Economics

Economics is a discipline concerned with the consumption, production, and transfer of wealth by and among individuals (microeconomics) and communities or nations (macroeconomics); subspecialties range from economic development and planning to health economics and international economic relations. RAND's many economists contribute to multidisciplinary research projects by exploring the intersections where economics informs social, military, and governmental policy decisions.

Research conducted by: RAND Labor and Population; RAND Health; International Programs

All Items (1618)

Multimedia

Conference Addresses Relationship Between Health, Aging, and Human Capital — Dec 5, 2011

The RAND Bing Center for Health Economics, RAND Labor and Population, and the Journal of Human Capital held a two-day Conference on Health, Aging, and Human Capital. Speakers included RAND's Nicole Maestas, NYU's Michael Grossman, and Harvard's David Wise; all conference videos are available online.

Commentary

Is Publicly Funded R&D Investment the Best Way Out of the European Financial Crisis? — Nov 29, 2011

Publicly funded R&D investment is a coherent policy to support long term economic growth. Our only note of caution is about how far and how fast that growth can be delivered because the evidence we have is out of date and skewed towards the experience of just one country, write Jonathan Grant and Jon Sussex.

Report

China's Expanding Role in Global Mergers and Acquisitions Markets — Nov 22, 2011

To improve understanding of China's investment patterns, the authors analyze recent and proposed Chinese investment in companies in the United States, Europe, Asia, and the rest of the world.

Research Brief

Economic Assistance During Stability and Support Operations — Nov 16, 2011

Designed to help U.S. Army personnel more effectively use economic assistance to support economic and infrastructure development.

Past Event

RAND Conference Focuses on Socioeconomic Growth and Development in Latin America — Nov 16, 2011

Labor issues, healthcare, education, social programs, and other factors affecting economic development in Latin America were the focus of a two-day conference in Santiago, Chile. RAND researchers joined university colleagues, industry experts, government leaders, and policymakers in discussing a range of critical topics.

Journal Article

Bundling Payments to Curb Health Care Costs Proves Difficult to Realize — Nov 7, 2011

Under bundled payments, doctors, hospitals, and other providers share one fee for treating all aspects of a procedure such as a hip replacement or a chronic disease like diabetes. The approach should eliminate unnecessary care and improve quality, but putting it into practice is proving to be more difficult than anticipated.

Commentary

Where Keynes Went Wrong — Oct 31, 2011

Failure to consider the potentially adverse effect of government spending on the preexisting level of aggregate demand was and remains a disabling flaw in Keynesian theory—then and now, writes Charles Wolf, Jr.

Report

Addressing Medicare Payment Differentials Across Ambulatory Settings — Oct 12, 2011

bill payment calculator

Medicare's payment for physician work and malpractice liability expenses is the same regardless of where a service is provided, but payments differ for facility-related components of care.

Report

U.S. War with China Not Likely but Steps Needed to Keep the Peace — Oct 10, 2011

To avoid direct military conflict with China, the United States should adopt a parallel strategy that strengthens the defense capabilities of China's neighbors while inviting China into cooperative security endeavors that benefit the interests of both nations.

News Release

U.S. War with China Not Likely but Steps Needed to Keep the Peace — Oct 10, 2011

To avoid direct military conflict with China, the United States should adopt a parallel strategy that strengthens the defense capabilities of China's neighbors while inviting China into cooperative security endeavors that benefit the interests of both nations.

Report

Pricing Strategies for NASA Wind-Tunnel Facilities — Oct 4, 2011

The authors explore six potential approaches to pricing the use of National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) wind-tunnel test facilities, and they evaluate each approach against three criteria -- efficiency, fiscal impact, and fairness.

Report

Challenges to Value-Enhancing Innovation in Health Care Delivery: Commonalities and Contrasts with Innovation in Drugs and Devices — Oct 4, 2011

Discusses obstacles to steering innovation in health care toward activities that are worth their social costs and away from other innovative activities and considers drugs, devices, and delivery, with particular attention to delivery.

Past Event

How Growing Health Care Costs Affect the American Family — Oct 3, 2011

In this October 2011 Congressional Briefing, Art Kellermann will address the components of health care spending for the typical American family and how it affects buying power; whether slower health care cost growth would increase available family income; and whether the nation is getting sufficient value for its health care spending.

Journal Article

Integrating Schools Is a Matter of Housing Policy — Oct 1, 2011

Inclusionary zoning and economic integration in suburban neighborhoods not only reduces concentration of poverty, it directly improves low-income children's academic achievement.

Periodical

RAND Health Quarterly, Vol. 1 No. 1 — Sep 9, 2011

RAND Health Quarterly is an online journal sharing the results of recent RAND research areas across a broad spectrum of health-related issues.

Research Brief

Why Are Many Emergency Departments in the United States Closing? — Sep 9, 2011

Between 1990 and 2009, the number of emergency rooms (ERs) in nonrural U.S. hospitals declined by 27 percent (from 2,446 to 1,779). Economic factors play a central role in an ER's ability to remain open.

Report

From Insurgency to Stability: Volume II: Insights from Selected Case Studies — Sep 7, 2011

This book examines six case studies of insurgencies from around the world to determine the key factors in the successful transition from counterinsurgency toward stability.

Journal Article

Evaluating Health Research Funding in Ireland: Assessing the Impacts of the Health Research Board of Ireland's Funding Activities — Sep 1, 2011

The Health Research Board (HRB) has funded research in Ireland for over 20 years. We analysed eight examples of HRB grants from between 10 and 15 years earlier using the Payback Framework to catalogue the impacts.

Journal Article

Substance Use and Recessions: What Can Be Learned from Economic Analyses of Alcohol? — Sep 1, 2011

In developed countries, heavy drinkers consume less in a downturn, while light drinkers consume more. This pro-cyclical relationship does not hold for countries where disposable income is low.

Journal Article

The Increased Concentration of Health Plan Markets Can Benefit Consumers Through Lower Hospital Prices — Sep 1, 2011

More concentrated health plan markets can counteract the price-increasing effects of concentrated hospital markets; consumers would benefit from policies that maintained/restored competition in hospital markets.

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