In this paper I develop a systematic framework for assessing the effectiveness of granting tax abatements to encourage urban economic development. This approach focuses upon the abatement's effect upon the firm's decision to invest and the impact of the investment upon the community. Current...

This study uses data from a random survey of 2001 Michigan households to analyze the extent to which the Michigan ctreuit-breaker has been successful in reducing the income regressivity of the property tax and in changing relative property tax burdens. Because of its relatively extensive...

This article reexamines economic development research and policy-making by focusing on strategic behavior as an important component of the process. Ironically, despite early recognition that game theory elements were present in the economic development decision context, little formal work has...

Some communities have endured the consequences of rent regulations because of the political costs associated with contemplating decontrol. This article proposes a novel solution for decontrolling rental housing markets by establishing negotiable property rights to the ownership of rent-regulated...

The paper reviews the educational and evaluation experience with the widely known Perry Preschool Program. Basically, the Perry Program generated short-term IQ gains that evaporated within 2 years, followed by long-term gains in attendance, academic achievement, graduation rates and earnings,...

Private educational firms claimed to be able to substantially increase the reading and mathematics achievement test scores of disadvantaged students. The OEO Performance Contracting Experiment tested this claim. Although analysis of experimental effects is complicated by imperfect matching of...

This paper reviews the long-term financial problems facing the U.S. Social Security system. Not only is the system out of long-term actuarial balance, but implicit rates of return on worker contributions are low and dropping. The paper discusses different approaches for dealing with the twin...