Learn-Economics.com

Economic Policy 

If people ever try to tell you that scientists are objective, either laugh in their faces (if they are people you can afford to offend) or politely smile and nod (if they are people you can't afford to offend).

But whatever you do, don't believe this lie.

The vast majority of scientists (and most definitely economists) have very strong political opinions that most definitely color their work.  This is true even of the researchers at the top of their game, even Nobel Prize winners (many of whom are hugely partisan).

That being the case, I've cordoned off this part of the website since it contains research put out by institutions that have definite political agendas, mostly right wing and left wing think tanks. 

This isn't to say that the research that they put out is fatally flawed, or hopelessly biased.  But it's often only one side of the argument. 

Furthermore, since most of this stuff is published "in house" by think tanks in their own working paper series, the authors knew when they were writing these papers that they would never be subject to the sort of peer review that they would have to endure if they were going to submit an article to a scholarly journal.  The good news about avoiding peer review is that it means that people don't have to worry about towing the party line or being politically correct.  The bad news is that they are much more free to say whatever they want, no matter how implausible other experts would find it.

So with those warnings, here's my list of economic policy resources.  Just keep in mind that anyone recommending a specific policy typically has a pretty well set political agenda.  (I'm putting their political leanings in parentheses.)

American Enterprise Institute (conservative)

The Brookings Institute (liberal)

Cato Institute (libertarian)

Center On Budget and Policy Priorities (liberal)

Center for Public Integrity (liberal)

Center for Strategic and International Studies (conservative)

Club for Growth (conservative)

Economic Policy Institute (liberal)

Family Research Council (conservative)

The Hoover Institution on War and Peace (conservative)

The Heritage Foundation (conservative)

Institute for Policy Studies (liberal)

Manhattan Institute (conservative)

National Center for Policy Analysis (conservative)

National Taxpayers Union (conservative)

Political Economy Research Center (libertarian environmentalism)

Progressive Policy Institute (liberal)

Urban Institute (liberal)

Copyright 2005 © Behavioral Investments Inc.  All rights reserved.

Except for public domain material and electronic messages, all materials on www.learn-economics.com or any other site owned by Behavioral Investments, Inc. are protected by Federal copyright and are protected under treaty provisions and worldwide copyright laws. Materials contained in any part of any of these sites may not be reproduced, copied, edited, published, transmitted or uploaded in any way without the written permission of Behavioral Investments, Inc. Except as expressly stated in the Limited License provision in these Terms of Use, Behavioral Investments, Inc. does not grant any express or implied right to you under any of its trademarks, service marks, copyrights or other proprietary information.