Publications -- Government

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 21, 2008

BA #635 – Nuclear Renaissance: Atoms to Power the Future

How will America meet its future energy needs? Rising demand for electricity, possible greenhouse gas legislation and U.S. dependence on foreign oil are some of the reasons for concern. These factors, combined with the high cost and relative unreliability of various other alternative energy sources, have forced policymakers to consider nuclear energy once again.

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.

Aug 29, 2008

BA #627 – Will Congress Penalize Marriage Again?

The marriage penalty is a quirk in the tax code that pushes married couples into a higher tax bracket than two unmarried single earners living together and earning the same combined income. The 2001 Bush tax cuts all but eliminated the marriage penalty by lowering tax rates and simplifying other elements of the tax code. However, these Bush tax cuts expire in 2010, and American families face steep marginal tax increases if Congress fails to renew them.

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 10, 2008

ST #312 – Economic Inequality: Facts, Theory and Significance

The well-documented rise in economic inequality in the United States over the last two decades is somewhat misleading. Almost all Americans, whether considered "rich" or "poor," are better off economically today than in previous times. Furthermore, due to the high degree of income mobility in the United States, most people move between income groups throughout their life.

May 14, 2008

BA #617 – Capping CO2 Emissions, Boosting Energy Costs

The United States has refused to ratify the 1997 Kyoto Protocol intended to limit and eventually reduce emissions of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The treaty did not meet two requirements Congress deemed necessary for a worthwhile international climate change policy — that it: 1) do no harm to the U.S. economy and 2) include developing nations in emissions regulation. Congress should apply these criteria to proposed domestic climate change legislation.