The application of economics to major contemporary real world problems
-- housing, medical care, discrimination, the economic development of
nations -- is the theme of this new book that tackles these and other
issues head on in plain language, as distinguished from the usual jargon
of economists. It examines economic policies not simply in terms of
their immediate effects but also in terms of their later repercussions,
which are often very different and longer lasting. The interplay of
politics with economics is another theme of Applied Economics, whose
examples are drawn from experiences around the world, showing how
similar incentives and constraints tend to produce similar outcomes
among very disparate peoples and cultures.