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Impact of Retail Electricity Deregulation on Consumer Prices: A Difference-in-Difference Approach
Energy / Environmental Regulation / Politics / Regulation / U.S. Domestic Policy

Impact of Retail Electricity Deregulation on Consumer Prices: A Difference-in-Difference Approach

Executive Summary Introduction Electricity has become the most fundamental commodity in the United States. Its growing influence underpins nearly every major industry. It powers homes, infrastructure, and manufacturing. Innovation and technological development for the entire economy depends on efficient and reliable energy transmission.  Utilities markets in the U.S. have historically been viewed as natural monopolies. … Continue reading

The Social Cost of Carbon: The Politicization of a Metric 
Politics

The Social Cost of Carbon: The Politicization of a Metric 

Executive Summary  Introduction  On January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump signed Executive Order (EO) 14154, titled “Unleashing American Energy,” which restored the process of federal land and water leasing for oil and natural gas production. The order promises these changes will encourage energy exploration while further establishing American dominance in the energy production market, decreasing … Continue reading

The Twin Deficit Hypothesis: An Analysis of the U.S.
Debt / Economy / Fiscal policy / Trade

The Twin Deficit Hypothesis: An Analysis of the U.S.

Executive Summary Introduction Government deficits and the trade balance have seemed to fluctuate in tandem over time. This has given rise to theories connecting the two deficits to explain their relationship. U.S. fiscal deficits have ballooned in recent years, bringing renewed attention to the twin deficit hypothesis (TDH) and applying it to advanced economies. Modeling … Continue reading

Hiding Medical Debt Won’t Cure the Problem
Politics

Hiding Medical Debt Won’t Cure the Problem

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY  INTRODUCTION   Effective on March 17, 2025, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) will amend Regulation V, which implements provisions from the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). This rule will place a “restriction on sharing of medical information,” between patients, health care providers, and credit stakeholders. In essence, this rule will prevent the sharing … Continue reading

Playing Chicken with a Coyote: Why the U.S. has Less Leverage over Mexico than Trump Believes
Politics

Playing Chicken with a Coyote: Why the U.S. has Less Leverage over Mexico than Trump Believes

Executive Summary Introduction In the 1955 movie A Rebel Without a Cause, James Dean introduced Americans to the game of “chicken,” wherein two cars accelerate towards each other until one swerves. The swerving car’s driver is labeled the “chicken,” and the steady driver wins. Eighty years later, the game of chicken is not just a … Continue reading

Price Transparency: How the FTC is Tackling Bait-and-Switch Pricing
Politics

Price Transparency: How the FTC is Tackling Bait-and-Switch Pricing

Executive Overview – There is a recurring practice of firms failing to disclose upfront mandatory charges in the advertised price of their goods or services, leading to an unexpected higher final cost for consumers (e.g. “resort fees” in hotel bookings and “processing fees” in ticket purchases).  – Misleading pricing threatens competition in the market, as … Continue reading

Are the Elderly Hurt More by Inflation? A Glimpse Inside the Housing Market
Economy

Are the Elderly Hurt More by Inflation? A Glimpse Inside the Housing Market

Executive Summary Introduction The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a measure of the change in prices in a typical consumers basket. The elderly tend to consume a different bundle of goods compared to the typical consumer. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has introduced an experimental CPI, labeled CPI-E, to determine the relative importance of bundles for … Continue reading

Politics

Navigating the Promise and Peril of Gene Editing with CRISPR

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY  Introduction  Gene editing has recently evolved into one of the most revolutionary medical advancements in history. The technology at the vanguard of gene editing is known as CRISPR, which is short for clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats. CRISPR was originally discovered as a bacterial defense system. It is comparatively more technical and … Continue reading