Mercatus Policy Series

Journal Articles

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Speeches/Presentations

Research Papers

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9th Annual Performance Report Scorecard

This study evaluates and ranks the 24 largest federal agencies under the Chief Financial Officers Act on the quality of disclosure they provide in their fiscal year 2007 performance and accountability reports.

A New Call of the Wild: Community-Based Natural Resource Management in Namibia

The Namibian government is currently addressing twin goals of environment protection and rural economic development by means of an innovative policy of community-based natural resource management. This policy, implemented by a legislative amendment in 1996, is helping to revive a previously decimated environment. At the same time, the policy is empowering local people.

Book Review of Paul Collier's "The Bottom Billion"

In this book review, Karol Boudreaux notes that Paul Collier makes a strong case that the world’s billion poorest people face unique challenges that call for strategic development assistance. In the end, however, Ms. Boudreaux emphasises that what is needed most is sustained entrepreneurship.

Mercatus on Policy - Ending Translucent Government: Putting Government Data Online

Mercatus Senior Research Fellow Jerry Brito examines government transparency regulation and the need for greater access to public information online.

The Law & Economics of Subprime Lending

In this working paper, Mercatus Center Senior Scholar Todd J. Zywicki and Mercatus Center Research Associate Joseph Adamson address the current concerns with the subprime mortgage market. The paper explores the economics of subprime lending and home buying by reviewing the theories and evidence regarding the causes of the turmoil in the subprime market.

The Never-Ending Emergency: Trends in Supplemental Spending

In this Mercatus Policy Series paper, Mercatus Senior Research Fellow Veronique de Rugy takes a look at the use of supplemental spending over the last 25 years. The paper addresses the budget rules that lawmakers are subject to, it looks at trends in supplemental spending, demonstrates how the White House and Congress have abused their powers to request and pass supplemental bills, and also offers four different and complementary ways to fix the supplemental spending process.

Empowering the Poor through Property Rights

As a member of the Working Group on Property Rights of the U.N. Commission on Legal Empowerment of the Poor, chaired by Madeleine Albright and Hernando de Soto, Enterprise Africa! lead researcher Karol Boudreaux contributed to chapter two of Making the Law Work for Everyone Volume II, titled, “Empowering the Poor through Property Rights.”

Insurance and Societal Vulnerability to Hurricanes

In this paper, Professor Sutter analyzes the sources of growing hurricane vulnerability in U.S. Atlantic and Gulf counties since 1950. The analysis specifically focuses on policy interventions in insurance markets, or states with 'hurricane pool' residual market mechanisms. He concludes that there is a significant role for insurance subsidies as driving coastal population growth in hurricane-prone areas.

The Market for Hurricane Mitigation

In this paper, Professor Sutter explores how regulations designed to improve mitigation taken against catastrophes interact with decision making behavior among residents, and may actually reduce the overall amount of protection taken against disasters.He further argues that a different regulatory regime that would better allow market incentives to work may actually improve the quality of disaster mitigation throughout dangerous areas.

Public Interest Comment on Proposed Amendment to the Policy Regarding the Establishment of Airport Rates and Charges

This comment to the Department of Transportation is a response to the department's Notice of Proposed Amendment to its Policy Regarding the Establishment of Airport Rates and Charges.