Textbook prices are a rapidly increasing cost to college students. This paper examines whether it possible to design policies that would make textbooks less expensive for students by eliminating the rents associated with copyright monopolies.

This paper shows that the "progressive" Social Security benefit cuts endorsed by President Bush in April 2005 would actually hit middle-income workers hardest.

This report compares the ownership and rental costs in 20 major U.S. metropolitan areas. The study finds that in many markets, homeownership costs are in line with rental costs. In these areas, it is practical and desirable to focus on policies that keep homeowners in their homes. The report...

This paper shows that the projected funding gap for Social Security is relatively minor when compared to the rise in other federal budget expenditures. It recommends that policymakers instead focus on the soaring costs of prescription medicine.

This issue brief compares projected savings from drilling in presently restricted offshore zones and savings if the nation had continued adjusting fuel efficiency standards at 1980-1985 rates. The issue brief projects savings through 2027, the year in which offshore drilling would reach peak...

This paper extrapolates from data from the 2004 Survey of Consumer Finance to project household wealth, by wealth quintile, in 2009 under three alternative scenarios. The first scenario assumes that real house prices fall no further than their level as of March 2008. The second scenario assumes...

This report presents several proposals designed to address the nation’s current economic slowdown. To blunt the effects of this downturn and provide immediate relief, the authors suggest a second stimulus package. Proposals for the package include an expanded tax credit for homes and...

This paper shows that the excess costs of the drug benefit plan are considerably larger than the size of the doughnut hole.

In his book, The Conservative Nanny State, economist Dean Baker debunks the myth that conservatives favor the market over government intervention. In fact, conservatives rely on a range of "nanny state" policies that ensure the rich get richer while leaving most Americans worse off. This paper...

This paper compares the current economic recovery - post-2001 recession up to mid-2005 - with its performance in the prior four economic recoveries. It examines how weak job growth has affected older versus younger workers, and how the impact has differed between men and women.