OWHL Guides: Money, Economy and Society -- Summer 2021: Current Events

Think Tanks and Policy Centers

These organizations produce reports and studies, typically in support of a specific policy. Although they can have a slanted point of view, they will typically provide arguments of the "other side" and extensive bibliographies.

Rand Corporation
A nonpartisan think tank that provides objective analysis on numerous economic and policy matters.
Brookings Institution
A left-leaning think tank that conducts "in-depth research that leads to new ideas for solving problems facing society at the local, national and global level."
Heritage Foundation
A conservative think tank dedicated to providing "public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong national defense."
Cato Institute
A libertarian think tank dedicated to "the principles of individual liberty, limited government, free markets and peace."
Economic Policy Institute
A nonpartisan think tank that seeks to include "the needs of low- and middle-income workers in economic policy discussions" in the areas of fair pay, affordable health care, and retirement.
Center for Economic and Policy Research
A progressive think tank specializing in the relationship between economics and policy.
American Enterprise Institute
A conservative approach to economic and policy issues.

United States Statistical Information

Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA)
Contains statistics based on the United States economy, including industry sectors and regional level information. Also includes international trade and investment information.
FRED: Federal Reserve Economic Data
Provides comprehensive economic data, including banking & finance, population, employment, labor market, national accounts, production & business activity, prices, international data, U.S. regional data, and academic data.
ALFRED -
An archival version of FRED. Alfred allows you to see economics data from dates in the past.
FRASER: Federal Reserve Archival System for Economic Research
A digital library of economic history and a repository of the institutional history of the Federal Reserve System. FRASER preserves and provides access to economic and banking data and policy documents.

Internet Resources (Free Web)

The following Electronic resources are available exclusively to students of Phillips Academy. THIS IS NOT THE FREE WEB.

Economist Topics Index
The Topics Index lists all the articles from The Economist on a particular topic, country, or subject.
Miller Center National Discussion and Debate Series
A non-partisan center dedicated to understanding the presidency, public policy, and politics. Provides insights and discussion points of current issues.
ProCon.org
A reliable site where both sides of current issues are presented. Page down on homepage to view the "Economy and Taxes" section.
Time Magazine
Get current information from this reliable weekly.

Newspaper Sources

Remember to use the date range feature if you are searching for articles that were published at the time in which an event took place.

ProQuest Boston Globe This link opens in a new window
This database provides access to the complete print edition of the Boston Globe from 1980 to the present. Note that some articles are exclusive to the Globe's online edition and are not available here.

Google News
Search and browse 4500 news sources updated continuously.

Is this Website any good?

Evaluating a website as an information source for your paper/project is a necessary skill. Before using a website as an information source, it is important to judge it according to the following criteria:

Coverage
- How in-depth is the information?
- Is the information complete?
- Is the information free?
Objectivity
- Why was the information written and for whom?
- Is the website meant to convey information or persuade?
- Does the website have advertising? Can you distinguish the ads from the content?
Currency
- When was the information produced?
- Are there dead links? Are other links kept updated?
Authority
- Who created the information? Do they have any credentials?
- Are the qualifications of the author(s)appropriate for the type of information?
Accuracy
- Can the facts be checked against other sources?
- Are there any outrageous claims or facts being made?
- Is the website free from grammatical and spelling errors?