Mercatus Scholars on Barriers to Entry and Occupational Licensing

Mercatus Center scholars have repeatedly documented the costs of occupational licensing and offered suggestions for how to reform or eliminate unnecessary licensing practices.

Research

• Mercatus research paper, “Breaking Down the Barriers: Three Ways State and Local Governments Can Get Out of the Way and Improve the Lives of the Poor” by Steve Horwitz (July 21 2015).
• Testimony before the South Carolina Health Planning Committee department of Health and Environmental Control, “Certificate-of-Need laws: Implications for South Carolina” by Christopher Koopman, Thomas Stratmann, and Mohamad Elbarasse (June 12, 2015).
• Mercatus on Policy, “Certificate-of-Need Laws: Implications for Arkansas” by Christopher Koopman, Thomas Stratmann, and Mohamad Elbarasse (June 9, 2015). 
• Mercatus on Policy, “Certificate-Of Need Laws: Implications for West Virginia” by Christopher Koopman and Thomas Stratmann (June 2, 2015).
• Mercatus working paper, “How the Internet, the Sharing Economy, and Reputational Feedback Mechanisms Solve the “ Lemons Problem” by Adam Thierer, Christopher Koopman, Anne Hobson, and Chris Kuiper (May 26, 2015).
• Mercatus FTC filing, “The Sharing Economy: Issues Facing Platforms, Participants, and Regulators” by Christopher Koopman, Matthew Mitchell, and Adam Thierer (May 26, 2015).
• Mercatus on Policy, “Certificate-Of Need Laws: Implications for Kentucky” by Christopher Koopman, Thomas Stratmann and Mohamad Elbarasse (May 26, 2015).
• Mercatus on Policy, “Certificate-Of Need Laws: Implications for Michigan” by Christopher Koopman, Thomas Stratmann and Mohamad Elbarasse (May 19, 2015).
• Mercatus publication, “How state CON Laws restrict Access to Health Care” by Christopher Koopman Thomas Stratmann, and Mohamad Elbarasse (May 13, 2015).
• Mercatus on Policy, “Certificate-Of Need Laws: Implications for Missouri” by Christopher Koopman, Thomas Stratmann and Mohamad Elbarasse (May 11, 2015).
• Mercatus on Policy, “Certificate-Of Need Laws: Implications for Georgia” by Christopher Mercatus on Policy, “Certificate-Of Need Laws: Implications for South Carolina” by Christopher Koopman and Thomas Stratmann (May 5, 2015).
• Testimony before the Indiana Senate Commerce and Technology Committee, “Occupational Licensing Gone Wild? Why Licensing is Not Always the Answer” by Edward Timmons (April 16, 2015).
• Mercatus on Policy, “Certificate-Of Need Laws: Implications for Tennessee” by Christopher Koopman and Thomas Stratmann (March 24, 2015).
• Mercatus on Policy, “Certificate-of-Need Laws: Implications for Florida” by Christopher Koopman and Thomas Stratmann (March 3, 2015).
• Mercatus policy recommendations, “Florida Fiscal Policy: Responsible Budgeting in a Growing State” by Randall Holcombe (February 26, 2015).
• Mercatus on Policy, “Certificate-Of Need Laws: Implications for Virginia” by Christopher Koopman and Thomas Stratmann (February 24, 2015).
• Mercatus working paper, “Bringing the Effects of Occupational Licensing into Focus: Optician Licensing in the United States” by Edward Timmons and Anna Mills (February 17 2015).
• Mercatus on Policy, “Certificate-Of Need Laws: Implications for North Carolina” by Christopher Koopman and Thomas Stratmann (February 12, 2015).
• Mercatus on Policy, “Certificate-Of Need Laws: Implications for New Hampshire” by Christopher Koopman and Thomas Stratmann (February 4, 2015).
• Testimony before the New Hampshire House Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs Committee, “Certificate-of-Need laws: Implications for New Hampshire” by Christopher Koopman and Thomas Stratmann (January 28, 2015).
• Mercatus publication, “The Sharing Economy and Consumer Protection Regulation: The Case for Policy Change” by Christopher Koopman, Matthew Mitchell, and Adam Thierer (December 8, 2014). 
• Mercatus interactive publication, “40 Years of Certificate-of-Need Laws across America,” by Matthew Mitchell and Christopher Koopman (October 14, 2014).
• Mercatus working paper, “Do Certificate-of Need Laws Increase Indigent Care?” by Thomas Stratmann and Jake Russ (July 15, 2014).
• Mercatus working paper, “Regulatory Reform in Florida: An Opportunity for Greater Competitiveness and Economic Efficiency” by Patrick McLaughlin, Jerry Ellig, and Dima Yazji Shamoun (March 18, 2014).
• Mercatus on policy, “A Tale of Two Labor Markets: Government Spending’s Impact on Virginia” by Keith Hall and Robert Greene, (September 20, 2013).
• Mercatus publication, “The Pathology of Privilege: The Economic Consequences of Government Favoritism” by Matthew Mitchell, (July 8, 2012).
• “Beyond Bailouts: What is Cronyism?” by Matthew Mitchell, (July 8, 2012).

Journal Articles

• Published in Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy, “State ‘Competitors's Veto’ Laws and the Right to Earn a Living: Some Paths to Federal Reform,” by Timothy Sandefur (July 2015).
• Published in Econ Journal Watch, “Was Occupational Licensing Good for Minorities? A Critique of Marc Law and Mindy Marks” by Daniel B. Klein, Benjamin Powell, and Evgeny S. Vorotnikov (September 2012). 
• Published in Cato Journal, “Occupational Licensing and Asymmetric Information” by David Skarbek (Jan 2007). 

Charts and Videos

• “The Wrath of CON | How Certificate-Of-Need Laws Affect Access to Health Care” by Matthew Mitchell (May 12, 2015).
• "Occupational Licensing: Bad for Competition, Bad for Low-Income Workers" by Veronique de Rugy (March 25, 2014).
• Media
• Christopher Koopman discusses certificate of need laws on The Bill LuMaye Show on WPTF in North Carolina (5/11/2015). 
• Timothy Sandefur publishes, “Think Licensing Laws Are Unfair? It Gets Worse,” at Real Clear Policy (April 21, 2015)
• Edward Timmons and Anna Mills publish, “Short-Sighted Policy,” at U.S. News and World Report (2/17/15).
• Veronique de Rugy publishes, “Free the Horse Masseuses!” in Reason Magazine (July 2014). 
• Veronique de Rugy discusses state occupational licensing on Richmond’s Morning News on WRVA in Virginia (6/6/14). 
• Veronique de Rugy publishes “Licensing laws protect special interests at the expense of opportunity,” at The Washington Examiner (3/28/14). 
• Patrick McLaughlin discusses occupational licensing on The Ed Dean Show in Florida (3/27/14). 
• Donald Boudreaux publishes “Occupational licensing: Reality differs from rhetoric,” in The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (3/25/14).
• Emily Washington blogs “Occupational Licensing Hurts Consumers and Limits Entrepreneurship,” at Neighborhood Effects (8/20/13).
• Veronique de Rugy blogs “More State Occupational Licensing Law Abuse: Kentucky Edition,” at National Review’s The Corner (7/17/13).
• Emily Washington blogs “Small steps in VA occupational licensing reform,” at Neighborhood Effects (6/25/12).