Center for Economic and Policy Research

This article is about the US think tank. For the European economic research network, see Centre for Economic Policy Research.

The Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) is a progressive economic policy think-tank based in Washington, D.C. It was founded by economists and current co-directors Dean Baker and Mark Weisbrot in 1999. CEPR works on Social Security, the U.S. housing bubble, developing country economies, and gaps in the social policy fabric of the U.S. economy.

In addition to Baker and Weisbrot, CEPR's senior economist is John Schmitt. The thinktank's research fellows include Buenos Aires-based economist Roberto Frenkel, UK-based economist Ha-Joon Chang, and U.S.-based economists Randy Albelda, Marcellus Andrews, Niki T. Dickerson, David Howell, William Spriggs, and Ben Zipperer.

CEPR's Advisory Board of Economists includes Nobel Laureate economists Robert Solow and Joseph Stiglitz; Richard Freeman, Professor of Economics at Harvard University; and Eileen Appelbaum, Professor and Director of the Center for Women and Work at Rutgers University.

This think tank is a different entity than the London-based Centre for Economic Policy Research. The two organizations are not related in any way.

Mission Statement

According to CEPR's website,

"The Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) was established in 1999 to promote democratic debate on the most important economic and social issues that affect people's lives. In order for citizens to effectively exercise their voices in a democracy, it is necessary that they be informed about the problems and choices that they face. CEPR is committed to presenting issues in an accurate and understandable manner, so that the public is better prepared to choose among the various policy options.

"Toward this end, CEPR conducts both professional research and public education. The professional research is oriented towards filling important gaps in the understanding of particular economic and social problems, or the impact of specific policies. The public education portion of CEPR's mission is to present the findings of professional research, both by CEPR and others, in a manner that allows broad segments of the public to know exactly what is at stake in major policy debates. An informed public should be able to choose policies that lead to an improving quality of life, both for people within the United States and around the world."

Advocacy

CEPR spokespersons have advocated for continuation of funding for the Survey of Income and Program Participation, for cancellation of multilateral debt for Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC's) such as Haiti, for the International Monetary Fund to cease making loans conditional on recipient countries’ adoption of austerity measures, for policies that would allow U.S. homeowners facing foreclosure to stay in their homes by paying a market-determined rent, for an end to the strong dollar policy that makes U.S. exports artificially expensive, for a shorter work week to be included in current U.S. economic stimulus measures, and for the Chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve to warn the public of the dangers of bubbles such as the recent U.S. housing bubble – the collapse of which led to the current economic downturn – among various other policies.

Mark Weisbrot has defended some of the policies, and criticized others, of the governments of the United States, Spain, Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela , Bolivia, Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, Haiti, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Indonesia, and other countries.

See also

• CEPR's online calculators

External links

• CEPR Website
• News articles citing CEPR