Publications -- Regulations

Dec 10, 2008

BA #637 – Lights Out for Thomas Edison

The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 will soon ban the most common light bulbs in the United States.  New efficiency standards will require manufacturers to produce incandescent bulbs that use less energy per unit of light produced, starting with 100-watt incandescent bulbs in 2012, down to 40-watt bulbs in 2014.

Oct 23, 2008

BA #636 – Beyond No Child Left Behind: Value-Added Assessment of Student Progress

The federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) requires each state to evaluate every public school annually, and to make “adequate yearly progress” toward helping all students meet or exceed state standards in reading and math by 2014. However, each state defines its progress and creates its own tests. Most states measure academic achievement based on pass-fail tests that require students to attain a minimum score.

Oct 02, 2008

BA #634 – Regulating Global Warming: Expanding the Authority of the Environmental Protection Agency

In May 2007, the U.S. Supreme Court decided that greenhouse gases meet the definition of an air pollutant in the Clean Air Act. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) responded in 2008 by issuing an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) that explains how the Clean Air Act applies to regulating emissions of greenhouse gases thought to contribute to global warming.

Sep 29, 2008

BA #633 – The Case for Corporate Income Tax Cuts

Globalization and capital mobility are increasing tax competition among countries.  Lower tax rates increase after-tax returns to capital, raising economic growth rates.  They can also make economies more attractive for foreign investment.  Furthermore, lower taxes on capital are generally associated with increased government tax revenues.

Sep 11, 2008

BA #632 – Economic Benefits of the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement

A free trade agreement commits two or more countries to reduce mutual trade barriers — tariffs, quotas and so forth.  Such agreements give both countries' products an advantage in each other's markets relative to imports from other countries.

Sep 10, 2008

BA #631 – In Order to Extinguish Forest Fires, Don’t Let Logging Burn Out

Federal mismanagement of U.S. forests has increased the number, size and cost of wildfires over the past decade.  Historically, the national forests have been logged to provide lumber for commercial activities, to promote forest recreation, species protection and management, and to prevent wildfires.

Aug 12, 2008

BA #623 – Medical Tourism: Health Care Free Trade

Global competition in health care is allowing more patients from developed countries to travel for medical reasons to regions once characterized as “third world.”  Many of these “medical tourists” are not wealthy, but are seeking high quality medical care at affordable prices.  To meet the growing demand, entrepreneurs are building technologically advanced facilities in India, Thailand, Latin America and elsewhere, and are hiring physicians, technicians and nurses trained to American and European standards to run them. 

Jul 08, 2008

BA #620 – Five Family Friendly Policies

The most significant economic and sociological change of the past half-century has been the entry of women into the labor market. Public policies that govern the workplace have not kept pace with this demographic shift, however. For the most part, tax law, labor law and employee benefits law were designed decades ago on the assumption that the typical household would have a full-time working husband and a homemaker wife.

Jun 16, 2008

BA #619 – The Economic Benefits of NAFTA to the United States and Mexico

Prior to the 1980s, high import tariffs and quotas characterized Mexico's international trade policy, along with restrictions on foreign investment and ownership.  But following a severe economic crisis in the early 1980s, the country began liberalizing its protectionist policies.  In the years since, Mexico has implemented 11 free trade agreements — with the European Union, countries in South and Central America, Japan and, most importantly, the United States and Canada. 

May 20, 2008

BA #618 – Insuring New Jersey's Uninsured

Individual health insurance policies in New Jersey are among the most costly in the United States due to over-regulation and expensive mandates. Two radically different bills have been proposed recently to reduce the number of uninsured in the state by making health coverage more affordable. One proposal would mandate that individuals purchase insurance.