Center for Business and Economic Research - Ball State University


CBER Data Center
Projects and PublicationsEconomic IndicatorsWeekly CommentaryCommunity Asset InventoryManufacturing Scorecard

About

Commentaries are published weekly and distributed through the Indianapolis Business Journal and many other print and online publications. Disclaimer

RSS Feed

Disclaimer

The views expressed in these commentaries do not reflect those of Ball State University or the Center for Business and Economic Research.

Recent

It’s TDS to Suppose These Tariffs Are WorkingTrump has pushed the U.S. into an economic downturn that will be especially hurtful to Hoosiers.

Trump’s Tariff Recession Is HereMy new forecast, completed in late April, predicts a national recession began as early as March in reaction to Trump’s tarriffs.

Two Key Economic Lessons in One BillHoosiers face trade-offs and opportunity costs in the wake of SEA1.

Time to Fix Economic Development PolicyAllocating tax dollars to land development won’t cause economic growth.

View archives

Top Tags

jobs and employment 262
economics 203
state and local government 188
education 186
indiana 173
economic development 171
taxes 146
budget and spending 145
law and public policy 144
workforce and human capital 139
Browse all tags
Reporter / Admin Login

Commentaries tagged with politics

May 18, 2025 It’s TDS to Suppose These Tariffs Are WorkingTrump has pushed the U.S. into an economic downturn that will be especially hurtful to Hoosiers.
May 11, 2025 Trump’s Tariff Recession Is HereMy new forecast, completed in late April, predicts a national recession began as early as March in reaction to Trump’s tarriffs.
May 4, 2025 Two Key Economic Lessons in One BillHoosiers face trade-offs and opportunity costs in the wake of SEA1.
April 13, 2025 The Stupidest of PoliciesThis whipsawing of tariff rates has unnerved financial markets, which on Wednesday, were toying with a liquidity crisis.
April 6, 2025 American Scientific Brain Drain Is Now HappeningUniversities need to be free, not conformist.
March 2, 2025 What Is Government Inefficiency?Different levels of government concern themselves with different problems.
February 16, 2025 The End of DEI and a Call to ActionHow can we ensure that everyone has equal access to schooling, health care and economic opportunity?
January 26, 2025 A Whirlwind Policy Start to the YearGov. Braun and General Assembly have proposed a number of changes.
January 12, 2025 The Legacy of Eric Holcomb’s AdministrationIndiana’s economy is better than it was when Holcomb took office, but there are some caveats.
December 8, 2024 Sorting and Policy DivergenceWithout room for state-level differences in what it meant to be a Republican or Democrat, states began to align with national politics.
November 10, 2024 Economic and Policy Expectations for a Trump PresidencyIt is not hard to gauge the policy choices Trump will prefer.
November 3, 2024 My Apology to LogansportThe city is well known as an immigration success story in the Midwest.
October 27, 2024 Indiana Is Ground Zero for Anti-American IdeologiesBad ideas rarely die of their own accord.
September 8, 2024 You Maybe Don’t Want to Ask How We Can Balance our Federal BudgetIt seems like we could easily cut spending—until you understand what we are spending money on.
August 25, 2024 Three Property Tax PlansThere are problems with each of these tax proposals from our gubernatorial candidates.
August 11, 2024 Project 2025 Is a Roadmap to DisasterThe document is alarming enough that former President Trump denied knowledge of its existence.
July 28, 2024 Biden’s Presidency Has Been Very ConsequentialBiden has held elected office for all but four of the last 54 years, serving on a city council, as U.S. senator, vice president, and, finally, president.
July 7, 2024 Freedom Is DifficultSimply living in the United States is as easy as it gets, and almost always has been.
June 23, 2024 Some Good Reasons for Partisan Perceptions About the EconomyThe gap between rich places and poor places is growing in more ways than one.
June 16, 2024 What Is Driving Misperceptions About the Economy?In a recent survey, more than half of Americans said the economy is shrinking, when in fact it has been growing steadily for four years.
May 26, 2024 Why They DiedFor more than 235 years, our soldiers have died bearing true faith and allegiance to the Constitution.
May 12, 2024 The Good, the Bad and the Antisemitic Ugliness on CampusFor every one protesting student, hundreds of others were studying for final exams, completing term papers or preparing end-of-course presentations.
March 24, 2024 The Lasting Effect of the KKK in IndianaIndiana had the highest share of residents in the Klan at any time in history.
March 17, 2024 Deep Ideological Chasm Behind SB202 Will RemainThe central fight over ideological bias on campus involves two competing visions of the world.
