After more than half a century of monopoly and public utility-type regulation of retail telephone rates, the United States embarked on a path of liberalization in the early 1980s. That process is now nearing completion. However, two areas of telephone service largely remain under traditional...

As recently as five years ago, markets for mobile wireless services in Europe were performing on par with, or even better than, markets in the United States. Today, there is broad agreement that the EU has fallen behind in at least some dimensions, especially with respect to the deployment of...

As recently as five years ago, markets for mobile wireless services in Europe were performing on par with, or even better than, markets in the United States. Today, there is broad agreement that the EU has fallen behind in at least some dimensions, especially with respect to the deployment of...

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) appropriated $7.2 billion to subsidize broadband deployment, including $2.5 billion to the Rural Utilities Service (RUS). Prior investigations have shown that RUS’ broadband subsidy programs were not cost effective, and often funded duplicative...

In 2007, nearly 60 percent of all Federal individual tax returns were filed electronically, about three times the proportion 10 years earlier. Because electronic filing is both more efficient and more accurate than filing by mail, it generates substantial savings for taxpayers: The Internal...

In this study, we examine the comparative performance of mobile wireless markets in Canada, the US and the EU. We find that Canada's wireless market is generally performing on par with the US, while the EU has fallen behind both Canada and the US in recent years. As in the US, Canadian wireless...

Dear Chairman Wheeler: Congratulations on your confirmation as Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission. As economists who study and write about communications policy and regulation, we agree with your comment during your confirmation hearing that “the role of the FCC has evolved from...

This paper presents an analysis of the effects of FCC regulations on economies of scale and scope in television broadcasting, including their effects on the production of local news. We conclude that current FCC regulations are limiting, and potential future regulations could further limit, the...

Section 13(a)(15) of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) exempts companion care providers from the FLSA's minimum wage and overtime provisions, while Section 13(b)(21) exempts live-in workers from its overtime provisions. In December 2011, the Department of Labor proposed to substantially narrow...