By: Michaela Galligan The Institute for Justice, a non-profit public interest law firm operating in the United States, published Clean Cut: How Clipping Unnecessary Licensing Can Grow Opportunities for Barbers and Manicurists and Keep Customers Safe last year. It focuses on state-regulated mandates on licensing for those working in the hairstyling and nail health industry … Continue reading The Institute for Justice’s Clean Cut Study Reinforces Previous DMC Research
Driving Away Third Places
By: Isla Riddell The world population is higher than it has ever been, yet we are in the midst of a loneliness epidemic. From 2003 to 2020, social isolation saw an increase of 24 hours a month, with social participation decreasing. People are spending more time alone and less time with others. The COVID-19 pandemic … Continue reading Driving Away Third Places
Dentistry Shortage in Florida
Originally published by Red Tape Florida. This is an edited version. By: Gabriel Carraro de Andrade The United States is experiencing a labor shortage across various sectors, with education and healthcare being hit the hardest. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the shortage. With a shift towards remote work, many younger individuals are less inclined to … Continue reading Dentistry Shortage in Florida
Florida State University expert available to break down latest housing market trends
Originally published by Florida State University News By: Stephen Stone The U.S. housing market just hit another record. Median home prices in June climbed to $435,300, the highest ever, while existing home sales dipped again. What’s driving the trend? And is there any relief ahead? Florida State housing policy expert Sam Staley says this affordability … Continue reading Florida State University expert available to break down latest housing market trends
Fostering Innovation and Technology Can Put Florida in Lead for Combatting Space Debris
By: Max Blumenfeld and Zachary Asarnow Almost three-fourths of the almost $400 billion generated annually by space-related industries is within the commercial satellite industry alone. These satellites are crucial for television, banking, communication, and navigation, and the industry is expected to grow $1.8 trillion by 2035. Satellites, however, largely operate in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), … Continue reading Fostering Innovation and Technology Can Put Florida in Lead for Combatting Space Debris
Teacher Shortages: How are Housing Prices and Salary Influencing Educators?
By: Isabel Gregersen Teacher retention rates and the number of young people going into the education field are low in many parts of the United States. Florida K-12 schools, however, are especially struggling to keep teachers and hire new ones. Departing teachers sometimes leave because they are unsatisfied with the curriculum. Others may be retiring. … Continue reading Teacher Shortages: How are Housing Prices and Salary Influencing Educators?
Economic Growth from the Proliferation of the Private Space Industry in Florida
“Exploration is wired into our brains. If we can see the horizon, we want to know what’s beyond.” – Buzz Aldrin, Magnificent Desolation: The Long Journey Home from the Moon By: Dominick Purpura and Max Blumenfeld Florida stands as the premier gateway to space exploration in the United States, home to the highest number of … Continue reading Economic Growth from the Proliferation of the Private Space Industry in Florida
Alumni Spotlight: Amber Hedquist at Arizona State University
By: Chloe Offutt Amber Hedquist is a fourth-year PhD student at Arizona State University (ASU) specializing in professional writing and technical communication. She has an academic and professional interest in collaborative research relationships, specifically in three contexts: researcher-researcher, researcher-institution, and researcher-community. Across these collaborative relationships, she is interested in the roles of technology, ethics, and … Continue reading Alumni Spotlight: Amber Hedquist at Arizona State University
Dr. Staley’s Op-Ed on the Neighborhood Frat House Problem in The Tallahassee Democrat
By: Jamie Soto Dr. Samuel R. Staley is Director of the DeVoe L. Moore Center and full-time faculty of the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy. He teaches in the departments of economics and urban planning, with academic specialties in regulation, economic development, housing and land, growth management, transportation, and urban policy. He also is … Continue reading Dr. Staley’s Op-Ed on the Neighborhood Frat House Problem in The Tallahassee Democrat
Live Local Act Bans Rent Control: How Could It Help Housing Affordability?
Banning rent control may increase the housing supply and make housing more affordable. By: Elizabeth Miller In 2023, Governor Ron DeSantis signed the Live Local Act into law, marking the largest affordable housing investment effort in Florida’s history. In addition to this significant investment, the Act made a crucial change to Florida’s local government housing … Continue reading Live Local Act Bans Rent Control: How Could It Help Housing Affordability?
