Abstract
Conway, Brewer, and Rork (CBR) have done a thorough reproduction and replication of Reed. Their analysis extending the time period that I used, while applying the same empirical procedures, convincingly demonstrates that the estimated effect of taxes on state-level economic growth has declined in recent years. In this reply, I reflect on the capacity of the regression procedures used by CBR, Reed, and others to identify causal effects of taxes on economic growth at the state level. I identify challenges to causal inference that make it difficult to translate these findings to advise for policy makers.
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