Governance | Econofact

Why Does the Census Matter for State and Local Governments? (UPDATED)

By Nora Gordon and Krista O'Connell·August 31, 2020
McCourt School of Public Policy, Georgetown University

The Issue:

The 2020 census has faced a series of challenges, controversies and the unprecedented conditions brought about by the coronavirus pandemic. The accuracy of the census is very important for governance. Not only does the decennial census determine how many representatives each state can elect to the House

Election Infrastructure and the Market for Voting Technology

By Josephine Wolff and Miriam Wasserman·February 11, 2020
The Fletcher School, Tufts University and EconoFact

The Issue:

Voting technology should ideally be reliable, secure, and easy-to-audit, but elections often encounter technological problems from poorly designed custom apps to breaches of voter records. Despite all of the attention focused on improving election security in the aftermath of the 2016 election, voting

Voting and Income

By Randall Akee·February 7, 2019
University of California, Los Angeles

The Issue:

Voter turnout in the United States is vastly unequal: richer people are more likely to vote than poorer people. If the poor are less likely to vote then they have a lower probability of having their interests and preferences reflected in public policy. While the association between higher family incomes

Has the day of the Congressional Budget Office come and gone?

By Dan Sichel·June 12, 2017
Wellesley College

The Issue:

In an interview with the Washington Examiner in May, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, Mick Mulvaney, asked whether the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) — Congress’ own budget analysis agency — has outlived its usefulness. Mulvaney was unhappy with the CBO’s estimate that the

Unintended Consequences: Lessons From an Anti-Fraud Reform

By Raymond Fisman·June 1, 2017
Boston University

The Issue:

When individuals abuse government programs, governments often respond with reforms that involve stricter monitoring or punishments for violators. This is viewed as a way of improving program effectiveness and reducing costs. But these reforms can have unintended consequences that could limit the efficacy ...
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Leaning on The Fed

By Michael Klein·April 13, 2017
Fletcher School, Tufts University

The Issue:

The Federal Reserve walks a tight balance between maintaining low unemployment and preventing the economy from heating up and unleashing inflation. Its decisions impact groups differently: raising interest rates can be painful for borrowers and businesses seeking to invest and expand; lowering them can ...
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Rules, Regulations, and Social Benefits

By Sandra Black·March 8, 2017
University of Texas, Austin

The Issue:

Over 90 regulations have been delayed, suspended or reversed by federal agencies and the Republican-controlled Congress since President Trump took office. The new administration has undertaken to undo many of the rules and regulations put in place under the Obama administration. And, if the direction of ...
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The Council of Economic Advisers and the Role of Expert Economic Advice

By Kadee Russ·February 21, 2017
University of California, Davis

The Issue:

During a television interview in the run-up to the Brexit vote in June 2016, British Justice Secretary Michael Gove refused to name any economists who supported Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union but said instead “People in this country have had enough of experts.” Politicians have denigrated

Business Success Versus Government Success

By Raymond Fisman·February 7, 2017
Boston University

The Issue:

There is a long history of trying to make government more efficient. At the beginning of his presidency, Bill Clinton charged his vice president, Al Gore, with heading a six-month “National Performance Review to “make the entire federal government less expensive and more efficient.” More recently, ...
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