Congress plays an important role in combatting recessions and supporting economic growth. The money it sends to families, workers, businesses, and communities softens the toll of recessions. Well-designed fiscal policies boost income and employment for all Americans. Equitable Growth works to improve our understanding of different fiscal policies, including how they can reduce the pain of economic downturns, reduce inequality, and support growth.
Featured Work
Tariff policies in 2025 increased input costs for key U.S. industries, threatening growth and investment
March 24, 2026
March 24, 2026
The Macroeconomic Effects of Tariffs: Evidence From U.S. Historical Data
March 4, 2026
March 4, 2026
What is austerity, and how does it affect the broader U.S. economy?
August 12, 2025
August 12, 2025
Congressional Republicans’ budget bill is the most regressive in at least 40 years
June 25, 2025
June 25, 2025
Factsheet: Is the U.S. economy in a recession, and how does recession dating work?
August 10, 2022
August 10, 2022
Explore Content in Fiscal Policy162
The American Rescue Plan helped U.S. families amid the coronavirus pandemic and provides a roadmap for policymakers today
March 11, 2022
March 11, 2022
Fostering academic research on U.S. economic impact payments that goes beyond the marginal propensity to consume
January 18, 2022
January 18, 2022
Austerity policies in the United States caused ‘stagflation’ in the 1970s and would do so again today
January 11, 2022
January 11, 2022
Addressing the ‘double gap’ faced by Black women in the U.S. economy
November 30, 2021
November 30, 2021
U.S. disability programs provide valuable benefits to low-income recipients across a range of health conditions
November 22, 2021
November 22, 2021
A cost-benefit analysis of The American Families Plan’s proposed investment in a nationwide public preschool program
September 22, 2021
September 22, 2021
The coming public debt scare should not spook U.S. policymakers from investing in physical and social infrastructure
September 7, 2021
September 7, 2021
Completing the unfinished New Deal to overcome 21st century U.S. economic inequality
August 31, 2021
August 31, 2021
NBER Summer Institute 2021 Round-up: Week 1
July 19, 2021
July 19, 2021
Fiscal austerity intensifies the increase in inequality after pandemics
July 13, 2021
July 13, 2021
The economic benefits of equal opportunity in the United States by ending racial, ethnic, and gender disparities
June 29, 2021
June 29, 2021
A new report lays out the path forward for faltering U.S. Unemployment Insurance system
June 24, 2021
June 24, 2021
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