Insights / Research Brief•Feb 26, 2021
“Drive and Wave”: The Response to LAPD Police Reforms After Rampart
Canice Prendergast
In the wake of George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police in May 2020 and the civil unrest that followed, many cities around the US have turned their attention to police reform measures. Of course, police reform is nothing new, and often comes in response to incidents that spark community outrage.

Insights / Podcast episode•Feb 25, 2021
The Surprising Results of Pandemic Unemployment Benefits
Eduardo Porter, Tess Vigeland, Peter Ganong, Fiona Greig
In March 2020, the CARES Act expanded who was eligible for unemployment benefits, how much...
Topics:
COVID-19, Employment & Wages

Research Update · February 16, 2021
Fear, Lockdown, and Diversion: Comparing Drivers of Pandemic Economic Decline
Austan Goolsbee, Chad Syverson
SUMMARY In Goolsbee and Syverson (2021), we used data from January through May 2020 to...
Topics:
COVID-19

Insights / Podcast episode•Feb 11, 2021
When Good Debt Goes Bad
Eduardo Porter, Tess Vigeland, Seth Frotman, Constantine Yannelis
Nationally, student loan debt is at crisis level. The share of students behind on loan payments...
Topics:
Higher Education & Workforce Training
Insights / Research Brief•Feb 05, 2021
Rethinking How We Score Capital Gains Tax Reform
Capital gains tax rates have varied over the years, from well over 30 percent in the 1970s to 15 percent in the early 2000s to 20 percent today, which is roughly half the highest rate on taxable income. The reason capital gains tax rates have varied so much is because of the intense political debate surrounding their impact: Some maintain that low rates encourage entrepreneurship and capital formation, while others doubt that such benefits outweigh the equity and fiscal costs of lower rates.
Topics:
Fiscal Studies

Insights / Video
Watch: Innovation — From Idea to Reality: A Conversation Richard Sandor and Steven Kaplan
In an insightful and engaging conversation presented by the University of Chicago’s Becker Friedman Institute,...
Topics:
Technology & Innovation

Insights / Video
Watch: Preparing for a Pandemic: Accelerating Vaccine Availability
Read Unedited Transcript In a new working paper, Preparing for a Pandemic: Accelerating Vaccine...
Topics:
COVID-19, Health care

Insights / Podcast episode•Jan 28, 2021
Shots on Goal: How to Jumpstart the Economy
Eduardo Porter, Tess Vigeland, Austan Goolsbee, Randall S. Kroszner
Which economic policies must be prioritized now to get the best returns in the future?...
Topics:
COVID-19