Center for Analysis of Delaware's Economy & Government Spending

Delaware state governmental policies have been an unfortunate catalyst for the decline of Delaware’s economy for far too long. For instance…

Over the past 10 years, both the Delaware per capita income and average wage have gone from above the national average to below.

According to the Delaware Department of Labor, employment is projected to grow at only 0.6%.

Since 2009, Delaware has had five recessions compared to one in the nation.

By opposing choice in public education, the State government reinforces a system where two-thirds of Delaware students are not proficient in reading and math. In addition to the ramifications for Delaware’s students and their future employability, as has been widely reported, one of the other most evident outcomes is the number of professionals with school-age children who work in Delaware but choose to reside out of state.

Misguided environmental policies have driven industrial electric rates well above neighboring states’ rates, creating the documented exodus of manufacturing jobs to other states and an impediment to developing new, well-paying manufacturing jobs.

Utilizing publicly available data, voluminous research from respected academic institutions, and federal and state resources, CRI is the only non-profit entity in Delaware that is objectively identifying the regressive outcomes of certain state policies and disseminating those damaging ramifications to not only county and state legislators but also the public.

In partnership with other like-minded organizations, the primary goals of this Center are to develop strategies and alternative policy options that will bring transparency - and changes - to the State’s $9 billion budget process while objectively advocating for regulatory reform.

Co-Director Charlie Copeland has an MBA from Duke University with a focus in Finance and spent over 25 years growing a marketing services business that achieved several global awards for operational excellence. He also spent six years in the Delaware State Senate, serving his last two years as the Senate Minority Leader. Charlie, who focused much of his Senate career on education reform and government accountability, remains a sought-after speaker on issues related to governmental accountability.

Survey Results Show Delawareans Want Education Reform | 11/28/2018

Many state legislators in Delaware have chosen to be joined at the hip with the Delaware public teacher’s union. This is partly because of the generous campaign contributions bestowed each year by the union to political candidates that see the world the way the union does. Chang...

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Delaware's Prevailing Wage is Still the Problem | 11/28/2018

The Caesar Rodney Institutes Center for Economic Policy and Analysis has updated its 2010 comprehensive report on the methodology used by the Delaware Department of Labor (DDOL) in the calculation of the states prevailing wage and the methodology continues to be seriously flawed and tilted toward th...

Time to use Delaware's underused asset: baby... | 11/28/2018

note: this editorial originally appeared in The News Journal and delawareonline.com January 1, 2015. Read the original by clicking here The baby boomers continue to age ... and perhaps mature ... and move into the empty nesters retirement years. Currently in Delaware, three out o...

Delaware's unrealistic look at its finances | 11/28/2018

On Jan. 14, Gov. Jack Markell issued an executive order establishing the DEFAC (Delaware Economic and Financial Advisory Committee) “Advisory Council on Revenue.” The primary charge to the council is to evaluate whether the state’s principal revenue sources are adequate and appropr...

Accountants Weigh-In on Delaware's Debt | 11/28/2018

A recent report by the Institute for Truth in Accounting confirms what Caesar Rodney Institute has been saying about the seriousness of Delaware’s state government debt. The state has accumulated bills of $8.6 billion. How did this run up in debt happen? The Institute singles out the us...

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Delaware's Fiscal Future Poor | 11/28/2018

A recent report from the Mercatus Center uses fourteen metrics to assess whether states can meet their short-term bills and long-term obligations. Delaware is poorly positioned with regards to its long-term obligations. The analysis in the report is based upon FY 2013 data from the Comprehens...

Delaware's Personal Income Problem | 11/28/2018

The Federal Bureau of Economic Analysis has released the first quarter 2015 personal income data for Delaware and the changes since 2005 are striking. Total personal income for Delawareans rose 39% over the latest 10 years. Adjusted for inflation, real personal income has averaged growth of 1...

Why is Delaware's output flat? | 11/28/2018

This article originally appeared in the News Journal and at delawareonline.com. The total inflation adjusted output of goods and services in Delaware rose a mere 0.6% over the past 10 years. This contrasts to 8.2% in Pennsylvania, 16.6% in New York, 34.3% in Texas, and 12.1% across the nation...

Delaware's Economy: Four Years in the Wilderness | 11/28/2018

The April, 2012 labor market data for Delaware has just been released and the numbers are not encouraging. Compared to April of 2008, four years ago, total employment in Delaware is down by 20,000. Construction jobs are down 40%, manufacturing off 22%, and finance jobs down 6%. Government, of course...

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Delaware's economy and governance | 11/28/2018

Since Delaware has had 15 consecutive years of conservative governors followed by 18 years of progressive governors, it is an interesting case study. Do the differences in the governance philosophies have consequences for Delaware’s economy? A simple answer to this question is to consider the ...

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