The Fiscal Challenge Team

  • The Fiscal Team is a tryout-based team comprised of two cohorts: the Research team and the Presentation team. Tryouts run in the Fall and follow a two-step evaluation process.

    Begin watching the Department email chain for important updates regarding the exact timeline at throughout the early Fall semester. You will be invited via email you are invited to attend an initial info session.

    The tryout season begins with the information session hosted by the current presenting team, where prospective candidates learn about each phase of the competition and the time commitments required. Following the session, interested students can sign up to receive a curated set of foundational study materials.

    After approximately two to three weeks of independent preparation, team captains administer a traditional written exam to evaluate economic literacy and determine eligibility for the Fed Team.

    Students who pass the written exam may opt into the second stage of tryouts for a spot on the presenting team. In this phase, candidates prepare a brief presentation on a subtopic covered in the study materials and deliver their analysis to team leadership and alumni. Following the presentation, evaluators conduct a rigorous Q&A session focused on the candidate's chosen topic. Team leadership then deliberates and notifies presenting team candidates.

  • After the team has been selected, the team will begin meeting (about once a week) to learn material that is important to formulating Fiscal Policy stances.

    Once Intersession begins, the team will begin meeting (2~3 times a week) via Zoom to finish their preliminary studies and begin generating Policy ideas.

  • As the Spring semester begins, students will begin their once weekly meeting (as Fiscal team offers 3 ECO elective credits).

    The class will center around formulating Fiscal Policy’s grounded in accredited economic data (such as the CBO, FRED, IMF, BEA, etc). Students will prepare (at least) one policy recommendation to be submitted to the “Fiscal Challenge.”

  • The Faculty Advisor for Fiscal Team is Sam Baruch.

    The 2026-27 Fed Team captains are Charles Rimmen, Joseph Sanfilippo, and Daniel Rodriguez.

  • Participating on the Fiscal Team offers students an unparalleled edge in academic rigor, career readiness, and personal development:

    • Deep Policy & Economic Literacy: Gain a rigorous, hands-on understanding of how federal and state budgets operate, analyzing how taxation, government expenditures, and public debt directly intersect with macroeconomic stability.

    • Data Sourcing & Empirical Research Skills: Learn how to locate, extract, and model empirical data using primary sources such as the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), and U.S. Department of the Treasury.

    • National & State Political Insight: Develop a nuanced perspective on the political economy, understanding how legislative dynamics, election cycles, and intergovernmental fiscal relationships influence policy feasibility and execution.

    • Professional Networking: Connect directly with fiscal policy analysts, think-tank researchers, academic advisors, and alumni working across government agencies, non-profits, and economic consulting.

    • High-Level Presentation & Debate Skills: Hone the ability to synthesize complex, multi-year economic proposals into concise executive presentations, defending methodologies and policy trade-offs during live Q&A sessions before expert panels.

    • Tight-Knit Team & Community: Build strong camaraderie and lasting peer connections through collaborative problem-solving, late-night strategy sessions, and shared competition milestones.

    • Distinctive Resume Differentiation: Stand out to employers and graduate programs with tangible, team-based undergraduate research experience, demonstrating practical mastery well beyond standard textbook curriculum.