Business Challenges: Business Policy & Markets

President Biden recently passed a $1.9 trillion stimulus package for COVID relief. Michael Salinger, Jacqueline and Arthur Bahr Professor and Department Chair, Markets, Public Policy & Law, explains what makes this bill different from previous stimulus packages, what the bill provides, and issues to watch moving forward.

Many hospitals are struggling during COVID as they've had to shut down other wings to keep COVID patients safe. Do you forecast any hospitals merging to stay afloat? Any other hospital trends you think will be relevant? Dionne Lomax, markets, public policy, & law lecturer at Questrom, offers her analysis.

The power outages in Texas due to a winter storm are causing people to point to the fragility of energy systems powered by fossil fuels compared to sustainable energy. This is controversial in an oil-powered state. Will this argument convince Texas to make bigger strides towards sustainable energy? How can the state transition to sustainable energy without losing a portion

When will Congress get to a major “infrastructure bill” that has significant energy provisions in it, and what’s likely to be included? How does the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act compare to a price signal on carbon? Questrom's Peter Fox-Penner spoke with guest speaker US Representative Sean Casten (IL-06) about clean energy policymaking.

The nation’s leading experts in biopharmaceutical innovation and pricing reform recently convened for a virtual discussion exploring the relationship between innovation and product pricing. Hosted by Questrom's Rena Conti, the invitation-only event featured insights into existing gaps in knowledge that must be addressed to advance and inform effective public policy.

What impact has the pandemic had on the current US health insurance system? What bottlenecks/constraints have there been to care, and are there ways to relieve them? How could this impact access to a vaccine? Associate Professor of Markets, Public Policy, & Law Tal Gross sits down with Insights@Questrom to discuss how COVID-19 has impacted the US health insurance system.

Massachusetts' minimum wage has been raised from $12.75 to $13.50 per hour. While businesses have been preparing for this increase for a while, it might be hard to meet for those already struggling during the pandemic. Patricia Cortes, Associate Professor of Markets, Public Policy & Law, discusses the effects of the state’s minimum wage on employees and employers.

Experts predict that under a new Biden administration, mortgage rates will remain low, homebuying may become more challenging with the first-time homebuyer credit, and refinancing could be a bargain. Master Lecturer of Strategy & Innovation sits down with Insights@Questrom to answer a few questions on the future of the housing market under the Biden Administration.

Investors will soon be able to trade water as other commodities over fears of a future scarcity of the resource. What is futures trading, and how does it differ from other forms of investing? What does the ability to trade water mean for the futures market? Professor of Finance Jerome Detemple discussess the Water Futures contract now being traded on

Key 2021 trends and takeaways from interviews with 31 Boston venture capitalists, industry professionals, and experts.

What climate change policies should be passed now as the US enters the final stretch of the election period? What policies should be considered during the transition period? Peter Fox-Penner, director of BU's Institute for Sustainable Energy and Questrom professor, provides his expert take on this important topic.

As the U.S. enters the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic and some states such as California lockdown, small businesses such as restaurants and bars filed lawsuits challenging the state’s ability to force them to close. Kabrina Chang, Clinical Associate Professor, Markets, Public Policy & Law, spoke to Insights@Questrom about whether states are legally allowed to close or restrict businesses

The stock market is now intertwined with COVID – when cases spike, the market drops, and vice versa. Insights@Questrom spoke to Andrea Vedolin, Dean’s Research Scholar and Associate Professor of Finance at Questrom, about the ways in which the economy and COVID-19 affect each other.

Restrictions on student and work visas are directing international applicants to universities in other countries. Shulamit Kahn and Megan MacGarvie, associate professors in Markets, Public Policy & Law, discuss the economic impact of restrictive immigration policies.

COVID-19 infection rates and hospitalization rates are reaching new daily records, and deaths now have exceeded 240,000. The present surge in cases is the product of misguided state actions. Here are six priority actions that President-Elect Biden should undertake.

The tax policies proposed by President-elect Joe Biden has implications for your paycheck, investments, and retirement savings. Insights@Questrom spoke to Pete Lisowsky, tax expert and associate professor of accounting at Questrom, about what’s ahead for President-elect Biden’s tax plan.

Questrom's Gregory Stoller on repairing relations between China and the United States and how international trade might change after COVID.

In a new op-ed published by CNN Business, Questrom’s Jay Zagorsky warns that despite a COVID-19 induced coin shortage,  a cashless economy would have unintended consequences.

Michael J. Scanlon, Jr. (Questrom ’03), Managing Director at Manulife Investment Management, leads a conversation on the stock market in the time of COVID-19. Scanlon reflects on current trends, including what he sees as the best stock picking environment since the 2008 financial crisis.

Questrom’s Catherine Fazio presents new research that shows new business formation is beginning to decline in a dramatic and worrisome fashion due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Featured in Forbes, new research from The Startup Cartography Project, an initiative co-led by Fazio, shows that new business formation has received little focus in economic relief efforts.

Join Jack Ablin (Questrom’85), Founding Partner and Chief Investment Officer at Cresset Partners as he examines the ultimate impact of COVID-19 on the stock market, the economy, and the labor market.

Questrom Professor’s op-ed illuminates weak points in the Small Business Administration Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

Tobias Levkovich (Questrom ’85), Chief US Equity Strategist at Citi, presents a virtual town hall on the state of the stock market, which includes a survey Citi conducted with 125 clients on what earnings will be in 2021 and where they think opportunities may lie.