Authors
Wendy Warcholik, Ph.D.
OCPA Research Fellow
Wendy P. Warcholik (Ph.D., George Mason University) is an OCPA research fellow. She formerly served as an economist at the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis, and was the chief forecasting economist for the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Department of Medical Assistance Services. She is a co-creator (with J. Scott Moody) of the Tax Foundation’s popular “State Business Tax Climate Index.”
Recent Articles
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Culture & the Family
Religion helps Oklahoma’s fight against illicit drug use and overdoses
Strong families are the foundation of healthy communities, upward economic mobility, and a robust civil society. Unfortunately, Oklahoma families aren’t flourishing the way they once were.J. Scott Moody, Wendy Warcholik, Ph.D. | December 11, 2017
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Higher Education
Oklahoma’s higher education spending outstrips the national average
Rightsizing the workforce by eliminating non-instructional workers will reduce the cost of higher education for aspiring students and reduce the tax burden on Oklahoma’s taxpayers.J. Scott Moody, Wendy Warcholik, Ph.D. | October 18, 2017
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Higher Education
Oklahoma's higher education spending outstrips the national average
State lawmakers, in their oversight role, should examine where the money is going.J. Scott Moody, Wendy Warcholik, Ph.D. | October 17, 2017
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Budget & Tax
Oklahoma’s private sector boosts household income
Household income matters because personal income is an important economic measure of a family’s well-being.J. Scott Moody, Wendy Warcholik, Ph.D. | August 10, 2017
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Budget & Tax
Oklahoma state budget crisis? I should say so
When it comes to government spending in Oklahoma, the 800-pound gorilla in the room that everyone ignores is this simple question: Should government grow faster than the private sector’s ability to pay?J. Scott Moody, Wendy Warcholik, Ph.D. | May 19, 2017
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Education
To get to the national average, Oklahoma higher ed needs to shed 13,680 non-instructional workers
Oklahoma’s higher education system employs 2.5 non-instructional workers per 100 private sector workers, which is a whopping 70 percent higher than the national average and the 5th highest level in the country for 2015.J. Scott Moody, Wendy Warcholik, Ph.D. | February 23, 2017
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Budget & Tax
Increasing Oklahoma’s Sales Tax Is Bad for Business
The sales tax is perceived as a “good tax” because it taxes consumption and therefore minimizes tax-induced distortions in the rest of the economy. For example, a do-it-yourself homeowner who goes to Home Depot to buy a hammer to hang a picture is doing so for personal use, i.e., consumption. Yet, that same hammer could have been bought by a local carpenter who will use it to build cabinets that will be installed in new homes. In this case, the hammer is a business investment.J. Scott Moody, Wendy Warcholik, Ph.D. | October 1, 2016
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Higher Education
To Control Runaway Costs in Higher Education, Oklahoma Must Pare Down Non-Instructional Workers
The U.S. Census Bureau keeps track of all types of data on Oklahoma’s higher education system. The chart below uses Census data to examine the dramatic size and growth in the number of non-instructional workers (per 100 private-sector workers) in Oklahoma’s higher education system.J. Scott Moody, Wendy Warcholik, Ph.D. | September 9, 2016
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Budget & Tax, Culture & the Family
What’s the matter with GDP?
When it comes to measuring the true progress of our society, this particular metric leaves a lot to be desired.Wendy Warcholik, Ph.D. | March 7, 2016
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Energy
Oklahoma’s Private-Sector Rebound?
If we truly care about empowering the most vulnerable Oklahomans, we will work to build a strong and diverse economy. This provides the best opportunity for all to achieve their full potential.Jonathan Small, J. Scott Moody, Wendy Warcholik, Ph.D. | December 22, 2015
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