Budget Season
Migration on My Mind
Rolling back into the house about two weeks ago I was greeted by the sweet, dulcet tones of gulls flying overhead. A few days later, I noted that the opening waters of Westchester Lagoon had invited a returning swan to rest while heading north. While in Kotzebue last week I overheard conversations by both locals […]
Political Economy
Prior to late 19th century, the term political economy described the predecessor of what we now call the social science of economics. Approximately, 100 years ago economics surpassed political economy in frequency of use and we now use political economy to describe a specialized subset of economics focusing on how political forces affect economic policies […]
The Opportunity Atlas
Happy October! We’re half way through the month and we’re still frost free (at least here at Chez King). October means falling leaves, declining daylight, pumpkin carving parties, and economists that write about PFDs. Well, this economist is going for three of four on that list. No, this year’s October blog isn’t about the Permanent […]
Alaska’s Population Over the Next Decade
Demographics may not quite be destiny, but there’s no doubt that demographic trends create opportunities and challenges for business, communities, and governments. The 65 million children born in the United States during the 1944-1961 “Baby Boom” spurred investments in housing, education, and services that reverberated through the economy for decades. The current and impending retirement […]
Demystifying Innovation
Back in June Michael Catsi, Director of Business Development and Communications for AIDEA, asked me if I would help plan the Innovation Track for the upcoming Accelerate: Alaska event taking place at the Loussac Library on August 29th and 30th. Helping plan the event rapidly turned into “would you be willing to give one of […]
Alaska’s Economy at Midyear: What do the Data Say?
Sometimes the numbers lead you astray, especially when they up and change. With hundreds of analyses under my belt there have been times when portion of the data haven’t been correct; I would describe the moment you discover that your data isn’t what you thought it was as “dyspeptic”. Sometimes data discrepancies are in your […]
Alaska’s Economy at Midyear: The Anecdotal Edition
I love numbers. Most economists love numbers to some degree and these days it’s easier to get through graduate school in economics with a background in math than with a traditional undergraduate in econ. Our emphasis on numbers is a critical part of the profession but focusing solely on the numbers ignores how most of […]
A “Regional” Main Dish with a Pair of Economic Sides
The Main Dish… Everybody knows that we are a huge state; if Alaska were a country we’d be the 18th largest country in the world by land mass sitting right between Iran and Mongolia. If you prefer more familiar examples, we’re about the same size as France, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, the low countries, and […]