Ray Fisman
@rfisman.bsky.social
Econ prof at BU. I mostly study hidden influence in U.S. politics (not so hidden these days). Some people call it corruption. I agree... https://sites.bu.edu/fisman/
Working on a book about whether business will save or destroy the world (Spoiler: Neither)
Working on a book about whether business will save or destroy the world (Spoiler: Neither)
Reposted by Ray Fisman
Colleges and universities are going way too soft on policing AI, Tyler Austin Harper argues. “Institutions of higher learning can abandon their centuries-long educational project,” he writes. “Or they can fight.”
Universities Can Abdicate to AI. Or They Can Fight.
Too many school leaders have been reluctant to impose harsh penalties for unauthorized chatbot use.
bit.ly
September 14, 2025 at 12:45 PM
Colleges and universities are going way too soft on policing AI, Tyler Austin Harper argues. “Institutions of higher learning can abandon their centuries-long educational project,” he writes. “Or they can fight.”
For no obvious reason one of Kei Hirano's classic economics haikus just popped into my head. Apropo of nothing:
T-stat looks too good.
Use robust standard errors--
significance gone.
I'm sure it could be updated to reflect modern methods.
T-stat looks too good.
Use robust standard errors--
significance gone.
I'm sure it could be updated to reflect modern methods.
September 13, 2025 at 12:09 PM
For no obvious reason one of Kei Hirano's classic economics haikus just popped into my head. Apropo of nothing:
T-stat looks too good.
Use robust standard errors--
significance gone.
I'm sure it could be updated to reflect modern methods.
T-stat looks too good.
Use robust standard errors--
significance gone.
I'm sure it could be updated to reflect modern methods.
Reposted by Ray Fisman
Just published in @jpube.bsky.social:
"The undoing of economic sanctions: Evidence from the Russia–Ukraine conflict"
By @rfisman.bsky.social, Giovanna Marcolongo, & Meng Wu
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
#econsky #publiceconomics
"The undoing of economic sanctions: Evidence from the Russia–Ukraine conflict"
By @rfisman.bsky.social, Giovanna Marcolongo, & Meng Wu
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
#econsky #publiceconomics
September 10, 2025 at 7:17 PM
Just published in @jpube.bsky.social:
"The undoing of economic sanctions: Evidence from the Russia–Ukraine conflict"
By @rfisman.bsky.social, Giovanna Marcolongo, & Meng Wu
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
#econsky #publiceconomics
"The undoing of economic sanctions: Evidence from the Russia–Ukraine conflict"
By @rfisman.bsky.social, Giovanna Marcolongo, & Meng Wu
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
#econsky #publiceconomics
I have a friend who had a successful career as a politician. When he retired from politics, I asked him what he was happiest to get away from. Without a moment's pause he answered, "The constant lying."
www.pbs.org/newshour/pol...
www.pbs.org/newshour/pol...
Speaker Johnson says he misspoke about Trump being an FBI informant in the Epstein case
House Speaker Mike Johnson said Monday that he didn’t mean to suggest in a recent interview that Trump had or had not been an FBI informant in the case against disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
www.pbs.org
September 9, 2025 at 12:48 PM
I have a friend who had a successful career as a politician. When he retired from politics, I asked him what he was happiest to get away from. Without a moment's pause he answered, "The constant lying."
www.pbs.org/newshour/pol...
www.pbs.org/newshour/pol...
My 15 year old is proofreading my latest book manuscript. After the first paragraph he asked, “do people really consider you to be a good writer?”
It’s only gone downhill from there.
It’s only gone downhill from there.
August 27, 2025 at 9:01 PM
My 15 year old is proofreading my latest book manuscript. After the first paragraph he asked, “do people really consider you to be a good writer?”
It’s only gone downhill from there.
It’s only gone downhill from there.
Dev Econ people: I was trying to access the DHS data, and got the message below. Can anyone help and/or have ideas for access? Any suggestions much appreciated!
July 8, 2025 at 7:31 AM
Dev Econ people: I was trying to access the DHS data, and got the message below. Can anyone help and/or have ideas for access? Any suggestions much appreciated!
Reposted by Ray Fisman
As a 4th of July special, here's another piece with @rfisman.bsky.social, on how some of the institutional features we used to think as protective of American democracy are now accelerating its decline. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
The Institutions Protecting US Democracy Have Turned Into Traps
America’s two-party system has long been intended as a barrier against an extremism. Polarization is making it an accelerant instead.
www.bloomberg.com
July 3, 2025 at 8:55 PM
As a 4th of July special, here's another piece with @rfisman.bsky.social, on how some of the institutional features we used to think as protective of American democracy are now accelerating its decline. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Dear Nippon Steel: You would be insane to buy US Steel with the current American government holding this much control: www.reuters.com/business/us-...
Signed - someone who used to teach business in emerging markets, where this sort of thing happened a lot and rarely if ever ended well...1/2
Signed - someone who used to teach business in emerging markets, where this sort of thing happened a lot and rarely if ever ended well...1/2
Nippon Steel could offer Washington golden share to seal U.S. Steel deal, Nikkei reports
Nippon Steel is considering offering a so-called golden share in U.S. Steel to the U.S. government in order to finalise its long-sought acquisition of the iconic American firm, Japan's Nikkei newspaper reported on Tuesday.
www.reuters.com
May 28, 2025 at 1:52 PM
Dear Nippon Steel: You would be insane to buy US Steel with the current American government holding this much control: www.reuters.com/business/us-...
