-data/

Timothy Taylor Apr 22

Industrial Policy: A Policy Menu https://conversableeconomist.com/2026/04/22/industrial-policy-a-policy-menu/

Industrial Policy: A Policy Menu - Conversable Economist

People in countries around the world would prefer to live in a a growing economy with opportunities for good jobs. Thus, it's unsurprising that governments around the world would like to enact policies to deliver such outcomes. But industrial policy is hard: after all, if it was easy for governments to legislate prosperity, then there

Conversable Economist - In Hume’s spirit, I will attempt to serve as an ambassador from my world of economics, and help in “finding topics of conversation fit for the entertainment of rational creatures.”

Timothy Taylor Apr 17

AI and Future Growth https://conversableeconomist.com/2026/04/17/ai-and-future-growth/

Timothy Taylor Apr 15

Interview with Ellen McGrattan: Business Cycles and Intangible Capital https://conversableeconomist.com/2026/04/15/interview-with-ellen-mcgrattan-business-cycles-and-intangible-capital/

Interview with Ellen McGrattan: Business Cycles and Intangible Capital - Conversable Economist

Tim Sablik of the Richmond Fed interviews "Ellen McGrattan: On measuring what businesses do, developing effective tax policy, and searching for answers beyond the lamppost" (Econ Focus: Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, First/Second Quarter 2026). Here are a few of the comments that caught my eye: How did McGrattan become interested in business cycles? In

Conversable Economist - In Hume’s spirit, I will attempt to serve as an ambassador from my world of economics, and help in “finding topics of conversation fit for the entertainment of rational creatures.”