Research Library

The Biden administration’s new industrial policy initiatives aim to help the U.S. compete with China, battle climate change and provide middle class jobs. Will these policies work or fade away like previous efforts?

There is a growing global movement among economic, public policy and academic communities questioning the appropriateness of gross domestic product (GDP), and specifically its growth, as an indicator of progress. Despite the broad range of indices and dashboards that have been developed to challenge it, GDP remains entrenched as the essential indicator of national prosperity, despite its purpose being to measure the size and performance of the economy.

The mass production and disposal of non-degradable fossil-based plastics is responsible for alarming environmental and social issues when not managed responsibly. Towards manufacturing environmentally-friendly materials, biopolymers, that is, polymers synthesized by living organisms, emerge as promising sustainable alternatives as they combine attractive mechanical properties, compostability, and renewable sourcing.

The crypto industry saw major losses in 2022, but U.S. regulators are still working to crack down on the underreporting of digital assets.

Social media influencers can earn hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars each year. But how do they get taxed? In this issue brief, public finance fellow Joyce Beebe explains what tax rules apply to influencers and how tax authorities can improve tax compliance.

Driven by the USMCA trade agreement and seeking to reduce supply chain disruptions, Chinese companies are setting up shop in Mexico, closer to major U.S. markets. In this issue brief, fellow David Gantz explains the pressures behind this investment and the likely impacts on the North American economy.

The number of migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border far exceeds the immigration system’s capacity, and the flow is not stopping. In this brief, visiting scholar Katia Adimora talks to experts in the field about what the real issues are and how best to solve them.

This article argues that Sultan Sa‘id bin Taymur played a more fundamental role in developing Oman than what is commonly portrayed.

With the 2023 debt-ceiling negotiations under way, a new issue brief from John Diamond, director of the Center for Public Finance, and Autumn Engebretson looks at the effectiveness of the Budget Control Act 2011, enacted in response to the 2011 debt-ceiling crisis. Did it in fact control the budget? And could similar legislation work now?