December 23, 2019

Editor's note: The Economic Studies Bulletin will return on January 7, 2020. Thank you for your interest in our work. Happy Holidays!

What was the big story in economics over the last decade? 

We asked 10 scholars from the Brookings Economic Studies program to share what they thought was the most important story in economics over the last 10 years. Their answers ranged from low interest rates, to life expectancy changes, to lower health care costs.

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Boeing crisis illustrates risks of delegated regulatory authority

The Boeing 737 Max airplane crashed twice over the last year, killing 346 people. Connor Raso discusses the FAA’s decision to delegate most of the safety certification work to Boeing and outlines failures in the federal regulatory process that led to the disaster.

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Middle class incomes have fallen behind and not set to catch up

The latest numbers on income trends have just been released by the Congressional Budget Office. Richard Reeves and Chris Pulliam explore what they reveal about the U.S. middle class.

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More from Economic Studies

Expanding and diversifying housing. Policymakers across the United States are searching for ways to ease the financial burden of housing expenses. In a new policy brief, Jenny Schuetz, Abigail Wozniak, and Zach Swaziek highlight key questions localities should consider as they diversify their housing supplies.

Competition in the real estate brokerage industry. Despite technological innovations and new business models, commission fees remain high among real estate brokers. Panle Jia Barwick and Maisy Wong explore the structural hurdles that may be limiting competition in the real estate industry.

Better economic analysis can reduce regulators' litigation risks. Jerry Ellig explains why federal regulatory agencies will face increasing pressure from courts in the coming years to produce high-quality economic analysis to inform decisions about regulations.

A year in figures. To conclude the year, The Hamilton Project produced a month-by-month journey in figures through their research, analysis, and policy proposals.

How credit card companies reward the rich and punish the rest of us. Aaron Klein explores how credit card fees, along with cashback and other rewards programs that disproportionately benefit wealthy consumers, are compounding economic inequality.

The curse of confidential supervisory information. Peter Conti-Brown explains the flawed and complex legal basis for withholding supervisory information and describes how banking regulators and Congress can relax those restrictions for better accountability of the financial system.