Economy

The 2024 West Virginia Legislative Session in Numbers It is the end of the 2024 West Virginia Legislative Session. As the action in Charleston has wrapped up, I’d like to take a moment to reflect on what has transpired. Certainly, there were fireworks and heated debates along the way. Interestingly… Read More

Grocery Stores in Bureautopia There was once a country called Bureautopia. Bureautopia, in its time, looked surprisingly similar to the United States. It had vast natural beauty and resources. It had varied regional cultures across its land. And it had a government that, for better or worse, tried… Read More

Tis the Season to Enjoy West Virginia’s Beauty Christmas is my favorite time of year; West Virginia’s tenacious spirit is perfectly exposed during the holiday season. It’s during these somber, chilly months that I miss my home state the most. However, this year’s yuletide pilgrimage back… Read More

Cardinal’s Policy Priorities for the 2024 Legislative Session An annual tradition, the Cardinal Institute released its main policy priorities ahead of West Virginia’s 2024 legislative session. This year, session runs from January 10 through March 9. These priorities represent the main policy r… Read More

Nearly A Decade of Change in West Virginia It boggles the mind what’s happened to West Virginia since 2014. There is no doubt since Republicans became West Virginia’s legislative majority in 2014 that the state’s policy landscape has changed. The average West Virginian in 2013 would scarcely believe… Read More

Benefit Cliffs Prevent Work We have all heard, at one time or another, terms that look to describe or deride people who take advantage of public benefits programs. I won’t list them here, but we’ve all heard them. These terms are the result of sometimes righteous frustration with… Read More

Economic Research Hasn’t Always Been This Way The state of economic and social science research has come a long way since it began. While sitting in a seminar about trends in the economics profession, the use of data in research was one of the topics that provoked personal thoughts. Read More

A Time To Be Thankful This Thanksgiving, I am reflecting on this past year. November 1 marked my sixth-month mark of working with Cardinal. I am thankful for the experience these past months of working with a great team that is laboring to bring prosperity to West Virginia. I’ve been… Read More

What are Collateral Consequences of Criminal Conviction? If you’re a typical American, you probably don’t use terms like “collateral” in your everyday life—I know I sure don’t. If you do run across the term, it’s most likely in one of two situations: collateral on a loan or collateral… Read More

Is Work Good for Us? Work is ever-present in our lives. Regardless of if your relationship with work is good or bad, it is a significant feature of your day. For those of us who have traditional office jobs, it takes up about 8 hours or so of our day. Read More