February 10, 2025

The German Political Theorist Who Explains What’s Happening in Washington

Carl Schmitt, a Third Reich jurist and philosopher, saw politics as a life-and-death battle against enemies and democracy as dispensable. By Robert J. Shapiro Americans are, of course, deeply divided today over race, gender, immigration, religion, and other differences that define us as a people and political culture. These cleavages have existed throughout American history, but in their current iterations,… Continue reading

January 10, 2025

Trump’s Campaign Pledges Are on a Collision Course with Reality

Economic reality catches up with every president, and Donald Trump is no exception. His Mar-a-Lago entourage and perhaps the president-elect are already learning that what’s promised either cannot be fulfilled or would be terrible if it was. So now they’re backpedaling on his three central campaign commitments. Trump’s number one pledge was to round up, detain, and deport 11 million…Continue reading

November 15, 2024

Kamala Harris’s Policy Agenda Kneecapped Her Chances

So, how did Kamala Harris lose to a surly opponent who had been found guilty of 34 felonies and liable for broad business fraud and sexual abuse?  While she had to shoulder the burden of President Biden’s dismal performance numbers, her skills as a campaigner were clearly up to the task.  She also had all the money she needed, and…Continue reading

October 9, 2024

How Donald Trump is Channeling Machiavelli

This past weekend, Donald Trump and JD Vance accused their Democratic opponents of plotting to kill Trump, implicitly threatening to prosecute them should they win.  As shocking as it sounds, it was unremarkable since personal threats are a common and menacing feature of their campaign.  Since Trump announced his bid for a second term, he has threatened to investigate and…Continue reading

September 16, 2024

How Harris Can Seal the Deal with Undecided Voters in…

Kamala Harris has figured out that Donald Trump’s screeds and threats have become background noise—and that responding with vision and policies is more effective than with anger.  It worked remarkably well in last week’s debate, but she still has to close the deal with swing state voters who remain undecided or persuadable. To do that, she should exploit Trump’s liabilities…Continue reading

September 2, 2024

Kamala Harris Still Has Time for a Big New Idea…

In typical campaigns, presidential hopefuls and their staffs spend a year or so researching, debating, testing, and messaging new policy ideas. I know because I’ve helped develop economic policy for five Democratic presidential candidates. It can make a real difference if the campaign correctly identifies an issue that moves voters who otherwise might stay home or even support the other…Continue reading

July 29, 2024

Harris Has the Facts to Refute Trump’s Lies About the…

With Kamala Harris’ fast-approaching nomination, her campaign has an opening to call out Donald Trump’s lies about his economic record and reset the economic narrative based on facts. Trump regularly claims that “we had the greatest economy in history” under his leadership.  In late June, Trump declared that he had left Biden an economy that “was so good, all he…Continue reading

June 20, 2024

Trump’s Plan to Tax-by-Tariffs Would Enrich the Wealthy and Cripple…

Based on Donald Trump’s pledge last week to replace the personal income tax with trade tariffs, there can be no question about the depths of his economic ignorance.  Consider the plan’s effects: It would cripple U.S. trade, growth, and employment while triggering the worst inflation since 1980.  Tariffs that could replace income tax revenues will have to be very broad…Continue reading

June 5, 2024

After the Trump Verdict: This Week’s Polls Mean Little to…

No one knows if Donald Trump’s 34 felony convictions will move many Americans when they vote in five months.  Nevertheless, the early surveys probably cheered Joe Biden’s White House: A Reuters/Ipsos post-verdict poll showed the president now leading Trump by 2 points (41 to 39), compared to the pre-verdict RealClearPolitics average with Trump ahead by 2 points (42 to 40).…Continue reading