Alumni Spotlight: Data Analytics Sets Jimmy Mendez Up for Career Success
By: Mishalynn Brown Students embark on numerous career paths after college. The DMC works to ensure that students are armed with a set of skills that apply to their future endeavors. We were happy to catch up with Jimmy Mendez, an alumnus of the DMC who worked within the Data Analytics Group. Joining the Center … Continue reading Alumni Spotlight: Data Analytics Sets Jimmy Mendez Up for Career Success
Our Public Policy Researchers Presenting at the Florida Undergraduate Research Conference (FURC): Abstracts
Not even a month into the new year and our DMC researchers are already scheduled to present their work! Three undergraduate researchers have been selected to present at the Florida Undergraduate Research Conference (FURC) at the end of February. This conference was created by the Florida Undergraduate Research Association (FURA) and has a state-wide reputation … Continue reading Our Public Policy Researchers Presenting at the Florida Undergraduate Research Conference (FURC): Abstracts
The K-12 Wage Gap in Florida: Economic Implications and Future Outlook
By: Jimmy Mendez K-12 teachers in the United States are tackling a long-term battle with low salary growth rates. According to the data from the Employment Policy Institute, teachers are paid lower relative to similarly situated professional workers. While the average worker’s salary in Florida has steadily increased over the last decade, the average pay … Continue reading The K-12 Wage Gap in Florida: Economic Implications and Future Outlook
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
America’s College Promises
By: Shayna Cohen In 2017, the annual cost of college in the United States, on average, was $22,432. Many students without independent support or in low-wage jobs struggle to afford higher education. Some college financing systems provide loan-free options, such as the Pell Grant offered by the federal government to low-income students, and scholarships offered … Continue reading America’s College Promises
Time to Revisit Private History of Mass Transit
By Gina Reyes Tallahassee’s public bus transportation system, Starmetro, has been the subject of criticism among community members who use the buses. With a 3.0 star rating (out of five) on Google reviews, many complain about the poor quality of service, lack of cleanliness, tardiness, and limited bus routes and times. Complaints about public transportation … Continue reading Time to Revisit Private History of Mass Transit
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
Middle Eastern Entrepreneurs Face Regulatory Hurdles
By Kristen Carpenter and Gina Reyes Entrepreneurship often serves as a means to achieve social change. In the Middle East, social enterprises such as Glowork foster advancement by providing the disenfranchised with empowerment and professional development opportunities. Many entrepreneurs and employment seekers in the area, however, face regulatory hurdles to starting their own business. Excessive … Continue reading Middle Eastern Entrepreneurs Face Regulatory Hurdles
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
Regulators Adapt to the Sharing Economy
By Matt Kelly The so-called “sharing economy” has revolutionized the way people travel, lodge, eat, and work through companies such as Uber, Lyft, Airbnb, and OpenTable. Buyers and sellers are increasingly transacting on online platforms that use a mix of demand pricing, reputation mechanisms, and computer algorithms to match users. This innovation represents a dramatic challenge … Continue reading Regulators Adapt to the Sharing Economy
Microfinancing: Good for the Poor?
By Logan Shewmaker Many businesses start on loans. Traditionally, the loan process works by allowing a business owner or individual to approach a bank, receive the money upfront, and then pay back the amount loaned out over a period of time. Bank loans range anywhere from a few hundred dollars to millions. Eligibility criteria usually … Continue reading Microfinancing: Good for the Poor?
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
Top 2% of state employees see faster rise in income than bottom 98% since the Great Recession
By: Igor Lukashevich In 2014, the world was abuzz with talk of Thomas Piketty’s treatise on global economic inequality, Capital in the Twenty-First Century. The rising global disparity of income, the author argued, will inevitably result in social and economic instability across the world. It is interesting to note that income inequality also exists, and … Continue reading Top 2% of state employees see faster rise in income than bottom 98% since the Great Recession
Health Care and Education Departments Spend the Most of Florida’s State Budget
By: Nick Hyder and Tian Ma With 2015 behind us, it’s worthwhile to take stock of last year’s spending by state government. A state’s spending says a lot about its priorities, and accountability to taxpayers is an important component of a democracy. The Agency for Health Care Administration tops the list of spending by state … Continue reading Health Care and Education Departments Spend the Most of Florida’s State Budget
Fix the FRS Before It Breaks
By Randall G. Holcombe, Ph.D. In a recent blog post I argued in favor of shifting the Florida Retirement System (FRS) that provides pensions for retired state workers to a defined contribution system, and privatizing the system. Governor Scott and many legislators favor the shift to a defined contribution system, and because many private companies … Continue reading Fix the FRS Before It Breaks
Measuring Success and Failure in Public Transportation: The Case of Sunrail
By Santiago Arango In May, SunRail, Orlando’s commuter rail system, celebrated its first year of operation and was awarded a $93 million federal grant. Phase II of SunRail’s construction will add four more stations and 17.2 miles of rail into neighboring Osceola County within two years. Orlando is the 4th fastest growing city in … Continue reading Measuring Success and Failure in Public Transportation: The Case of Sunrail
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
FSU Students Learn about Emerging Sharing Economy
By Katie Dawson Last month, the DeVoe L. Moore Center had the opportunity to co-sponsor a one-day conference with the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE) at Florida State University. FEE is an organization dedicated to educating individuals on free-markets and economics in a way that is both easily digestible and interesting. On February 28, their … Continue reading FSU Students Learn about Emerging Sharing Economy
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
Orlando’s Soccer Stadium Not Worth Public Investment
By Logan Shewmaker U.S. Major League Soccer (MLS) is pushing to expand into Florida. Between 2008 and 2013, the average MLS franchise’s market capitaliztion grew 175 percent. The average attendance for MLS games exceeds 18,000, higher than the NBA. “The beautiful game” is growing in the United States, but does MLS growth justify public subsidies? … Continue reading Orlando’s Soccer Stadium Not Worth Public Investment
The Foundations of Political Capitalism
By Matt Kelly Thomas Piketty’s Capital in the Twenty-First Century raised quite a stir last year among economists. Piketty identifies rising wealth inequality as inherent in capitalism, and recommends a worldwide wealth tax to temper its effects. Many have taken issue with Piketty’s data and analysis, and the idea that inequality is rising at all … Continue reading The Foundations of Political Capitalism
New Study Tests the Merits of Surge Pricing
By Matt Kelly As Uber, Lyft and other “ridesharing” services continue to revolutionize the urban transportation landscape, more complaints are surfacing questioning the efficiency and fairness of the innovative services they provide. One of the more recent is “surge pricing,” the idea that services provided during peak periods carry a higher charge or fee. A … Continue reading New Study Tests the Merits of Surge Pricing
The Current State of Pensions in Florida
By Matt Kelly With their swampy humidity and world famous theme parks, Florida’s cities seem a world away from the frigid cold and automotive factories of Detroit, Michigan. Yet the two states have at least one commonality: underfunded pension liabilities. Such liabilities can potentially put a state or municipality into budgetary crisis, even bankruptcy. Reforming … Continue reading The Current State of Pensions in Florida
Do UberX Driveres Really Earn Three Times More than Taxi Drivers?
