Economy

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Our Research & Offerings on Economy
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  • Special Report posted February 8, 2012 by William Beach, Patrick Tyrrell The 2012 Index of Dependence on Government

    Abstract: The great and calamitous fiscal trends of our time—dependence on government by an increasing portion of the American population, and soaring debt that threatens the financial integrity of the economy—worsened yet again in 2010 and 2011. The United States has long reached the…

  • Center for Data Analysis Report posted November 7, 2005 by Tim Kane, Ph.D. Who Bears the Burden? Demographic Characteristics of U.S. Military Recruits Before and After 9/11

    A few Members of Congress, motivated by American combat in the Middle East, have called for the reinstatement of a compulsory military draft. The case for coercing young citizens to join the military is supposedly based on social jus­tice?that all should serve?and…

  • WebMemo posted September 22, 2010 by Karen Campbell, Ph.D., Guinevere Nell, Paul Winfree Obamacare: Impact on the Economy

    The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), the health care bill signed into law by President Obama in March, will overhaul the current health insurance system by enforcing mandates on individuals and businesses, expanding Medicaid, and introducing new taxes and fines to help pay for the increased…

  • Center for Data Analysis Report posted October 14, 2010 by William Beach, Patrick Tyrrell The 2010 Index of Dependence on Government

    Abstract: The number of Americans who pay taxes continues to shrink—and the United States is close to the point at which half of the population will not pay taxes for government benefits…

  • Backgrounder posted January 5, 2010 by Brian Riedl Why Government Spending Does Not Stimulate Economic Growth: Answering the Critics

    Abstract: Despite decades of repeated failure, President Obama and Congress continue to promote the myth that government can spend its way out of recession. Heritage Foundation economic policy expert Brian Riedl dispels the stimulus myth, lays out the evidence that government spending does not end recessions--and…

  • Backgrounder posted October 12, 2010 by James Sherk Technology Explains Drop in Manufacturing Jobs

    Abstract: Attempts by Members of Congress to save U.S. manufacturing jobs by restricting international trade, particularly with China, are misguided and futile. Technological improvements, not international trade, are reducing U.S. manufacturing employment by automating many rote tasks. During the past decade, manufacturing employment has…

  • Backgrounder posted March 24, 2010 by James Sherk The Cause of High Unemployment: Still Due to Dwindling Job Creation

    Abstract: While layoffs increased during this recession, they are not the primary cause of the nearly 10 percent unemployment rate. The main factor driving the unem­ployment rate so high during this recession was, and con­tinues to…

  • Backgrounder posted October 25, 2010 by J.D. Foster, Ph.D. The Fed’s QE2 and the Economy: Sailing to Safety or a Ship of Fools?

    Abstract: Quantitative easing is a largely experimental tool employed by the Federal Reserve to address a continuing sluggish economy and the renewed potential of deflation. That the Fed faces this prospect is final proof positive that President Barack Obama’s Keynesian stimulus policies have failed,…

  • Testimony posted September 23, 2011 by J.D. Foster, Ph.D. The European Financial and Economic Crisis: Origins, Taxonomy, and Implications for the U.S. Economy

    Chairman Warner, Ranking Member Johanns, thank you for the opportunity to testify today. My name is J.D. Foster. I am the Norman B. Ture Senior Fellow at The Heritage Foundation. The views I express in this testimony are my own, and should not be construed as representing any official position…

  • WebMemo posted January 16, 2007 by Arthur Laffer The Four Pillars of Reaganomics

    The following is Arthur Laffer's November 13 address to members of The Heritage Foundation's President's Club at the fall 2006 President's Club meeting, held at the Ronald Reagan International Trade Center in Washington, DC. You know, one thing I always loved, Ed, was when I followed Milton Friedman to the podium I could actually raise…

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  • Issue Brief posted April 26, 2012 by David John Volcker Rule May Make the Financial and Banking System Riskier

    By now, it should be clear even to casual observers that the Volcker Rule, which was intended to limit the “risky” activities of banks by banning them from certain types of transactions, will be nearly impossible to implement without severe unintended damage to the U.S. financial system and many other…

  • Special Report posted April 18, 2012 by Nahid Anaraki A Housing Market Without Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac: Effect on Home Prices

    Executive Summary Between 2003 and 2006, home prices rose dramatically, but then they fell abruptly in 2007 and thereafter. While many believe that the main cause of the boom was easy access to credit in the…

  • Special Report posted March 7, 2012 by Derek Scissors, Ph.D., Kumi Yokoe, Ph.D. Japan's National Budget: Time to Give Up on Keynesianism

    Abstract: Japan’s “lost decade” has turned into two; and Japan is not alone. Staggering amounts of public debt and stagnant economies have become a problem from the EU to the U.S. Despite twenty years of evidence to the contrary, the belief persists that deficit…

  • Issue Brief posted February 15, 2012 by Curtis Dubay Obama’s Small-Business Tax Proposals Will Not Create Jobs

    President Obama recently sent Congress a series of policies as part of his “Startup America Initiative.”[1] The goal of the program is to help startups and small businesses to create jobs.   The proposal includes four tax provisions that he also included in his budget. Some…

  • Backgrounder posted February 14, 2012 by James Sherk Delayed Recovery Historically Slow

    Abstract: In his third State of the Union address, President Obama, pointing to two years of job growth and the fastest job creation since 2005, argued that America’s economy is roaring back. These positive numbers lack context: In normal economic times they would represent…

  • Special Report posted February 8, 2012 by William Beach, Patrick Tyrrell The 2012 Index of Dependence on Government

    Abstract: The great and calamitous fiscal trends of our time—dependence on government by an increasing portion of the American population, and soaring debt that threatens the financial integrity of the economy—worsened yet again in 2010 and 2011. The United States has long reached the…

  • WebMemo posted February 6, 2012 by Dean Cheng, Derek Scissors, Ph.D. Xi Jinping Visit an Opportunity to Finally Establish China Priorities

    The man designated as the next General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, Xi Jinping, is due at the White House on February 14. Xi’s scheduled term of office is 10 years. The last 10 years saw the Chinese economy, according to official statistics, more than quadruple in size. It…

  • WebMemo posted February 1, 2012 by J.D. Foster, Ph.D. CBO Baseline: A Few Quirks Do Not Distract from a Dismal Picture

    The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released its baseline budget outlook through fiscal year 2022 on January 31. The analysis is as creditable to the CBO as its message is daunting to the nation. After squandering three years in which the signal consequences have been persistent high unemployment coupled with an…

  • WebMemo posted January 30, 2012 by Diane Katz CFPB Wields New Powers with Director

    Within hours of Richard Cordray assuming the role of director[1] at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), agency officials began exercising their newly expanded powers. Their immediate target is all manner of “nonbank”[2] financial services used by millions of households. While proponents contend that the new…

  • Backgrounder posted January 23, 2012 by David Addington Government’s Proper Role in Creating Jobs: Top Five Actions to Take

    Abstract: America needs jobs. A government committed to free enterprise, limited government, and individual freedom, and not to more borrowing and spending, can properly help. To help unleash the private sector to invest and create jobs, Congress should promptly take five specific actions: enact…

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Find more work on Economy