Adam Kapor
@adamkapor.bsky.social
Economist at Princeton. IO, information in matching markets, mostly education. All my jokes are “what if concept applied to itself”
Reposted by Adam Kapor
ok so now I understand why Shaheen and gang were so desperate to end the shutdown
The Federal Aviation Administration will limit business jets and other private flights to some of the country’s largest airports to ease strains on air-traffic personnel.
FAA Limits Private Aircraft Flights at Major Airports
The restrictions will affect private jet flights at a dozen airports, including Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth, Denver, and Chicago’s O’Hare, according to the National Business Aviation Association trade group.
on.wsj.com
November 10, 2025 at 11:06 AM
ok so now I understand why Shaheen and gang were so desperate to end the shutdown
Reposted by Adam Kapor
If they cave, it reinforces my sense that the real problem with the democrats is not “wokeness,” but the fact that they don’t stand for anything and are willing to fight for nothing.
It’s worse than being useless; it is collaboration.
It’s worse than being useless; it is collaboration.
November 9, 2025 at 11:55 PM
If they cave, it reinforces my sense that the real problem with the democrats is not “wokeness,” but the fact that they don’t stand for anything and are willing to fight for nothing.
It’s worse than being useless; it is collaboration.
It’s worse than being useless; it is collaboration.
Q: How many applied microeconomists does it take to change a light bulb?
A: Exploiting a unique natural experiment in which the Earth’s orbit and rotation induce plausibly exogenous variation across time and place in the availability of a close substitute to light bulbs, we find
A: Exploiting a unique natural experiment in which the Earth’s orbit and rotation induce plausibly exogenous variation across time and place in the availability of a close substitute to light bulbs, we find
November 4, 2025 at 6:00 PM
Q: How many applied microeconomists does it take to change a light bulb?
A: Exploiting a unique natural experiment in which the Earth’s orbit and rotation induce plausibly exogenous variation across time and place in the availability of a close substitute to light bulbs, we find
A: Exploiting a unique natural experiment in which the Earth’s orbit and rotation induce plausibly exogenous variation across time and place in the availability of a close substitute to light bulbs, we find
My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings. Just a gentle reminder to look on my works at your earliest convenience. Thanks!!
My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings. Look on my works and let me know if you have any questions! 🤗
November 3, 2025 at 6:33 PM
My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings. Just a gentle reminder to look on my works at your earliest convenience. Thanks!!
I used to be nonplussed when people did this but now I’m nonplussed
I used to get mad when people misused "decimated" to refer to things that weren't 1/10th destroyed, but I've given it some thought and now I've done a complete 360 on it
October 11, 2025 at 3:39 PM
I used to be nonplussed when people did this but now I’m nonplussed
Job market candidate: “Other papers have found high labor-market returns to studying economics, but no one has looked at subfields. My JMP estimates the returns to microeconomic theory.”
Interviewer: “Do you look at mechanisms?”
Interviewer: “Do you look at mechanisms?”
October 8, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Job market candidate: “Other papers have found high labor-market returns to studying economics, but no one has looked at subfields. My JMP estimates the returns to microeconomic theory.”
Interviewer: “Do you look at mechanisms?”
Interviewer: “Do you look at mechanisms?”
I used to joke that computer science would also catch a lot of “critique” if there were “computer scientists” on cable TV and in government, many of whom were merely undergrad CS majors with business careers, arguing that “the algorithm is efficient” therefore efforts to improve things won’t work
Because a certain type of economist installed themselves in high-ranking places in government and academia giving themselves a great deal of control over funding decisions and over the training of wonks/bureaucrats. The consequences have not always been positive.
press.princeton.edu/books/hardco...
press.princeton.edu/books/hardco...
