The Arkansas Center for Research in Economics (ACRE) is an Arkansas focused research center housed in the College of Business at the University of Central Arkansas. ACRE scholars and policy analysts use academic research and original analysis to educate the public on important issues of public policy in Arkansas. Our research focuses on barriers to employment, taxes and spending, targeted incentives, and government transparency. ACRE promotes solutions that respect the personal and economic freedoms of individuals because protecting and expanding these freedoms has a proven record of improving the lives of people around the world and here at home.
Recent Announcements
Dr. Horpedahl was presented with this award by COB Dean Mike Casey
Dr. Jeremy Horpedahl, ACRE Director and Associate Professor of Economics, received the UCA College of Business Exemplary Boundary Spanner Award for his extraordinary ongoing impact:
- He co-authored The Future of Arkansas Tax Reform that offers detailed suggestions to AR lawmakers on the best way to reform AR taxes.
- Horpedahl regularly offers his expertise in media stories: 9 different outlets including New York Times, Financial Times, Newsweek, and Bloomberg; Six op-eds in City Journal, Arkansas Business, Arkansas Dem Gaz and others; 3 television appearances; participant on 5 podcasts; 52 blog posts covering economic data and news, with over 40,000 unique views.
- For the past 12 months, he has engaged over 19,000 followers earning over 41 million impressions through posts covering economic news and statistics on current events.
- In addition to his usual media appearances, Dr. Jeremy Horpedahl is also participating in an important form of outreach and public service, as a member of the “Property Tax Advisory Council” in Montana. This council was called by the state’s Governor and has been meeting throughout 2024. Dr. Horpedahl has been providing a national perspective, as well as bringing his experience from Arkansas tax reforms to assist Montana as they try to lower property taxes for homeowners.
Recent ACRE Publications
Economic Freedom of North America 2023
co-published by ACRE and authored by Dean Stansel, José Torra, Fred McMahon, & Ángel Carrión-Tavárez
ACRE is proud to be a co-publisher of the 2023 Economic Freedom of North America report. This report measures economic freedom across a variety of dimensions for US states, as well as jurisdictions of Canada and Mexico. The information and data in the report are crucial for the kind of research that ACRE researchers do to better understand what is happening with public policy in Arkansas relative to other states. You can read the full report at this link, which includes a foreword highlighting Arkansas’s ranking by ACRE Director Jeremy Horpedahl (starting on page 5 of the PDF).
The Future of Arkansas Tax Reform: Next Steps on the Road Map to Competitiveness
by Jeremy Horpedahl and Tax Foundation Researchers
For Dr. Horpedahl’s latest book on tax reform in Arkansas, ACRE once again teamed up with experts at the Tax Foundation to look at how to reform and reduce taxes in Arkansas. They lay out several reform options for both personal and corporate income taxes that will continue to improve Arkansas’s competitiveness, implemented in a way that will not significantly upset the delivery of government services to constituents. As the public debate about taxes in Arkansas continues, Dr. Horpedahl and co-authors provide updated resources and advice from their influential 2016 book on the same topic to further advance the debate and tax reform.
Click to view our blog post on the book with a link to the book
Access Arkansas: County and City Web Transparency (4th edition)
by Dr. Joyce O. Ajayi and Dr. Mavuto Kalulu
In the fourth edition of their well-regarded publication, ACRE researchers Dr. Ajayi and Dr. Kalulu provide updated results on web transparency for Arkansas counties, as well as expand their analysis to include larger cities in Arkansas. Past editions of the publication have served to assist counties with becoming more transparent for their constituents, as well as helped Arkansas lawmakers write new rules and guidance for local governments regarding web transparency. See where your city and county rank!