James Otteson

With the absolutely amazing @jroii, four years ago today.

🏆𝙉𝘼𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉𝘼𝙇 𝘾𝙃𝘼𝙈𝙋𝙄𝙊𝙉𝙎🏆 This title’s one for the record books — our school record 13th title in program history and the first team on campus to three-peat! #GoIrish

We know you’re anxious to hear back, and we are just as excited to welcome you. We are officially on track to release admissions decisions for the Summer Scholars program in early April. #notredameprecollege #ndprecollege #dosomethingextraordinary #summerscholars

Fantastic. Notre Dame announces that families with incomes under $150,000 will pay zero tuition news.nd.edu/news/notre-dam…

The number of cancer deaths worldwide has more than doubled since the 1980s. Does that mean we're losing the fight against cancer? Not necessarily, because it depends on how you measure it. On this chart, you can see three ways to look at the same data. The red line shows the total number of cancer deaths. It has increased by about 120%, but this measure doesn't account for the fact that the world's population has also grown enormously over this period. Another approach is to look at the death rate: the number of cancer deaths divided by the total population. That's the brown line, called the crude cancer death rate. It has increased too, but much less — around 20%. But there's still a problem: the world's population has been getting older. Cancer is mostly a disease of old age, so even per capita, we'd expect more cancer deaths simply because there are more older people than before. That's where the method of “age standardization” comes in. It's a way of asking: what would the cancer death rate look like if the age structure of the population hadn't changed? The blue line shows this age-standardized rate: it's fallen by about 25%. At any given age, people are now less likely to die of cancer than they were in the 1980s. The same underlying data gives us three different pictures. The absolute number of deaths is up; the crude rate is up slightly; the age-standardized rate is down. None of these are inaccurate, but they answer different questions. Age standardization is one of the most important statistical methods for making sense of health data. Without it, population aging can hide progress or mask problems.

An article on the anniversary of Wealth of Nations, in which I make an appearance. Ce qu’il reste de «La richesse des nations», 250 ans après sa parution ledevoir.com/economie/96213…

También hay excelentes libros de @econtalker y @jroii:

I’d trace it to the 17th-century English Levellers, but Smith is a pretty good place to start.

Today is the 250th anniversary of Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations, one of the most important books ever. If you don’t have the stamina to read it all, we made a film about him a few years ago. My favourite part is when his metaphor of “the man of system” comes alive.

Happy 250th Anniversary, Adam Smith’s THE WEALTH OF NATIONS, published March 9, 1776. Some time ago I spoke at @AdamSmithHouse in Edinburgh and held in my hands a first edition of WN. I’ve been studying Mr. Smith for a long time but this was a highlight! #WealthOfNations250 @aier

Listen to @DrSamuelGregg speak with @jroii of @LawLiberty on Adam Smith’s approach to jurisprudence lawliberty.org/podcast/adam-s…

In a live EconTalk event at Ball State University in 2015, Vernon Smith and James Otteson joined Russ Roberts to examine Adam Smith, from human nature to the unity of The Theory of Moral Sentiments and The Wealth of Nations. econtalk.org/vernon-smith-a…

Rev. Gregory Haake, C.S.C., appointed vice president for mission engagement and Church affairs bit.ly/40rumQR

This seems like significant news: in one of newish ND president Fr. Dowd's first big appointments. Fr. Haake is named VP for mission engagement and Church affairs. Campus sources focused on ND's Catholic identity describe him as "awesome."

So this is happening. If you happen to be in Maynooth, please join!

Created with a mission to challenge its students with extra rigorous coursework and specialized programming, Mendoza’s Business Honors Program prepares students for not only business-related ventures but also ethical practices. ndsmcobserver.com/article/2026/0…

Zero-sum thinking is the first “economic sin” I identify in Seven Deadly Economic Sins: Obstacles to Prosperity and Happiness Every Citizen Should Know a.co/d/0hF7rcTQ

Professor of political science Vincent Philip Muñoz and professor of business ethics James Otteson are volunteering their time to teach a one-credit course titled “1776: The Ideas that Made the Modern World.” Will be live-streamed...

Counterpoint: ndsmcobserver.com/article/2026/0…