Does Digital Learning Level the Economic Playing Field for Marginalized Groups?

By Andje Louis The internet and related technologies–smartphones, computers, search engines, social media platforms–have become ingrained tools in everyday life. As more services and resources are made available online, digital inequality has come to mirror income and healthcare gaps among the world’s more marginalized populations, such as low-income and underrepresented groups.  While most people use … Continue reading Does Digital Learning Level the Economic Playing Field for Marginalized Groups?

Data Science and the Humanities: A Mutually Beneficial Relationship

By: Angel Purganan A popular misconception is that entering a STEM field requires a technical or scientific degree. However, the varying academic backgrounds in today’s tech industry reveal a different reality. LinkedIn data indicates that liberal arts majors entering the technology industry outpaced computer science and engineering majors by 10%. The presence of non-STEM majors … Continue reading Data Science and the Humanities: A Mutually Beneficial Relationship

Interview with Dr. Staley: Filmmaking and Public Policy

On June 25, 2020, DeVoe L. Moore Center director Sam Staley participated in an on-line webinar on the intersection between public policy and filmmaking. The webinar was a partnership between the center, Pepperdine University’s School of Public Policy, and Southern California-based film production company Korchula Productions.  Film has become an increasingly important medium for communicating … Continue reading Interview with Dr. Staley: Filmmaking and Public Policy

Interview with Dr. Keith Ihlanfeldt

Introduction & interview by Matthew Wykoff My name is Matthew Wykoff and I am a senior at FSU finishing my undergraduate degree in Economics. As a DMC researcher interested in Tallahassee’s local urban development, I interviewed Dr. Keith Ihlanfeldt about his recent paper, Impact of Rental Housing on Neighborhood Integration. Dr. Ihlanfeldt’s official title is … Continue reading Interview with Dr. Keith Ihlanfeldt

Financing America’s Colleges: The Reality of Pell Grants

By: Shayna Cohen With approximately two out of every three high school graduates enrolled in university or college, higher education is an expectation for adults in the United States. By working hard in college, people hope to increase their social standing, job prospects, and earning potential.  However, affording the high price tag of these aspirations … Continue reading Financing America’s Colleges: The Reality of Pell Grants

Raising Minimum Wage Would Hurt Marginalized Workers

By: Jordan Wilson On November 8, Raising Florida’s Minimum Wage Amendment received approval to appear on the 2020 ballot. The amendment, if passed, will raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour in Florida by 2026.  With public opinion favoring the passage of the amendment, it is time to examine the impact of the proposed … Continue reading Raising Minimum Wage Would Hurt Marginalized Workers

Corporate Social Responsibility and the Millennial Generation

By Alexis Gimbel The concept of corporate social responsibility, also known as “CSR,” is a company’s efforts to take accountability for its effects on the environment and society.  A firm that practices CSR will often operate in a manner that surpasses the business standards required by government regulations. This ideal has led to the development … Continue reading Corporate Social Responsibility and the Millennial Generation

Businesses Benefit from a Philanthropic Approach

By Gianni Vasquez Businesses play a crucial role in generating economic growth and prosperity. While they increase people’s standards of living through job creation, companies are in a position to further benefit society by incorporating social responsibility as a part of their mission. Philanthropy not only strengthens the brand of the company, but also creates … Continue reading Businesses Benefit from a Philanthropic Approach

Gentrification in Frenchtown: A Nuanced Perspective

By Jordan Greer Gentrification has been contentious since British sociologist Ruth Rich coined the word in the 1960s. Rich used the term to describe the process of wealthy citizens, landlords, and developers moving into British working class neighborhoods and renovating the area. This process of redevelopment, she argued, drove up the costs of housing and … Continue reading Gentrification in Frenchtown: A Nuanced Perspective

Saudi Arabian Entrepreneur Advances Women’s Rights in the Middle East

By Kristen Carpenter and Gina Reyes Earlier this year, Saudi Arabia became the first country to grant a robot by the name of Sophia full-fledged citizenship. Critics noted that while Sophia can roam the streets of the country unaccompanied, Saudi Arabia’s female citizens are not afforded this right. After all, women are still prohibited from … Continue reading Saudi Arabian Entrepreneur Advances Women’s Rights in the Middle East

The Jones Act is Sinking the Growth of American Industries

By Gina Reyes The Merchant Marine Act of 1920, commonly referred to as the Jones Act, is a law enacted to protect the United States’ maritime industry, regulate commerce, and bolster national defense. While well-intentioned, the act fails to reflect the current needs of the United States. Repealing the Jones Act would prove beneficial to … Continue reading The Jones Act is Sinking the Growth of American Industries

Monopolistic Licensing Board Taken to Court, Others Could Follow

By Matt Kelly In 2015, the US Supreme Court ruled that North Carolina’s State Board of Dental Examiners, which administers the state’s occupational licensing regulations, violated federal antitrust law. Occupational licensing has been growing for decades, both in terms of the number of regulated industries and the costs to those seeking licenses. However, the North … Continue reading Monopolistic Licensing Board Taken to Court, Others Could Follow

New Overtime Rules Blocked For Now, But Uncertainty Weighs on Businesses

By Matt Kelly CLOCK IN TIME: 6:10pm Work in the United States may be about to change. The Department of Labor (DOL) has updated overtime rules relating to the Fair Labor Standards Act, and some changes could have a big impact on businesses’ labor costs. The rules were set to take effect on December 1, … Continue reading New Overtime Rules Blocked For Now, But Uncertainty Weighs on Businesses

Despite Problems, Florida’s Qualified Target Industry Tax Refund is Best Performing Incentive

