ESSA Writers - Economics Students Society of Australia

ESSA Writers

Electric Scooter Rentals: Fad or Revolution?

Import 2022-12-14 05:06

Electric Scooter Rentals: Fad or Revolution?

This article was written by Tim Wooley. Long have cars, bikes and public transport dominated humanities movements. However, with the success of ride sharing services, investors are again interested in partnering with firms who are disrupting how we have traditionally moved around. Of particular note are dockless electric scooter rental

Income inequality in a low-interest rate world

income inequality

Income inequality in a low-interest rate world

A topical discussion in economics is a trend of rising Income inequality, with some calling it the most disturbing social and economic issue of our time.[1] One way to measure this inequality is to compare the income earned by the top 1% as a share of national income. Plotted

Price Transparency: a Double Edged Sword?

Price Transparency: a Double Edged Sword?

The benefits of increased price transparency are well known. A reduction in consumer search costs places pressure on producers to price their products competitively and, accordingly, enhances consumer welfare. After all, who wouldn’t want to shave a few dollars off their morning coffee? Technological progress over the past few

Flipping the Script on Environmental Policy

Flipping the Script on Environmental Policy

The recent Australian federal election was aptly named the ‘climate election’. The debate leading up to the vote saw Australia grapple not with how an effective climate policy suite might look, but with how we should rank our environmental crisis among other pressing issues prevalent in Australian society (Cook 2016)

Credit where it’s due: Australia’s Imputation Tax System

Credit where it’s due: Australia’s Imputation Tax System

Taxation is a daunting topic to think about. At lunchtime with your friends, it’s not routine to have a deep conversation about how you do your taxes year by year. Financial jargon like ‘bracket creep’, ‘imputation’ or ‘franking credits’ may scare you upon first glance; however, Australia’s taxation

#ESSAdebate - Negative Gearing

#ESSAdebate - Negative Gearing

Introduction Negative gearing occurs when the rental return from a property is less than the interest repayments and other outgoings incurred. Investors are then able to claim the interest payments, as well as some other expenses, as tax deductions. One side of the debate sees this as artificially inflating housing

Mixing economics with water

Mixing economics with water

Water price regulation: in the best interest of consumers Have you ever thought about who regulates the price of water that comes out of your tap? Victoria’s independent economic regulator for water prices is tackling a difficult area with a new pricing framework that focuses on customers. As a

How much should politicians be paid? (Part 2 of 2)

How much should politicians be paid? (Part 2 of 2)

Part 1 of this series analysed how higher salaries could help attract more educated candidates to politics in developing countries, with a specific focus on Sri Lanka. While attracting competent candidates is as much a concern in developed countries, the general level of education among politicians tends to be higher

Getting the market ready for the NDIS

Getting the market ready for the NDIS

Touted as the largest social policy reform since Medicare,[1] the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is a transfer from a state government-run, bulk-funded service delivery for people with disability to a national, market-based individualised system. Its establishment in 2013 marked the NDIS as the only national scheme of its

How much should politicians be paid? (Part 1 of 2)

How much should politicians be paid? (Part 1 of 2)

A few interesting studies on the wages and performance of lawmakers have suggested that high pay and benefits can foster better democratic outcomes, as they make politicians more receptive to voters rather than to special interests. This is a perspective worth analysing.[1] To begin with, across many countries, political

The economics of diversity

The economics of diversity

People often refer to the USA as the ‘great melting pot of cultures’, and often attribute some of the innovation and growth that takes place in the US, to the diversity of its society. At the same time, social diversity is widely blamed for causing the ‘tragedy of Africa.’[1]

#ESSAdebate - The Cashless Economy

Import 2022-12-14 05:06

#ESSAdebate - The Cashless Economy

[two_fifth] Charan Naidoo You’ve been warned- the cashless economy is coming and there is little you can do to stop it. The merits of a cashless economy have been a feature in public debate for over two decades. However only recently have nations, such as Sweden, finally made

From student to tutor: The VCE tutor marketplace

From student to tutor: The VCE tutor marketplace

With more and more students completing the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) every year, the VCE marketplace for tutors is becoming a growing and highly competitive environment. Each year, high-achieving high school graduates enter the market in hopes of selling their tutoring services to an increasing demand of students who

Tech Disruption: How has the As-A-Service Business Model Impacted the Labour Market?

