Why Did Consumer Credit Scores Go Up during the Covid-19 Pandemic?
The Covid-19 pandemic caused huge economic disruption for millions of Americans. Unemployment rose sharply. Many businesses – especially small ones – struggled to stay open. Yet consumer credit scores actually increased during the course of the pandemic. What explains this surprising result? What role did reduced household consumption play? How did government programs impact credit scores? And what will happen as the pandemic eases – and, with it, government relief measures?
This episode’s guest is Dr. Joyce Beebe, Fellow in Public Finance at the Baker Institute and an expert on taxation. She has recently published an issue brief titled “The Curious Case of High Consumer Credit Scores.” It is available on the Baker Institute website.
20 May 2021
What Does the Mexico City Subway Disaster Tell Us about Infrastructure in Mexico?
On May 3, a subway collapse in Mexico City killed 26 people and injured scores of others. The collapse is a heart-breaking human tragedy. But it also raises important questions about Mexico’s approach to infrastructure. What does this disaster tell us about what could be called the culture of maintenance in Mexico? How is it related to budgetary austerity? Is corruption part of the problem? Will the disaster have an impact on upcoming mid-term elections in Mexico?
This episode’s guest is Rodrigo Montes de Oca. He is a research scholar at the Baker Institute Center for the United States and Mexico, with a focus on the rule of law and corruption in Mexico. Montes de Oca is the author of a recent piece on the Mexico City subway collapse. It is available at the Baker Institute website.
5 May 2021
How to Understand the U.S. Withdrawal from Afghanistan
In mid-April, President Joe Biden announced that there would be a full withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan by the symbolic date of September 11, 2021—twenty years after the 9/11 terror attacks. Though troop numbers in Afghanistan have declined in recent years, a complete withdrawal of the type described by Biden would be a notable new development in U.S. military strategy. What is the background behind this decision, and how has it been received in D.C.? How should we contextualize Biden’s pronouncement within the broader history of American foreign policymaking?
This episode’s guest is Joe Barnes, the Bonner Means Baker Fellow at the institute and regular Policy Matters host. As an expert and seasoned commentator on U.S. foreign policy, Joe shares his timely perspective on the questions surrounding the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
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