THIS WEEK’S BIG FIVE 3/8/2010

Debt Is A Political Issue
Krugman outlines explains that the size of the national debt is not the only thing that influences investors’ demands in terms of intereest rates, but also the perceived fiscal responsibility of the political elite, which is why we need more Democrats in office.

The zero-sum game of tax cuts to stimulate state economies
A detailed explanation of why the Republican corporate welfare bill in the state legislature will not create jobs and only harm the state’s economy.

A Better Poverty Measure
A history of how the federal poverty line is set and how we might be able to better calculate it in the future.

How Maryland controls health-care costs
An interesting look at how Maryland has achieved effective costs controls for their state in terms of health care.

Lincoln Logs a Challenger as Halter Tries to Halt Her — But are Democrats Spinning their Wheels?
538 uses Arkansas’ democratic primary to examine the reasoning that goes on behind the decision to run a primary campaign against a setting official.