American politicians aim to create economic activity that will expand the economy and provide opportunities for citizens. Today (in 2022), President Joseph Biden presents an ambitious tax plan to grow the economy and provide for more equal opportunities. With Biden’s aim for a tax increase, this research examines the impacts of tax and other economic variables on economic wellbeing. In turn, this research provides a timely update on contributing factors to economic growth. Previous academic research shows the impacts of tax rates and common economic variables related to U.S. economic growth. We gather data from 1960 to 2020 to explore U.S. real gross domestic product (GDP) per capita. Through a series of multiple regression models, we find that increases in the highest statutory corporate and personal income tax rates reduce real GDP per capita. Growth in net exports of goods and services, M2 money supply, multifactor productivity and cost, collectively increase real GDP per capita, while, the personal savings rate, and the market value of gross federal debt decrease real GDP per capita. We recommend that if Congress elects to raise tax rates, it should start with the personal income tax rate.
Previous scholars have noted the increase in negotiated agreements as a means of resolving utility regulatory disputes in the United States. These agreements allow policy actors to make their own decisions instead of receiving orders from a regulatory agency. Through a natural gas utility case study in the state of Utah, this paper examines the Advocacy Coalition Framework’s (ACF) novel explanation of the conditions contributing to a negotiated agreement with the emergence of new energy efficiency programs. Using the ACF, coalition groupings are divided out as either those in favor of energy efficiency programs or those against that change. A content analysis explores the presence of the conditions leading to a negotiated agreement. This article finds that the ACF model provides a theoretical lens to understand negotiated agreements in utility regulation. While utility agreements resolving regulatory proceedings seem to only grow, more research opportunities exist for further study on the ACF and these outcomes in utility regulation.
The Asian disease problem has long been studied since first introduced by Tversky and Kahneman in 1981. This study explores the mechanics of the Asian disease problem to a scenario reflecting deaths attributed to climate change. The study examines the gain/loss frame setup of the Asian disease problem. To research the Asian disease problem, in partnership with a Qualtrics panel, we surveyed 1209 customers of Utah utilities. Through statistical tests on the survey data, we confirmed the existence of the gain/loss framing effect. Moreover, the framing effect held when separating and examining responses based on unique socio-economic characteristics (i.e., age, gender, race, marital status, income, educational attainment, political preference, living status, household size, years at current residence, and energy-saving preference). In short, like the original Asian disease problem, the framing impact varied regardless of the characteristic studied. Based on these findings, we recommend implementing the framing effects of the Asian disease problem to an expanded realm for energy- and climate-related programs, initiatives, and academic research. We believe that this framing could spur action to mitigate climate change. Moreover, we recommend an expanded empirical study of the Asian disease problem to novel and understudied realms beyond our focus area.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.