In the second week of our Focus 2020 series, we try to answer the question: Can we Rebuild Puerto Rico’s State Capacity? Puerto Rico had a high degree of state capacity, but with time those skills, capabilities, and resources eroded due to several reasons. Even as Puerto Rico faces multiple crises today, its government is being called to execute at a high level. This gap between low capacity and high expectations is perhaps the most important political issue we face right now.

There are less than seven weeks left before Election Day, a good time to pose interesting questions about some of the many issues affecting Puerto Rico, such as economic stagnation, the post-Maria reconstruction process, and the roles of the government and the private sector as they relate to economic development. Today we begin our seven-week series, FOCUS 2020, dedicated to those subjects. First in line is a brief historical background that will frame the discussion to follow over the next few weeks.

This week we provide an update on Washington D.C. With only 21 days left on the legislative calendar before elections, we discuss if that is enough time for Congress to strike a deal. We also present an infographic depicting how U.S. consumers spent their stimulus payments.

This week we summarize some aspects of the agreement between PREPA and LUMA that in our opinion raise important concerns. We also explore the prevalence of short-term rentals through digital platforms such as Airbnb and its effect on affect housing affordability in Puerto Rico.