UCA Undergraduates Attend Women in Economics Symposium

By Terra Aquia, ACRE Program Coordinator During the legislative session ACRE staff are frequently focused on bills and testifying before committee. But our dedication to education and outreach to students is a pillar of ACRE’s mission and presents opportunities for student involvement year-round. Recently, ACRE Policy Analyst Dr. Joyce Ajayi and ACRE Program Coordinator Terra […]

ACRE’s Mid-Session Legislative Update

By Dr. Jeremy Horpedahl, ACRE Director and UCA Associate Professor of Economics The Arkansas General Assembly has now completed 7 weeks of its 2023 Regular Session. While there is still a lot more work to be done this year, we’ve already seen some major developments, and at ACRE we are closely watching several pieces of […]

Does School Choice Hurt Students Left Behind in Traditional Public Schools?

by Thomas Snyder, UCA Professor of Economics and ACRE-Affiliated Scholar The topic of school choice is back at the forefront in Arkansas with our new Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders. One of the most common arguments you’ll hear against school choice is “What about those students left behind in traditional public schools?” If public money and […]

Arkansas Economics Challenge Winners Announced

By Terra Aquia Who were the winners of the 2021 Arkansas Economics Challenge? Twenty-seven students from seven Arkansas high schools met virtually on April 8th to compete in the Arkansas Economics Challenge.  Winning teams from this competition are eligible to advance to additional stages with other high school students from all over the U.S.  The […]

Our State is Freer Than Yours: How State Constitutions Protect Individual Rights

By Caleb Taylor What are the differences between state and federal constitutional law? How do lawyers use state constitutions to protect their clients? How do state laws differ from those at the federal level in protecting individual rights? Come learn the answers to these questions and more from Institute for Justice Senior Attorney Justin Pearson […]

2021 Reading Groups: Economics, Philosophy, and History

By Caleb Taylor Know a student interested in reading about and discussing new ideas? The application deadline for preferred consideration in our 2021 spring undergraduate student reading groups is right around the corner on Thursday, December 17. ACRE’s three undergraduate student reading group options for the 2021 spring semester are the “We Watch the Watchmen!” […]

Towards Web Transparency at Lower Levels of Government: How are School Districts Reporting Procurement Processes and Outcomes?

By Joyce Ajayi, Mavuto Kalulu, and David Lee Year after year we are seeing more laws and initiatives go into effect to encourage local levels of government in Arkansas to have more online transparency. For example, Act 564 recently mandated all Arkansas counties to publish their annual budget and financial reports online. Why is this important? Local […]

Introducing: Arkansas Social Studies Education Blog

By Terra Aquia Due to the global health crisis, students in Arkansas have had inconsistent learning opportunities since March, 2020. A new focus on Alternative Method Instruction (AMI) allows instructors to continue to teach equitably even when students are unable to regularly attend traditional classroom sessions. AMI materials often consist of learning packets, videos, and […]

REAL Econ For All

By Caleb Taylor Are you a teacher still needing professional development this summer? Are you looking for resources to prepare you for the unique challenges the upcoming school year will bring? The Relevant, Engaging, Activity-Based Learning (REAL) Conference hosted annually by Economics Arkansas is going virtual this year, and bringing together speakers from around Arkansas […]

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 […]