Articles on why America is not Japan, America’s bad demographics, winning elections the scientific way, when to make the best decisions, sexual harassment in France, when populations run out, and how to end the housing shortage.

Will America fall into a Japanese economic deflationary slump?

Financial Times -- Against “Japan-ification”
Given that it’s the question of the hour…

America’s shrinking consumers.

Financial Times -- Demographics and destiny, labour force and consumer spending edition
A decent review of a theme we’ve been exploring recently, courtesy of Moody’s Analytics.

Related.

FRBSF -- Boomer Retirement: Headwinds for U.S. Equity Markets?
The baby boom generation born between 1946 and 1964 has had a large impact on the U.S. economy and will continue to do so as baby boomers gradually phase from work into retirement over the next two decades.

The science of winning elections. Quantify me.

New York Times -- Rick Perry’s Scientific Campaign Method
Sasha Issenberg, a former Boston Globe reporter who has also written for Monocle, Slate, Philadelphia and The New York Times Magazine, has been writing a book about the new science of campaigns called “The Victory Lab.”

The next time you are up for parole, make sure you get scheduled first thing in the morning.

New York Times – Do You Suffer from Decision Fatigue
Three men doing time in Israeli prisons recently appeared before a parole board consisting of a judge, a criminologist and a social worker.

Managing Mosques.

New York Review of Books – The New European Far Right
In the flurry of commentaries about the July 22 Norway killings, certain features stand out.

How America has deindustrialised. Thanks to Paul of Victoria.

Forbes -- Why Amazon Can't Make A Kindle In the USA
I recently noted how conventional cost accounting inexorably focuses executives’ attention on increasing short-term profits by cutting costs.

What are they waiting for? (ed’s note – the pot calling the kettle black).

Brookings -- Why Can’t Europe Get it Right the First Time… or the Second… or the Third?
The Euro Crisis has struck again, hammering not just European markets, but doing real damage to U.S. markets and to economic prospects around the world.

Blowing the whistle in France.

Guardian -- DSK walks, but Nicolas Sarkozy will run
The case against Dominique Strauss-Kahn is being dropped but his reputation is in tatters; his accuser's, too. So who benefits?

Declining fertility rates prompted the Economist to chart when populations would run out. Thanks to David of Victoria.

Economist  -- End of History and the Last Woman
As The Economist reports this week, many women in the richer parts of Asia have gone on “marriage strike”, preferring the single life to the marital yoke.

 

Fixing the rental shortage.

The Tyee -- Landlords and Tenants Agree: Market Can't Fix Itself
Policy ideas for dealing with rental crunch.