Mercatus research champions the merits of dynamic, market-oriented approaches to pressing policy problems. Our scholars regularly share these research-backed insights with decision-makers at the local, state, and national level.
As state legislatures meet in a year of inflated rents and record home prices, it remains abundantly clear that barriers to housing construction are causing affordability challenges. States play a vital role in setting the rules and incentives that influence whether localities decide to permit new housing construction. Overly restrictive local zoning is the fundamental cause of America’s housing shortage, and states can place limits on local zoning as well as reform the processes that make land use regulation a source of frustration for so many local officials and citizens.
Artificial intelligence will have a huge effect on the economy. To ensure the effect is a net positive, policymakers need to understand AI at a deeper level to shape a governance regime that maximizes the social benefits of AI and mitigates its risks. This guide serves as continually updated resource to equip policymakers with the knowledge they need to make smart decisions about a fast-moving and complex issue.
Mercatus research indicates that regulatory accumulation worsens economic conditions, inadvertently increasing poverty rates, destroying jobs, and raising prices. The path to reversing these trends is clear: Improve regulations by reducing their number. Our State RegData project has produced "snapshots" of state regulations that can help policymakers engage in that process.
Four Arguments That Might Justify “Fair-access” Laws (Pt. 1) | FinRegRag (Substack)
India’s Economic Pivot From Rules-based Reform To Deals-based Tinkering | Get Down and Shruti (Substack)
Being a Social Media Moderate in the Digital Age | Discourse
More Housing, Less Participatory Democracy | Discourse
One Underappreciated Way to Reduce Inequality: Work More | Bloomberg Opinion