Upset Patterns

Generalized trends in real world observations can be boiled down to what are sometimes called "stylized facts," empirical regularities in search of theoretical and causal explanations. Simple statements like "democracies rarely go to war with each other" or "the share of income going to the top 1% has increased" enter into public discourse and eventually shape public policy. The process by which stylized facts go from raw observations to academic discourse to the public eye can be messy but incredibly influential on policy. Discourse regarding income inequality in the United States has specifically been shaped by the stylized facts that came out of available data during different periods. Dan Hirschman of Brown University discusses this process and its effects on public policy.

Political discourse on migration tends to focus on how the wages of natives in the receiving country respond to long-term migrants. In the case of Nepal, the story is a little different: a significant number of Nepalese men migrate temporarily to Gulf countries, sending remittances home but leaving women to run the households on their own. How does extra income affect the role of women in Nepalese communities? What does it mean for educational opportunities of the children? Nell Compernolle of the University of Michigan discusses the effects of this under-appreciated migration story and what insights it gives the world overall.

Consumers who "buy local" often cite the environmental benefits of reducing food miles, the economic effects of keeping money in the area, and the fostering of community ties through in-person commerce. Do the perceived benefits of buying local match up to the realities? When it comes to ethical food consumption, how important is it to buy local relative to other efforts? Carson Young of the University of Pennsylvania joins us for a fascinating discussion on locavorism.