Markets and Commons Information

Markets and Commons reveals the hidden mechanisms by which public policies reinforce economic inequality. Through rigorous economic research and large-scale data collection, we document the informal markets and hidden costs that official policy evaluations overlook. Our work shows how programs meant to help often impose disproportionate burdens on lower-income families—costs in time, money, and system navigation that statistics don't capture. What We Investigate: Informal economies that emerge from policy failures True cost incidence of public programs Hidden barriers to policy benefits How well-designed policies produce unequal outcomes We combine econometric methods with primary research to provide empirical evidence for better policy design. Our research serves policymakers, academics, foundation officers, and anyone working to understand and reduce economic inequality.