Original post date: September 16, 2014 Article by: Ben Douglas In May, Uber revealed annual median incomes for UberX drivers in New York and San Francisco of $90,766 and $74,191, respectively. In contrast, 2013 median annual taxi driver incomes in New York and San Francisco are $29,910 and $28,060 according to the Bureau of Labor … Continue reading Do UberX Driveres Really Earn Three Times More than Taxi Drivers?
A March for Charity Reform is Afoot
Original post date: August, 28, 2014 Posted by: Matt Kelly By June of next year, hundreds, perhaps thousands will be marching 60 miles through New England to Salem, Massachusetts, the site where the Pilgrims first landed at Plymouth Rock. For three days, these passionate activists will trudge a path to change the world. They will … Continue reading A March for Charity Reform is Afoot
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?
Entrenched Interests Fight Innovation in Taxi Industry
Original post date: November 19, 2013 Article by: Ben Douglas 5/24/2023 Edits: Some links that were no longer working have been fixed. A revolutionary new smartphone app is changing the nature of the taxicab business, but stiff opposition from entrenched taxi companies risks keeping their innovations from benefiting customers. Uber is a venture-capital funded startup … Continue reading Entrenched Interests Fight Innovation in Taxi Industry
Preliminary Prices on Obamacare Exchanges Exceeds Estimates
Original post date: October 30, 2013 Article by: Anonymous Now that October 1 has passed, the online marketplaces for health insurance under Obamacare are open for business. Individuals are free to browse the site and choose any policy available to them after answering some questions and being guided through their options. So far, site traffic … Continue reading Preliminary Prices on Obamacare Exchanges Exceeds Estimates
Transit Reform in Santiago
Original post date: October 18, 2013 Article by: Ben Douglas 5/16/2023 Edits: Some links that were no longer working have been fixed. In 2007, Chile’s center-left ruling government coalition eliminated most private provision of transit, citing the need to eliminate profit and reduce the diversity of services offered to the traveling public in the capital … Continue reading Transit Reform in Santiago
San Diego’s Pension Reform Bodes Well for Carl Demaio
Original post date: October 10, 2013 Article by: Anonymous 5/10/2023 Edits: Some links that were no longer working have been fixed. Carl DeMaio is one controversial congressional candidate. He served from 2008 to 2012 as city councilman of San Diego, where his ideas for pension reform became popularized, and he is also a policy analyst … Continue reading San Diego’s Pension Reform Bodes Well for Carl Demaio
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
Will Elon Musk’s Hyperloop Doom High-Speed Rail?
Original post date: August 15, 2013 Article by: Sam Staley Elon Musk unveiled his pneumatic tube inspired Hyperloop, a “fifth mode” of transportation that he hopes will revolutionize intercity travel on Monday. His “technical paper” sketches out the engineering and technical plausibility of the concept, and the proposal seems surprisingly robust as I point out … Continue reading Will Elon Musk’s Hyperloop Doom High-Speed Rail?
Path Dependence, Entrenched Interests, and the Future of Transit
Original post date: April 09, 2013 Article by: Anonymous Path dependence: The tendency of a past or traditional practice or preference to continue even if better alternatives are available. Mortimer L. Downey has worked in New York's Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (MATA), and was one of several presenters at a May … Continue reading Path Dependence, Entrenched Interests, and the Future of Transit
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
Municipal Pension Forcing Florida Over a Fiscal Cliff
Original post date: October 05, 2012 Article by: Anonymous 5/8/2023 Edits: Some links that were no longer compatible have been fixed. Florida public pension programs have become a cause for concern in recent years, and the debate just ramped up with the publication of a new report by Florida State University’s Leroy Collins Institute. Florida … Continue reading Municipal Pension Forcing Florida Over a Fiscal Cliff