
“ObamaCare’s Flawed Economic Foundations” By Douglas Holtz-Eakin and Vernon L. Smith
“ObamaCare will be argued next week in the Supreme Court. While the justices will consider the intricacies of constitutional law, at their heart the arguments in favor of the legislation have to do with the economics of health care.” Read the full article on The Wall Street Journal Online, Opinion section.

IFREE/ESI Lecture Series Presents Alex Brown, Ph.D.
Mar. 16th, Alex Brown, Ph.D. – Experimental Analysis of Envy-Free Auction Dr. Alex Brown, a guest of the IFREE/ESI Lecture SeriesAbstract: Economic concerns for equity have motivated game theorists to study envy-free mechanisms. Though not incentive compatible, these mechanisms implement in Nash equilibria efficient allocations at which no agent prefers the consumption of

IFREE/ESI Lecture Series Presents Keith Murnighan, Ph.D.
Mar. 9th, Keith Murnighan, Ph.D. – On Greed – Watch Lecture Dr. Keith Murnighan, a guest of the IFREE/ESI Lecture SeriesAbstract: Greed is a central element in human existence. It is also frequently mentioned as a factor in many recent organizational and financial scandals. Thus, it was surprising to discover that empirical research on greed

Dr. Vernon Smith Interviewed by SoCal Insider
Dr. Vernon L. Smith of the Economic Science Institute was interview by Rick Reiff with the SoCal Insider on China, experimental economics, and the housing crisis and outlook. You can download the episode here!

IFREE/ESI Lecture Series Presents: Jeff Smith, Ph.D. – “Remarks on Field Experiments in Labor Economics and the Economics of Education”
Mar. 2nd, Jeff Smith, Ph.D. – Remarks on Field Experiments in Labor Economics and the Economics of Education – Watch lecture Abstract: The talk will consider issues in field experiments in labor economics and the economics of education in the developed world. These issues include threats to internal and external validity, using experimental data to

IFREE/ESI Lecture Series Presents: John Tooby, Ph.D. – “The Welfare Tradeoff Architecture, Cooperation, and Social Emotions”
Feb. 24th, John Tooby, Ph.D. – The Welfare Tradeoff Architecture, Cooperation, and Social Emotions – For further reading please see: Formidability and the logic of human anger and The architecture of human kin detection. – Watch lecture Abstract: Individuals in social species continually face choices among alternatives that have different impacts on the welfares of

IFREE/ESI Lecture Series Presents: Stefan Szymanski, Ph.D. – “Contests on a Line”
Feb. 17th, Stefan Szymanski, Ph.D. – Contests on a Line – Watch Lecture Abstract: This paper examines the idea of a Tullock contest between competitors on a line (in the manner of Hotelling). The problem is modeled as a two stage game in which competitors choose location and then choose how much to invest in

IFREE/ESI Lecture Series Presents: Brian Roberson, Ph.D. – “Dynamic Special Interest Politics with Relational Contracts”
Feb. 10th, Brian Roberson, Ph.D. – Dynamic Special Interest Politics with Relational Contracts – Watch lecture Abstract: This paper explores a model of special interest politics that allows for agreements among long-lived interest groups, political parties, and bureaucrats to be supported by informal relational contracts. Special interests and political parties may form agreements involving the

A Director’s Reflection
The Schmid Center for International Business hosted the January, 2012 MBA International Travel class to Brazil. Students visited an array of foreign and local invested corporations to gain an in-depth appreciation of global operations and an appreciation of Brazilian business culture. In Sao Paulo, a mega city with more than 20 million residents, students’

IFREE/ESI Lecture Series Presents Alexandra Rosati – Evolutionary economics: Mapping decision-making traits in chimpanzees, bonobos, and humans
Feb. 3rd, Alexandra Rosati – Evolutionary economics: Mapping decision-making traits in chimpanzees, bonobos, and humans – Readings for the lecture: The Evolutionary Origins of Human Patience: Temporal Preferences in Chimpanzees, Bonobos, and Human Adults, A fruit in the hand or two in the bush? Divergent risk preferences in chimpanzees and bonobos, and Chimpanzees and bonobos