As an economics student, I'm curious what my fellow sherdoggers would do to fix the current economy if they were placed in a "benevolent dictator" type of position. What would your top priority (don't say "jobs") be for getting the economy back on track?
Responses need not be in-depth, just clear enough to encourage discussion.
Here's mine. I'm kind of into urban/labor econ, so my policies revolve around what economists in these fields generally support. By no means is this supposed to be exhaustive:
1) Decouple healthcare and labor markets (there is a lot to unpack here, and it doesn't necessarily mean a single-payer system).
2) Modest minimum wage increases in major cities, generous expansion of EITC (alternatively wage subsidies, direct cash transfers could be used)
3) Encourage mixed-use development in major cities, discourage driving to reasonable extents (either through gas taxes, toll roads); couple with public transit where population density is high enough
4) Open the US to trade, but as this is done, implement worker retraining programs so that people are able to continue supporting themselves
Anyway, apologies for disappearing for a bit there. Finals were kicking my butt (calculus 2 brutalized me).
