You can’t turn on the television or open a magazine these days without hearing or seeing the term fiscal cliff. The media is awash with reports of President Obama and Speaker John Boehner’s negotiations over tax increases and …
Economy
Why Yesterday’s Fed Announcement Is a Big Deal
The Federal Reserve is a famously inscrutable institution. Given their ability to move markets, Fed officials have long been in the habit of speaking in careful, jargon-laced language that is often constructed with the express …
Good News: Young Americans On the Move Again
American mobility is on the rise — at least for now.
Fixing Inflation Adjustments Is the Smart Way to Shrink the Deficit
Limiting future increases in government spending will be less painful than making sudden deep cuts in current programs.
The Bad News Behind the Good Jobs Numbers
Never underestimate the importance of expectations. While most of us were bracing for a poor jobs report due to the disruptive effects of Hurricane Sandy, the headline numbers of 146,000 jobs added in November and a four-year-low …
Is The Housing Recovery Just an Illusion Created by the Federal Reserve?
It’s now conventional wisdom that the housing market — once the anchor that sank the American economy — is the ballast that’s keeping it afloat, however tenuously. The Case-Schiller index of home prices, released last week, …
The Best Way to Cut Government Spending: Get Really Tough on Fraud
Fraud and improper payments for government programs amount to $125 billion a year. Reducing those losses substantially would avoid a lot of painful cuts.
Oh No, Canada! Are We Watching Another North American Financial Crisis Unfold?
For some time during and after the financial crisis, it was fashionable to point to Canada as a paragon of fiscal and regulatory prudence. In the years leading up to the crisis, the Canadian government ran budget surpluses, which …
Small Towns Get Boost From Oil, Gas as Wealth Shifts Away From Cities
The Great Recession hit small towns hard. But according to a new analysis, small-town America is actually experiencing an economic revival thanks to an oil and gas boom.
Regulatory Report Card: How Effective Was Mary Schapiro as SEC Chair?
SEC Chairman Mary Schapiro announced yesterday that she would be stepping down from her role in December, marking the end of one of the most eventful four-year periods in the SEC’s history.
When she assumed the Chairmanship of …
Why the Fiscal Cliff is the Wrong Thing to Worry About
The resolution of the Fiscal Cliff will probably no solve much, while little attention is paid to the real economic problems.
Forget the Fiscal Cliff: Why Obama Is in Asia
It might seem strange that newly re-elected President Barack Obama has chosen this moment to jet off to Asia. After all, he’s left a mess of problems back home. The White House is in the midst of tense negotiations with …
