Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles
“Economic freedom at metropolitan statistical area borders,” with Ryan Murphy (SMU) and Ellen Taylor (SMU student), American Journal of Economics and Sociology, 82, 2 (March 2023), 141-149.
“Immigration and State Institutions: Does Region of Origin Matter?” with Meg Tuszynski (SMU), Cato Journal, 40, 3 (Fall 2020), 625-664.
Discussed in Dallas Morning News. Interviewed by SMU’s Texas-Mexico Center here.
“Economic Freedom and Migration: A Metro Area-Level Analysis,” with Imran Arif (App. St.), Adam Hoffer (Wisc-Lacrosse), and Donald Lacombe (TX Tech), Southern Economic Journal, 87, 1 (2020), 170-190.
Discussed in Dallas Morning News , Winston-Salem Journal, and Triangle (NC) Business Journal.
“Economic Freedom in U.S. Metropolitan Areas,” Journal of Regional Analysis and Policy, 49, 1 (2019), 40-48.
Updated dataset available here (added January 2023).
Downloadable dataset available at paper link above.
Discussed in Investor’s Business Daily, Forbes, D-CEO Magazine, Reason.com, and American City & County.
“Local Governments and Economic Freedom: A Test of the Leviathan Hypothesis,” with Adam Millsap (Florida State) and Bradley Hobbs (Clemson), Public Finance Review, 47, 3 (2019), 493-529.
Discussed in Forbes.
“Labor Market Freedom and Economic Prosperity: How Does Missouri Compare?” Missouri Policy Journal, 7 (Fall/Winter 2018), 12-27.
“Targeted State Economic Development Incentives and Entrepreneurship,” with Meg Tuszynski (SMU), Journal of Entrepreneurship and Public Policy, 7, 3 (2018), 235-247.
Received a Highly Commended Paper award.
Discussed in Dallas Morning News, D-CEO Magazine, Carolina Journal, and several other N.C. newspapers.
“Sub-national Economic Freedom: A Review and Analysis of the Literature,” with Meg Tuszynski (SMU), Journal of Regional Analysis and Policy, 48, 1 (2018), 61-71.
Discussed in Carolina Journal and several other N.C. newspapers.
"An Exploratory Empirical Note on the Relationship Between Local Labor Market Freedom and the Female Labor Force Participation Rate," with Crystal Wong (West Virginia University), Empirical Economics Letters, 15, 11 (2016), 1095-1100.
"The Determinants of the Severity of State Fiscal Crises," with David Mitchell (University of Central Arkansas), Public Budgeting and Finance, 36, 4 (2016), 50-67.
Discussed in Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
"Takings and Tax Revenue: Fiscal Impacts of Eminent Domain," with Carrie Kerekes (FGCU), Review of Law & Economics, 12, 2 (2016), 275-309.
Discussed in Forbes. Previous working paper version discussed in: Detroit News, CEE Review (Center for Ethics and Entrepreneurship), The Daily Oklahoman, State Tax Notes, The Daily Caller, and Watchdog.org.
"Economic Freedom and Recidivism: Evidence from U.S. States," with Joshua Hall and Kaitlyn Harger (West Virginia University), International Advances in Economic Research, 21, 2 (2015), 155-165.
“An Economic Freedom Index for U.S. Metropolitan Areas,” Journal of Regional Analysis and Policy, 43, 1 (2013), 3-20.
Discussed in: Investor's Business Daily, Wall Street Journal, Florida Business Observer, National Review, Albany (NY) Times-Union, Acton Institute PowerBlog, Sunday Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and City Journal.
“Is Public Expenditure Productive? Evidence from the Manufacturing Sector in U.S. Cities, 1880-1920,” with Melissa Yeoh (Berry College) Cato Journal, 33, 1 (Winter 2013), 1-28.
Mentioned in National Center for Policy Analysis' Daily Policy Digest.
“Competition, Knowledge, and Local Government,” Review of Austrian Economics, 25, 3 (September 2012), 243-253.
“Infrastructure Investment and the Impact of Special Assessments under Shifting Population Demographics,” with Howard Finch (FGCU) and Shelton Weeks(FGCU) Journal of Business Cases and Applications, 4 (October 2011), 4-8.
“Why Some Cities Are Growing and Others Shrinking,” Cato Journal, 31, 2 (Spring/Summer 2011), 285-303.
