How many times have you heard Barack Obama talk about "investing" in education? Quite a few, if you've been listening to the president at all.In fact Americans have been investing more and more in education over the years, led by presidents Democratic and Republican. But it's become glaringly...

Americans have the highest health spending on the planet. Why? Because they can afford to do so. What few people realize is that the U.S. has increased its standard of living vis-à-vis its biggest competitors despite rising health expenditures (figure 1.6c).

If billions are saved from the withdrawal in Afghanistan and Iraq, where will the money go? Where should it go?

Some consumers and businesses might see a little extra cash this summer as a result of the 2010 health care law. The Kaiser Family Foundation recently reported an estimated $1.3 billion in rebates will be delivered from health insurers who spent more than the law allotted on administrative expenses and profits.

On the third anniversary of the collapse of Lehman Brothers, the U.S. economy continues to disappoint, and the U.S. labor market has hardly made any progress at all.

Employees who are good at their work ought to be rewarded, recognized, and have the chance to step up into new opportunities and responsibilities.

In early 2009, President-elect Barack Obama promised that shovel-ready jobs would quickly create jobs, but he now admits that there is no such thing as shovel-ready public works.

Austerity measures in Europe have been the topic of a heated and mostly confused debate in the economic world. During the May summit of the leading industrial nations at Camp David, German chancellor Angela Merkel and other European leaders pushed for continued European austerity. Keynesian critics argue that these policies destroy economic growth.