"We won’t really know the effect of the tax plan for several years when we have data that we can try to measure the effect of the tax plan separate from other factors going on in the economy at the same time," says Len Burman, Paul Volcker Chair in Behavioral Economics.

"I would include in this funding building opportunities/outlets for social cohesion, community engagement and civic participation," says Shannon Monnat, associate professor of sociology and Lerner Chair for Public Health Promotion, on how she would spend a hypothetical budget of $100 billion to solve the opioid crisis.

"If widely adopted and successful, the plans could significantly reduce federal revenue and most of the benefits would go to taxpayers with high incomes," says Len Burman, Paul Volcker Chair in Behavioral Economics.

"A lot of times, the adult children bring up the topic of payment," says Madonna Harrington Meyer, professor of sociology, in an interview about grandparents caring for their grandchildren.

Stuart Rosenthal, professor and chair of economics, gave a keynote lecture titled "Building Specialisation, Anchor Tenants and Agglomeration Economies," which offered a new perspective on the productivity of cities. Rosenthal discussed the productivity spillovers that occur when tenants in tall commercial buildings are in close proximity, and how this leads to shared skilled labor, intermediate inputs and knowledge.

Yilin Hou, professor of public administration and international affairs, believes that a good tax system should generally comply with five major design principles, namely fair tax burden, focus on efficiency, appropriate tax administration, sufficient tax revenue and openness and transparency.

According to Shannon Monnat, associate professor of sociology and Lerner Chair for Public Health Promotion, interventions should target communities with populations in "significant economic distress," focusing on "places that have experienced major labor market shifts and income decline over the past four decades." "Failure to consider the underlying economic causes could lead to ineffective policy strategies," she says.

"Radical simplification would be possible, but this bill is not radical simplification, regardless of how may props they use," says Len Burman, Paul Volcker Chair in Behavioral Economics, about the GOP tax bill.