With an abundance of caution for all attendees to the 2020 Society of Government Economists Annual Conference, the Board of Directors made the difficult decision to cancel the conference due to the COVID-19 global health crisis. Unfortunately, with the uncertainty surrounding the virus and additional factors, we were unable to postpone or reschedule the conference for a later date in 2020.
2020 SGE Conference Sessions at the ASSA in San Diego, CA
Society of Government Economists Conference Sessions at the Allied Social Science Meetings (ASSA) in San Diego, CA
January 3-5, 2020
Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego, Mission Beach B for all SGE sessions
1 Market Place, San Diego, CA, 92101, USA
SGE has organized 7 sessions as part of the ASSA meetings. This is a handy reference to keep track of the times and topics.
Click here to see the program.
Mon 10/7 eve: Sinclar and Stone on “Probability of the U.S. or World Entering a Recession in 2020”
Probability of the U.S. or World Entering a Recession in 2020
Monday, October 7, 2019 5:45 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Rm 483 Ford House Office Building
2nd & D Streets, SW
Washington, DC 20515
Metro: Federal Center SW Station
Panelists:
Dr. Tara Sinclar, Co-director of the Research Program on Forecasting, George Washington University
Dr. Chad Stone, Chief Economist, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
Light refreshments will be served at 5:45 pm, and the seminar begins at 6:00 pm. The seminar is free but please email Mel Sacks at MelSacks@verizon.net for reservations. After panelists have made their presentations, time will be available for Q&A and discussion.
According to the IMF World Economic Outlook global growth is now projected to slow from 3.6 percent in 2018 to 3.3 percent in 2019, before returning to 3.6 percent in 2020. However, possible further disruptions in oil supplies in the Middle East, continued conflicts with Iran, the slowdown in China, uncertainties of Brexit on Britain and the European Union, the economic effects of global warming, or other contingencies may seriously affect growth prospects. In the U.S. a tariff war, especially with China, may help bring about a recession in 2020.
Dr. Chad Stone and Dr. Tara Sinclar will explore the possibilities of recession occurring in the U.S. or internationally in 2020. Please join us for this interesting evening.
Mon 5/13 eve: Meltzer and Destler on “Bilateral v. Multilateral Trade, and Tariffs”
Bilateral vs. Multilateral Trade, and Tariffs
Monday, May 13, 2019 5:45 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Rm 483 Ford House Office Building
2nd & D Streets, SW
Washington, DC 20515
Metro: Federal Center SW Station
Panelists:
Joshua Meltzer, Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution
I.M. ‘Mac’ Destler, Saul Stern Professor, University of Maryland
Light refreshments will be served at 5:45 pm, and the seminar begins at 6:00 pm. The seminar is free but please email Mel Sacks at MelSacks@verizon.net for reservations. After panelists have made their presentations, time will be available for Q&A and discussion.
The present administration has made lessening the trade deficit a priority and has imposed tariffs, mainly with China and the European Union, Mexico and Canada if the U.S, trade deficit with those countries has not ameliorated. The target countries have in turn imposed their own tariffs on U.S. goods. The administration has not pursued multilateral agreements such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement, and some contend this has left trade with the United States isolated in Asia and other regions.
What effects would a trade war have on the U.S. and the global economies, and would any benefits accrue to the administration’s actions is one of the questions the panelists would attempt to answer. Joshua Meltzer and I.M. ‘Mac’ Destler will offer their perspectives and analysis on these issues.
Call for Papers: 2020 ASSA/SGE Sessions in San Diego, CA, January 3-5, 2020
Call for Papers (due date is May 16th, 2019)
2020 ASSA/SGE Sessions in San Diego, CA, January 3-5, 2020
The Society of Government Economists’ mission is to support the professional development of government economists, and those who are interested in public policy economics, by providing them with research, publication, and professional communication opportunities. SGE has seven sessions in the 2020 ASSA meeting. These sessions will provide economists the opportunity to present their research, discuss it with their peers, and receive feedback as well as to meet other economists and be informed about the latest topics in economics. This call for papers and sessions is open to all individuals (applicants need not be government economists).
