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December 31, 2024

Farewell, President Stimulus

When it comes to stimulus, President Joe Biden has carved out a signature spot in American history. From his role as “sheriff” overseeing Democrats’ massive 2009 stimulus law to signing an even bigger stimulus bill as president in 2021, Biden is more closely associated with partisan stimulus policy than any other politician. And the disastrous political consequences of…

December 30, 2024

What’s behind the unprecedented rise in homelessness, and how can we reverse it?

The annual United States homeless population estimates for 2024 were released last week. Homelessness grew by a record 18% annually in 2024, following a then record 12% increase in 2023. As shown in the figure below, the recent spike in homelessness is unprecedented. Going back 17 years since national homeless counts began, homelessness never before…

December 30, 2024

Coverage, Counter-cyclicality and Targeting of Work Requirement Waivers in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

Abstract Non-disabled, working age adults without children are required to work 20 hours per week in order to maintain eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. However, states may waive the work requirement for areas that meet conditions reflective of a weak labor market. We construct a dataset with the waiver status of each United…

December 29, 2024

Why Rent Regulation Remains So Hard to Undo in NYC

Few would argue that New York City is mired in a housing crisis — as defined by high prices and low vacancies. There’s good evidence for that conclusion. The most recent federal New York City Housing and Vacancy Survey reported a vacancy rate of just 1.4%, “a stark contrast to the 4.54 rate in 2021”.  Over the same period,…

December 27, 2024

DOGE Can Drive Reforms in America’s Broken Safety Net Programs

America’s broken safety net system has over 80 programs, costs $1.6 trillion annually, and perpetually underperforms. It’s inefficient, costly, and perversely functions like a snare net that traps people in poverty. But reform could be on the horizon, led by the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). DOGE can address these staggering failures by identifying…

December 20, 2024

Fixing Inflation, Right-Sizing the Federal Government

Thirty years ago next month, Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan testified before a joint session of the House and Senate Budget Committees with talk of deficit reduction in the air. In January 1995, Republicans had just won control of both houses for the first time in 42 years. The federal debt had reached 48…

December 18, 2024

Employers Should Drop Hiring Preferences for “Elite 34” Colleges

How do you know if someone went to Harvard? They’ll tell you. If a recent Wall Street Journal story is any indication, though, that classic joke may soon be outdated. According to the Journal, some employers have dropped hiring preferences for graduates of elite universities—and a few even consider an Ivy League degree a black mark. The cases…

December 17, 2024

Make America Smart Again: The Jeopardy Test for Graduation

President-elect Donald Trump has signaled his intention to try to abolish the Education Department, long considered wasteful in a nation where public education is provided locally. If he were to succeed — a long shot, to be sure — state and local education overseers would have to step up to ensure quality education. On this front, the news is not promising….

December 17, 2024

Industrial Policy and Deficits: Dark Clouds for Democratic Capitalism

Democratic capitalism is a system that marries liberal democracy and free-market capitalism. This union creates tensions, and requires balancing competing aims. But this tension is healthy, not destructive — provided that democracy and capitalism are properly balanced, each sphere reinforces the other. Over the long term, capitalism requires liberal politics; and democracy will not maintain…