Mercatus Center
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The Mercatus Center at George Mason University is the world’s premier university source for market-oriented ideas—bridging the gap between academic ideas and real-world problems.
A university-based research center, the Mercatus Center advances knowledge about how markets work to improve people’s lives by training graduate students, conducting research, and applying economics to offer solutions to society’s most pressing problems.
Our mission is to generate knowledge and understanding of the institutions that affect the freedom to prosper, and to find sustainable solutions that overcome the barriers preventing individuals from living free, prosperous, and peaceful lives.
Founded in 1980, the Mercatus Center is located on George Mason University’s Arlington and Fairfax campuses. Source
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| Scope | Local |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Country | United States of America |
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| Frequency | Other |
Recent Articles
Search ArticlesThe Economic Situation: September 2026
Getting Started Each morning as we enjoy that first cup of coffee, we are greeted by a new economy. It is the result of decisions made and actions taken by billions of people worldwide. We look at concentrated bits of information, such as GDP growth, employment, and the Consumer Price Index, and attempt to assess the economic situation.
Windows of Opportunity
The “yes, in my backyard” (YIMBY) era of state-level housing legislation began with California state senator Scott Wiener’s controversial S.B. 827 (2018), which proposed to allow much taller, denser housing near transit stations across California.Up to that point, YIMBY activities had almost entirely focused on city reforms or individual project approvals. Although S.B. 827 failed, it opened up a new corridor for pro-homes advocacy.
The Labor Antitrust Exemption and Independent Contractors
This May, Massachusetts certified the first ride-hail drivers’ union in the country.The certification follows a 2024 ballot measure that democratically carved out an antitrust exemption for independent-contractor (IC) drivers in Massachusetts, representing a major win for gig workers in the state.The Massachusetts certification, however, comes only after a string of failed attempts to allow IC unionization in the city of Seattle and the states of California and New York.
Re: Response to Request for Information (RFI): Commonsense Policy Options to Lower Drug Prices for Patients
To: Senate Committee on Finance Attn: Minority Staff Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510. Via Email: drugs@finance.senate.gov Dear Ranking Member Wyden and Members of the Committee, Thank you for the opportunity to respond to the Committee’s RFI.
Bill Nelson on Shrinking the Fed’s Balance Sheet and Reviving Interbank Markets
Bill Nelson is chief research officer and chief economist at the Bank Policy Institute and a former deputy director of the Division of Monetary Affairs at the Federal Reserve Board. In Bill’s 11th appearance on the show, he discusses how central banks are rethinking their operating systems, the case for a smaller Fed balance sheet and more routine discount window borrowing, the revival of interbank markets, lessons from Silicon Valley Bank, and much more.
How to Streamline Housing Permitting in New Mexico
New Mexico faces a housing shortage. After the 2008 Great Recession, New Mexico’s housing production dropped to roughly 40 percent of prerecession production (see figure 1). The state now has a gap of at least 58,000 homes.From 2015 to 2025, rents rose 48 percent and home values rose 85 percent. Even as the state’s population growth leveled off, housing demand continued to grow.
The Free Press
For Free People. ©2026 The Free Press. All Rights Reserved. Powered by Substack.
Comments on the Section 301 Investigation Regarding Germany’s Persistent Underpayment for Innovative Pharmaceutical Products
Introduction We welcome the opportunity to provide comments and analysis to the USTR inter-agency Section 301 committee on its investigation pursuant to the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (Trade Act), with respect to Germany’s persistent underpayment for innovative pharmaceutical products. Founded in 1980, the Mercatus Center at George Mason University is the world’s premier universitybased source for market-oriented ideas—bridging the gap between academic ideas and real-world problems.
The Free Market Alternative
Removing policy barriers can unleash a new era of productivity and abundance. By Jeremy Horpedahl. "Summary: For the past half-century, much of the developed world has experienced a puzzling slowdown in productivity growth—the rate at which workers and businesses become more efficient over time. While digital technologies have advanced at a remarkable pace, innovation in the physical world has slowed considerably. The problem is not a lack of scientific breakthroughs or a shortage of good ideas.
Mr. Balaji Goes to Kazakhstan
Image generated using Open-AI ChatGPT 5 Roughly one day after Malaysian authorities yanked the Network School’s license to operate, founder Balaji Srinivasan announced an agreement with Kazakhstan to relocate to Central Asia. This novel educational institution is Balaji’s experiment in state building by way of forming digitally enabled communities within a territory and eventually seeking diplomatic recognition.