Research Library

Public finance fellow Jorge Barro examines the Federal Reserve’s aggressive financial market response to the Covid-19 pandemic and asserts that without its use of unconventional policy tools, adverse outcomes could have spread to other areas of the economy, disproportionately impacting low-income households.

The authors explore the health barriers and vulnerabilities of undocumented immigrants during the coronavirus pandemic, reveal the gaps in the Covid-19 relief bills and consider the implications for immigrant children.

Energy fellow Rachel A. Meidl describes how to ensure energy infrastructure resilience when dealing with catastrophic weather events like hurricanes.

Fellow David A. Gantz discusses several provisions of the North American Free Trade Agreement that have been carried over to the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) including regulations for government procurement, trade remedies, temporary entry for business visitors, and general exceptions or limitations on the application of the trade agreement. DOI: https://doi.org/10.25613/334z-tp66

Soda taxes have been proposed to help curb consumption and improve health outcomes. Fellow Joyce Beebe reviews recent attempts at taxing these beverages and provides practical policy solutions.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 placed a $10,000 limit on the amount of state and local taxes taxpayers may deduct on their federal income tax returns. In this report, public finance fellow Joyce Beebe examines the pros and cons of the limit and state-level efforts to circumvent the cap.

Fellow Joyce Beebe examines recent policies and proposals that aim to simplify the federal student loan process.

The sharing economy — an industry that includes a number of mostly online enterprises such as Uber and Airbnb that match service providers with clients — poses sweeping legal, commercial and social challenges. Fellow Joyce Beebe analyzes key federal tax considerations for companies and workers in this growing sector.

State "right to try" laws can give terminally ill patients early access to experimental drugs and medical devices — but they arguably make safety and efficacy secondary to speedy access.

Stem cells from umbilical cord blood (CB) can be used to treat over 80 different diseases, including many types of leukemia, lymphoma and inherited immune system disorders. Extensive storage facilities in the United States and around the world collect, test and freeze CB for later use in medical procedures. However, the divide between two different banking models — public versus private — presents policy challenges. This policy report examines the difference between public and private cord blood banks and offers recommendations for US policymakers to improve cord blood banking and ensure high quality standards.