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October 9, 2024

How to Make Millionaire Teachers

The very best teacher in America makes about the same salary and teaches about the same number of students as the very worst teacher. This is because we treat educators like interchangeable widgets rather than uniquely talented professionals. While a doctor might choose to work within a large hospital or start an independent practice, teachers…

October 9, 2024

Learning the Right Lessons from the “China Shock”

An influential 2013 paper by economists David Autor, David Dorn, and Gordon Hanson finds an average reduction in manufacturing employment of 90,000 jobs per year from 1990 to 2007 because of U.S. competition with imports from China. Those economists published another important paper, along with economists Daron Acemoglu and Brendan Price, that found import growth from China led to…

October 9, 2024

Two Cheers for California’s Ban on Legacy Admissions

Last week, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law a new statewide ban on legacy admissions. It bars all colleges and universities, public or private, from taking into consideration an applicant’s relationship to alumni or donors after the ban takes effect in September 2025. In a signing statement, Newsom said, “In California, everyone should be able to get ahead through…

October 9, 2024

Kamala Harris’s Main Priority Is Expanding Welfare, Not Strengthening the Middle Class

Last week’s vice-presidential debate was chock-full of references to the middle class and plans to improve conditions for the middle class. That’s also a common refrain to the stump speech of presidential candidate Kamala Harris: She touts that she comes from the middle class, supports the middle class, and values the work ethic that defines the…

October 8, 2024

House Committee on Ways and Means Hearing on Misuse of TANF Funds

Introduction: Chairman Smith (R-MO), Ranking Member Neal (D-MA), and members of the House Committee on Ways and Means, I appreciate the opportunity to submit testimony on the important topic of reforming the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program to better target families in need, connect people to work, and improve accountability. My name is…

October 8, 2024

Harris Housing Subsidies: A Recipe for Repeating Past Mistakes

Presidential candidate Kamala Harris has proposed housing policies that recycle ineffective strategies long seen in federal housing programs. Her key proposals include subsidies for the construction of 3 million new housing units over four years and $100 billion in down payment assistance to first-time homebuyers. Unfortunately, history tells us her plan would be worse than…

October 8, 2024

The Longshoremen Are Making the Wrong Demands

They shouldn’t be trying to block automation. They should be trying adapt to it. The International Longshoremen’s Association ended a three-day strike last Thursday after reaching a deal with a consortium of port operators for a large wage increase for the the 47,000 dockworkers, phased in over the next few years. The deal gives both…

October 8, 2024

Unplanned Obsolescence

Tech sector layoffs have grabbed a lot of headlines over the past two years since the Federal Reserve ended its zero interest rate policy that enabled vast investment in research, development, and high-tech start-ups and as artificial intelligence (AI) has begun to reshape a growing number of sectors. A recent article from the Wall Street Journal highlights a harsh…

October 7, 2024

Presidential Candidates’ Dueling Child Credit Expansions Explained

The Trump-Vance and Harris-Walz presidential campaigns have each recently proposed large expansions to the child tax credit (CTC). Both proposals might be intended to appeal to similar voters, but they vary significantly regarding budgetary cost, distribution of benefits, and effect on work incentives. This article compares the proposed expansions with the current Tax Cuts and Jobs…

October 7, 2024

Has Kamala Harris Given Up on “College for All”?

In 2009, then-President Obama made a bold proposal: “By 2020, this nation will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world.” His administration then pursued a slew of policies to boost college attendance, including fatter tuition tax credits, a larger Pell Grant, and free tuition at community colleges.  Echoing Obama, over the next several…