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Mark Thoma

Affiliation: University of Oregon

Mark Thoma is a member of the Economics Department at the University of Oregon. He joined the UO faculty in 1987 and served as head of the Economics Department for five years. His research examines the effects that changes in monetary policy have on inflation, output, unemployment, interest rates and other macroeconomic variables with a focus on asymmetries in the response of these variables to policy changes, and on changes in the relationship between policy and the economy over time. He has also conducted research in other areas such as the relationship between the political party in power, and macroeconomic outcomes and using macroeconomic tools to predict transportation flows. He received his doctorate from Washington State University.

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Mark Thoma's Latest Articles | 230

Structural Unemployment or Not, Jobs, Jobs, Jobs is Part of the Answer

Jun 15, 2011| 

I don’t think the idea that the unemployment problem is mostly structural stands up to the evidence, see here for example, but for the sake of argument suppose... Read »

Austerity Can Wait for Sunnier Days

Jun 15, 2011| 

Here’s the argument for austerity that seems to be winning in Washington. This is Carmen Reinhart at the recent INET conference at Bretton Woods: Her argument,... Read »

Aspirational Goals Can Distort Policy and Make Us Worse Off

Jun 15, 2011| 

John Taylor encourages policymakers to shoot at unattainable economic growth goals. But he of all people should know that when the Fed targets output growth in... Read »

Proposed Cuts to the WIC Nutrition Program Bassed Upon False Information

Jun 14, 2011| 

Apparently, some members of Congress think the phrase “women and children first” applies to budget cuts. Even worse, the proposed cuts are based upon... Read »

The Republican’s Fuzzy Line for Medicare Privatization

Jun 14, 2011| 

In their Medicare reform proposals, Republicans used to say that: our budget ensures no changes for those 55 years old or older That, for example, is a feature... Read »

Are All Labor Market Matching Problems Structural?

Jun 11, 2011| 

I had a radio interview not too long ago on cyclical versus structural unemployment, and in rereading some old posts on the topic I came across this statement ... Read »

What’s Barney Frank Thinking?

May 3, 2011| 

Taking a break from conference activities to note that this is a bad idea: Frank Introduces Bill to Concentrate Fed Power in DC, by Luca Di Leo, WSJ: U.S. Rep. Barney... Read »

Don’t Let Fiscal Policymakers Off the Hook

Apr 29, 2011| 

The recent focus on Ben Bernanke and the Fed, in particular what more could be done to help the economy and the unemployed, takes the pressure off of fiscal policymakers.... Read »

Austerity Means Less, Not More

Apr 27, 2011| 

UK, Not OK, by Paul Krugman: The bad GDP number for the UK isn’t a surprise — in fact, judging from market response, investors seem to have expected something... Read »

Increasing Taxes on the Wealthy is Unfair?

Apr 23, 2011| 

Matthew Yglesias via Brad DeLong: Have We Won the Empirical Debate About Economic Policy, by Brad DeLong: Matthew Yglesias: Yglesias » Pity For The Rich: You can... Read »

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