Economists still lack a proper understanding of business cycles
The second in our series on the shortcomings of the economics profession
THE aftermath of the 2007-08 financial crisis ought to have been a moment of triumph for economics. Lessons learned from the 1930s prevented the collapse of global finance and trade, and resulted in a downturn far shorter and less severe than the Depression. But even as the policy remedies were helpful, the crisis exposed the economic profession’s continued ignorance of the business cycle. That is bad news not just for the discipline, but for everyone.
This article appeared in the Finance & economics section of the print edition under the headline “Diminished expectations”
Finance & economics April 21st 2018
- After a good run of growth, China’s economy braces for bumps
- A Victorian survivor
- Tax cuts and higher interest rates help boost banks’ earnings
- Coco bonds have not lived up to their promise
- Indicators that signal financial-market trouble are flashing
- America’s Treasury refrains from naming any currency manipulators
- Hong Kong defends its dollar peg in both directions
- Economists still lack a proper understanding of business cycles
From the April 21st 2018 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionMore from Finance & economics
Can anything spark Europe’s economy back to life?
Mario Draghi, the continent’s unofficial chief technocrat, has a plan
Has social media broken the stockmarket?
That is the contention of Cliff Asness, one of the great quant investors
American office delinquencies are shooting up
How worried should investors be?
China is suffering from a crisis of confidence
Can anything perk up its economy?
America has a huge deficit. Which candidate would make it worse?
Enough policies have been proposed to make a call
Why Oasis fans should welcome price-gouging
There are worse things in life than paying a fair price