This Week in Economic Freedom
It’s been a promising week for supporters of freer markets as several states and municipalities have taken steps toward deregulation and consumer choice. Here’s a roundup of some new developments: 1....
View ArticleNew Research on West Virginia’s Medicaid Reforms
Today, the Mercatus Cetner released a new policy brief by Tami Gurley-Calvez on Medicaid reforms implemented in West Virginia, based on a working paper she wrote this fall. In 2007 the state enacted a...
View ArticleMore money for FEMA does not guarantee improved results
Before Congress passed $9.7 billion in Hurricane Sandy relief spending today, Governor Christie made headlines for his angry response to the House GOP’s delay in approving relief funds. The new...
View ArticleSeparation between art and state
In Utah, the Sutherland Institute is leading an effort to stop state support for the Sundance Film Festival. On the organization’s blog Derek Monson writes: Given the amount of sexual promiscuity that...
View ArticleDistinguishing between Medicaid Expenditures and Health Outcomes
As the LA Times reports, the Obama administration has vowed not to approve any cuts to Medicaid during budget negotiations: Preserving Medicaid funding became even more crucial to the Obama...
View ArticlePre-K for All?
I’m at US News’s Economic Intelligence blog this week, writing about President Obama’s proposal for universal Pre-K. One problem with his proposal is that we don’t have data demonstrating that state-...
View ArticleA price tag on congestion
The research organization TRIP finds that traffic congestion comes at a steep price for drivers in the Washington, DC area. They determine that congestion and poor road conditions cost drivers $2,195...
View ArticleImplications of an emergency fiscal manager for Detroit
Reuters reports that an emergency financial manager might provide Detroit with a path toward bankruptcy. This week I’m at US News writing on how an emergency financial manager might help the city...
View ArticleShortfalls in non-profit disaster rebuilding
This post originally appeared at Market Urbanism, a blog about free-market urban development. After receiving years of praise for its work in post-Katrina recovery, Brad Pitt’s home building...
View ArticleThird Edition of Freedom in the 50 States
Today the Mercatus Center released the third edition of Freedom in the 50 States by Will Ruger and Jason Sorens. In this new edition, the authors score states on over 200 policy variables....
View ArticleVarying Priorities in Municipal Bankruptcy
On Monday Reuters reported that a federal judge has found Stockton, CA to be eligible for bankruptcy protection. This decision came despite protests from Wall Street arguing that the city had options...
View ArticleHappy Tax Freedom Day
Today, the Tax Foundation notes that Americans have worked enough to pay off their 2013 taxes, leaving the rest of the year’s earnings available for private consumption and investment: Tax Freedom Day...
View ArticleFreedom in the 50 States and Migration
In last month’s publication of Freedom in the 50 States, Will Ruger and Jason Sorens point to net domestic migration as an indicator that Americans demonstrate their preferences for more libertarian...
View ArticleChief Resiliency Officers Versus Antifragility
At The Atlantic Cities, Emily Badger writes about a new program from the Rockefeller Foundation called 100 Resilient Cities, focused on equipping cities with a new employee called a Chief Resiliency...
View ArticleDetroit’s Art is Not the Key to its Revival
This post originally appeared at Market Urbanism, a blog about free-market urban development. Detroit’s art assets have made news as Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr is evaluating the city’s assets for a...
View ArticleWMATA’s failures are institutional, not personal
Chris Barnes who writes the DC blog FixWMATA is supporting a petition to replace the Board of Directors of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Frustration with the transit agency is...
View ArticleBurden of DC’s Wal-Mart Minimum Wage would be Borne by City’s Poor
Plans to bring six Wal-Marts to the District of Columbia may fall through over city requirements for the big box store to pay an hourly wage of $12.50, more than a 50-percent increase over the...
View ArticleTo merge or not to merge?
Consolidating municipalities is a common policy prescription from across the political spectrum. In New Jersey in particular, many democratic and republican elected officials have thrown their support...
View ArticleOccupational Licensing Hurts Consumers and Limits Entrepreneurship
This week I’m at U.S. News and World Reports looking at how occupational licensing hurts consumers and acts as an obstacle to new business creation. However, licensing requirements are difficult to...
View ArticleNew York’s Population Challenge
Last week at City Journal, Aaron Renn explored the New York region’s loss of domestic residents since 2000. He demonstrates that one of the world’s economic powerhouses is falling victim to the trend...
View Article
More Pages to Explore .....