Government Accountability & Regulation Programs
The resources available to governments have been stretched in recent years due to rising cost of services and demographic trends. This pressure will not lessen in the future; An aging population will increase the ratio of those people receiving government benefits to those paying taxes. This situation will force officials into making and implementing policies to address the problem in a number of ways. Governments need to restructure their operations to maximize efficiency and increase the quality of government services. When procuring goods and services they need to assure they are getting the best deal for the taxpayer’s money. Finally, they need to make sure any new ventures are not going to risk the fiscal health of their communities.
The Beacon Hill Institute Government Accountability & Regulation Programs (GARP) informs policy makers in selecting the best choices in restructuring government, implementing fair and competitive procurement policies, understanding the policy impacts of regulation, and assessing the risks and benefits of new projects. BHI’s GARP programs result in quantifiable saving for government agencies and ultimately American taxpayers.
The Beacon Hill Institute is currently providing research and advice on a broad spectrum of GARP programs. Through these programs BHI seeks to:
- Increase government efficiency,
- Increase competition for public construction process,
- Identify the economic cost of government regulation,
- Help citizens and governments make informed choices, and
- Understand the economic impact of infrastructure development.
Research Topics
Antitrust
Microsoft Antitrust (April 2002)
Health and Human Services
The Costs and Benefits of Implementing Proposed Legislation to Curb Obesity in Maine
Government Operations
Police Details: Protection or Perk? (November 2004)
DNC and RNC Convention Economic Impact: Convention (Summer 2004)
Project Labor Agreements & Prevailing Wage
The Federal Davis-Bacon Act: Mismeasuring the Prevailing Wage (May 2022
Project Labor Agreements on Federal Construction Projects: A Costly Solution in Search of a Problem (September 2009)
New study takes aim at federal prevailing wage law; Inflated wage measures cost taxpayers $8.6 billion annually (February 2008)
Washington Nationals Stadium PLA (September 2006)
Project Labor Agreements and Public Construction Costs in New York (May 2006)
Project Labor Agreements increase costs to Connecticut cities and towns, new BHI study finds (November 2004)
Project Labor Agreements increase costs for new school construction, new BHI study finds (September 2003)
Telecommunications
Cable TV and Phone Calls Are Taxed at Twice the Rate of Other Goods, Study finds (May 2007)
Broadband Cable – Concord (March 2004)
Broadband Cable – Norwood (October 2001)
