In Ottawa and the provincial and territorial capitals, economists
are hired in most government departments to analyze the
effects of government policies and to design ways to improve
those policies. At Finance Canada, economists design and
analyze the income tax system and the effects of current
spending programs. At Environment and Climate Change
Canada, they help design and evaluate policies aimed at
reducing greenhouse-gas emissions and water pollution. At
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, they
study the sources of productivity growth and design policies to
encourage innovation in the private sector. At the Bank of
Canada, economists research the link between interest rates,
the aggregate demand for goods and services, and the rate of
increase in prices. They also monitor developments in the
global economy and their effects on the Canadian economy.
Statistics Canada employs many economists to design
methods of collecting and analyzing data covering all aspects
of Canadian society.
The analysis of economic policies also takes place in
independent research organizations, often called “think tanks.”
The C.D. Howe Institute in Toronto is one of Canada’s best-
known think tanks, and it regularly publishes papers on topics
ranging from monetary policy and the state of public pensions
to the effects of immigration and the challenges in reforming
Canada’s policies for foreign development assistance. Other
think tanks include the Institute for Research on Public Policy,