Economics

Aerial view of a large crowd in Barcelona, many holding Catalonia flags

Barcelona protests: An expert take

Barcelona erupted in chaos and violence in October after Spain’s Supreme Court sentenced former leaders of Catalonia’s independence push to steep prison sentences. Three Penn experts talk to Penn Today about the ruling, the protests, and what it all means for the upcoming Spanish elections.

Kristen de Groot ・

zane cooper in iceland

Exploring cryptocurrency and blockchain in Iceland

A virtual reality film, photo series, and soundscape from Penn and Rutgers document the effect this fast-growing tech industry is having on the country’s natural resources and people.

Michele W. Berger ・

closeup of new citizen handbook and a flag in the hands of a new U.S. citizen

Could increased immigration improve the US economy?

In an opinion piece from Alexander Arnon, senior analyst with the Penn Wharton Budget Model, he examines U.S. immigration policy and concludes that the largest positive impact on employment and GDP would come from increasing the net flow of immigrants.

Penn Today Staff ・

person sits at a table with a stack of bills, three credit cards, computing on a calculator with a cell phone beside it.

Cell-mostly internet users place privacy burden on themselves

A new report from the Media, Inequality and Change (MIC) Center details the kinds of online privacy tradeoffs that disproportionately impact cell-mostly internet users—who are likely to be Black, Hispanic, and/or low-income.

Penn Today Staff ・

Person holding a sheet of paper listing bills due

What is ‘guaranteed income’?

A Q&A with Amy Castro Baker, an assistant professor in the School of Social Policy & Practice and co-principal investigator of a new study examining the impacts of guaranteed income.

Brandon Baker ・

Pixelated image of a brain with red, blue, and purple regions

‘Information gerrymandering’ poses a threat to democratic decision making

Concern over fake news and online trolls is widespread and warranted, but researchers have identified another impediment to the free flow of information in social networks. The phenomenon, which they term “information gerrymandering,” arises from the structure of a social network and introduces bias into collective decisions.

Katherine Unger Baillie ・



Media Contact


Kristen de Groot

Kristen de Groot News Officer
krisde@upenn.edu

In the News


Christian Science Monitor

A majority of Americans no longer trust the Supreme Court. Can it rebuild?

Matthew Levendusky of the School of Arts & Sciences says that a partisan trust gap has emerged in public perception of the Supreme Court as a conservative institution.

FULL STORY →

The New York Times

We don’t see what climate change is doing to us

In an Op-Ed, R. Jisung Park of the School of Social Policy & Practice says that public discourse around climate change overlooks the buildup of slow, subtle costs and their impact on human systems.

FULL STORY →

CNN

Here’s what would happen to the US economy if there are no rate cuts this year

Itay Goldstein of the Wharton School says stock market prices still reflect the expectation that the Federal Reserve will cut rates later this year, even with the recent selloff.

FULL STORY →

The New York Times

Biden’s student loan repayment plan is being challenged. Here’s what to know

Kent Smetters of the Wharton School attributes $235 billion of the cost of the SAVE loan repayment plan to its increased generosity relative to existing plans.

FULL STORY →

Inside Higher Ed

Report: Biden’s new debt relief plan estimated to cost $84 billion

According to economists at the Penn Wharton Budget Model, President Biden’s new plan to forgive some or all student loans for 26 million Americans would cost about $84 billion over 10 years.

FULL STORY →

Kiplinger

Can money buy you happiness? Yes, it can. However…

Research by Matthew Killingsworth of the Wharton School reveals there is no monetary threshold at which money's capacity to improve well-being diminishes.

FULL STORY →