Center for Competitiveness and Prosperity Research
The Center for Competitiveness and Prosperity Research specializes in applied economic and demographic research, with a geographic emphasis on Arizona and the metropolitan Phoenix area.
The Center administers the Productivity and Prosperity Project: An Analysis of Economic Competitiveness (P3), and the Office of the University Economist. These ongoing initiatives began in 2005 and are sponsored by ASU President Dr. Michael M. Crow.
It also conducts research projects under sponsorship of private businesses, nonprofit organizations, government entities, and other ASU units.
Formerly known as the Center for Business Research, the Center for Competitiveness and Prosperity Research, along with the Economic Outlook Center, was created in 1986 from the Bureau of Business and Economic Research, which dates back to the 1950s.
Recent examples of work published by the Center for Competitiveness and Prosperity Research include:
The Economic Impact of Raising the Educational Attainment of Arizona’s Workforce: 2019 Update, July 2019
An update to the May 2015 paper, this paper calculates the economic benefits to Arizona of raising the educational attainment of the state’s workforce. An impact is calculated based on historical data and simulations of future benefits are provided.
The Value of a College Education and the Burden of Student Loan Repayment, October 2018
Estimates the average financial return on investment of a bachelor’s degree for men and women, examines the variation in the rate of return by field of study, and investigates the burden of student debt.
An Examination of Public Education in Arizona Compared to the Nation, October 2018
Provides a broad evaluation of public education in Arizona, with comparisons to other states and the nation. Elementary and secondary education as well as higher education are examined.
The Relationship Between Government Finance, Educational Attainment, and Economic Performance, September 2018
Compares states and the nation over time on government finance, including revenues and expenditures specific to education, educational attainment, and economic performance, as measured by productivity, prosperity, and aggregate growth. Examines the relationship between these topics.
Trade, Wage Inequality, and Regional Dislocation in the United States, With Reference to the North American Free Trade Agreement and Trade With Mexico, January 2018
The evolution of international trade is discussed, addressing both the benefits of trade and local employment and wage dislocations that sometimes result from trade. NAFTA is specifically examined. Income and wage inequality also are discussed, with the effects from trade compared to the effects from technological changes and other factors.
Additional insights and research findings are available from the Center for Competitiveness and Prosperity Research website.