A lexicographic preference ordering of policy objectives is used to define the policymaker's choice among alternatives. It is shown how the constrained multiple goal problem can be placed in a one-to-one relationship with multidimensional utility analysis. The method is applied to a model of the...

Optimal simple rules for the monetary policy of the first stochastically dominant crypto-currency are derived in a Dynamic Stochastic General Equilibrium (DSGE) model, in order to provide optimal responses to changes in inflation, output, and other sources of uncertainty.The optimal monetary...

The battle over immigration reform is a recent manifestation of a long debate over the relationship between the United States and other countries. To economists, these issues are easy. Since at least the work of David Ricardo (1772-1823), economists have known that international trade is...

The objective of this paper is to establish design criteria for developing a global brain that is integrated with humanity to govern life on the planet in a satisfactory environment. Three sources of design criteria are identified. (i) The limited ability of humans to: receive, manipulate,...

In this paper we extend Merton's (1975) classic stochastic version of the Ramsey model by allowing the government to control the expected growth rate of the labor supply. We characterize the solution to this control problem for general time-separable preferences, and derive an analytical...

Robust control theory is a tool for assessing decision rules when a decision maker distrusts either the specification of transition laws or the distribution of hidden state variables or both. Specification doubts inspire the decision maker to want a decision rule to work well for a ∅ of models...

Unintended consequences manifest themselves in many aspects of socioeconomic life. We develop a model of unintended consequences (UC) of novel policies. In our setup, the policymaker is unaware of the UC of her policy. We discuss several approaches to evaluating policy in terms of welfare...

The idea of libertarian paternalism might seem to be an oxymoron, but it is both possible and legitimate for private and public institutions to affect behavior while also respecting freedom of choice. Often people's preferences are ill-formed, and their choices will inevitably be influenced by...

The key element in the tension between those who believe climate change is an issue and those who do not is essentially the question of whether we are merely in a long period of shock-induced above average temperatures or if we have led to this increase in temperatures by anthropogenic carbon...