Thomas Brosy, Benjamin Page, Eric Toder, and David Brazell will analyze data from more than 100,000 corporate tax returns to measure how firms responded to a change in the tax law that allowed full deduction of the cost of new capital investments and then estimate how any such changes in investment could affect the trajectory of growth in economic output. The project’s findings will appear in a research report and a policy brief.
Jason Delisle will examine the feasibility of using earnings data to hold universities accountable for the extent to which they create economic opportunities for their students. He will analyze the earnings of students after they leave school and explore how earnings vary by institution, program, and time since degree completion in order to assess a variety of proposals that hold institutions accountable for their results by limiting access to federal grant and student loan programs. The project’s findings will appear in a report and a policy brief.
Matthew Chingos will edit and publish The Learning Curve, an online source for accessible and policy-relevant research on issues related to early childhood education, primary and secondary school education, and postsecondary education.
Kim Rueben will direct the State and Local Finance Initiative, a policy lab focused on issues related to state and local public finance. The lab will explore how changes in economic activity spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic will affect state and local government finances and how policymakers can adapt to those changes in ways that will maintain stable fiscal balances in future years. The policy lab’s output will appear in a series of reports and policy briefs, as well as public events and dissemination activities delivered directly to state and local officials.
Jason Delisle will explore policy options to reform how the federal government supports human capital development through student loans for graduate and professional degree programs. He will analyze data documenting enrollment and cost trends for graduate and professional degree programs, assess the scope of federal government support for those programs, and examine patterns of borrowing across different degree programs. The project’s findings will be published in a report and a policy brief.