Economic Policy

This brief will cover Biden’s new student loan forgiveness proposal in relation to its economic implications. The relevance, history, related policy options, and a conclusion about said policy options will be demonstrated.

This brief will cover the current strength of the U.S. dollar and what it means for the economy. Relevance, history, related policy options, and a conclusion about said policy options will be demonstrated.

This brief is focused on the recently passed Inflation Reduction Act, as in its elements and the various effects they may have on the economy. The relevance, history, and policy options regarding this act will be explored.

This brief will cover the implications of the mass tech layoffs that have occurred recently and how it has and continues to impact the American economy. The relevance, history, policy positions, and policy recommendations regarding this issue will be detailed throughout the brief.

The brief will discuss economic shrinkage that has occurred throughout 2022. Various issues such as a drop in exports, decreases in government spending, and changes to interest rates will be covered. The relevance, history, and policy responses regarding this issue will be outlined alongside certain policy suggestions to revert this economic shrinkage.

This policy brief will discuss interest rate alterations and how they have impacted the housing markets, specifically since the onset of the pandemic and in light of recent increases in interest rates. The issue at hand will be described, the various policy positions/prescriptions will be outlined, and a final understanding will be developed.

The following brief covers the pros and cons of tariffs. From a political point of view, tariffs are an appealing policy if policymakers wish to preserve domestic industry from foreign competition. However, from an economic perspective, we must always consider: what are the opportunity costs behind such a policy, and are the trade-offs a worthy sacrifice of potential benefits?

Social Security—also known as the Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) program in the United States—is run by the Social Security Administration (SSA). The program is best known for its retirement benefits and is primarily funded (89.6 percent) by payroll taxes. The program also provides income to disabled people who qualify, as well as their family members. Workers must be at least 65 years old and have financially contributed to society for 10 years or more. The longevity of Social Security has been put under question as of late and this brief will attempt to address the conflict regarding Social Security (with a focus on its funding) as well as a recommendation for how it should be approached.

The idea of increasing the federal minimum wage to $15 is a serious policy prescription in the modern day. This brief will give an overview of the $15 minimum wage, the history behind it, the impact of the policy itself, and end with a policy recommendation.

Given that the recent increase in inflation has impacted the U.S. economy in unprecedented ways, the Federal Reserve’s (Fed) response has become increasingly imperative. Namely, the contractionary monetary prescription—which the Fed has supplemented with quantitative tapering—is of critical importance in regards to the future of the U.S. economy. As such, this brief will address imperative issues with the Fed’s actions in regards to tapering, and recommend certain policies that can aid the Fed to reduce the supply of the circulating medium.

This brief will analyze the concept of mandated government price control. This level of severe domestic, economic intervention carries both positive and negative repercussions. The questions of price control sensibility, floor minimums, ceiling maximums, and longevity will all be answered in this brief.

Fiscal spending is perhaps the single greatest piece of Congress’ agenda in any given year. Congressional discourse regarding caps on spending caps have brought about a plethora of instances when the federal government halted operations. The conversation regarding the debt ceiling is an imperative one as congressional purchasing power is the primary driver of all areas of American policy. Moreover, this brief seeks to thoroughly analyze the affirmative and negative stance on the existence of a debt ceiling. After comparing both viewpoints, this brief will attempt to provide a policy recommendation for Congress regarding the existence and extent of a debt ceiling.

In this policy review & brief, we assess the U.S. government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic from an economic standpoint. Subsequently, we address the shortcomings of America’s fiscal and monetary policy with legislative recommendations to aid America’s global response to future pandemic-induced recessions.

Since the dawn of time, humans have been creatures of discovery and innovation. Whether it be forging wooden tools, building shelters, or developing computers, technology has been at the center of human development. In the 21st century, rapid innovation and advancing technologies have allowed society to prosper and utilize the resources around people’s surroundings to build a brighter future. Most recently, an emerging force in technology has been the development of artificial intelligence (aka AI).

One of the most pondered questions in society is “why do we have money?” Many question why we cannot simply live in a society where people create the necessary resources and exchange with one another. This is a question that revolves around the origin of money. Those already versed in economics typically hold the barter theory of money, which was mainly developed by Adam Smith and Carl Menger; however, there are some contentions to this theory which have mainly come about due to anthropologist David Graeber and his book, Debt: The First 5000 Years. This article aims both to explain the barter theory of money and defend it from Graeber’s critiques.

This article seeks to demonstrate the fundamental properties of quantitative easing (QE) with historical examples and data from the U.S. and Japan. I focus on both positive and negative consequences of QE, which include fears of inflation, moral hazard, and liquidity effects. Without making policy prescriptions, I impartially conclude the benefits and drawbacks of historical examples of QE. Drawing from the abundance of data, I clarify why QE is an asset swap and not a mechanism of money creation, thus dismissing claims that QE prompts hyperinflation. In terms of drawbacks, I warrant the moral hazard that QE can cause when the Federal Reserve fails to disincentivize poor lending behavior by financial institutions. Overall, QE is an evolving unorthodox branch of monetary policy, and its benefits and shortcomings are becoming clearer as policymakers continue utilizing it.

This essay will be going over the police system in the United States as of 2021 and arguing for why a private police system would be preferable to one run by a state.

The Pro to the UBI debate.

The purpose of this opinion article is to disprove the myth of monopolies under a free market. The author argues that there are many flaws regarding the theory and history behind monopolies and free markets. It lacks an understanding of entrepreneurship, competition, and the market process.

This article discuses the cons of UBI.