For over 25 years, the Mercatus Center at George Mason University has been the world’s premier university source for market-oriented ideas, bridging the gap between academic ideas and real world problems.
Reviewing the last quarter of economic activity, Dr. Bruce Yandle notes that in many ways, we have a tale of two economies. There are important distinctions between the stimulus targets and the broader economy, and the most recent quarter of data paints a confusing, sometimes contradictory story. Unraveling the narrative, what questions will carry weight beyond the end of fiscal 2010?Has the stimulus worked? Has it benefited any particular groups? Who is paying for it? What does the growth (or...
States have promised public workers a secure retirement, but recent events and new studies have shined light on an acute crisis. Public pensions are radically underfunded and fundamental reform is no longer an option but a necessity. State policy makers can no longer avoid addressing this shortfall with many public employees approaching retirement. The future fiscal stability of states is inextricably intertwined with the retirement security of public employees. This panel addresses what steps...
Over the past decade a number of African countries have made important strides in improving their economies. ; Higher rates of economic growth are contributing to poverty alleviation in this poorest region of the world.
The Social Change Project at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University presents a lecture by Emily Chamlee-Wright, Senior Scholar at the Mercatus Center and Nona Martin, Affiliated Senior Scholar at the Mercatus Center. After an introduction by Peter Boettke, Dr. Chamlee-Wright will discuss her recent work on both the nature of post-disaster recovery and the nature of the social order itself – how societies are able to achieve a level of complex social coordination that far exceeds our ab...
Professor Emeritus of Economics at George Mason University and Nobel Laureate James M. Buchanan will be presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Fund for the Study of Spontaneous Orders at the Atlas Economic Research Foundation. The panel discussion and presentation of the award will take place in the Ballroom at the new Mason Inn Conference Center and Hotel, located on the GMU Fairfax Campus. ; This event is co-hosted by the Fund for the Study of Spontaneous Orders at the Atlas ...
Since 2000, the Federal government has sent a tidal wave of money to state and local governments. Federal grants to states and localities increased by 73% in the past decade and will reach roughly $439 billion this year alone.Designed to aid states struggling with budget shortfalls, and to promote particular federal policy objectives, this flood of cash is widely seen as an unqualified good by both Federal and State legislators.Mercatus Senior Research Fellow Eileen Norcross and Mercatus Resea...
The financial regulatory reform bill has fallen under recent criticism for not addressing the root causes of the financial crisis. How will this bill affect the current financial regulatory environment? How can Congress make this bill work to address the underlying issues of the current crisis? Garett Jones will address these issues and respond to your questions in this hour-long discussion and live webcast.
What lessons can we learn from the Base Realignment and Closing Commission? What made it special? What made it successful? Can those lessons be implemented to curb spending now?
Politicians and some economists say that debts and deficits don't matter. Do they? Is the sky really falling or are those who worry about U.S. debt overreacting? What are the costs of debt? What are the lost opportunities?A panel of academics (Veronique de Rugy, Jeff Miron, David Primo, and Bruce Yandle) answered the following questions:How much debt is too much?What does the U.S. debt mean for the average citizen?What can be done to reduce the country's debt and spending deficits?The panel's ...
This Continuing Legal Education course examines the interplay of federal and state common law with an emphasis on the impact of changes in federal law upon common law fiduciary duties in corporate governance.
