Event Summary
Puerto Rico presents a puzzling economic situation. As a territory of the United States, it has many of the institutions that economists judge crucial to growth. It is one of the world's most open economies, with free mobility of goods, services, capital, and labor to the large, prosperous U.S. market; and firms and individuals and firms who are resident in Puerto Rico are exempt from federal taxes. One might expect these conditions to pave the way for rapid economic development in Puerto Rico, with living standards converging steadily toward those enjoyed in the rest of the nation. However, since the mid 1970s, that growth has stalled. Puerto Rico's per capita income is only about half that of the poorest U.S. state and a majority of its residents live below the U.S. poverty line.
What went wrong? Motivated by Puerto Rico's economic dilemmas, researchers from Puerto Rico and the mainland collaborated on an extensive project led by the Center for the New Economy (CNE) and the Brookings Institution. The resulting book examines the island's low-employment rates, comparatively small private sector, trade performance, and the effectiveness of its educational, financial and fiscal systems. Chapters also focus on the effects of key U.S. policies on the island, particularly in the areas of taxation and social transfers.
To discuss the book and recent developments in Puerto Rico,
Susan Collins,
Barry Bosworth and
William Dickens, all Brookings senior fellows, will be joined by Miguel Soto-Class from the CNE; Maria Enchautegui from the University of Puerto Rico; Steven Davis from the University of Chicago and the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research (AEI); and Francisco Uriarte also of CNE. After each panel there will be a brief audience question-and-answer session.
Panel One: Economic Growth in Puerto Rico Moderator: Miguel Soto-Class Center for the New Economy Presenter:Susan CollinsThe Brookings Institution & Georgetown University |
Panel Two: Why is Employment So Low?Moderator: William DickensThe Brookings Institution Panelists: Maria Enchautegui, University of Puerto Rico Steven Davis, University of Chicago & AEI |
Panel Three: Options for Restoring GrowthModerator: Francisco Uriarte Center for the New Economy Presenter: Barry BosworthThe Brookings Institution |