Thinking like an Economist
The story of how economic reasoning came to dominate Washington between the 1960s and 1980s—and why it continues to constrain progressive ambitions today
press.princeton.edu
July 26, 2025 at 5:27 PM
I used to joke that computer science would also catch a lot of “critique” if there were “computer scientists” on cable TV and in government, many of whom were merely undergrad CS majors with business careers, arguing that “the algorithm is efficient” therefore efforts to improve things won’t work
Reposted by Adam Kapor
not the main issue here but i'd really appreciate it if democratic politicians spoke out in support of big-city life and culture with the same energy and reverence that all politicians have for small towns
los angeles is "real america" and so are all the other big cities the president hates
los angeles is "real america" and so are all the other big cities the president hates
June 8, 2025 at 10:48 PM
not the main issue here but i'd really appreciate it if democratic politicians spoke out in support of big-city life and culture with the same energy and reverence that all politicians have for small towns
los angeles is "real america" and so are all the other big cities the president hates
los angeles is "real america" and so are all the other big cities the president hates
Reposted by Adam Kapor
Three things made the US a rich and powerful nation: the rule of law, its science & innovation system, and openness to foreign talent. Remarkable how Trump has taken a sledgehammer to all three. No enemy of this country could do more.
May 22, 2025 at 11:09 PM
Three things made the US a rich and powerful nation: the rule of law, its science & innovation system, and openness to foreign talent. Remarkable how Trump has taken a sledgehammer to all three. No enemy of this country could do more.
Reposted by Adam Kapor
This is the stuff of authoritarian regimes. There isn't even the pretense that this is anything but persecution, unbound by law.
Breaking News: The Trump administration halted Harvard’s ability to enroll international students, a major escalation in its battle with the school.
Trump Administration Halts Harvard’s Ability to Enroll International Students
www.nytimes.com
May 22, 2025 at 6:06 PM
This is the stuff of authoritarian regimes. There isn't even the pretense that this is anything but persecution, unbound by law.
Modeling the conclave? You’ll need cardinal utilities
May 7, 2025 at 11:00 PM
Modeling the conclave? You’ll need cardinal utilities
How come in academia “no one understands” means “I personally don’t understand” but “I don’t understand” means “you don’t understand”?
April 9, 2025 at 6:12 PM
How come in academia “no one understands” means “I personally don’t understand” but “I don’t understand” means “you don’t understand”?
Reposted by Adam Kapor
To anyone who is not clear: The First Amendment protected Rumeysa Ozturk when she published her op-ed. The same way it has protected me.
Rule of law means that we should be treated equally.
Rule of law means that we should be treated equally.
March 27, 2025 at 6:40 PM
To anyone who is not clear: The First Amendment protected Rumeysa Ozturk when she published her op-ed. The same way it has protected me.
Rule of law means that we should be treated equally.
Rule of law means that we should be treated equally.
Me arguing with economists: the right model is one that captures the key features of the situation for the question at hand. It need not be a competitive model with 1 or 2 “frictions”. The Q “what’s the market failure” is not-even-wrong.
Me arguing with non-economists: “what’s the market failure?”
Me arguing with non-economists: “what’s the market failure?”
March 18, 2025 at 1:47 PM
Me arguing with economists: the right model is one that captures the key features of the situation for the question at hand. It need not be a competitive model with 1 or 2 “frictions”. The Q “what’s the market failure” is not-even-wrong.
Me arguing with non-economists: “what’s the market failure?”
Me arguing with non-economists: “what’s the market failure?”
Reposted by Adam Kapor
It's fascinating watching Democratic Party politicians who are behaving as if careerism remains a viable strategy with a long-term future under authoritarianism when you are on the losing side.
March 14, 2025 at 8:51 PM
It's fascinating watching Democratic Party politicians who are behaving as if careerism remains a viable strategy with a long-term future under authoritarianism when you are on the losing side.
Reposted by Adam Kapor
The institutional Democratic Party is guided by an almost pathological level of conflict avoidance in almost every direction. “What can we do to make the least number of people mad?” is just a bankrupt way to operate.
