Shepherding Infrastructure Spending: Project Labor Agreements’ Effects on Community Public Construction Projects

Share on Facebook
Share on Twitter
Share on
LinkedIn
+

This week on Hubwonk, host Joe Selvaggi talks with Suffolk University Economics Prof. Jonathan Haughton about his research into the effects and costs attending the adoption of Project Labor Agreements in large construction projects. The discussion focuses on Prof. Haughton’s two research pieces, The Effects of Project Labor Agreements in Massachusetts, and Do Project Labor Agreements Raise Construction Costs?, and the implications of PLAs on future projects in Massachusetts.

Guest

Prof. Jonathan Haughton is the Economics Chair and Professor at Suffolk University. He has previously taught at Wellesley College, Northeastern University, Harvard University, and in international colleges in China, Rwanda, Japan, and Viet Nam. He is the author of four books, more than 50 articles in refereed journals, and over a hundred papers and reports. He has consulted to the World Bank, African Development Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, UNDP, IMF, USAID, Ford Foundation, Land Reform Training Institute (Taipei), and the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda. He earned his undergraduate degree from Trinity College in Dublin and his Ph.D in economics from Harvard.

Get new episodes of Hubwonk in your inbox!

Related Posts

Black Box Budget: Late, Loaded, and Lacking Transparency

Joe Selvaggi talks with Pioneer Institute’s Senior Fellow in Economic Opportunity Eileen McAnneny about the features and flaws of the recently passed 2024 Massachusetts state budget now waiting for Governor Healey’s approval.

Sabotaging Strategic Success: How Price Controls Could Imperil U.S. Pharma Industry

Joe Selvaggi talks with Pioneer Institute’s Director of Life Sciences Initiative Dr. Bill Smith about the policies that drove biopharmaceutical company from Europe to the U.S., and how proposed, similar price controls in President Biden’s Fair Prices Act could distort incentives away from innovation and threaten the success of a thriving and vital U.S. industry.

Local Elections Matter: City Governance Driven by Those Who Show Up

Joe Selvaggi talks with Suffolk County Assistant District Attorney and candidate for Boston City Council’s 8th District Montez Haywood about the city council’s role in local governance and the salient issues at stake in the July 25 special election.

Diagnosing Debilitating Debt: Are We Undertaxing or Overspending?

Joe Selvaggi talks with Cato Institute’s Director of Tax Policies, Dr. Adam Michell about the sources of recent record levels of deficits and debt to understand a policy path toward fiscal sustainability that is politically viable.

Court Compels Colorblindness: Harvard Told No Exceptions for Equality Under Law

Joe Selvaggi speaks with Thomas A. Berry of Cato Institute about the Supreme Court’s ruling in Students for Fair Admissions Inc. v. President & Fellows of Harvard College, its impact on affirmative action, and what comes next for colleges seeking to ensure diverse enrollments.

Baking Young Minds: Scientific Concerns for Cannabis on Kids

Joe Selvaggi talks with professor of psychiatry Dr. Ryan Sultan about the findings of his recently released study on the effects of cannabis on the mental health of American adolescents. Dr. Sultan’s work shows a substantial correlation between cannabis use and negative mental health outcomes.