Signed - someone who used to teach business in emerging markets, where this sort of thing happened a lot and rarely if ever ended well...1/2
Signed - someone who used to teach business in emerging markets, where this sort of thing happened a lot and rarely if ever ended well...1/2
A bit of personal/professional news: I'm sad to be leaving the wonderful editorial team at @restatjournal.bsky.social now that my terms are up, but excited to be joining AEJ: Applied as editor in January. www.aeaweb.org/news/member-...
Annual Elections and Other Announcements
www.aeaweb.org
May 13, 2025 at 1:03 PM
A bit of personal/professional news: I'm sad to be leaving the wonderful editorial team at @restatjournal.bsky.social now that my terms are up, but excited to be joining AEJ: Applied as editor in January. www.aeaweb.org/news/member-...
Reposted by Ray Fisman
Corruption Watch: Trump Media edition
April 23, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Corruption Watch: Trump Media edition
It's amazing that markets these days are so completely driven by whether the U.S. president says he'll do something completely unhinged, or says he *won't* do something completely unhinged.
April 23, 2025 at 3:27 PM
It's amazing that markets these days are so completely driven by whether the U.S. president says he'll do something completely unhinged, or says he *won't* do something completely unhinged.
The most jaw-dropping thing that came up in this week's Freakonomics story was Phil Zimbardo, in recounting the story of the Stanford Prison Experiment, casually mentioning that he'd just started dating his PhD student like it was no big thing, and the podcast just continuing without a beat.
April 23, 2025 at 12:40 PM
The most jaw-dropping thing that came up in this week's Freakonomics story was Phil Zimbardo, in recounting the story of the Stanford Prison Experiment, casually mentioning that he'd just started dating his PhD student like it was no big thing, and the podcast just continuing without a beat.
A question about the proposed bill on stock trading in Congress (www.congress.gov/bill/119th-c...). It wouldn't prevent someone from trading on macro news anyway, right? If I could have had inside info on tariff announcements, e.g., I still would've minted a fortune trading index funds.
www.congress.gov
April 21, 2025 at 12:11 PM
A question about the proposed bill on stock trading in Congress (www.congress.gov/bill/119th-c...). It wouldn't prevent someone from trading on macro news anyway, right? If I could have had inside info on tariff announcements, e.g., I still would've minted a fortune trading index funds.
Summer office is open for business
April 19, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Summer office is open for business
A little story I once heard, on good authority, about Peter Navarro. Some faculty at UC Irvine joked back in 2016 that they hoped Trump would get elected because then they'd at least be rid of Navarro, who was then an econ professor there. 1/2
April 12, 2025 at 7:02 PM
A little story I once heard, on good authority, about Peter Navarro. Some faculty at UC Irvine joked back in 2016 that they hoped Trump would get elected because then they'd at least be rid of Navarro, who was then an econ professor there. 1/2
Apropos of nothing
They were careless people, Tom and Daisy- they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made.
-FS Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, published 4/10/1925.
-FS Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, published 4/10/1925.
April 10, 2025 at 6:09 PM
Apropos of nothing
A serious question: Is Trump doing this just so politically-connected investors can profit from insider trading, or is that merely a side benefit?
April 9, 2025 at 9:33 PM
A serious question: Is Trump doing this just so politically-connected investors can profit from insider trading, or is that merely a side benefit?
Reposted by Ray Fisman
Canadian economists (and others): I'm running a survey in Canada for the first time, and need to "translate" some U.S. questions. Could someone point me to what the equivalent of either/both of these would be?
April 9, 2025 at 12:15 AM
Canadian economists (and others): I'm running a survey in Canada for the first time, and need to "translate" some U.S. questions. Could someone point me to what the equivalent of either/both of these would be?
Finally an idea that can unite us as a nation (the second sentence, not the first one)
April 8, 2025 at 9:31 PM
Finally an idea that can unite us as a nation (the second sentence, not the first one)
Or maybe multiply by 2 instead🤷
On tariffs, straight from the horse's mouth, so to speak.
Dear CEA: at least divide by 4.
www.nytimes.com/2025/04/07/o...
Dear CEA: at least divide by 4.
www.nytimes.com/2025/04/07/o...
Opinion | Why Trump’s Tariff Math Is a Joke
A look inside the administration’s methodology is a real eye-opener.
www.nytimes.com
April 8, 2025 at 8:06 PM
Or maybe multiply by 2 instead🤷
On tariffs, straight from the horse's mouth, so to speak.
Dear CEA: at least divide by 4.
www.nytimes.com/2025/04/07/o...
Dear CEA: at least divide by 4.
www.nytimes.com/2025/04/07/o...
Opinion | Why Trump’s Tariff Math Is a Joke
A look inside the administration’s methodology is a real eye-opener.
www.nytimes.com
April 8, 2025 at 11:19 AM
On tariffs, straight from the horse's mouth, so to speak.
Dear CEA: at least divide by 4.
www.nytimes.com/2025/04/07/o...
Dear CEA: at least divide by 4.
www.nytimes.com/2025/04/07/o...
Seems like it's worth asking again this morning...
I guess we don't know how bad it could have been but...the CEA has what seem to be some serious and earnest people. How is it possible that this doesn't make them resign? (I won't name names but some seem more serious and earnest than others)
April 7, 2025 at 10:08 AM
Seems like it's worth asking again this morning...
Reposted by Ray Fisman
