Publications by Emily Washington

Publications by Emily Washington

Mercatus on Policy

The Costs and Consequences of Unemployment Benefits on the States

Eileen Norcross, Emily Washington | Jan 25, 2010
Unemployment insurance programs in the states have been approaching insolvency for more than a decade, putting pressure on states to raise payroll taxes, cut benefits, or seek federal loans. None of these options are desirable during a recession, when individuals need the benefits most.
Mercatus on Policy

Perverse Incentives of Economic "Stimulus"

Mercatus On Policy no. 66
Daniel M. Rothschild, Emily Washington | Jan 25, 2010
The Federal Government's recent "stimulus" package allocated $140 billion to help states' budgets, but it hasn't been nearly enough to prop up the unsustainable spending states are engaged in. The authors detail the fiscal crisis still looming in state budgets.
Mercatus on Policy

Tax and Expenditure Limits for Long-Run Fiscal Stability

Emily Washington, Frederic Sautet | Oct 2009
In the public sector, no tool adjusts spending to changing conditions. In the current recession, many states have decreased revenues, but little decreased spending has been seen. This pattern raises a difficult question: How do states correct for the inflexibility in spending cuts?