Books in the (NBER) National Bureau of Economic Research Conference Reports series

Once heralded as a model welfare state, Sweden is now in transition since its economic plunge in the early 1990s. This volume examines Sweden's economic problems from a US perspective, exploring such diverse topics as income equalization, welfare and tax policy, wage determination and unemployment.

Collects research that explores issues surrounding government economic intervention, providing an assessment of the economic effects of regulatory reforms over the past three decades and examining how these insights bear on some of today's most significant concerns in regulatory policy.

The role of the housing market in the recent recession raised questions about similar episodes in economic history. Were the underlying causes of housing and mortgage crises the same in earlier episodes? This volume provides context for understanding events by examining how historical housing and mortgage markets worked - and sometimes failed.

Drawing out the underlying economics in business history, this text focuses on learning processes and the development of competitively valuable asymmetries. It shows that organizations learn that this process can be organized effectively, which can have major implications for how competition works.

An overview of the political and economic issues involved in the formation of budget deficits. The text brings together theoretical models, empirical evidence and case studies to analyze the effect of political institutions, fiscal regulations, and policy decisions on accumulating deficits.

Controlling inflation is among the most important objectives of economic policy. This volume focuses on understanding the causes of the Great Inflation of the 1970s and '80s, which saw rising inflation in many nations and propelled interest rates across the developing world into the double digits.

Focuses on the effects of fiscal stimuli and increased government spending, with contributions that consider the measurement of the multiplier effect and its size. This title also includes contributions discuss the merits of alternate means of debt reduction through decreased government spending or increased taxes.

Focuses on the changing financial circumstances of the elderly and the relationship of these circumstances to health and health care. This title addresses such topics as: out-of-pocket health care costs, the effects of inflation on social security, and the impact of the financial crisis on Americans' well-being.

The baby boom generation's entry into old age has led to an unprecedented increase in the elderly population. The social and economic effects of this shift are significant. This title takes a eclectic view of the subject. It offers in-depth analysis of the effects of retirement plans, employer contributions, and housing prices on retirement.

Presents an argument that free enterprise and well-developed financial systems are proven to produce growth in those countries that have them. It also suggests that in some other capitalist countries, arrangements truly do concentrate corporate ownership in the hands of a few wealthy families.

Since banking systems play a crucial role in maintaining the overall health of the economy, the adverse effects of poorly supervised systems may be quite severe. This text examines the state of prudential supervision, focusing on fundamental issues and key pragmatic concerns.

Explains how a country's institutional differences and cultural considerations can affect the role that entrepreneurs play in its economy. This book develops an understanding of the origins of entrepreneurs as well as the choices they make and the complexity of their activities across countries and industries.

Aspiring college students and their families have many options. A student can attend an in-state or an out-of-state school, a public or private college, a two-year community college program or a four-year university program.

Not-for-profit organizations play a critical role in the American economy. We know such firms don't try to maximize profits, but what do they maximize? Dealing with this question, this book looks at many aspects of not-for-profit operations, from the problems of fundraising, endowments, and governance to issues, such as hospital advertising.

Over the course of the twentieth century, Sweden carried out one of the most ambitious experiments by a capitalist market economy in developing a large and active welfare state. Bringing together leading economists, this book examines Sweden's policies in response to the mid-1990s crisis and the implications for the subsequent recovery.

Provides an assessment of how effectively labor market institutions are responding to the decline of private sector unions. This book also provides case studies of labor market institutions and various directions for existing institutions. It presents the story of workers and institutions searching for ways to represent labor.

Analyzes the changing economic and demographic environment in which social insurance programs benefiting elderly households will operate. This book also explores how these ongoing trends can affect future beneficiaries, under the Social Security program and potential reform options.

Considers globalization in the context of the history of international trade. Its eleven papers explore a synthesized variety of topics, including how the process of globalization can be measured by the long-term integration of markets, what trends and questions develop as markets converge and diverge, and others.

Evaluates the arguments of proglobalists and anti-globalists regarding issues such as globalization's relationship to democracy, its impact on the environment and on labor markets and wage levels, and the associated expansion of trade and its effects on prices.

The diversity of labor market intermediaries encompasses criminal records providers, public employment offices, labor unions, and centralized medical residency matches. This work analyzes how these third-party actors intercede where workers and firms meet, thereby aiding, impeding, and, in some cases, exploiting the matching process.

Looks at the effects of the euro on reform of goods and labor markets; its influence on business cycles and trade among members; and, whether the single currency has induced convergence or divergence in the economic performance of member countries. This title focuses on both the first ten years of the euro and the workings of a monetary union.

In the aftermath of the financial crisis, the federal government has pursued regulatory reforms, including proposals to monitor systemic risk. This book addresses the challenges of measuring risk, and looks at the means of measuring systemic risk and explores alternative approaches.

Accelerating energy innovation could be an important part of an effective response to the threat of climate change. This book explores the role that public and private policy have played in enabling - and sustaining - swift innovation in a variety of industries, from agriculture and the life sciences to information technology.

Demographic studies help make sense of key aspects of the economy, offering insight into trends in fertility, mortality, immigration, and labor force participation, as well as age, gender, and race-specific trends in health and disability. This book explores the connections between demography and economics.

Focusing on the costs and benefits of two important instruments of economic policy, this title explores the trade-offs between litigation and regulation, the circumstances in which one approach may outperform the other, and the principles that affect the choice between addressing particular economic activities with one system or the other.

While the importance of innovation to economic development is widely understood, the conditions conducive to it remain the focus of much attention. This title offers contributions to fundamental questions relating to the economics of innovation and technological change.