Sessions will be designed to provide valuable contributions to existing knowledge and understanding, and to improve how economics is practiced. They should better enable economists to observe and understand the nature and causes of economic factors, which will, in turn, enhance their ability to contribute to public decision making.
In the case of proposed papers, the Society will organize selected papers into sessions and invite discussants and chairs to those sessions.
All participants are required to register and pay for the conference that they attend. In addition, for each submission, at least one author of each paper has an active SGE membership. The submission will not be processed if the requirement is not met. The annual membership fee of $30 can be purchased using PayPal on the SGE website.
To propose an individual paper, include: (1) a brief sentence describing the paper, (2) the title of the paper and the names and contact information (including email addresses) and affiliations for each of the authors, (3) a brief abstract (of no more than 300 words) describing the paper, and (4) 2 JEL codes. Do NOT send a draft of the paper. To propose an entire session, include: (1) The title, organizer, and chair of the session, (2) all of the above-mentioned information required of individual-paper proposals for each of the papers in the session (for 4 papers), and (3) the names and contact information for all discussants and which papers they will discuss.
The due date is May 16th, 2019 (Thursday). To submit papers or sessions, please go to http://www.sge-econ.org/.
Please direct all questions or concerns to Wendy Li, wendycyli@gmail.com.
SGE Conference April 5, 2019
The Society of Government Economists Annual Conference includes papers and sessions on economic topics relating to 1) government programs or public policy at local, national and international levels, 2) improvements and changes in government economic surveys, data, and measures, and 3) research on microeconomic and macroeconomic trends and issues that inform and impact policy.
Take a look at the program at this link, and register at this link.
The Conference will occur Friday, April 5, 2019, 8:30am-4:30pm, at the Janet Norwood Conference and Training Center, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2 Massachusetts Ave, NE, Washington, DC.
Registration fee is $65. Regular registration has been extended through April 2, to accommodate processing of training requests for some agencies. On -site registration will cost $85. (If you have problems with online registration of conference fee please contact conferencechair@sge-econ.org for assistance.)
Fees this year are the same for presenters and attendees, and students can register for free.
Thurs 2/7 Noon: William Wiatrowski, “Update on the labor market from BLS” at 618 H Street NW
Speaker: William Wiatrowski, Deputy Commissioner (Acting Commissioner), Bureau of Labor Statistics
William J. Wiatrowski is Deputy Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the senior career employee in the agency responsible for measuring labor market activity, working conditions, and price changes in the economy. Bill began his career at BLS in 1980 and served in a number of positions before his selection as Deputy Commissioner in June 2015. Mr. Wiatrowski received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and the History of Art from Yale University and a Masters of Business Administration degree from the George Washington University.
Abstract of talk:
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) carries out surveys to measure U.S. labor market conditions. Deputy Commissioner William Wiatrowski will provide an overview of current activities at BLS and give an update on current economic and labor conditions using data from several BLS programs.
Note:
Registration is open through Wednesday, 2-6-19, but walk-ins are welcome. The lunch is hosted jointly with the NEC. Lunch is included. The cost is $20 for NEC and SGE members, and BLS employees can use code BLS2019 when you register to get the member price. The cost is $35 for non-members. Credit Card payment is non refundable but you may substitute someone in your place for attendance. Visit https://www.national-economists.org/nec-events/ for registration information.
SGE Conference Sessions at the ASSA in Atlanta, GA
Society of Government Economists Conference Sessions at the Allied Social Science Meetings (ASSA) in Atlanta, GA
January 4-6, 2019
Hilton Atlanta Hotel, Conference room 314 for all SGE sessions
255 Courtland Street NE, Atlanta, Georgia, 30303, USA
SGE has organized 7 sessions as part of the ASSA meetings. This is a handy reference to keep track of the times and topics.
SGE members and friends are invited to an
INFORMAL NETWORKING LUNCH
January 4, 2019
Conference Rm 314 Hilton Atlanta
12:30-2:00pm
Boxed lunches will be provided at no charge on a first-come first-serve basis.
Click here to see the program.
