Earlier this month, President Donald Trump released his first proposed fiscal budget which provides a blueprint for his preferences for the 2018 fiscal year. Among others, one change by the President and his administration was especially alarming. The proposed new
How Occupational Licensing Harms the Labor Market and Why Licensing Requirements Need to be Reduced
In 2015 roughly 25 percent of the US labor force held a certification or license, a sharp increase from 5 percent in the 1950s. A license is provided by a government agency and a certification is issued by non-governmental
The (Nuanced) Case for a Higher Minimum Wage
The Federal Minimum wage is one of the more partisan policies of our time. Although raising the minimum wage is wildly popular, it has sat at $7.25 since July 2009. This article will examine why the United States should raise
A Case for Foreign Development Assistance
President Donald Trump proposed to cut funding to USAID and the Department of State as part of his proposed annual budget, amounting to about 37% of the department’s total budget. Today, development assistance accounts for less than 1% of the
The Mortgage Interest Deduction Isn’t Working
When it comes to quotes about economists, there may be none more well-known than President Truman’s remark about the two-handed economist. Frustrated with what he perceived as the inability of economists to take a firm stance on an issue, President Truman
Can Common Core State Standards Initiative Make the Education System Better?
After the financial crisis in 2008, the United States is experiencing a lower steady growth. Compare to some high growth economies around world like China and India, the growth rate of the United States is a little worrisome. It
Directly Selling Cars
Recently, Tesla Inc has been in the news for its cutting edge technology. Tesla has been developing completely battery powered cars at a lower price than has ever been done before. Their new autopilot technology allows for safer and more
The Irish Corporate Tax Rate
The European Commission’s accusation that Apple paid a mere 0.005% on their 2014 European profits outraged Apple CEO Tim Cook and intrigued many Americans enough to turn their attention towards a highly controversial piece of Ireland’s economic policy decisions: their
The Case for Tuition Free College
Throughout the democratic primaries last year, Senator Bernie Sanders was well known for his seemingly radical plan to make college tuition free. Although it might seem extreme to some, there is actually a strong case for making all public colleges
Why The Proposed Trump-GOP Tax Reform Won’t Work
With the 2016 election resulting in a Republican majority in both the house and the senate, as well as a Republican president, talks of tax reform have begun spiraling around the hill. During his recent campaign, President Trump spoke frequently