Business Economics articles from July 2007

Business Economics archives from July 2007

From the editor.(Editorial)
July 1, 2007... The articles in this issue can be viewed as addressing three broad themes: central bank practices, developments and outlook for Europe and Japan, and health-care policy. The first paper, by Randall S. Kroszner, a member of the Board of...

The changing dynamics of inflation: expectation of stability tend to be a self-fulfilling prophecy.
July 1, 2007... Inflation in the United States and elsewhere has become lower and more stable over the past two decades. It is likely that monetary policy has played an important role in this change in inflation dynamics by creating expectations of stability....

The competitiveness of European financial markets: an economic framework for effective policy-making.
July 1, 2007... The countries that together make up the euro area are undergoing a process of far-reaching change, with established national financial markets merging into one new European market accompanied by deregulation, cross-border consolidation, and...

Germany's post-Wirtschaftswunder struggle: the political system entails slow economic adjustment.
July 1, 2007... For many years after World War II, Germany's economic output grew very rapidly--a period commonly referred to as the "Wirtschaftswunder," or economic miracle. It came to an end in the 1970s. This paper addresses three questions: Why did growth...

Demystifying Japan's economic recovery: a tale of its structural reform.
July 1, 2007... After having undergone protracted economic doldrums, Japan has begun to attract the world's attention. Prime Minister Shintaro Abe, taking office in September 2006, pledged to continue his predecessors reforms while looking to closer economic...

Making health care more affordable through health insurance finance reform: biases in the federal tax code hamper equity and efficiency.
July 1, 2007... The way that we finance health insurance today is both unfair and inefficient. The tax code subsidizes the most expensive employment-based policies while penalizing those who buy insurance on their own or choose more basic policies. By...

Seeking a replacement for the Medicare physician services payment method: a new approach improves health outcomes and achieves budgetary savings.
July 1, 2007... Business and government spending on physician services have soared over the last few decades. Most payers for services traditionally peg their payment rates to Medicare. However, most consider the current Medicare single payment rate flawed...

The U.S. television set market.(FOCUS ON INDUSTRIES AND MARKETS)
July 1, 2007... The U.S. television set market is projected to reach the $27 billion mark by 2010, up from $25 billion in 2006. The bulk of this growth will come from the flat-panel television set segment, which is projected to grow 65 percent from 2006-2010....

The Price of Liberty: Paying for America's Wars.(Book review)
July 1, 2007... The Price of Liberty: Paying for America's Wars By Robert D. Hormats. 2007. New York, NY: Times Books, Pp. 368, $27.50 hardcover. The Price of Liberty is an important book because its author is a business economics superstar. Robert...

Basic Economics: A Citizen's Guide to the Economy.(Book review)
July 1, 2007... Basic Economics: A Citizen's Guide to the Economy By Thomas Sowell, 2007. New York, NY: Basic Books, Pp. 460, $39.95, hardcover. (The review of this book is based on the CDs, Blackstone Audiobooks, $29.95, pleasantly and intelligently read...