'Public goods' are a staple of taxation theory. But some public goods aren't so public after all
Newly released emails show that Seattle's city council worked with the supposedly independent authors of a study which concluded that its $15 minimum wage had not hurt low paid workers.
To reduce pollution, policymakers raise its price. But doesn't that mean raising the price of labor is a bad idea?
Economists Thomas Piketty and Arthur Laffer agree that high tax rates do not bring high tax revenues.
Minnesota's famously varied weather probably accounts for much of the state's growth pattern. But the extremes are driven by events beyond the state's control
If you tax something you get less of it. Policymakers from Peter the Great to Mark Dayton have not only acknowledged this being true, but have banked on it
June's employment report is a step in the right direction for Minnesota's workforce
Seattle's council has pulled the plug on a minimum wage project because it didn't like the results. The city's low paid will pay the price of educating its ignorant leaders
Minnesota has some strong cards in its economic deck. As CNBC's rankings show, its Big Government economic policies aren’t among of them.
'Trickle down economics' is a theory made up by its opponents that nobody actually believes. Stop trying to make it happen.
We all want to see higher wages and workers with more money to spend. What are the things we should be looking at to really accomplish that?
John Phelan is appointed the Center’s first staff economist
Politicians pretend to care about the working poor while making it impossible for them to find a place to live with regulations, centralization, and fees. They ought to be ashamed…
Minnesota Management and Budget's latest figures offer Minnesotans two things. First, is a reminder not to take the state's economic performance for granted. Second, a lesson that taxes affect economic…
Maybe protesting for a $15 wage is more fun than upskilling to get it. Maybe voting for it is easier. It is certainly less effective.
It is harder for students to pay their way through college these days. But that is because of skyrocketing fees, not falling wages
It isn't true that building more roads will simply lead to more congestion
Economics has laws, and they will be enforced whatever politicians think they can decree
Minnesotans see much to be proud of in their economy and rightly so. But this should not lead to complacency. Prosperity isn't a given and we need to be watchful…
As price of labor went up, people bought less of it — as standard economic theory predicts. This op-ed appeared June 29, 2017 in the Star Tribune. The Minneapolis City…
Higher wages will only come from higher productivity. Trying to raise wages by dictating prices is like trying to slow your car by pressing down on the speedometer’s needle.
Minnesota is a wonderful state with many advantages. But prosperity isn't a given. Rather than patting ourselves on the back over this or that bit of data, we need to…
People often say “If you don’t like gay marriage, don’t get one”. Fine. If you don't want a job at $9.50 per hour, don’t get one.
Minneapolis’ small business owners are vital to the economy and will struggle with this proposed ordinance. All politicians like Council Member Bender can offer them are empty clichés. Since when…