Who was Barbara Mitchell?
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A Failure on Several Counts: Thomas Piketty's Capital in the Twenty-First Century

Capital in the Twenty-First Century, the best-selling book from French economist Thomas Piketty, is fundamentally flawed, and its Euro-centric view does not apply to North America, says Philip Cross. In his review, published today, Cross targets the major themes in Capital including Piketty’s fixation on inequality and whether it’s destined to increase significantly, and the pessimism engulfing most of Europe today.

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Teacher Incentive Pay that Works

Incentive pay for teachers improves student performance, finds a new study by Vicki Alger. The study, Teacher Incentive Pay that Works, examines several teacher incentive pay programs based on student performance in school systems around the world.

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The cost of running the Canada Pension Plan has more than tripled, the result of transaction fees and external management fees, finds a new study by Philip Cross and Joel Emes. The study, Accounting for the True Cost of the Canada Pension Plan, spotlights the costs of administering the CPP, which includes spending by the CPP Investment Board, a Crown corporation that manages and invests CPP assets, as well as costs incurred by the federal government to run the plan.

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As Labour Day approaches, Canada’s biased labour relations laws are failing workers, restricting their choices, and potentially stunting job growth and investment, finds a new study by Hugh MacIntyre and Charles Lammam. The study, Labour Relations Laws in Canada and the United States, provides an empirical analysis of labour relations laws in the private sector for the 10 Canadian provinces, the Canadian federal government, and the 50 U.S. states.

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An Assessment of the Federal Child Support Guidelines

The federal guidelines mandating child support payments in divorce cases in Canada fail to equitably distribute costs between parents (as per the Divorce Act) and are not supported by economic evidence, concludes a new study by Christopher Sarlo. The study, An Assessment of Federal Child Support Guidelines, critically evaluates the formula that determines the amount of child support in Canada.

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The Cost of Government Debt in Canada

Interest payments on government debt in Canada consume a sizeable share of government revenue, leaving less money for public priorities such as schools, hospitals, highways and lower taxes, finds a new study by Sean Speer, Charles Lammam, Milagros Palacios, Hugh MacIntyre, and Feixue Ren. The study, The Cost of Government Debt in Canada, spotlights the growth of government debt in Canada since the 2008/09 recession, and the cost of interest payments on government debt.

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Post-boom Spending in Alberta

Increased spending on government programs has diverted taxpayer money away from other top priorities in Alberta, finds a new study by Mark Milke. The study, Post-boom spending in Alberta: A $41 billion splurge and lost opportunities, compares Alberta’s program spending (government sector salaries, for example) with other types of spending and investment.

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