February 25, 2024 SB202 Offers the Wrong Solutions to a Real ProblemMy reference to ideological imbalance refers to the creation of an artificial close-mindedness that stifles debate, isolates important perspectives and diminishes the richness of a college education.
February 18, 2024 NATO Has Secured Our Peace and Prosperity The wars of the 20th century were economic disasters of historic proportion.
February 11, 2024 Some More Truth About Manufacturing and TradeManufacturing employment peaked decades earlier than manufacturing production.
February 4, 2024 Libertarians Going CrazyLibertarian viewpoints offer us a useful reminder of what restraints we must put upon those who govern us.
November 5, 2023 Municipal Elections Are Critical to Your ProsperityIn Indiana’s cities, like most cities nationwide, the problems mayors face aren’t partisan issues.
October 15, 2023 An Exogenous Economic Shock from HamasArmed conflict is always economically damaging but may spur long-term growth.
October 1, 2023 Another Stupid Government ShutdownShutdowns are often a demonstration of clownsmanship, not statesmanship.
September 24, 2023 Don’t Expect the UAW to GrowThere is no evidence of a resurgence in the UAW or other industrial unions today.
September 10, 2023 China Is a Poor and Failing NationChina is getting in the way of its own economic growth.
July 16, 2023 Job Creation Numbers Are DeceptiveOnly a small percentage of new jobs are due to state and local economic development efforts.
July 2, 2023 July 4th and American-Style ConservatismA true American conservative cannot believe that government should promote that faith, or treat those of other faiths differently.
January 15, 2023 Three Types of Public DebtAll types of public debt are effectively transfers of wealth from the future to our present selves.
December 4, 2022 Inflation Will Make the Legislature’s Job Difficult This YearThe budget challenges faced by state legislatures are twofold.
November 13, 2022 The Timing of Economic PolicyCentral planning of economic activity likely will result in wasteful, ineffective policies.
October 23, 2022 The Badness of National Conservatism IdeologyA political movement that rejects the fundamentals of our Constitution is, by definition, anti-American.
October 16, 2022 Partisan Effect of Disinformation on COVID DeathsNationwide, at least 250,000 Americans died of COVID because they chose not to be vaccinated.
September 25, 2022 Two economic lessons from the Russo-Ukrainian WarOne lesson is about public spending on services, the other about free trade.
September 18, 2022 Why Do We Care About a Monarchy?Strong, stable, adaptable institutions help us navigate change while ensuring continuity.
August 28, 2022 Student Loan Forgiveness Is a Policy MistakeThis addition to federal debt during this time risks worsening inflation.
August 21, 2022 Limiting Future InflationOverreacting to inflation can be worse to the economy than underreacting.
July 31, 2022 Trying to Measure the Effect of Abortion Bans on Our EconomyThe effect we see right now is vastly different from what we’ll see in a few years.
July 10, 2022 The Tensions of Economic Policy in a Volatile TimeDiffering political views can lead to very different policy choices.
July 3, 2022 The 246th Anniversary of ‘The Great Experiment’Our nation may be at its most divided, but I have great hope.
June 19, 2022 Yes, State Stimulus Checks Boost InflationTax reductions and rebates can only increase inflation.
May 29, 2022 Let Us Ask More of Ourselves on Memorial DayToday’s challenges demand an understanding of evolving facts and trends.
January 16, 2022 Americans Are Quietly Realizing Dr. King’s VisionMLK’s words are part of the canon of American political writing, and belong to a long tradition of Enlightenment thought.
January 2, 2022 2021 Was an Unnecessarily Horrible YearFrom political unrest to vaccination and economic woes, this year was heavy.
November 14, 2021 It Is Time to Be Honest About Debt, Spending and TaxationSpending that makes us more productive often pays for itself through increased GDP that is then taxed.
September 12, 2021 Lessons from Afghan Refugees and September 11Our fight against the extremists who attacked us 20 years ago is ongoing.
July 18, 2021 Free Speech and Senate Bill 414The origin of free speech problems on campus lie primarily outside the classroom.
July 4, 2021 The Ideals of Independence DayLiberty flows from the simple act of being human, not from government, religion, ancestry or race.
January 17, 2021 An Attack on America’s EconomyThis was not a protest, nor was it an accident.
January 3, 2021 Political Economy for the HolidaysTo avoid the stain of hypocrisy, ideas must also guide our behavior.
December 13, 2020 How to Stop Worrying About National PoliticsLocal government requires pragmatic competence, not ideological showmanship.
November 8, 2020 Some Places of Economic CompromiseWe are in the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, and that gives us a chance for Congress to compromise.
November 1, 2020 The Economic Policies of the Losing Party Also MatterEach party may face identity crisis depending on the outcome of the election.
