Eric Crampton is Chief Economist with the New Zealand Initiative.
He applies an economist’s lens to a broad range of policy areas, from devolution and housing policy to student loans and environmental policy. He served on Minister Twyford’s Urban Land Markets Research Group and on Minister Bishop’s Housing Economic Advisory Group.
Most recently, he has been looking at devolution to First Nations in Canada.
He is a regular columnist with Stuff and with Newsroom; his economic and policy commentary appears across most media outlets. He can also be found on Twitter at @ericcrampton.
Phone: +64 4 499 0790
Eight reasons why a Trump presidency may not be as bad as you imagine. Don’t get me wrong: it could, and likely will, still all go horribly, horribly wrong. Read more
You can sell just about anything with the right economic impact report. Just consider Sir Robert Jones’s presumably tongue-in-cheek proposal for a magnificent new statue on The Terrace. Read more
Last week, the Salvation Army released its State of the Nation Report. And, contrary to the usual story, the Salvation Army’s report generally paints a picture of improving outcomes. Read more
Blaming the thug for punching you is only one way of looking at things. After all, if a thug’s punch flies in the forest and your face is not there to meet it, there really is no problem at all. Read more
Radio New Zealand question whether the Christchurch earthquake counts as negative productivity. Our Head of Research, Dr Eric Cramption answers their question, from 1"35'. Read more
If copyright changes are the dead rat we have to eat with our otherwise-tasty Trans-Pacific Partnership meal,* it is worth knowing a bit more about that rat. To do that, we have to go back to first principles on copyright and its purpose. Read more
Our Head of Research, Dr Eric Crampton, speaks to the Radio New Zealand team (from 3'30") about how economists measure productivity, and what insights we can gather from firms reporting increased productivity. Read more
Interest-free student loans have been very costly. The billions spent over the past decade subsidising student loans is only part of it. Read more
The rationales of individual freedom and personal responsibility with Eric Crampton, head of research at The New Zealand Initiative, on economics and digital content: copyright, censorship and Netflix. Read more
The Greens’ proposal that election campaign promises be costed has drawn the praise it is due: it is an excellent proposal. But it is a harder job than it might seem. Read more
Oxfam does fantastic work in the developing world. It is one of the relatively few charities endorsed by The Life You Can Save: the Peter Singer-inspired NGO that ranks charities by their effectiveness. Read more
I prefer making New Year's resolutions for other people rather than for myself. And in that spirit, can we make 2016 the year of not obsessing about whether New Zealand Inc. Read more
Parenting books are full of advice about how to raise your kids. Much of it is obvious: You should love them, instil in them a love of learning, let them take risks, and teach them to be resilient over adversity. Read more
Dr Eric Crampton on Newstalk ZB: Proposed minimum alcohol price sparks controversy
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Christmas slouches ever nearer. And with it holiday shopping, impossibly loud brass bands on Lambton Quay, and television Christmas specials reminding us that charity ought not stop with the family Christmas tree. Read more