March 13, 2025 at 10:23 PM
The institutional Democratic Party is guided by an almost pathological level of conflict avoidance in almost every direction. “What can we do to make the least number of people mad?” is just a bankrupt way to operate.
Reposted by Adam Kapor
SCHUMER (paraphrased): “what President Trump is doing is terrible. We Democrats do not APPROVE of it at all. But we will COLLABORATE with him.
Yep, vaguely disapproving collaborators. That’s us. The leadership of the opposition party.”
Yep, vaguely disapproving collaborators. That’s us. The leadership of the opposition party.”
SCHUMER just now: "While the CR bill is very bad, the potential for a shutdown has consequences for America that are much, much worse."
March 13, 2025 at 10:38 PM
SCHUMER (paraphrased): “what President Trump is doing is terrible. We Democrats do not APPROVE of it at all. But we will COLLABORATE with him.
Yep, vaguely disapproving collaborators. That’s us. The leadership of the opposition party.”
Yep, vaguely disapproving collaborators. That’s us. The leadership of the opposition party.”
Reposted by Adam Kapor
The farce that this is to protect Jews is beyond offensive and insulting. Cancelling grants, threatening deportation of students based on their speech does not make me feel either safe or supported as a Jew. No admin in my life has made me feel *less* safe. Disgusting. www.ed.gov/about/news/p...
DOJ, HHS, ED, and GSA Announce Initial Cancelation of Grants and Contracts to Columbia University Worth $400 Million
Government agencies today announced the immediate cancelation of approximately $400 million in federal funding to Columbia University due to the school’s continued inaction in the face of persistent h...
www.ed.gov
March 7, 2025 at 5:43 PM
The farce that this is to protect Jews is beyond offensive and insulting. Cancelling grants, threatening deportation of students based on their speech does not make me feel either safe or supported as a Jew. No admin in my life has made me feel *less* safe. Disgusting. www.ed.gov/about/news/p...
Michael Sandel: the important things—-life, love, friendship—are not commensurate to dollars. Economists have no account of this truth.
Economists:
Economists:
Traditionally, currencies take values in Z or maybe R
In general, I think you should be able to pick any abelian group (maybe w/ different categories of money [that can't be exchanged!] for different purchases)
Could you ever have torsion in money? Is there a way to avoid infinite money glitches?
In general, I think you should be able to pick any abelian group (maybe w/ different categories of money [that can't be exchanged!] for different purchases)
Could you ever have torsion in money? Is there a way to avoid infinite money glitches?
February 21, 2025 at 1:16 AM
Michael Sandel: the important things—-life, love, friendship—are not commensurate to dollars. Economists have no account of this truth.
Economists:
Economists:
Reposted by Adam Kapor
If you live in New York State and think Gov. Kathy Hochul should remove the corrupt mayor of NYC, give her a call or send her a letter.
February 13, 2025 at 11:24 PM
If you live in New York State and think Gov. Kathy Hochul should remove the corrupt mayor of NYC, give her a call or send her a letter.
Reposted by Adam Kapor
Anyway here's how it played in the press last time anything went this far, just for reference
February 13, 2025 at 10:19 PM
Anyway here's how it played in the press last time anything went this far, just for reference
This is very good
Opinion | There Is No Going Back
The president’s opponents, whoever they are, cannot expect a return to the Constitution as it was.
www.nytimes.com
February 5, 2025 at 6:24 PM
This is very good
I realize this is not the most pressing issue at the moment, but when did “general equilibrium” come to mean “any type of equilibrium” and partial equilibrium “no price changes at all”?
January 30, 2025 at 6:09 PM
I realize this is not the most pressing issue at the moment, but when did “general equilibrium” come to mean “any type of equilibrium” and partial equilibrium “no price changes at all”?
Question for those teaching undergrad IO: how much empirics do you teach
January 9, 2025 at 8:47 PM
Question for those teaching undergrad IO: how much empirics do you teach