June 30, 2019 Erasing College Debt Is an Astonishingly Bad IdeaTo expand college access, we need to make it less expensive up front, which requires more public investment at the front end of the college experience.
May 12, 2019 Taking Seriously a Socialist CritiqueWhat part of criticism of our market economy is right, and what should we do about it?
August 26, 2018 College Starts AgainHere you can entirely reinvent yourself in ways that will never again be possible.
November 13, 2016 Three Quick Lessons About the ElectionElections matter, and future elections matter.
June 5, 2016 More Free Speech ShenanigansAs citizens, we must necessarily make judgments about research in which we aren’t experts.
May 29, 2016 unKoch My Campus Is Soros-Funded HypocrisyThe contracts and grants we receive fund research on nonpartisan issues.
May 22, 2016 We Must Take Federal Tax Dollars, then Elect a Better PresidentFederal funding typically amounts to about 10 percent of the budget.
May 8, 2016 The Great Hoosier Jobs Lie of 2016Productivity has lead to a growing manufacturing industry, but fewer, better-educated workers.
April 17, 2016 Free Tuition a Gift to Rich FamiliesMost students already receive some sort of tuition discount.
March 20, 2016 Mysteries of Economic PopulismDiscerning actual policy recommendations from Mr. Sanders and Mr. Trump is not a trivial task.
November 22, 2015 Campus ShenanigansCollege should focus on our ideas, passions and character
May 24, 2015 A Lesson from Guadalcanal on Memorial DayThe things that divide us matter less than those things that unite us.
May 10, 2015 Measuring School QualityMuch of individual student performance depends on the family, not the school.
April 5, 2015 RFRA Impact Is Worse Than EconomicIt is simply not possible to legislate the details of the inevitable tensions between culture and faith.
December 14, 2014 Chicago Raises the Minimum Wage, Protecting the Mayor’s JobIf the minimum wage is set above the market wage, some workers will lose jobs while some will be better paid.
November 2, 2014 Some Big Ideas for the ElectionThough a large swing is predicted to favor the GOP, it is clearly out of frustration with the current administration.
September 14, 2014 Focus on Shrinking the Federal GovernmentMost of our current problems are at the local level: schools, crime, housing, unemployment, and poverty.
August 31, 2014 Liberalism on Campus Is Mostly IrrelevantIn my experience, few professors use their political feelings to inspire their coursework.
March 9, 2014 Russian Sanctions Are RiskyAdding armed conflict to a place with even a tiny whiff of ethnic tension rarely turns out well.
April 7, 2013 Bad Ideas Still ReignToday I see three bad intellectual influences that merit noting—one each from the political right, the left and bipartisan folly.
February 17, 2013 Let’s Try a $25 Minimum WageLabor markets are subject to the laws of supply and demand.
December 30, 2012 Looking Back on the Daniels AdministrationThere were failures, successes and unfinished business.
December 2, 2012 Demagoguery and Truth About TaxesWe should be a bit mindful of demagoguery about taxes.
November 25, 2012 ‘Scooby Snacks’ and The Great American GiveawayHere, we'll focus on the ‘something for nothing’ crowd.
October 28, 2012 More Clarity on Gender and PayIt should not be surprising that the majority of wage differences between men and women can be explained by schooling, occupational choice, and experience.
November 14, 2011 Indiana Elections, 2011In taking an oath of office, one’s perspective changes—which is precisely why we demand these oaths of public officials.
August 15, 2011 Downgrading Standard & Poor’sFor anyone who recalls its glowing ratings for mortgage backed securities, S&P research is hard to take seriously.
January 17, 2011 Gentle and Intemperate AngelsIt is reprehensible to blame killing on vitriolic political language – but that does not make the tenor of political debate useful or appropriate.

© Center for Business and Economic Research, Ball State University

About Ball State CBER Data Center

Ball State CBER Data Center is one-stop shop for economic data including demographics, education, health, and social capital. Our easy-to-use, visual web tools offer data collection and analysis for grant writers, economic developers, policy makers, and the general public.

Ball State CBER Data Center (cberdata.org) is a product of the Center for Business and Economic Research at Ball State University. CBER's mission is to conduct relevant and timely public policy research on a wide range of economic issues affecting the state and nation. Learn more.

Terms of Service

Center for Business and Economic Research

Ball State University • Whitinger Business Building, room 149
2000 W. University Ave.
Muncie, IN 47306-0360
Phone:
765-285-5926
Email:
cber@bsu.edu
Website:
www.bsu.edu/cber
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/BallStateCBER
Twitter:
www.twitter.com/BallStateCBER
Close