Discussed in: Watchdog.org (Sept. 2017), Heartland Institute article, Florida Business Observer (May 2014); Wall Street Journal, National Center for Policy Analysis' Daily Policy Digest; Business Observer (July 2011).
Dean Stansel (right) receiving the 2010 Association of Private Enterprise Education (APEE)/Koch Foundation Policy Communicators Contest 2nd Prize from APEE President Roberto Salinas-Leon of the Mexico Business Forum (left) on April 12, 2010 at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada for his paper entitled "Why Some Cities Are Growing and Others Shrinking."
“Local Government Investment and Long-Run Economic Growth,” Journal of Social, Political, and Economic Studies, 34, 2 (Summer 2009), 244-59.
“State Fiscal Crises: Are Rapid Spending Increases to Blame?” with David Mitchell (University of South Alabama), Cato Journal, 28, 3 (Fall 2008), 435-48.
Discussed in Fort Worth Star-Telegram and Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
“Housing Tenure and Mobility with an Acquisition-Based Property Tax: The Case of Florida,” with Howard Finch (FGCU) and Gary Jackson (FGCU), Journal of Housing Research, 16, 2 (Fall 2007), 117-29.
“Economic Freedom, Corruption, and Growth,” with Mushfiq Swaleheen (FGCU), Cato Journal, 27, 3 (Fall 2007), 343-58.
“Interjurisdictional Competition and Local Government Spending in U.S. Metropolitan Areas,” Public Finance Review, 34, 2 (March 2006): 173-94.
#8 on Public Finance Review's Most Cited Article list (as of September 1, 2016); #2 of those published after 2005
“Local Decentralization and Local Economic Growth: A Cross-Sectional Examination of U.S. Metropolitan Areas,” Journal of Urban Economics, 57 (January 2005): 55-72.
Cited by other researchers over 300 times (according to Google Scholar)
Other Publications
Economic Freedom of North America 2022, with Jose Torra, Fred McMahon, and Angel Carrion-Tavarez, Vancouver: Fraser Institute, November 2022.
Interactive website available here: https://www.fraserinstitute.org/economic-freedom/map?geozone=na&page=map&selectedCountry=USA&year=2020
Dataset available here: https://www.fraserinstitute.org/studies/economic-freedom-of-north-america-2021
“Economic Freedom in the City: Ranking Michigan's Labor Markets,” Mackinac Center for Public Policy, August 31, 2022.
Economic Freedom of North America 2021, with Jose Torra and Fred McMahon, Vancouver: Fraser Institute, November 2021.
Interactive website available here: https://www.fraserinstitute.org/economic-freedom/map?geozone=na&page=map&selectedCountry=USA&year=2019
Dataset available here: https://www.fraserinstitute.org/studies/economic-freedom-of-north-america-2021
Economic Freedom of North America 2020, with Jose Torra and Fred McMahon, Vancouver: Fraser Institute, November 2020.
Dataset available here: https://www.fraserinstitute.org/studies/economic-freedom-of-north-america-2020
Economic Freedom of North America 2019, with Jose Torra and Fred McMahon, Vancouver: Fraser Institute, November 2019.
Dataset available here: https://www.fraserinstitute.org/studies/economic-freedom-of-north-america-2019
“U.S. Metropolitan Area Economic Freedom Index,” Policy Study, Los Angeles: Reason Foundation, January 2019.
“Institutions, Trade, and Economic Prosperity: An Examination of the U.S. and Mexican States,” with Meg Tuszynski (SMU), Mission Foods Texas-Mexico Center Research Paper, No. 4, January 2019.
Economic Freedom of North America 2018, with Jose Torra and Fred McMahon, Vancouver: Fraser Institute, October 2018.
Dataset available here: https://www.fraserinstitute.org/studies/economic-freedom-of-north-america-2018
“Is Arkansas Prepared for the Next Economic Downturn?” with David Mitchell (Univ. of Central Arkansas) and Meg Tuszynski (SMU), Policy Brief, Arkansas Center for Research in Economics, Spring 2018.
Economic Freedom of North America 2017, with Jose Torra and Fred McMahon, Vancouver: Fraser Institute, December 2017.
