By Caleb Taylor How could Arkansas be better prepared for the next recession? Keep increasing the state’s Long Term Reserve Fund balance and improve its deposit and withdrawal rules, according to UCA Assistant Professor of Economics and ACRE Scholar Dr. Jeremy Horpedahl. Horpedahl joined Jay Bir of Capitol View on KARK on March 8 to […]
ACRE Review
Greater Sunshine: Benton County Becoming More Transparent
By Mavuto Kalulu Benton County ranks second in the state in terms of their web transparency. Only Washington County ranks higher. This is according to the 2019 report, “Access Arkansas – County Web Transparency” published by the Arkansas Center for Research in Economics (ACRE) on December 20, 2019. Benton County’s transparency score of 0.762 reflects […]
Student Behavior Improves with More School Options
By Caleb Taylor How do charter school options affect student discipline in traditional public schools in Arkansas? A research paper entitled “The Effects of Charter Schools on Disciplinary Infractions in Traditional Public Schools: Evidence from Arkansas,” by ACRE Policy Analyst Dr. Mavuto Kalulu, ACRE Scholar and UCA Associate Professor of Economics Dr. Thomas Snyder, and […]
ACRE Student Spotlight: Macy Scheck
By Caleb Taylor How did a 2009 state severance tax increase affect natural gas production in Arkansas? Not much, according to a forthcoming paper entitled “Examining the effect of Arkansas’s increased severance tax rate on natural gas production,” co-authored by ACRE Undergraduate Research Fellow Macy Scheck and UCA Professor of Finance Dr. Mike Casey According […]
Why Arkansas’s Long-Term Reserve Fund May Not Weather the Next Rainy Day
By Dr. David Mitchell In a recent op-ed for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, I pointed out that families need to have rainy day funds to provide for any loss of income. Similarly, when state governments have unexpected general budget shortfalls, they need a way to pay for them. And in the same way that families may […]
How did Arkansas’s tax structure change over the previous decade?
By Caleb Taylor In an op-ed published in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on February 15 entitled “State status check,” ACRE Scholar and UCA Assistant Professor of Economics Dr. Jeremy Horpedahl and National Taxpayer Union Foundation Economist Nicole Kaeding say Arkansas’s sales taxes have generally increased, income taxes have decreased, and property taxes have generally stayed the […]
ACRE Student Spotlight: Ryan Jackson
By Caleb Taylor Does the occupational licensing of nursing home administrators affect the quality of care of nursing home residents? A forthcoming paper by ACRE Undergraduate Research Fellow Ryan Jackson and ACRE Economic Policy Analyst Alex Kanode examines this question. Jackson is a part of ACRE’s Research Fellowship Program. In this program, students work with […]
ACRE Student Spotlight: Erica Smith
By Caleb Taylor Is there a connection between getting re-elected and which counties get economic development incentives? A new working paper entitled “Do Politicians Use Targeted Economic Incentives for Political Gains? Evidence from Arkansas Gubernatorial Elections” co-authored by ACRE Undergraduate Research Fellow Erica Smith, ACRE Affiliated Researcher and UCA Lecturer I of Economics Jacob Bundrick, […]
Sunset Review of Occupational Licenses In Arkansas Continues
By Alex Kanode On January 13th, the ALC Occupational Licensing Review Subcommittee met to discuss their recommendations from the December meeting and bring forward more recommendations. The subcommittee is tasked by law with determining and implementing the least restrictive form of occupational authorization to protect consumers from significant and substantiated harms to public health and […]