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December 14, 2023

The Myth of the 1%

The skewing of income toward the top 1% of earners has become a central issue in American politics, with both Republicans and Democrats proposing higher taxes on the rich. But new research finds that it may not be true, suggesting that policymakers would do better to focus more on helping the working class. WASHINGTON, DC—For…

By Michael R. Strain

December 13, 2023

Stronger Families, Safer Streets

The debate about how best to respond to urban crime—a debate that has become more important in light of recent increases in violent crime and homicide in many cities across America—has tended to focus on two perspectives. The first prioritizes tackling the “social structural factors” (unemployment, economic inequality, poverty, etc.) that are thought to be…

By W. Bradford Wilcox | Rafael A. Mangual | Seth Cannon | Joseph E. Price

December 12, 2023

Underserved: A Conversation with Ja’Ron Smith and Chris Pilkerton

Event Summary On December 12, AEI’s Scott Winship and former Trump administration officials Ja’Ron Smith and Chris Pilkerton discussed how policymakers can improve the lives of people in underserved communities across the country. Mr. Smith and Mr. Pilkerton began with a presentation connecting President Abraham Lincoln’s opportunity agenda with traditional conservative economic philosophy. They explained…

By Scott Winship | Ja'Ron Smith | Chris Pilkerton

December 12, 2023

Virginia’s Gov. Youngkin Offers A Republican Path On Pre-K

The public wins when Democrats and Republicans are both offering principled solutions to pressing challenges. That’s too rarely been the case when it comes to early childhood education. For a public seeking more accessible, appealing, and affordable options, the political response has disappointed. Democrats have offered expensive, heavily regulated plans to jam more four- and five-year-olds into…

By Frederick M. Hess

December 11, 2023

New York City Officials Blame Everyone but Themselves for Housing Unaffordability

By implementing onerous requirements on Airbnb hosts, New York City is attempting to scapegoat short-term rental (STR) sites for the city’s own failings. Rather than accounting for city policies that continue to drive its housing and hotel room shortage, officials have decided to target the city’s 40,000 active listings, operated by—mostly smalltime—Airbnb hosts. In the…

By Tobias Peter

December 11, 2023

How to make smartphones and apps safer for kids

“These are first-of-their-kind bills in the United States,” Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said in March at the signing of SB152, which required social media companies operating in Utah to age-verify users and obtain explicit parental consent for users under the age of 18 to open an account. “That’s huge that Utah is leading out in this…

By W. Bradford Wilcox | Michael Toscano | Elizabeth Self

December 11, 2023

Has Inequality Made Americans Poorer than Bulgarians, Russians, and Filipinos?

A recent column by John Burn-Murdoch in the Financial Times presents statistics side-by-side showing that “the wealthiest Americans are the richest people in the developed world, but America’s poorest are also the most likely to go hungry.” The chart buttressing the latter part of that conclusion shows that in over 12 percent of American households,…

By Scott Winship

December 11, 2023

How Public Housing Encourages Single Parenthood and Penalizes Marriage

The post-pandemic rise in rents has fueled the view that the private housing market inevitably fails those of modest means. The left-leaning Center for Budget Policies and Priorities summarizes the idea that the short-term spike in rents merely dramatizes that essential market failure. It asserts that the “rent burden among families with the lowest incomes is a…

By Howard Husock

December 8, 2023

Room for Compromise on the Hot Foods Act

Last month, members of the House of Representatives and Senate sent a letter encouraging Farm Bill negotiators to consider the Hot Foods Act. The legislation would allow recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly food stamps) to use their benefits on hot prepared meals sold at grocery stores. Currently, the program restricts hot foods from purchase…

By Angela Rachidi | Thomas O'Rourke

December 8, 2023

Biden’s Even Worse Version of “Free College”

The Biden administration has abolished the federal student-loan program, at least if a “student-loan program” is one in which students borrow money and then eventually repay it. What’s being erected in its stead is a scheme that’s rife with moral hazard, seemingly designed to inflate college costs, and best described as a “student-fraud program”—in which…

By Frederick M. Hess