Category Archives: Center for Business and Economic Insight

Divisiveness and the Economic Challenges of 2021 – Challenge #4: Healthcare

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Divisiveness and the Economic Challenges of 2021

It’s time to continue with our Divisiveness and the Economic Challenges of 2021 series with Challenge #4 – Healthcare. One positive thing to come out of the COVID-19 pandemic – the demonstration of the commitment, dedication and excellence of U.S. healthcare workers. The technological capabilities and advances in healthcare, combined with the dedication of healthcare […]

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Divisiveness and the Economic Challenges of 2021 – Challenge #3: Manufacturing and Trade

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Divisiveness and the Economic Challenges of 2021

Let’s continue with our Divisiveness and the Economic Challenges of 2021 series with Challenge #3 – Manufacturing and Trade. The overall objectives for U.S. manufacturing and trade that most politicians could probably agree on would include strengthening U.S. manufacturing and expanding U.S. exports. Exactly how to do that becomes the divisive issue. In the past […]

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CBEI Central Wisconsin Fall 2020 Report

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CBEI Report

Interesting (and Exciting) Times The UW-Stevens Point Center for Business and Economic Insight staff is very excited about this digital version of our fall report! Chief Analyst Kevin Bahr addresses the significant economic challenges America faces in 2021 during a time of extreme social and political divisiveness, focusing on the continued effects of COVID-19 and […]

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CBEI Inner View: Thousand Lumens Productions

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Thousand Lumens

The following article was originally published in the Center for Business and Economic Insight Fall 2020 Report. by Emma Fisher CBEI Student Research Assistant There is something extraordinary happening at the Create Portage County workspaces. Located in the heart of downtown Stevens Point, Thousand Lumens Productions is bringing stories to life through beautiful and refined […]

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CBEI Insight Spotlight: Release the Data Analyst!

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The following article was originally published in the Center for Business and Economic Insight Fall 2020 Report. by Kurt Pflughoeft, Ph.D.Sentry Endowed Chair of Computational Analytics; Director of the Center for Data Analytics Data analytics is all the buzz at many corporations subsuming areas such as business analytics and business intelligence. The goals of data […]

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Divisiveness and the Economic Challenges of 2021 – Challenge #2: Controlling U.S. Debt and Federal Budget Deficits

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Divisiveness and the Economic Challenges of 2021

Let’s continue with our Divisiveness and the Economic Challenges of 2021 series with Challenge #2 – Controlling U.S. Debt and Federal Budget Deficits. The Federal Deficit The federal budget deficit refers to U.S. federal government spending exceeding government income. The necessity of the $2 trillion Covid-19 stimulus contributed to a record federal budget deficit for […]

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Divisiveness and the Economic Challenges of 2021 – Challenge #1: COVID-19 and the 2021 Economy

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Divisiveness and the Economic Challenges of 2021

Unfortunately, the divisiveness in America is significant and undeniable. It stretches across politics, race, gender, religion and economic issues. This Center for Business and Economic Insight (CBEI) series takes a look at the economic challenges of 2021, and also incorporates the divisiveness issue into some of the discussions. For many economic challenges, the overall economic health […]

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The Election and Economic Polices: Biden vs. Trump

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Well, it’s everybody’s favorite time of the year – election time. The divisions in America have perhaps never been greater. This blog may not lessen those divisions, but the goal is simple – to help voters make an informed voting decision. Here’s hoping that everyone votes, and that every vote gets counted. This blog will […]

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A Tale of Two Crises–and Recoveries: Financial Crisis vs. COVID-19 Crisis Part 4: The Federal Reserve and Interest Rates

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CBEI Blog

Although a variety of factors influence the movement of interest rates, the Federal Reserve strongly influences the movement of interest rates through its policies. Through its “Open Market Operations” (the purchase and sale of Treasury securities), the Federal Reserve primarily controls the money supply in the U.S. The amount of money circulating in the economy […]

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A Tale of Two Crises–and Recoveries: Financial Crisis vs. COVID-19 Crisis Part 3: Unemployment – Before and During the Crises

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CBEI Blog

The Financial Crisis The graph below shows the U.S. unemployment rate over the period 2001–2010. After reaching a peak unemployment rate of 6.3% in June 2003 during the recession following the turn of the century, the unemployment rate began a gradual decline and bottomed out at 4.4% in late 2006 and early 2007. Over a […]

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