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Now showing items 441-449 of 449
U.S. Ethanol Policy: The Unintended Consequences
(The Mosbacher Institute for Trade, Economics & Public Policy, 2012-02)
The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA) mandated a steep rise in domestic ethanol production. The goals were to ease dependency on imported petroleum and to cut greenhouse gas emissions. A new blend of ...
Free Trade in Oil and Natural Gas, The Case for Lifting the Ban on U.S. Energy Exports
(Mosbacher Institute for Trade, Economics & Public Policy, 2014-11)
Not only should the US lift its ban on exporting oil and natural gas in light of today’s economic and political climate, but it was wrong to ever ban such exports in the first place. The US should cease to view its energy ...
Ethanol Waivers: Needed or Irrelevant?
(The Mosbacher Institute for Trade, Economics & Public Policy, 2012-10)
Because of the magnitude of the existing corn harvest shortfall coupled with the large ethanol mandates, policymakers face extreme uncertainties looking into the future with potentially large economic ramifications. ...
When Equal is Not Equitable: Adjusting for Geographic Differences in Education Costs
(Mosbacher Institute for Trade, Economics & Public Policy, 2015-04)
An educational dollar doesn’t stretch as far in some parts of the country as it does in others. School districts in high cost areas need additional dollars just to be able to purchase the same resources and hire the same ...
Texas Cities in the Era of Government Transparency
(Mosbacher Institute for Trade, Economics & Public Policy, 2014-09)
We are in the Era of Government Transparency. Recently, politicians from President Barack Obama to Texas Governor Rick Perry have touted a commitment to openness and transparency in their respective administrations. Citizens ...
The NAFTA Intellect Disconnect: Actual Costs and Benefits versus Popular Perceptions
(Mosbacher Institute for Trade, Economics & Public Policy, 2016-12)
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which was initiated during the Republican administration of George H.W. Bush and completed during the Democrat administration of Bill Clinton, has been studied intensively ...
Water Use for Hydraulic Fracturing: A Texas Sized Problem?
(Mosbacher Institute for Trade, Economics & Public Policy, 2014-12)
The state of Texas could face a 2.7 trillion gallon shortfall of water by 2060. Hydraulic fracturing (HF) requires large amounts of water for each well. Tax incentives should be offered to companies that substitute brackish ...
The Hidden Tax of Jury Service
(Mosbacher Institute for Trade, Economics & Public Policy, 2015-10-19)
Not all taxes are conveniently labeled as such. For example, consider jury duty. Although it is seldom discussed in these terms, jury duty clearly fits the textbook definition of a tax—jurors are required to surrender a ...
Environmental Regulation: Can government regulate itself?
(Mosbacher Institute for Trade, Economics & Public Policy, 2015-10)
Leading theories of regulation assume that governments regulate profit-maximizing firms: governments set rules, to which firms respond rationally in ways that constrain their behavior. However, often the entities that ...