Keyword: social welfare

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US

Infrastructure (revisited)

This week’s IGM Economic Experts Panel statements: A: Because the US has underspent on new projects, maintenance, or both, the federal government has an opportunity to increase average incomes by spending more on roads, railways, bridges and airports. (The experts panel previously voted on this question on May 23, 2013. Those earlier results can be found here.) B: Past experience of public spending and political economy suggests that if the government spent more on roads, railways, bridges and airports, many of the projects would have low or negative returns.  (The experts panel previously voted on this question on May 23, 2013. Those earlier results can be found here.)
US

Low-Skilled Immigrants

This week’s IGM Economic Experts Panel statements: A: The average US citizen would be better off if a larger number of low-skilled foreign workers were legally allowed to enter the US each year. B: Unless they were compensated by others, many low-skilled American workers would be substantially worse off if a larger number of low-skilled foreign workers were legally allowed to enter the US each year.
US

Savings Behavior

This week’s IGM Economic Experts Panel statement: An effective way to increase savings rates of employees whose firms have defined contribution plans is to combine automatic enrollment in those plans and periodic automatic increases in their contributions (with the ability to opt out of either).
US

China-US Trade

This week's IGM Economic Experts Panel statements: A) Trade with China makes most Americans better off because, among other advantages, they can buy goods that are made or assembled more cheaply in China. B) Some Americans who work in the production of competing goods, such as clothing and furniture, are made worse off by trade with China.
US

Price Gouging

This week’s IGM Economic Experts Panel poll statement: Connecticut should pass its Senate Bill 60, which states that during a “severe weather event emergency, no person within the chain of distribution of consumer goods and services shall sell or offer to sell consumer goods or services for a price that is unconscionably excessive.”