The Economics Behind Corporate Politics

Our current political era has left Americans more politically involved and simultaneously divided than ever before. Following the lead of consumers, many companies have left their previously neutral political stances and have intertwined themselves into the political debate. The reasoning behind these political stances has subsequently become a fierce topic of debate.

Continue reading The Economics Behind Corporate Politics

7 Takeaways from the 2018 Midterms

The 2018 Midterms saw a wide variety of results in the Senate, House, and Governor races. Here are my 7 takeaways from this year’s elections:

First – There was no “wave”

Leading up to the election, both parties were hoping for either a blue or a red “wave” or an election with major party gains. However, despite voter turnout being extremely high, which is great for democracy, there was neither a blue or red wave. If there had been a blue wave, the Democrats would have taken the Senate. Conversely, if there had been a red wave, the Republicans would have held the House or allowed a much smaller Democratic majority. Continue reading 7 Takeaways from the 2018 Midterms

The Case Against Daylight Savings

With Americans recently taking part in the biannual tradition of setting their clocks back, the debate over daylight savings time has been reignited. Although the tradition has become an integral part of American society for years now, it may be time to end this tradition.

While supporters of daylight savings time may argue that daylight savings save energy, these arguments are outdated and not backed by much evidence. On the other hand, the time shift is posing health implications on Americans and is simply an inconvenience, making it an unnecessary problem with no real benefits.

Daylight savings was originally officially implemented during World War I and again in the second World War for its apparent ability to save money and energy for the United States. Supporters argued that such a shift in time would provide additional daylight for when people were awake and thus, reduce the amount of artificial energy in the form of lighting being used. Although energy use may have been reduced by the time shift then, this theory is not backed by modern-day evidence. Continue reading The Case Against Daylight Savings

Is Cryptocurrency Good for the World?

Rising in popularity of recent, cryptocurrency has become one of the most intriguing “assets” in the world. Unlike many other investments, these assets have no real underlying value and are vastly different from traditional currencies, such as the euro and US dollar, which are backed by powerful central banks. These, relatively new instruments have opened up an unknown set of options for the market. While on one hand there has been much criticism surrounding these assets with some even calling for the end of cryptocurrencies due to their use to facilitate illegal transactions like buying drugs and other restricted substances as well as money laundering. However, despite all the negatives, cryptocurrencies have fostered a revolutionary technology in blockchain which has the potential of revolutionizing how we record and maintain information, and this should be encouraged. Continue reading Is Cryptocurrency Good for the World?

Winning the Trade War Doesn’t Mean Victory

Barring unforeseen circumstances, the United States will likely win the trade war with China. However, the end result may not be as great for the United States as President Trump and his supporters may hope.

When all is said and done, the United States will likely come out of this trade war as the unanimous victor. Economically, China simply cannot keep up with the United States when it comes to handling tariffs. Although both countries may see their exports suffer, the results for China will be much worse, given that 14% of the Chinese economy is dependent on exports to the US, compared to just 4% of the US economy that is dependent on exports to China.  This trade imbalance will cause the Chinese economy a lot more pain than what their counter tariffs can possibly inflict on the United States. If China doesn’t take the necessary steps to end this trade war, their economy will suffer massively in comparison to the United States. Continue reading Winning the Trade War Doesn’t Mean Victory