MUCH as some businesses whine about government intrusion, others do pretty well out of it. An index based on the amount of lobbying that American firms do has outperformed the broader market since its creation in 2008; data going back to 1998 show t…
September 2, 2011
Job Growth at Halt in U.S.; Worst Showing in 11 Months
By SHAILA DEWAN
The economy failed to add new jobs in August, the first time there has been no increase in net jobs in the United States in 11 months.
The flat performance in t…
When it comes to the larger economy, Irene could provide a hefty stimulus. Analysts are already predicting a big jump in construction and home-furnishings spending as beleaguered homeowners rush to repair and replace property that was destroyed in t…
August 12, 2011
Aftershock to Economy Has a Precedent That Holds Lessons
By JAMES B. STEWART
Like earthquakes, financial crises seem to be accompanied by aftershocks, like the one we’ve been living through this week. They can feel every bit as bad a…
Another Foreign Policy expert, James Taub, warns of what the “debt-ceiling deal tells us about the Tea Party’s grim vision of American power.”
There’s a disaster ahead, Taub writes: “All Guns, No But…
The latest letter from Jeremy Grantham at GMO (.pdf) is out, and it captures nicely the anger felt by many in the investing class at Washington right now:
“My worst fears about the potential loss of confidence in our leaders, institutions, “and …
Concern that Washington can’t control rising debts or create enough jobs to spur growth contributed to the crash as did the loss of America’s pristine AAA credit rating. Rising fears about Europe’s debt woes made matters worse.
The S&P 500 is down …
There’s already been a bevy of analysts coming out with their forecasts on what the S&P downgrade means for the economy, what it will do to interest rates, other financial institutions, junk borrowers, and other entities somehow connected to the US …
So the debt ceiling thing is “solved” but that may have been the least of the market’s problems. If my numbers are correct, the Treasury…
August 5, 2011
Political Roots in U.S. Economic Crisis
By nearly every recent measure — growth, consumer spending, manufacturing, house prices and stock prices — the American economy is struggling. The jobs report for July, released on Friday, was…
