Do countries that inhibit the quick integration of new technologies pay a price in slower economic growth? This commentary suggests they do. Focusing on the level of Internet use to indicate the absorption rate of emerging computer technologies, the authors argue that faster technology...

A review of the theoretical and empirical case for disinflationary economic growth, showing that, contrary to popular wisdom, it is quite possible to have a booming economy without an acceleration in the price level.

What is the best way to achieve price stability? Conventional wisdom says that a tough, independent central bank is all that is necessary. However, a new view—the fiscal theory of the price level—argues that an appropriate fiscal policy is also required, no matter how tough the central bank...

The large inventory buildup in the first half of 1997 led to media warnings of a substantially weaker economy by year's end. The authors examine the rationale for these warnings, and argue that inventory accumulation is an unreliable predictor of future economic strength.

How can the United States balance its need for increased energy production with national and global environmental concerns? This Commentary argues that competitive markets can be used in unique and surprising ways to address environmental needs without placing an excessive burden on citizens.

In their efforts to maintain low inflation, policymakers pay little attention to the growth rate of the money supply. Yet many studies have found that money growth and inflation a closely related, at least in the long run. But how long must money growth remain strong before it begins to concern...

An examination of the basic rationale behind policies intended to reduce the standard workweek, and an explanation of why these policies are likely to be less effective at boosting employment than proponents claim.

The author contends that luck has played a major role in the fiscal fortunes of the 1990s. He (along with many others) is therefore concerned about the unquestioned presumption that projected budget surpluses are as good as achieved. Such a presumption, he says, is a shaky foundation from which...

An argument that the debate between Congress and the President over how to balance the budget is not simply irresponsible political posturing, but the result of serious and reasoned differences of opinion on the economic consequences of specific spending and tax decisions.

An investigation of the allocative consequences of resource shifts that would result if the Clinton administration's budget plan is adopted, examining the timing and composition of both net outlay cuts and net revenue increases represented in the budget proposal, as well as the generational...