PBS NewsHour - Making Sen$e

With a British referendum looming over whether to leave the European Union, many in favor of staying cite cultural and altruistic reasons. But according to some, including Prime Minister David Cameron, Brexit would also have severe economic consequences, including massive trade revenue losses and brain drain driven by shifting job markets. Economics correspondent Paul Solman reports.

Amid the refugee and eurozone crises plaguing continental Europe, Britain is deciding whether or not to remain in the European Union. But migrants and economics are only part of why many are pushing for Brexit. The crux of the issue, supporters say, is sovereignty -- namely, whether other European nations should have the right to dictate British law. Economics correspondent Paul Solman reports.

In the past, violence was the quickest route to establishing dominance. But today, people gain influence by advancing the welfare of others, according to Dacher Keltner. The more power people derive from helping others, however, the more likely they are to prioritize selfishness over altruism -- leading to what Keltner calls a ‘power paradox.’ Economics correspondent Paul Solman reports.

Job growth in the San Francisco Bay Area has exploded in recent years and many people are being priced out. Blame the NIMBYS, including progressives fighting to protect their quaint neighborhoods by blocking any new construction. Activists battling income equality are fighting to change this with the new Yes-In-My-Back-Yard movement. Special correspondent Duarte Geraldino reports.

The U.S. economy is driven by innovation, but unwelcome “patent trolls” are gunking up the system. Patent reform bills sit idle in Congress as the “trolls” set up companies for the sole purpose, critics say, of shaking down inventors while never creating anything. “We just have to write 'em a check so they'll go away,” says one disgusted app maker. Economics correspondent Paul Solman reports.

Millions of Baby Boomer bosses across the nation are nearing retirement age, but an innovative fellowship program at Harvard University aims to give them a second act. The Advanced Leadership Initiative helps former executives bring their professional acumen to bear on a range of social issues, from affordable food to an ebola vaccine. Economics correspondent Paul Solman reports.

What makes a person successful? For Professor Angela Duckworth, the answer is grit, an intangible trait that motivates passion and perseverance. In a study at West Point, Duckworth found that grit mattered more for success than leadership ability, intelligence and physical fitness. Now, she hopes to introduce grit to classrooms across the country. Economics correspondent Paul Solman reports.

Sometimes called "the Southwest Airlines of Europe," Norwegian Airlines makes a profit even though it undercuts prices of U.S. and foreign competitors. Economics correspondent Paul Solman reports from the islands of Guadeloupe on how the low-cost airline took a risk that the bigger carriers wouldn't touch.

North Carolina’s High Point Market is the largest furniture industry trade show in the world. But weeks before designers and retailers arrived, the state legislature passed a law on the use of bathrooms and discrimination targeted at LGBT people, sparking outrage and protests. Special correspondent Roben Farzad explores the economic fallout as the backlash and boycotts spread.

Is making pollution expensive the best way to combat climate change? Economist Yoram Bauman thinks so -- he’s spearheading a campaign for a carbon tax in Seattle. But the proposal is raising opposition, and has brought together some unlikely bedfellows on both sides of the debate. Economics correspondent Paul Solman reports.

At first glance, fiscal planning can seem more complex and time-consuming than it’s worth. But according to Professor Harold Pollack of the University of Chicago, you can fit all the financial advice you’ll ever really need on a single index card. Economics correspondent Paul Solman takes a look at Pollack’s ten easy tips for simple and sensible money management.

In the midst of a campaign season filled with anti-migrant rhetoric, the once-downtrodden town of Utica in upstate New York has been more welcoming; one out of every four citizens there is a refugee. But Utica’s commitment to resettlement isn’t purely humanitarian -- its open door policy is also a pioneering economic tool for revitalizing the Rust Belt. Economics correspondent Paul Solman reports.

Raise.me, a college scholarship app, rewards high school students for their advanced classes and extracurricular activities with “micro-scholarships” -- guaranteed tuition payments paid by their eventual college -- that range from $25 to $1,000 for each of their academic achievements. Economics correspondent Paul Solman reports.

Economic anxiety has taken center stage in this year’s election, driving many angry voters to rally behind Donald Trump. According to conservative Charles Murray, this anxiety can be traced back to deep-seated feelings of marginalization among working class families, exacerbated by the perceived disconnect between themselves and the political elite. Economics correspondent Paul Solman reports.

March Madness means a huge payday for coaches, colleges, networks and advertisers -- everyone except the athletes themselves. Although television rights for the NCAA tournament this year alone brought in nearly a billion dollars, the players won’t see a penny, and many are unhappy with the situation. Economics correspondent Paul Solman examines the cases for and against paying student athletes.