On September 21, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development published the 2011 edition of its Science, Technology and Industry Scoreboard. It finds that there has been a deterioration in the quality of patents, which is slowing growth and innovation.
On September 20, the Fraser Institute published the latest edition of Economic Freedom of the World.
A September 20 Small Business Majority poll found, contrary to Republican assertions, that regulation is a very small problem for small businesses. Uncertainty about the economy is their biggest concern.
On September 19, the Urban Institute published a plan to create 4 million jobs at a cost of $60 billion.
A September 19 Boston University study found that abuse of the patent system cost shareholders $500 billion in lost wealth between 1990 and 2010.
A September 16 CBS News/New York Times poll found that 80 percent of people believe that increased spending on public works is a good way to create jobs.
In a September 16 speech, Deutsche Bank chief economist Thomas Mayer declared himself to be “an Austrian in economics.”
On September 16, the International Monetary Fund published a working paper which found that public capital is a significant contributor to economic growth.
Also on September 16, the Federal Reserve published its latest flow of funds report. It shows that the net worth of households fell $149 billion in the second quarter.
On August 30, the Congressional Research Service published a report on cost-benefit analysis in the federal regulatory process.
Bruce Bartlett is an American historian and columnist who focuses on the intersection between politics and economics. He blogs daily and writes a weekly column for The Fiscal Times. Bartlett has written for Forbes Magazine and Creators Syndicate, and his work is informed by many years in government, including as a senior policy analyst in the Reagan White House. He is the author of seven books including the New York Times best-seller, Imposter: How George W. Bush Bankrupted America and Betrayed the Reagan Legacy (Doubleday, 2006).
