That question may never be asked in a highly developed economy like the United States where increases in prices at the gas pump are felt most directly by consumers, but it is a question that is being asked frequently these days in China where food is such an important part of the budget for most.

FORBES: Pork Prices and Inflation

He never asked Congress directly for a bail-out in his testimonies before the House and Senate, but he was in the company of CEOs from the car, insurance and financial-services sectors who did.

ECONOMIST: The postal service

Surveys suggest that tax rules affect the size and timing of gifts, but not the initial decision to give, which depends largely on being moved by the cause or being asked directly to support it.

ECONOMIST: Charity and taxation