Mon 11/5 eve: Guzzetti, Timothy, and Grossman on “Light Rail Transit”
Light Rail Transit
Monday, November 5, 2018 5:45 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Rm 483 Ford House Office Building
2nd & D Streets, SW
Washington, DC 20515
Metro: Federal Center SW Station
Panelists:
Arthur Guzzetti, Vice President-Policy, American Public Transportation Association
Darren Timothy, Chief Economist, US Department of Transportation
Alice Grossman, Policy Analyst, Eno Center for Transportation
Light refreshments will be served at 5:45 pm, and the seminar begins at 6:00 pm. The seminar is free but please email Jack Ventura at jack.ventura@verizon.net for reservations. After panelists have made their presentations, time will be available for Q & A and discussion.
Light rail transit, a descendant as it were of trolley cars or streetcars going back to the 19th century, took the form it’s known as today in the 1970’s. The mode continues to be introduced and extended in many U.S. cities, and often has the advantage of speed, rights-of-way and greater capacity than buses but less expensive than subways. However, questions have arisen as to user demand and efficiency relative to, say, bus rapid transit in terms of cost and reducing urban traffic congestion.
Our panelists will offer their perspectives on these issues, based on work they or their organizations have done.
Art Guzzetti is a 39 year veteran of public transportation at the local, state and national levels. The American Public Transportation Association, where he now serves, is the trade group representing the public transportation industry in the United States. Among other things, he is responsible for APTA’s extensive policy research agenda, policy analysis and development, transportation information and statistics. Prior to coming to APTA in June 1997, Mr. Guzzetti had 16 years in management at two of the nation’s leading public transportation systems: New Jersey Transit, and Port Authority of Allegheny County, plus two years at the New Jersey Department of Transportation. In short, career focus has been on generating support for public transportation and the benefits it provides to communities and regions.
Mr. Guzzetti has a Political Science degree from Edinboro State University, and a Master of Public Administration Degree from the University of Pittsburgh.
Darren Timothy has served as the Chief Economist for the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) since January 2017. In this capacity, he leads the Department’s efforts to apply economic principles and methods in analyses of policies, programs, projects, and regulations produced by the Department and its operating administrations. Dr. Timothy’s prior experience has included positions in academia and consulting as well as other agencies within USDOT, including the Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Transit Administration.
Dr. Timothy holds a B.A. from Brigham Young University and a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, both in Economics
Alice Grossman, as a policy analyst at the Eno Center for Transportation, conducts research in various areas of multimodal transportation. Dr. Grossman has worked extensively on research relating to metropolitan transportation planning and performance measurement, electronic travel diary development, K-12 and higher education in transportation, active transportation safety, and pedestrian infrastructure asset management and accessibility.
Dr. Grossman completed her B.A. at Vassar College in Physics and Astronomy, and her Ph.D. at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Civil Engineering. Dr. Grossman was Eno’s 2017 Thomas J. O’Bryant fellow.
Thurs 10/25 Noon: Melanie Duncan, “Information Sharing: A Reduction in Terrorist Finance?” at 618 H Street NW
Speaker: Melanie Duncan, University of Phoenix
Melanie Duncan is a Doctoral Candidate with the University of Phoenix studying a Doctorate of Management in Information Systems Technology. Melanie has 18 years of Federal Government experience that includes work with U.S. Joint Forces Command, Commander Naval Air Pacific Fleet, and the Naval Facilities Engineering Command Desert Team. Her affiliations include the Center for Global Research and Information Technology through the School of Advanced Studies as well as a participant in The World Bank’s Women, Business and the Law Group on LinkedIn.
Abstract of talk:
Terrorists are continuing to adopt new strategies for funding terrorist activities. National security partners and the definition of what constitutes a national security partner for sharing information appears to have remained the same. While information sharing may have increased among national security partners, the macroeconomic aspect may have been overlooked. Preparedness levels may be affected by the organizational culture, multiplicity of information sharing amongst governmental organizations, and partners that include private financial sector companies, and terrorist finance regulation within the banking industry. In this talk, Melanie Duncan will discuss what innovations national security partnership may look like for government entities if such variables as lack of knowledge sharing, cooperation, and information sharing were introduced.
Hosted jointly with the NEC. Credit Card payment is non refundable but you may substitute someone in your place for attendance. Visit https://www.national-economists.org/nec-events/ for registration information.