Marginal Revolution University (MRU), founded by Tyler Cowen and Alex Tabarrok, has long been at the forefront of making economics accessible, engaging, and downright fun. Through clear, creative, and concise educational content, MRU is transforming how people around the globe—particularly young students—understand the power of economics.
This year, MRU reached a remarkable milestone: Their curriculum is now being used in 25% of high schools across the country. This achievement is a testament to MRU's commitment to education and the growing demand for thoughtful, approachable, and innovative approaches to teaching economics. Congratulations to the entire MRU team for making economics not just understandable but exciting for thousands of students!
But they're not stopping there. MRU is launching a brand new YouTube channel, "Econ Nerds," dedicated to exploring economic concepts through entertaining, relatable, and straightforward videos. The channel will also partner with fresh economic-content creators, amplifying new voices and innovative perspectives.
Check out MRU's courses and resources at mru.org, and be on the lookout for the Econ Nerds channel launch!
Ben Brophy Director of Marketing
Mercatus Center at George Mason University
Topics & Issues
Jack Salmon reminds us that the growth of mandatory spending programs—not insufficient tax revenues—is the primary driver of the United States’ long-term budget deficit.
Dean Ball gives us an overview of his latest policy research on the emergence of AI agents and explores their potential to transform the economy and organizational structures. Gutenberg, Newton, and others created great leaps in materials science. AI will do the same.
Andrew Levin examines the Federal Reserve's operational expenditures, highlighting a 67% increase in inflation-adjusted salaries for Fed Board employees from 2007 to 2024, a $2.5 billion headquarters renovation, and $220 billion in operating losses since mid-2022. Something about that doesn’t quite add up—it might be time for more transparency and external review.
Concerns about data scarcity leading to monopolization in the generative AI market are unfounded. Alden Abbott and Satya Marar point to thriving data markets and technological advancements that enable access to necessary training data. Preemptive regulations could hinder innovation.
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