Turning on the Juice
Column Published in syndication June 25, 2025The 89th Session of the Texas Legislature adjourned on June 2 after 140 days. As with every biennium, there were both good and not-so-good elements of the outcome. Considerable progress was made in dealing with a number of challenges facing the state, including, among others, public school finance and teacher pay (though much remains to be done), water supplies, rural health care, wildfire preparation, and the current topic of electric power supplies and the stability of the grid. Amongst the usual sound and fury, there were clear steps in the right direction.
- Tags:
- electricity,
- power grid
Partly Cloudy
Column Published in syndication June 18, 2025The US economy is presently facing daunting challenges on multiple fronts. Nonetheless, signs of remarkable underlying strength and resilience persist. Our latest forecast indicates reasonable growth over the next five years, although the pace will likely be uneven and backloaded in light of current uncertainty. In other words, the crystal ball is a bit cloudier than usual.
- Tags:
- economy,
- economic forecast
Glaring Global Gloom
Column Published in syndication June 11, 2025A new report on the global economic outlook has recently been released. The World Economic Forum regularly surveys chief economists, with the current information collected during the first half of April. The findings are worthy of note.
- Tags:
- global,
- economic forecast
Harming Health Hurts
Column Published in syndication June 04, 2025Medicaid allows some of the nation's most vulnerable residents to obtain needed health care, thus improving the lives of individuals and families. Without insurance coverage, many people will postpone needed appointments or even forego essential treatments. The inevitable result is worse health outcomes and even higher death rates as manageable problems escalate. Empirical evidence suggests that increasing Medicaid coverage improves health and reduces mortality rates. In fact, life expectancy is extended by more than a year for those with coverage.
- Tags:
- Medicaid
And So It Begins
Column Published in syndication May 28, 2025The economic theories supporting free trade were introduced in the early 19th century, when the basic concepts of comparative advantage were logically and mathematically derived. It is one of those ideas that we don't often ponder, but it has played a fundamental role in shaping our world and is the reason why we have an integrated global business complex that has allowed the US to become the strongest economy in human history.
A Little Dip
Column Published in syndication May 21, 2025During the first quarter, US Gross Domestic Product (GDP) fell for the first time since we began emerging from the pandemic. It wasn't a huge amount - just a 0.3% drop on an annualized basis - yet it was a sharp contrast to the 2.4% gain observed during the previous quarter. Let's dig a little deeper.
- Tags:
- GDP
What did the March Personal Consumer Price Index show?
Column Published in syndication May 21, 2025Dr. Perryman discusses the March Personal Consumer Price Index.
- Tags:
- inflation
What would a decrease in tourism mean for the US?
Column Published in syndication May 21, 2025Dr. Perryman discusses the impact of a decrease in tourism.
- Tags:
- tourism
Cautiously Curbing Calamitous Chaos
Column Published in syndication May 14, 2025In yet another predictable blink in the unsustainable trade saga, tariffs on goods from China (that will be largely paid by US businesses and consumers) were slashed from 145% to 30% for a 90-day period. This move is purportedly a pause before the levy returns to the former level of 145% if no agreement is reached. Maintaining a tariff of that level on an ongoing basis is not remotely feasible, and the stakes are high.
Productivity
Column Published in syndication May 07, 2025Labor productivity rates essentially measure the amount of gross domestic product created per hour of work. It is a crucial measure of both current and potential future economic performance. Simply stated, if you multiply the number of hours worked by the amount of output that each of those hours produces, you have defined total production. Fortunately, recent data for the United States indicates a significant uptick.
- Tags:
- productivity