An ideal patent system balances the returns to inventors and the dissemination of new technologies. This article examines legal policy instruments - encompassing duration, scope and strength of patent protection, as well as invention disclosure and novelty requirements - and R&D subsidies that...

Economics classes claim to develop students' "analytical" abilities and "problem-solving" skills. Assessment of such claims is rather difficult, since it requires measurement of advanced thinking processes. Aptitude tests, such as the SAT, ACT (standardised tests for college admissions in the...