- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
COVID Paycheck Protection Program: Promises Not Kept | EconLib
- | Financial Markets Financial Markets
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
Relief Fund Allocation Is No Place to Play Politics
Investment in Stimulus Package Aimed at Economic StabilizationThe Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Mercatus Original Video Mercatus Original Video
2018 State of the Union Recap
Veronique de Rugy responds to the 2018 State of the Union address, covering topics like wage growth, tax reform, and a proposed

- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Working Papers Working Papers
The Trouble with Keynesian Stimulus Spending
Some economists argue that the government should increase spending during a depression in order to boost the economy. They
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Research Papers Research Papers
Would More Infrastructure Spending Stimulate the Economy in 2017?
The long-term value of federal infrastructure projects is dubious. Federal policymakers lack the incentives and information required to make good investment decisions, leading to numerous problems.
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
The Trouble with Trump's Infrastructure Plan
The best scenarios for a Trump presidency involve a lot of checks and balances, backed by public skepticism, not more popularity and populism. It’s up to economists to help enforce such critical thinking.
- | Regulation Regulation
- | Working Papers Working Papers
Logan City’s Adventures in Micro-Hydropower: How Federal Regulations Discourage Renewable Energy Development
In 2004 Logan, Utah, saw the opportunity to place a turbine within the city’s culinary water system. The turbine would reduce excess water pressure and would generate clean, low-cost electricity for the city’s residents. Federal funding was available, and the city qualified for a grant under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Unfortunately, Logan City found that a complex and costly federal nexus of regulatory requirements must be met before any hydropower project can be licensed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. This regulation drove up costs in terms of time and money and, as a result, Logan City is not planning to undertake any similar projects in the future. Other cities have had similar experiences to Logan’s, and we briefly explore these as well. We find that regulation is likely deterring the development of small hydropower potential across the United States, and that reform is warranted.

- | Monetary Policy Monetary Policy
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
Why the Fiscal Multiplier is Roughly Zero
Policy is most effective if each part of the government focuses on what it does best. That means the Fed should focus on stable monetary conditions.
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
What the Recent CBO Report Tells Us About Fiscal Stimulus and the Federal Budget
The findings of CBO’s gloomy long-term report come as no surprise. Over the most recent four years, the U.S. government has engaged in continued massive deficit spending on a scale not seen since World War II. CBO finds that the continuation of such policies in future years will lead to federal fiscal ruin and severe economic hardship.

- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Data Visualizations Data Visualizations
Stimulus Spending and Unemployment
This chart presents an updated look at stimulus spending and unemployment based on the most recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Center for Data Analysis.
