What do university think tanks produce? Starbucks sells coffee. Tesla sells electric vehicles? What does my 21CC at Hopkins "sell"? In my first 2.5 months at Hopkins, I have been on a listening tour as I talk to various stakeholders. I can now offer some precise thoughts.
1. My core team at 21CC has been working with me on my new urban economics research. We have released our first report on public employment and we now have underway a variety of new projects that will take time but are directly relevant to key urban policy issues.
2. We have hired 10 undergraduate interns who are helping us on various projects and I will teach urban economics in the Spring 2020 at Hopkins. During my long teaching career, the number of economics majors quickly grows sharply when I get involved with undergraduate teaching.
3. We are hosting cross-campus urban policy seminars (such as Rucker Johnson's recent presentation).
4. We are now planning focused urban research conferences in Spring. I am especially excited about the possibility of partnering with the Fed of Richmond on a Baltimore conference where we will bring in urban experts to discuss the implications of their work for the Baltimore economy.
5. Given that I am jointly appointed with the Carey School of Business, we are forming partnerships with businesses who have specific urban questions that dovetail with our research agenda. For firms that want to contact us, Evan Zaletel is the right point of contact.
6. At a recent 21CC Steering Committee, my Hopkins colleagues strongly encouraged me to build up the convening capacity of our center as a place where bridging social capital takes place as discussions between urban practitioners, academics, and urban business interests meet and discuss mutual interests. This is still a work in progress but I agree that such dialogue is key for helping academics influence policy and the greater urban discussion.
7. My 21CC team continues to meet urban officials both in Baltimore and in Washington DC to keep up with our understanding of what challenges these "real world" urbanists face and what role data analysis and economic logic can play in helping them to achieve their goals.
8. I have been in touch with urbanists at the Bloomberg Philanthropy to understand what issues they are working on and how my center can be of use.
As you can see, I have the opportunity (and the responsibility) to speak to many different stakeholders.
I do not believe that any other BDP at Hopkins has such Ambassadorial responsibilities. Each day, I have to figure out how much time I am devoting to private goods (my own research) versus public goods production!
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As the U.S enters an election year, it should not surprise people that President Trump's team will not be leading the low carbon coalition. Read this quote released by his team;
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced the notification on Twitter and issued a statement saying the accord would impose intolerable burdens on the American economy.“The U.S. approach incorporates the reality of the global energy mix and uses all energy sources and technologies cleanly and efficiently, including fossils fuels, nuclear energy, and renewable energy,” Mr. Pompeo said.I do not agree that this accord would impose "intolerable burdens" on the American economy but it is true that many Trump voting blocks would face high energy costs, some job losses (in fossil fuel extraction regions) and lower suburban home prices (as gas prices rise). This last effect will be mitigated by the rise of EVs powered by renewable power but this last effect still exists. For evidence and theory, read this 2019 paper.In my own research with Ed Glaeser, I have documented that Progressive areas (and their residents) will face a lower carbon tax bill --- if and when we do adopt such a policy. Unfortunately, this means that Red State areas will face a higher carbon bill and these places vote their self interest and oppose carbon pricing. Here are my relevant papers;Glaeser, Edward L. & Kahn, Matthew E., 2010. "The greenness of cities: Carbon dioxide emissions and urban development," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 67(3), pages 404-418, May.Michael I. Cragg & Yuyu Zhou & Kevin Gurney & Matthew E. Kahn, 2013. "Carbon Geography: The Political Economy Of Congressional Support For Legislation Intended To Mitigate Greenhouse Gas Production," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 51(2), pages 1640-1650, April.Matthew J. Holian & Matthew E. Kahn, 2015. "Household Demand for Low Carbon Policies: Evidence from California," Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, University of Chicago Press, vol. 2(2), pages 205-234.Progressives must figure out a new policy proposal that introduces the socially beneficial pricing effect of carbon taxes while offsetting the negative income effect (i.e that carbon taxes makes suburbanites poorer). The answer might be a tax on center city upper class residents in progressive cities that is rebated to suburban Republican areas and to rural people. This would offset the French "Yellow Jacket" issue that arose there. Progressives would be implicitly purchasing the political support for U.S carbon tax leadership. For those who worry about climate change tail damage risk, this proposal would accelerate the transition to the green economy without enraging status quo interests.Coasians would ask here; "Who has the property rights to pollute?" If the answer is that suburbanites do have the right to a $0 carbon tax, then progressives must make a $ offer to purchase this property right and then the efficient economic allocation will ensue (i.e decarbonization).
