Tuesday's Assorted Links
Views on capitalism, Airbnb restrictions, postal traffic, fact checking departments, and building incentives
Hi y’all! Here are five stories from this week that contained some neat applications of economic principles or are related to teaching:
Just 54% of US adults view capitalism positively, the smallest share since the polling group started asking about the topic 15 years ago [Gallup]
Restricting Airbnb rentals in NYC has reduced quality-of-life complaints related to obnoxious short-term neighbors, but has not freed up housing stock [The Wall Street Journal]
Postal traffic to the U.S. plunged as tariffs hit cheap goods [The Washington Post]
A look inside The New Yorker’s vaunted fact-checking Department [The New Yorker]
NYC apartment developers are increasingly building 99-unit buildings to get around higher wage requirements that kick in at 100 units [Bloomberg]
This week’s post explores the tiny, but surprisingly revealing, decision of whether to round up, round down, or send the exact amount when paying someone back. It’s a story about etiquette, mental accounting, and how money isn’t just money anymore. It’s a social signal.
What Your Venmo Behavior Says About You
Imagine this: You’re out grabbing coffee with a few friends. One person offers to pay for the group. It’s a small act of generosity. You thank them, promise to pay them back later, and carry on with your day.
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