Small businesses play a significant role in economic development and growth in the United States and their vital importance in the American economy has prompted federal and state governments and private organizations to implement various programs to facilitate small business creation and...

According to economic theory, well-being or utility depends on consumption. However, at the household level, total consumption is rarely measured because its collection requires a great deal of survey time. As a result income has been widely used to assess economic well-being and poverty rates....

This paper presents evidence from high-frequency data collections dedicated to tracking the effects of the financial crisis and great recession on American households. These data come from surveys that were conducted in the American Life Panel – an Internet survey run by RAND Labor and...