Dataset available here: https://www.fraserinstitute.org/studies/economic-freedom-of-north-america-2017
"Local Governments and Economic Freedom: A Test of the Leviathan Hypothesis," with Adam Millsap (Florida State) and Bradley Hobbs (Clemson), Mercatus Working Paper, September 19, 2017.
Economic Freedom of North America 2016, with Jose Torra and Fred McMahon, Vancouver: Fraser Institute, December 2016.
Dataset available here: https://www.fraserinstitute.org/studies/economic-freedom-of-north-america-2016
"Economic Freedom in the United States, 1980 to the Present," with Meg Tuszynski, Chapter 6 in Economic Freedom of the World 2016, Vancouver: Fraser Institute, September 2016, pp. 257-271.
Discussed in: Investor's Business Daily and International Liberty blog.
Economic Freedom of North America 2015, with Jose Torra and Fred McMahon, Vancouver: Fraser Institute, December 2015.
“Economic Freedom Studies at the State Level: A Survey,” with Joshua Hall and Danko Tarabar (West Virginia University) chapter in Economic Behavior, Entrepreneurship and Economic Freedom, edited by Richard Cebula, Joshua Hall, and James E. Payne, Edward Elgar Publishing, 2015.
“Measuring Institutions and Policies at the Subnational Level,” with Jamie Bologna (West Virginia University) chapter in Cebula, Hall, and Payne, eds., 2015.
"A Pro-Growth Tax Reform Agenda for Virginia," Policy Study No. 16, Virginia Institute for Public Policy, April 2015.
"State Fiscal Crises: States’ Abilities to Withstand Recessions," with David Mitchell (Univ. of Central Arkansas) Mercatus Working Paper, January 20, 2015.
Discussed in: Charleston (WV) Gazette
Economic Freedom of North America 2014, with Jose Torra and Fred McMahon, Vancouver: Fraser Institute, December 2014.
Discussed in: Florida Business Observer (December 2014), National Center for Policy Analysis' Daily Policy Digest
"Takings and Tax Revenue: Fiscal Impacts of Eminent Domain," with Carrie Kerekes (FGCU), Mercatus Working Paper, October 13, 2014.
Discussed in: Detroit News, CEE Review (Center for Ethics and Entrepreneurship), The Daily Oklahoman, State Tax Notes, The Daily Caller, Watchdog.org, and Climate Progress.
Economic Freedom of North America 2013, with Fred McMahon (Fraser Institute), Vancouver: Fraser Institute, December 2013.
“Economic Freedom and Economic Well-Being at the Subnational Level—a Look at the Literature” Chapter 3 in Economic Freedom of North America 2013, Vancouver: Fraser Institute, December 2013, pp. 44-50.
“Unmasking the Mortgage Interest Deduction: Who Benefits and by How Much? Update 2013,” with Anthony Randazzo (Reason Foundation), Reason Foundation, Policy Study, No. 421 (December 2013).
Mentioned in Reason.com Hit & Run blog and National Center for Policy Analysis' Daily Policy Digest.
“Measuring the Impact of the State Medicaid Expansion in Florida,” with Stephen Parente (Univ. of Minnesota), policy analysis for Health Systems Innovation Network, October 2013.
“Unmasking the Mortgage Interest Deduction: Who Benefits and How Much? Update 2012,” with Anthony Randazzo (Reason Foundation), Reason Foundation, Policy Study Update, (December 2012).
“Unmasking the Mortgage Interest Deduction: Who Benefits and by How Much?” with Anthony Randazzo, Reason Foundation, Policy Study, No. 394 (July 2011).
“Rethinking the Mortgage Interest Deduction,” a policy forum cosponsored by Reason Foundation and Tax Policy Center (Urban Institute and Brookings Institution), July 28, 2011.
“Higher Taxes, Less Growth: The Impact of Tax Burden on Economic Growth in U.S. Metropolitan Areas,” NFAP Policy Brief, April 2009, National Foundation for American Policy, Arlington, Virginia.
“Economic Analysis of ‘Save Our Homes’ Portability,” Regional Economic Research Institute, Florida Gulf Coast University, January 2006 (for Florida Association of Realtors).
List of over five dozen publications authored during my seven years at the Cato Institute (including 27 policy studies for Cato and other public policy research organizations and 40 op-ed articles for the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Investor’s Business Daily, Chicago Tribune, and other publications).