Muddy Water Macro is not a blog, but our content is often relevant to news of the day. The links from this page provide our take on some news articles and op-eds that address macroeconomic issues. The discussions on the pages linked here will usually refer the reader to parts of our content that provide useful background for understanding the issues taken up in the articles.
Commentary Summaries
- In Paul Krugman’s July 1, 2013 New York Times column, he argues that reducing unemployment benefits will make the unemployed worse off without raising the number of jobs in the economy. We agree and provide some background to support Krugman’s analysis.
- Carmen Reinhart and Ken Rogoff’s work on the relationship between government debt and economic growth was key evidence for austerity proponents until computer errors and modeling irregularities cast doubt on their results. We explain our theoretical disagreements with their approach.
- David Brooks’ March 9, 2013 New York Times column criticizes fiscal policy policy recommendations of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. In contrast to Brooks, we argue that government can indeed provide a stimulus to growth in times like these.