Jim Rounds is a Senior Fellow at the Goldwater Institute. He co-authored with the Institute a report on the economic consequences of Arizona’s Proposition 208 ballot initiative, as well as a critical review of how minimum wage increases impact the Arizona economy and government expenditures. Other recent economic efforts include an evaluation of how income tax increases negatively impact a community’s growth potential with emphasis on harm to small businesses. Jim has also extensively analyzed education funding in the state and how to achieve desired goals while also producing a positive return on investment for state taxpayers.
Jim’s primary role is President of Rounds Consulting Group. His firm specializes in a broad array of economic and public policy research with an emphasis on government accountability and efficiency. He regularly provides advice to policymakers at the state capitol, mayors throughout the state as well as city council members, county board members, and other public and private sector leaders in the community. He has delivered hundreds of economic presentations and is quoted weekly on television, radio, and printed media.
Jim served as a senior economist and senior budget analyst with the Arizona Joint Legislative Budget Committee, and he has been working as a policy-focused economist for over 20 years. Jim has a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Science degree in Economics from Arizona State University.