August 31, 2023
Where Are The Energy Stamps, Joe?
As summer temperatures rise , the Biden administration has pushed its green energy agenda hard — all the while ignoring the financial pain those policies disproportionately cause lower-income Americans. Last month, the Department of Transportation released fuel economy standards constituting a de facto mandate to purchase new electric vehicles. With the average EV price exceeding $60,000 , government subsidies may help the well-off…
June 21, 2023
The Bad Math Behind Economic Doomerism
It’s a big week for American Compass, a think tank founded in 2020 that fancies itself as the “pre-eminent alternative to the Old Right’s market fundamentalism.” On the heels of its new policy book, Rebuilding American Capitalism, it hosts an event on Capitol Hill today with multiple Republican senators. It’s the latest sign of the intellectual confusion afflicting…
June 15, 2023
Instead of ‘Late Capitalism,’ Maybe the US Economy Is Still in ‘Early Capitalism’
So how is the twilight of capitalism working out for you? What, you didn’t realize that you were living through “late capitalism”? Before I go on, let me first explain that term. The phrase dates back to the early 20th century — yup, we’ve apparently been in LC for a long time — when Werner…
June 14, 2023
Better Data Means Better Policy
“Did you adjust for inflation?” An occupational inconvenience of doing economic research is that you are routinely asked by disbelieving non-researchers whether your numbers have taken into account the rising cost of living. The answer to that question is nearly always, “Yes.” The debates among researchers are about how to adjust earnings and income for inflation, and…
May 12, 2023
Changing Narratives on Family Affordability with Angela Rachidi
On this episode of The Archbridge Podcast, co-hosts Ben Wilterdink and Clay Routledge invite AEI’s Angela Rachidi to discuss her recent report, The Evidence on Family Affordability. Rachidi’s report found that, contrary to conventional wisdom, it has not become much more difficult to afford a family on a middle-class income, and that changes in family structure…