Post on 21-Jan-2016
Selected “Freakonomics” Columns From The New York Times Magazine
Lauren Williams, Katie Wilmes, and Lindsey Howe
Hoodwinked?January 8, 2006
Explains that the man who uncovered KKK secrets was not truthful about all that he had done. He built himself up to be more of a contributor than he was.
Why Vote?November 6, 2005
People believe their vote really matters when in fact it does not have any effect on the election.
They only vote so that other people will see that they are doing their “civic duty” (questioned incentives of voters). We vote out of self interest and as a social incentive.
The Swiss do ballots by mail to eliminate only voting in “hope for social esteem” which also decreases the price.
Caused a decrease in voters
Social incentives matter more to us than financial incentives
How Many Lives did Dale Earnhardt Save?February 19, 2006
Earnhardt’s death is to Nascar as 9/11 is to the federal government. (caused safety of Nascar to be stressed)
Nascar’s record of zero deaths in five years over 6 million miles is “perhaps not as remarkable as it first sounded” even though you would think that driving a racecar is more dangerous than going to the grocery.
Economists thought that the improvement of the safety would cause more wrecks because racers would be reckless, but the increase in wrecks was very slight.
“enough crashes to satisfy its fans but not too many to destroy the sport”
The Gift-Card EconomyJanuary 7, 2007
Gift cards actually make money for the business because most consumers do not spend the money and it just stays on the card and gets thrown away.
Gift cards are more suited for children than adults
Only for certain relationships:
Shows that the person:
Is thinking about the receiver
Cares about him or her
Wants to give him something he will value
Gift cards are actually a gift for the business
Filling In The Tax GapApril 2, 2006
The IRS’ role is to enforce the tax laws passed by congress, so if you hate them, it is probably for the wrong reason.
The group of people that do not pay their taxes is actually very small despite the extreme amount of money
IRS conducted face to face audits on only 0.19 percent of all individual tax payers, so people think it is okay to cheat becauses they do not have a good chance of getting caught.
Laid-Back LaborMay 6, 2007
The difference between work and leisure is choice (Did you decide yourself or were you told to?)
Enjoyment scale of 0-10, anything at or above 7.3 is considered leisure and anything below is considered work.
Knitting is leisure, gardening and cooking considered home production
Recent craze of “cooking for fun” produces gray area
Embedded in our genes is a drive to feed and clothe ourselves