Research

The Tension between Agency Authority and the Constitution

Separation of powers is a core tenet of the U.S. Constitution. The built-in “checks and balances” are intended to prevent one branch of government from exercising enough power to control all government action. However, through rulemaking and adjudication proceedings, executive agencies routinely exercise powers reserved for the legislative and judicial branches of government.

If You Extend It, They Will Come: The Effects of the STEM OPT Extension

Introduction Labor market opportunities have long been recognized as a driving force in international students’ mobility, and empirical evidence on their movement to higher-income countries lends its support for this hypothesis (Suter and Jandl, 2006; Rosenzweig, 2008; She and Wotherspoon, 2013). Obtaining a degree from the United States is even more important for international students, […]

What are the Effects of Utah Income Tax Rate Cuts?

1. Introduction With state budget surpluses and record high state reserve account balances, Utah lawmakers are considering policy reforms for the 2023 legislative session that continue to support the state’s growth while leaving some reserves available for potential economic downturn in the future. For the third time since 2018, a cut in the Utah individual […]

Public Interest Comment for the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) on the Intersection of Privacy, Equity, and Civil Rights

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration asks a series of crucial questions in this proceeding. It seeks to understand how commercial data collection and use, especially through artificial intelligence (AI) methods, might adversely affect underserved or marginalized communities through disparate impacts. Importantly, it wants to understand how “specific data collection and use practices potentially create […]

What Should Policymakers Do about Social Media and Minors?

Calls for stricter regulations on social media and minors are coming at policymakers from all angles. The safety of our children is a topic of society-wide importance. However, getting these policies right is at least as important as getting them passed in the here and now.

The Impact of Wildfires on Internal Migration in the United States

Fighting and recovering from wildfires is expensive. And with more wildfires, increasing amounts of taxpayer funds are directed to at-risk communities in order to mitigate and fight fires. This paper finds that following the first occurrence of a wildfire, communities experience increases in net migration, home values, annual payroll, and a slight decrease in the low-income population.