Import 2022-12-14 05:06

Tech Disruption: How has the As-A-Service Business Model Impacted the Labour Market?

One of the greatest economic processes occurring in the last century affecting both firms and workers is globalization, bringing about rapid technological growth, faster dissemination of information, and opportunities to enter new markets[1]. However, a caveat of globalization by many businesses is increased competition. As a result, many businesses

Are pandas white elephants?

Are pandas white elephants?

Like Japanese ceramics, top-end Mini Coopers and myself, pandas are cute but terribly expensive. Giant pandas currently hold the record for being the world’s most expensive animal to keep in captivity.[1] Technically the property of the Chinese government, zoos must pay $1 million a year to rent out

Understanding the NRA

Understanding the NRA

In an October 2016 Gallup poll, 55% of Americans favoured stricter laws covering firearm sales. Subsequently there have been 72 mass killings in the US, defined as an event where three or more people are killed (per the FBI), and no federal laws passed to increase scrutiny on gun sales.

Love Games: Confessing feelings to a friend

Love Games: Confessing feelings to a friend

So you’ve been really good friends with a mate of yours for a couple of months. You get along well with each other like two peas in a pod. As time goes by, you realise that you have developed tender feelings for them and want to be more than

Venezuela: an economic tragedy

Venezuela: an economic tragedy

Imagine you need immediate medical attention. You arrive at the emergency department and there is a three hour wait to see a doctor. When you finally get to see someone, the doctor says you need penicillin, but they don’t have any. The hospital doesn’t even have running water.

#ESSADebate – Youth Travel

#ESSADebate – Youth Travel

[two_fifth] Julia Pham What’s wrong with spending your hard-earned money on something you enjoy? This semester I’ve crammed before tests, pulled all-nighters and managed to go to four parties without repeating an outfit. Are you telling me that after all of that hard work I don’t

Economics x Fashion: Why high-low designer collabs work, and why they don’t

Import 2022-12-14 05:06

Economics x Fashion: Why high-low designer collabs work, and why they don’t

On the morning of June 30th, after months of build up, the Louis Vuitton and Supreme collaboration finally ‘dropped’ in pop-up stores around the world. At Sydney’s Bondi pop-up, the collection sold out in minutes, leaving hundreds who had been lining up for hours literally out in the cold.

Commballnomics 2017: the opportunity costs of attendance

Commballnomics 2017: the opportunity costs of attendance

Picking the perfect Docklands apartment for pres you won’t remember? Not sure if you should wear the orange socks with the blue umbrellas or the ones with the pink elephant riding a unicycle? Forget all that for a moment, because ESSA is back for another year with all the

Uber's driverless cars: the road ahead

Uber's driverless cars: the road ahead

At the annual World Economic Forum, then-Uber CEO Travis Kalanick (pre-resignation), oozes confidence just short of arrogance, as he reveals that his team is at that precise second trialling their cool, new, self-driving cars in Pittsburgh. He goes on to lament the tragedy of road accidents, and speaks passionately about

#ESSADebate - Should Section 44 be amended?

#ESSADebate - Should Section 44 be amended?

[two_fifth] Kyneton Morris Section 44 challenges some of the most fundamental values of modern Australia. We need a diverse government to speak for our diverse country. Without further ado, I would like to repeat the legendary Milton Friedman’s words and use them in a new context. ‘Concentrated power

The fight against cyber attacks

The fight against cyber attacks

In 2016 alone, $81 million was stolen from Bangladesh’s central bank by suspected North Korean hackers. A separate incident saw the US National Security Agency’s hacking tools leaked on the internet. A $4.8 billion takeover of Yahoo by telecommunications giant Verizon was threatened by severe data breaches,

National Press Club Address: Women in Economics 2017 Federal Budget Reflections

National Press Club Address: Women in Economics 2017 Federal Budget Reflections

Speech at the National Press Club Address, Tuesday 16 May Thanks Katherine and to the National Press Club for having us. I’m absolutely thrilled to be here to participate in what I believe is the first all-female economic discussion to be hosted by the Press Club. Part of the