Household Expectations

The University of Michigan’s Survey of Consumers asks households about their future income prospects. They are asked: “By about what percent do you expect your (family) income to increase during the next 12 months?”  Here is the result:

Via the Cleveland Fed.  Thanks to Mark Thoma for the pointer.

The level of pessimism displayed here is striking.

How to Fix the Long-Term Fiscal Problem

A menu of plans, courtesy of the Peterson Foundation.

Advice for the Recently Tenured

From Bob Hall.  This is a couple years old, but I only just ran across it.  One tidbit from it:

Potomac fever is contagious and incurable. I know one economist who deliberately hired an undocumented nanny as a commitment device to avoid the temptation of government.