The Undercover Economist

Tim Harford talked about his book, The Undercover Economist: Exposing Why the Rich Are Rich, the Poor Are Poor--and Why You Can Never Buy aread more

Tim Harford talked about his book, The Undercover Economist: Exposing Why the Rich Are Rich, the Poor Are Poor--and Why You Can Never Buy a Decent Used Car!, published by Oxford University Press. Using examples from his travels in Africa, Europe and Asia, Mr. Harford argued in his book that the impact supermarkets, coffee chains, and mega-corporations have on the average consumer is helping to increase the gap between the poor and upper classes. The book also touches on the economic concepts of scarce resources, market power, efficiency, price gouging, and game theory to explain the economic impact of day-to-day events like grocery shopping.

Using such props as a Starbucks coffee cup and a package of paper towels, Mr. Hartford talked about which economic ideas are the most powerful, and which are the most frequently misunderstood. He considered how economists could communicate more effectively with policymakers and with the public. Robert Hahn and Tyler Cowen joined him in a pan close

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  • Tyler Cowen Professor George Mason University->Political Economy
  • Robert W. Hahn Director American Enterprise Institute-Brookings Joint Center for Regulatory Studies
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The Undercover Economist

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Program ID:
186527-1
Category:
Public Affairs Event
Format:
Forum
Location:
Washington, District of Columbia, United States
First Aired:
Dec 03, 2005 | 10:28pm EST | C-SPAN 2
Last Aired:
Jan 02, 2006 | 10:29am EST | C-SPAN 2

Airing Details

  • Dec 03, 2005 | 10:28pm EST | C-SPAN 2
  • Jan 01, 2006 | 4:38pm EST | C-SPAN 2
  • Jan 02, 2006 | 10:29am EST | C-SPAN 2
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The Undercover Economist

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