Should governments subsidize or build broadband networks? This question is being posed throughout the US; Brian Lambert summarizes the Minnesota landscape in “How the Legislature is cheating Greater Minnesota on broadband.” Economists aver that to answer this question, we need to know whether the rate of return to private businesses investing in broadband networks is less than or equal to the … [Read more...]
Every Monday I watch for an e-mail with the subject line “The Latest NBER Research.” Inside there are links to new working papers from the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) across all of the topics economists analyze. I always learn something interesting, especially with regard to real-world policy making. I’ve often wondered, why doesn’t someone summarize the cool stuff in these … [Read more...]
Scott Walker announced today that he is running for president. Here is a selection of my MinnPost columns on the Walker economic record; it's not pretty. No, Minnesota is not 'dead last' in the Midwest in job growth 10/03/14 Like so many things having to do with the economy, the picture looks different depending on which data you consult. GOP candidates say Minnesota should be more … [Read more...]