Rich States, Poor States: ALEC-Laffer State Economic Competitiveness Index
Dr. Arthur B. LafferArthur B. Laffer is the founder and chairman of Laffer Associates, an economic research and consulting firm, as well as Laffer Investments, an institutional investment firm. As a result of Dr. Laffer s economic insight and influence in starting a worldwide tax-cutting movement during the 1980s, many publications have named him The Father of Supply-Side Economics. He is a founding member of the Congressional Policy Advisory Board, which assisted in forming legislation for the 105th, 106th and 107th Congresses. Dr. Laffer served as a member of President Reagan s Economic Policy Advisory Board for both terms. In March 1999, he was noted by Time Magazine as one of the Century s Greatest Minds for his invention of the Laffer Curve, which has been called one of a few of the advances that powered this extraordinary century. He has received many awards for his economic research, including two Graham and Dodd Awards from the Financial Analyst Federation. He graduated from Yale with a Bachelor s degree in economics in 1963 and received both his MBA and Ph.D. in economics from Stanford University.Stephen MooreStephen Moore joined The Wall Street Journal as a member of the editorial board and senior economics writer on May 31, 2005. He splits his time between Washington, D.C., and New York, focusing on economic issues including budget, tax and monetary policy. Moore was previously the founder and president of the Club for Growth, which raises money for political candidates who favor free-market economic policies. Over the years, Moore has served as a senior economist at the Congressional Joint Economic Committee, as a budget expert for The Heritage Foundation, and as a senior economics fellow at the Cato Institute, where he published dozens of studies on federal and state fiscal policy. He was also a consultant to the National Economic Commission in 1987 and research director for President Reagan s Commission on Privatization.Jonathan WilliamsJonathan Williams is the director of the Tax and Fiscal Policy Task Force for the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), where he works with state legislators and the private sector to develop free-market fiscal policy in the states. Prior to joining ALEC, Jonathan served as staff economist at the Tax Foundation, authoring numerous tax policy studies. His work has been featured in many publications including The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, Forbes and Investor s Business Daily. Williams is a contributor to The Examiner (Washington, D.C.) and writes a syndicated column for the Flint Hills Center for Public Policy in Wichita, Kan., where he also serves as an adjunct fiscal policy fellow. He is a contributing author to the Reason Foundation s Annual Privatization Report and has written for Tax Analysts, a scholarly journal dedicated to tax issues. Williams has also appeared on numerous television outlets, including FOX Business News. A Mid-Michigan native, Williams graduated magna cum laude from Northwood University in Midland, Mich., majoring in economics, banking/finance, and business management. While at Northwood, he was the recipient of the prestigious Ludwig von Mises Award in Economics.