Saturday, August 27, 2011

Some random posts on the impact of the ARRA - the stimulus bill.

Just what the title says. I've been researching the impact of Obama's stimulus bill (and stimulus measures in general) and have run into various helpful sources, thought I'd share them if you'd like to dig into them also:

- Bush stimulus may have had only modest impact.
- How We Know the Stimulus Is Working.
- White House Report Claims Stimulus Success -- Despite 3.5 Million Job Losses.
- Obama says stimulus is responsible for 2 million jobs saved or created.
- Did the stimulus work? A review of the nine best studies on the subject.
- Wikipedia: Multiplier.
- Wikipedia: Fiscal Multiplier.
- Stimulating Spending with the Fiscal Multiplier.
- CBO Report.

Together these help focus on a question that ought to recur over this semester: What actual impact can government have on economic and social affairs? What role ought government have? It's one thing to wish for a specific outcome, its another to ensure this is likely to occur.