Question 1: Cost-Benefit Analysis
In a blog post for the Cato Institute entitled “A Cost-Benefit Analysis of a Lockdown Is Very Difficult To Do Well” author Ryan Bourne provides an overview of the steps necessary to complete to perform a cost-benefit analysis (CBA) of COVID-19 lockdown rules.[1] Without quantifying or monetizing the costs and benefits that he identifies, Bourne outlines a rough CBA for government officials.
Grade his efforts. With the understanding that Bourne’s blog post doesn’t come close to completing the analysis, explain why you think his rough CBA is deserving and/or problematic.
There is no minimum or maximum writing length or required writing style.
Question 2: Infrastructure
Read the following opinion article from
Governing
magazine:
Girard Miller, March 30, 2021
Five Muni Market Incentives to ‘Build Back Better’[2]
Miller suggests five ideas to use capital budgeting in lieu of traditional grants-in-aid to support infrastructure projects. Compare Miller’s ideas to more typical grants. Do these plans allow for more or less flexibility for state and local governments? Would these ideas save money? Do they shift risk (from where to where)? Would these ideas be appealing to the federal government?
You are not required to address all five suggestions in this article for your comparison. Limit your response to two pages.
Question 3: Health Care, Class Debate
Our last in-class debate argued about the proposal to allow Americans to opt-in to Medicare for health care insurance. Think about how this proposal would compare to expanding Medicare to include all American residents. The opt-in plan is smaller in scope and in expense – but how else do these ideas differ?
More specifically, compare how the opt-in vs. Medicare for all proposals may (or may not) impact the following:
1. Automatic stabilizers in economic downturns
2. State budgets
3. Equity
Notice that question does not ask you to compare the differences in expenditures or health outcomes of these two proposals! Please limit your response to two pages.
[1] March 16, 2021.
https://www.cato.org/blog/cost-benefit-analysis-lockdown-very-difficult-do-well
[2]
https://www.governing.com/finance/5-Muni-Market-Incentives-to-Build-Back-Better.html