Politicians have jumped on board the stimulus bandwagon. It would be nice if they would think for a change.

While correlation isn’t causation, and tall buildings certainly don’t cause economic downturns, the Skyscraper Index is quite interesting and can help to shed some light on the workings of business cycles.

On the surface it seems simple enough. The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) of the Federal Reserve adjusts interest rates to manage both inflation and the economy. When inflation rises, the FOMC raises rates, which limits the money supply, raises the cost of credit and slows economic expansion to a manageable level. When inflation falls, [...]

In recent history, governments have nationalized banks when the pressures of internationalized financial markets and international competition have made it difficult for them to control and stabilize their finances and currency. During the last couple of decades, countries as different as Mexico, France, Sweden, and Japan carried out partial or more or less complete bank [...]