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
The Surprising Public Policy Case for Electronic Cigarettes
Read the report: The Impact of Electronic Cigarettes on Cigarette Smoking By Americans and Its Health and Economic Implications For more than a half-century, federal, state and local governments have adopted a variety of strategies to discourage Americans from smoking cigarettes – from health warnings on cigarette packaging, advertising restrictions and anti-smoking public education campaigns, to multiple taxes and bans…Continue reading
Trump Acts Like a Populist. His Regulatory Record Suggests Otherwise
The administration has consistently favored big businesses over average people. by Robert J. Shapiro At some point, every president has had to grapple with the fact that he is not a king. The unhappy realization usually comes after they’ve been unable to pass one of their biggest priorities through Congress. Recall Bill Clinton with health care, George W. Bush with social…Continue reading
What Your Data Is Really Worth to Facebook
Americans who use the internet—85.5 percent of us—have made a tacit bargain with Facebook, Google, MasterCard, Verizon, and most other sites and products we use regularly. We get access to these companies’ services, and they get to scoop up, analyze, and sell our personal information. Few people question this setup, perhaps because most of us assume that our data isn’t…Continue reading
How much credit does Donald Trump deserve on the economy?…
Presidents deserve credit on the economy when their policy changes leave most people better off by creating conditions that stimulate employment, growth, investment, or consumer spending. Donald Trump’s tax and spending program approved by the GOP Congress in late 2017 has changed certain economic conditions. While it’s still early for a final judgment on Trump’s economic record, the results so…Continue reading
Why Americans Distrust and Fear Immigrants
Donald Trump demonstrated the power and broad appeal of attacking immigrants in 2016, with special emphasis on non-white immigrants. He did it again in last year’s midterm elections, when his passionate followers seemingly were unmoved by the cruelty of separating young children from their mothers at the border, or by Trump’s audacious claim of presidential powers to nullify the constitutional…Continue reading
The Economic Tea Leaves Point to a Downturn in 2020
Do the latest economic data signal a recession is coming? The best answer is, yes, but not quite yet: The economic tea leaves point to a recession beginning over the next 12 to 15 months – so, just in time for the 2020 presidential campaign. The jobs numbers for February were released last Friday, and they were awful – gains…Continue reading
The Shutdown Poses a Serious Threat to the American Economy
The government shutdown has produced a serious economic threat that’s hiding in plain sight: The people who collect, analyze and release all the basic data tracking the path of the economy and its principal aspects are on furlough. So, the shutdown has forced thousands of companies and financial institutions and millions of investors to rely on guesswork instead of data,…Continue reading
The Other Dark Cloud on the President’s Horizon Is a…
Even as Donald Trump struggles with the multiple investigations of his personal business and political dealing and those of his children, his presidential campaign, inaugural committee, businesses and foundation, he will also have to keep a close eye on the economy. The economy’s course in 2019 will help shape the political environment for Americans as they weigh the results of…Continue reading