These days, the "buy local" crowd seems to have a stronger voice. I am gleeful about this for a variety of reasons, but it
is helpful to view some of their claims with a bit of skepticism. At least that is what economists should do.
Cap and trade could lead us to a much cleaner, more prosperous future or it could devastate our economy.
Let’s reflect on the origins of the current income tax system to help understand it better.
The wages paid by a company to its employees are a distinctly private matter.
I am often asked the seemingly simple question, "Just what is economic development?"
When economists worry about the health of the banking system, it is primarily because we are concerned with a stable velocity
of money.
Markets, no matter how imperfect, not government programs, manage the economy.
After much debate, the U.S. House and Senate have come together on a stimulus package. Whether it will work remains to be seen. And the long-term impact of spending nearly $800 billion is a big concern.
The most recent data on the U.S. economy continues to be worrying, but a little context remains helpful.
Expeditious and clever spending on roads, infrastructure and, in the half-dozen states where it is possible, a tax cut will determine the success of the stimulus plan.
All the serious talk in Washington for the next few weeks will center on an economic stimulus package. Up to now, the argument
has been for an extensive (perhaps a $1 trillion) program.
College affordability has gained a lot of attention over the past few years, but I am not sure that the simple focus on costs
is the right way to think about the
problem.
A federal bailout for automakers Chrysler and General Motors won’t fix their problems. I think a bankruptcy of these companies is nearly inevitable.
It might also spell the demise of the UAW.
The clouds of darkness will pass, fear will be removed, and the light of the season will linger in those who seek it.
Ball State University’s Indiana econometric model predicts that earnings in all of Indiana’s
major economic sectors except health care will decline in the next three months.
The Dec. 1 announcement by the Business Cycle Dating Committee of the National Bureau of Economic Research officially dated
the recession back to the fourth quarter of 2007.
Holidays are great fun, but Thanksgiving brings the most memories.
The fixes for poverty, and low-wage workers, are hard, deliberate and done family by family. This is why the cost of the welfare
program reforms implemented in 1996 didn’t plummet with lower enrollment.
Budget cuts could eliminate programs that gather and analyze local and state economic data. This would hurt businesses and
economic development officials, since they would not have the data that helps them see how their market differs from the state
and the nation.
Most economists spend some time teaching, but the vast majority of our time is spent doing research.
