Amanda Deerfield, assistant professor of economics, and Sriparna Ghosh, visiting professor of economics, presented research at the Association of Private Enterprise Education in Las Vegas, Nevada, in April. Deerfield’s research in “Examining the Relationship Between Economic Freedom and Ridesharing Legislation” found that states with less economic freedom take longer to pass ridesharing legislation. Her research was supported by a grant from the Charles Koch Foundation.
A second paper, co-authored by Deerfield and Ghosh, found that states with greater occupational licensing requirements have lower rates of entrepreneurship. Both research papers have implications for policy-makers concerning how to encourage entrepreneurship by improving regulatory conditions.