Publications
The Hamilton Project produces and commissions policy proposals and analyses to promote broad-based economic growth by embracing a significant role for well-designed government policies and public investment.
Economic Facts
Seven economic facts about prime-age labor force participation
This set of economic facts takes stock of the labor market through May 2025, paying particular attention to prime-age labor force participation.
Employment & Wages
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Posts
Proposed SNAP cuts would permanently undermine recession readiness and responsiveness
Economic Security & Inequality
Social Insurance
Tax Policy & Budget
Posts
Will the reconciliation bill’s Child Tax Credit changes leave out children in low-income working families?
Economic Security & Inequality
Tax Policy & Budget
Posts
Work requirements penalize workers in volatile occupations
Employment & Wages
Social Insurance
Tax Policy & Budget
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Policy Books
May 16, 2019
Recession Ready: Fiscal policies to stabilize the American economy
Slowdowns in the economy are inevitable. While it may be tempting to rely on Federal Reserve policy as a lone response to recessions, this would be a mistake; …
Policy Proposals
May 16, 2019
Infrastructure investment as an automatic stabilizer
Transportation infrastructure investment during economic downturns often occurs too slowly—and in insufficient quantities—to help stabilize the economy. Andrew…
Papers
May 16, 2019
The damage done by recessions and how to respond
Automatic stabilizers are designed to expand during an economic downturn and contract during an expansion—providing timely and temporary fiscal stimulus. Boush…
Papers
April 10, 2019
How do work requirement waivers help SNAP respond to a recession?
Work requirements impede SNAP’s dual role as a safety net and automatic stabilizer. This economic analysis provides new evidence about how waivers to these rul…
Posts
November 28, 2018
Rates of child experience of and exposure to food insecurity remain high
Despite improvements across a number of economic indicators, rates of child experience of and exposure to food insecurity have failed to see reductions in the …
Policy Proposals
September 28, 2018
Harnessing the US intergovernmental grant system for place-based assistance in recession and recovery
The $700 billion U.S. intergovernmental grant system is often poorly targeted to areas that are struggling. Tracy Gordon proposes reforms to Medicaid and other…
Posts
September 6, 2018
Workers with low levels of education still haven’t recovered from the recession
Despite economic gains and recent increases, the share of Americans ages 25-54 participating in the labor force is still below pre-Great Recession level. The H…
Posts
June 29, 2018
Children’s exposure to food insecurity is still worse than it was before the Great Recession
Lauren Bauer and Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach provide an update on the state of food insecurity in the U.S., noting that despite economic growth across the coun…