Academic center · Policy · Utah State University (Jon M. Huntsman School of Business), Logan · Est. 2017
The Center for Growth and Opportunity (CGO) is a university-based, 501(c)(3) research center at Utah State University. CGO’s stated mission is to produce policy-relevant research and related communications that help explain and address how institutions and policies affect economic growth and opportunity, with programmatic focus areas that include technology and innovation, immigration, and environmental stewardship.
CGO also runs student research fellowships and integrates students into its research workflow, describing a model where fellows develop research skills by working on projects that may result in publications and policy-facing output. CGO’s institutional role is primarily academic and policy-oriented: it conducts and publishes research (including working papers and policy papers) through a network of affiliated scholars and contributing scholars, then disseminates findings through public-facing writing and other outreach. A distinctive element of CGO’s approach, based on its published materials, is its combination of (1) research output on economic policy questions tied to its focus areas, (2) student fellowship training and participation in projects, and (3) public commentary that connects research to active policy debates (for example, immigration policy, AI governance, and economic competitiveness).
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Dr. Omid Bagheri from Kent University explores the relationship between the wage gap between immigrants and US-born citizens.
Does Immigration Policy Externalization Work? Examination of US Externalization Efforts in Central AmericaThe authors of this paper evaluate the efficacy of externalization efforts by analyzing migration at two corridors in the Western Hemisphere.
Border Walls and Death on the US–Mexico Border: A Hot-Spot Analysis of the Impact of the Secure Fences Act in ArizonaOur research suggests the Secure Fence Act did not deter migration but rather induced migrants to take alternative, more dangerous routes
Should the United States Invest in a Start-Up Visa Program for Immigrants?This paper explores the need for a U.S. startup visa (SUV) to harness immigrant entrepreneurship for innovation.
"And Some, I Assume, Are Good People”: Determinants of Elites’ Strategic Discourse About Immigrants and RefugeesThe paper explores intraparty differences in strategic behavior and issue salience, showing that representatives’ social media behavior is influenced by partisanship and other factors.
Non-Citizen Voting Rights and Politicians’ Behavior in the UKThe U.K. has granted immediate voting rights in all elections to Irish citizens and Commonwealth immigrants upon their arrival.
How Do Immigration And Technological Growth Affect One AnotherSocial Media And MisinformationOp Ed Texas Lawmakers Should Pass Bill To Make Jurors Less BiasedThe New Productivity RevolutionThe Pandemic May Be Ending But Student Anxiety IsntBrexit Deterred International Students From Applying To Uk UniversitiesCGO commentary comparing immigrant enfranchisement approaches and discussing perceived political effects, using the UK as a comparative case as U.S. immigration and election issues are debated.
H1-B visas are the lifeblood of U.S. tech innovation–and the shortcut to semiconductor supremacyCGO commentary connecting skilled immigration (H-1B) to outcomes for young high-tech firms and U.S. high-tech manufacturing competitiveness, framed around U.S. semiconductor workforce constraints and policy adjustments to skilled immigration access.
Can AI steal the 2024 election? Not if America uses this weapon to combat misinformation.CGO commentary arguing for defensive AI applications to counter AI-generated misinformation and deepfakes in election contexts.
Opinion: Why Utah has better options for immigrationCGO opinion piece arguing that immigration policy should combine border security with legal pathways, using Utah policy examples to support its claims.
A Closer Look at Federal Policy on AICGO piece summarizing key aspects of a White House executive order on AI and describing follow-up directives and policy implications.
‘Dreamers’ Have Faced Barriers to a Better LifeCGO commentary discussing legal status barriers for undocumented youth (including Dreamers), and discussing how education access and legal employment pathways relate to outcomes.