By Marisa Lupica The Qualified Target Industry (QTI) tax refund is offered to attract high wage jobs in target industries to Florida. The program is administered by the Department of Economic Opportunity, Enterprise Florida, Inc. (EFI), and the Department of Revenue. Among Florida’s tax incentive programs, QTI is the largest and has the highest return … Continue reading Despite Problems, Florida’s Qualified Target Industry Tax Refund is Best Performing Incentive

Gender Wage Gap in Florida

By Tyler Worthington, Tian Ma, and Igor Lukashevich One of the hottest topics in the 2016 presidential race is income inequality. Income inequality between the genders has been of particular interest. According to the White House, full-time working women are paid 78 cents for every dollar earned by a man. However, the labor market in … Continue reading Gender Wage Gap in Florida

Florida Facing the Wrong Direction on Immigration Reform

By Selene Capparelli The US immigration system has been badly broken for many decades.  Mass deportation, enhanced border security, and keeping undocumented workers in perpetual illegal status have been proven to be very costly and ineffective methods to handle the constant influx of new immigrants.These policies result in hundreds of border-crossing deaths each year, abject … Continue reading Florida Facing the Wrong Direction on Immigration Reform

Occupational Licensing For Florida’s Barbers Does More Harm Than Good

By Jamaal Gill   The rise of occupational licensing has become a major concern to Florida’s businesses. These regulations affect everyone from doctors to restauranteurs; barbers to financial advisors. The main justifications for occupational licensing are the promotion of consumer welfare, public health, and a higher quality service. However, in many professions, occupational licensing keeps … Continue reading Occupational Licensing For Florida’s Barbers Does More Harm Than Good

New Study Sheds Light on Ridesharing’s Labor Market

By Matt Kelly Few economic issues have been more talked about this year than the disruptive forays into the taxi market by ridesharing technology companies like Uber and Lyft. It seems reasonable to assume ridesharing drivers are of the same ilk as traditional taxi drivers, yet little academic research has been done...until now. A recent … Continue reading New Study Sheds Light on Ridesharing’s Labor Market

Growlers Ban Likely to End

By Matt Kelly This legislative session, Florida lawmakers are considering reforms that would revamp many of the state’s regulations on alcohol. A measure to legalize a popular beer container size, the 64 oz. growler, has sparked a debate over the larger issue of the three-tier beer regulation system. Powerful special interests have complicated every step … Continue reading Growlers Ban Likely to End

Florida Legislators Seek To Clarify Ridesharing Regulations

By Matt Kelly The ridesharing technology company Uber has created quite a controversy overthe past year for its unprecedented disruption of the traditional taxi industry. Users praise the California-based company for shorter wait times and cheap fares, along with features like its driver rating system. Given the mobile app’s popularity with customers, many are now … Continue reading Florida Legislators Seek To Clarify Ridesharing Regulations

Reforms are Brewing in Florida

By Matt Kelly Floridians are brandishing their growlers as the state’s legislature considers reforms that would finally legalize the popular 64 oz. alcoholic beverage container. Florida is the only state in the nation to prohibit the growler, a legal idiosyncrasy that craft brewers say stifles their growth. An exemption to allow small brewers to self-distribute … Continue reading Reforms are Brewing in Florida

Taxi Regulation Reduces Driver Opportunity

Original post date: September 30, 2014 Article by: Ben Douglas For decades, state and local governments have imposed dramatic entry controls on the taxi industry across the United States. These regulatory hurdles benefit established companies at the expense of drivers. Many cities issue "medallions," a permit that grants its owner the legal right the right … Continue reading Taxi Regulation Reduces Driver Opportunity

Taxes, Inequality, and Business Climate

Original post date: September 19, 2014 Article by: Dan Davy Today, states are left with a difficult choice between maintaining revenue growth and providing a competitive business climate. Taxes that promote the most competitive business climates tend to be less progressive and have lower growth rates. Standard and Poor’s (S&P)  released a new report finding that states … Continue reading Taxes, Inequality, and Business Climate

Florida Workers Would Suffer from Minimum Wage Increase

Original post date: September 10, 2014 Article by: Matt Kelly 6/9/2023 Edits: Some links that were no longer working have been fixed. As Floridians nurse their Labor Day sunburns, it’s worth remembering the twentieth century labor movement’s legacies. Chief among them is the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, a federal law that established the … Continue reading Florida Workers Would Suffer from Minimum Wage Increase

Why do Workers Support The Minimum Wage?

Original post date: February 03, 2014 Article by: Ben Douglas One of the more peculiar political phenomena of our time is the widespread support of minimum wage laws among unskilled labor, particularly service workers in low-wage industries such as hotels, restaurants, and retail shops. This is likely to increase with President Obama’s push to increase … Continue reading Why do Workers Support The Minimum Wage?

Lima’s Transit Woes

Original post date: October 07, 2013 Article by: Ben Douglas The World Bank has devoted a considerable amount of funding in recent years to the establishment of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems in Latin America (and Africa). Numerous prominent Latin American cities have taken loans from the global financial institution for this purpose, including Mexico … Continue reading Lima’s Transit Woes

Housing Formation in a Recession

Post date: June 27, 2013 Article by: Gary Chong-Qui In past years, a stigma seems to have followed people moving back in with their parents after college. Most undergrads think they’ll have their lives sorted out by the time graduation day comes, or at the very least have some direction for moving on. The statistics … Continue reading Housing Formation in a Recession

Buildings Don’t Create Permanent Jobs

Original post date: March 22, 2013 Article by: Sam Staley 5/8/2023 Edits: Some links that were no longer compatible have been fixed. Gaines Street is the "it" place for Tallahassee's economic redevelopment initiatives, skirting the northern edge of the southern border of the Frenchtown/Southside Community Redevelopment Area. With large new projects going up along the … Continue reading Buildings Don’t Create Permanent Jobs