How Economists Could Help Inform Economic and Budget Analysis Used by the US Congress

Please note this event is at capacity.

Lunch will be provided.

The US Congress uses economic and budgetary projections, cost estimates for proposed legislation, and other analyses provided by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) as part of its legislative process. CBO makes assessments based on an understanding of federal programs and revenue sources, reading the relevant research literature, analysis of data, and consultation with outside experts—and often relies on economic research. This talk will start with a brief discussion of the role of the CBO, and then discuss how different types of economic research can help inform the Congress by improving the quality of the analysis and parameter estimates that CBO uses. The talk will cover several specific examples, including SNAP, permitting, and others which are of recent Congressional interest.

The event will feature Jeffrey Kling, Research Director at the Congressional Budget Office, and Heidi Williams, Orville E. Dryfoos Professor in Economics and Public Affairs at Dartmouth College.

If you have any questions, please reach out to bfi-events@uchicago.edu.