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Economic Freedom Is Essential, but It Isn’t Just TaxesBusinesses and households prioritize standard of living among other factors.

The Labor Demand Shocks of Artificial IntelligenceThe unseen part of technology is how humans adapt it to complement their innate skills.

Misdiagnosing Housing ProblemsThe housing market faces a mix of supply-side and demand-side issues.

Previewing the Long-Term Effects of TariffsThe dominant effect of the Trump tariffs will be to raise production costs on almost every American manufacturing firm.

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Commentaries tagged with midwest

May 25, 2025 Previewing the Long-Term Effects of TariffsThe dominant effect of the Trump tariffs will be to raise production costs on almost every American manufacturing firm.
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.
March 30, 2025 The Birth and Death of Rustbelt CitiesEducational attainment is the fundamental factor leading to city growth or decline.
February 2, 2025 The Great State of Illiana (or is it Indinois?)Deep economic divergence has gripped the United States for four decades.
October 20, 2024 Lessons in Home PricesIndiana’s dominant housing problem is a surplus of homes that are unlikely to ever again be occupied.
July 21, 2024 Why Don’t We Learn from Economic Development Failures?Educational attainment alone is now a more powerful predictor of a region’s economic success than everything else combined.
May 5, 2024 US Debt Will Change Local Economic Development PoliciesThere’s no tax cut that will generate rapid economic growth, nor is there some magical spending mix that will cause a big spike in productivity.
April 14, 2024 The Midwest Is Struggling in the Post-COVID WorldWe are chasing past economic glories rather than pursuing economic opportunities of the future.
April 7, 2024 What Caused the Midwest to Thrive? EducationIndiana was universally literate before England was.
February 11, 2024 Some More Truth About Manufacturing and TradeManufacturing employment peaked decades earlier than manufacturing production.
September 24, 2023 Don’t Expect the UAW to GrowThere is no evidence of a resurgence in the UAW or other industrial unions today.
June 25, 2023 Growing and Declining Places Have Different ChallengesThe Midwest came of age at a time when natural amenities and recreational opportunities played only a modest role in prosperity or migration.
March 5, 2023 The Amish in IndianaIt is hard not to draw similarities between the Amish and newer immigrant groups.
December 25, 2022 Storm Costs on ChristmasThis storm comes amidst some of the busiest travel days of the year.
August 5, 2018 Midwest Must Save Middle Class NeighborhoodsIf your community isn’t thriving, your problems are far deeper than you suppose.
May 13, 2018 Midwest Growth Was Always About PeopleFactories came to Indiana because it possessed one truly great asset—people.
May 13, 2018 Midwest Growth Was Always About PeopleFactories came to Indiana because it possessed one truly great asset—people.
March 11, 2018 Rustbelt Cities Must Focus on Middle Class NeighborhoodsSchool quality is always the most pressing issue for middle class neighborhoods, but other amenities matter. The cost of improving amenities in communities that are likely to survive for several decades is very small.
January 22, 2017 The Wrong Political Message Won’t Help Our EconomyTo create jobs, focus on places, not businesses.
November 15, 2015 Plans for the Regional Cities Initiative Are RevealingLet's briefly review the proposed initiatives.
October 4, 2015 Lessons from a Public LectureResearch now convincingly argues that relative city size is mostly influenced by the location choices of more educated households and agglomerations.
September 27, 2015 The Lessons of Mounds LakeThe myriad problems with the proposal came to light in a democratic process that spanned several months.

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