Many social critics wag their fingers at what they perceive to be frivolous luxury spending. But that misses the point that consumption norms are local. It's not just the rich who spend more when they get more money. Everyone else… — Robert H. Frank Copy Share Image
Many decry rising inequality because it makes those who've fallen behind feel impoverished. But it's done much more than cause hurt feelings. It has also raised the real cost to middle-income families of achieving many basic goals. The process begins… — Robert H. Frank Copy Share Image
If the search is for examples that contradict the predictions of standard economic models, a good rule of thumb is to start in France. — Robert H. Frank Copy Share Image
When people bump up against one another in the course of pursuing their goals, it is in everyone's interest to resolve any resulting problems… — Robert H. Frank Copy Share Image
It is no exaggeration to say that rising inequality has driven many of the 99 percent into a financial ditch. It also helped spawn… — Robert H. Frank Copy Share Image
We could curtail private spending by several trillion dollars a year without requiring painful sacrifices from anyone. That would be more than enough to… — Robert H. Frank Copy Share Image
The most glaring deficiency in traditional economic models is that they completely ignore the role of context in evaluation. — Robert H. Frank Copy Share Image
Adam Smith's uncritically enthusiastic modern disciples portray his invisible hand theory as saying that market forces reliably harness selfish individuals to serve the common… — Robert H. Frank Copy Share Image
Trusting others puts us at risk. Yet failure to trust entails risk as well. The ability to navigate through this minefield successfully is one… — Robert H. Frank Copy Share Image
Rising inequality hasn't really accomplished anything of value for its ostensible beneficiaries, the top one percent. They've all built bigger mansions and staged more… — Robert H. Frank Copy Share Image
As economists have long noted, the puzzle is not that so few people vote, it's that so many do. After all, no individual's vote… — Robert H. Frank Copy Share Image
Pass down values every day through your actions, your words and your time with your kids. — Robert H. Frank Copy Share Image
When the rich build bigger, they shift the frame of reference that shapes the demands of the near rich, who travel in the same… — Robert H. Frank Copy Share Image
