Economic Policy http://www.american.com Big picture coverage of macroeconomics, political economy, and governments' roles in world commerce. daily 1 2007-03-29T16:41:19Z Could California Make a Comeback? http://www.american.com/archive/2013/may/could-california-make-a-comeback An unexpected glimmer of hope might cast a new light on the Golden State. No publisher Michael M. Rosen 2013-05-14T19:06:36Z BernArticle Money Printing Isn’t Always Inflationary http://www.american.com/archive/2013/may/money-printing-isnt-always-inflationary Republicans are wrongly giving fear of money printing a higher priority than the growth debate. Robust growth is as close as we can get to a panacea for our monetary and fiscal problems. No publisher Steve Conover 2013-05-22T22:04:00Z BernArticle Want Jobs? Try Advanced Manufacturing http://www.american.com/archive/2013/may/want-jobs-try-advanced-manufacturing By itself, the U.S. manufacturing sector would be the tenth-largest economy in the world, and there is growing concern among U.S. manufacturers about finding enough skilled workers to fuel its continued expansion. No publisher Thomas A. Hemphill and Mark J. Perry 2013-05-07T20:15:53Z BernArticle More Subsidies for Prosperous Farmers http://www.american.com/archive/2013/may/more-subsidies-for-prosperous-farmers In the face of deficits not seen since World War II, we should question proposals to provide billions of taxpayer dollars to support an industry that is enjoying record profits. No publisher Barry Goodwin 2013-05-01T14:40:40Z BernArticle Increasing Distortions and Feeding Leviathan: The Internet Sales Tax http://www.american.com/archive/2013/april/increasing-distortions-and-feeding-leviathan-the-internet-sales-tax A policy shift that weakens the link between taxes imposed and benefits received by definition yields wealth transfers, and the vast array of perverse incentives attendant upon them. No publisher Benjamin Zycher 2013-04-30T14:27:04Z BernArticle 10 Lessons from Cyprus http://www.american.com/archive/2013/april/10-lessons-from-cyprus Here are the likely lessons future historians will draw from Cyprus’s sorry experience in the euro. No publisher Desmond Lachman 2013-04-25T01:46:52Z BernArticle The Federal Financial Triangle http://www.american.com/archive/2013/april/the-federal-financial-triangle What would it mean for the world’s principal central bank to have negative net worth? No publisher Alex J. Pollock 2013-04-23T19:49:09Z BernArticle Greed Is Green: How the Profit Motive Helps the Environment http://www.american.com/archive/2013/april/greed-as-green-how-the-profit-motive-helps-the-environment The search for increased profitability has long delivered both economic and environmental improvements by promoting the evermore efficient use of material resources. No publisher Pierre Desrochers 2013-04-19T15:16:09Z BernArticle When Saving Is a Problem Not a Virtue http://www.american.com/archive/2013/april/when-saving-is-a-problem-not-a-virtue The Obama administration’s proposed limits on ‘reasonable’ retirement savings would penalize success and patience in favor of the nebulous concept of fairness. No publisher Blake Hurst 2013-04-18T14:12:14Z BernArticle Why Expanding Social Security Is a Bad Idea http://www.american.com/archive/2013/april/why-expanding-social-security-is-a-bad-idea A New America Foundation proposal would cost 3.7 percent of GDP and crowd out the private saving that drives our economy. No publisher Andrew G. Biggs 2013-04-15T23:10:37Z BernArticle A ‘Genius’ Way to Avoid Taxes http://www.american.com/archive/2013/april/a-genius-way-to-avoid-taxes Nobel Prize laureates are avoiding heavy taxes on their prize money via a loophole that benefits charities. President Obama and former vice president Al Gore both gave away their prize money — at the expense of the IRS. No publisher Aparna Mathur 2013-04-12T23:14:38Z BernArticle The Penalties of Our Tax Code http://www.american.com/archive/2013/april/the-penalties-of-our-tax-code Our tax system’s unnecessary complexity creates unfairness and uncertainty. With a few reforms, it could be more growth-friendly, simple, and fair. No publisher Sita Nataraj Slavov 2013-04-11T21:38:37Z BernArticle Regulating Risk http://www.american.com/archive/2013/april/try-to-regulate-risk-allocate-capital-instead An illustration of the impact of financial regulation on capital allocation is the extent to which the world's savings have been attracted to long-term instruments with low yields. No publisher Arnold Kling 2013-04-10T22:10:59Z BernArticle Confusing Cause and Effect in the Fiscal Policy Debate http://www.american.com/archive/2013/april/confusing-cause-and-effect-in-the-fiscal-policy-debate Our debate should not be about income redistribution or debt reduction but rather about how to achieve broadly shared growth — because when we achieve that, history shows that the deficit and the middle class will benefit. No publisher Steve Conover 2013-04-10T14:45:19Z BernArticle Financial Innovation — Illusory and Real http://www.american.com/archive/2013/april/financial-innovation-illusory-and-real Some ‘innovations’ are merely new names for ways of lowering credit standards, running up leverage, and increasing risk. How do we know what’s real and what’s not? No publisher Alex J. Pollock 2013-04-03T20:50:36Z BernArticle