Reconciliation: How the Democrats Can Run the Table
Congressional Democrats will take office in January with the broadest mandate since the post-Watergate midterms in 1974—twice the popular-vote margin the Contract-with-America Republicans won in 1994. The work begins with dismantling most of what Donald Trump and his corrupt, incompetent administration have done over the past two years. Much of what Trump wrought came through his One Big Beautiful (sic)… Continue reading
The Trump and Clinton Foundations Are Character Tests that Hillary…
Donald Trump’s charge that Hillary Clinton used her office as Secretary of State to service donors of the Clinton Foundation exemplifies a regular Trump tactic: Preemptively charge your opponent with what you know you’ve done. So, fully aware that his own family foundation is a shoe-string operation that breached IRS regulations, or worse; Trump and his surrogates charged for months that the…Continue reading
The Economic Outlook for the Election and Beyond, and How…
With nine weeks to go, the economic conditions for the election are set — modest growth, low inflation, and continuing job gains. A few Wall Street forecasters rate the odds of a 2016 recession at one-in-three; but unless a major shock wrenches the economy off its present course, bet with Janet Yellen and Ben Bernanke on the economic expansion continuing…Continue reading
Sorry, Donald – The Incomes of Minority Households Grow More…
Donald Trump says that Democrats have failed American minorities, so let’s test his claim by the most basic economic criteria: What happened to the incomes of African Americans and Hispanics under Democratic and Republican administrations over the last 35 years? The data do not lie. The incomes of minority households — and in most cases the incomes of white households,…Continue reading
What You Earn Does Not Depend on Whether You Attend…
Young people respond to incentives like everyone else; and years of evidence showing that most well-paying jobs go to those with post-secondary degrees have been followed by rising numbers of young people attending college. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) reports that from 1995 to 2015, the share of Americans ages 25 to 29 with an associate’s degree jumped…Continue reading
Get Ready for Cyberattacks across Many Critical Networks
In a recent interview, I said that America’s adversaries “may not do us the kindness of attacking only a single infrastructure sector” in future cyberattacks. Let me take you through this dark scenario. Until now, electric utilities, telecom companies, financial institutions and other vital sectors of our economy have each focused on strengthening their own cybersecurity. These efforts are important,…Continue reading
The Vast Economic Costs of Trump’s Plan to Bar Muslims…
Donald Trump’s mindset and style virtually compel him to attack anyone who might be a threat or enemy, and he recruits supporters by going after groups he casts as their enemies or threats. His darkest suspicions and contempt are reserved for Muslims. He presents his solution, barring people from Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States, as a low-cost way…Continue reading
Rising Incomes Are a Key to Winning in 2016 —…
Even if we accept that the 2016 campaign is a fact-free zone, what precisely are Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders talking about when they rant on about incomes cratering for most Americans? It’s true, as I’ve documented, that a majority of Americans saw their incomes stagnate or decline throughout the Bush expansion (2002–2007), and the financial crisis and ensuing…Continue reading
Everyone Will Lose if the UK Exits the EU —…
On June 23rd, Britons will hold a referendum on whether to stay or leave the European Union (EU), and surveys point to close vote. If Britain does exit the EU, or “Brexit,” the fallout could be serious and widespread. In February, G-20 finance ministers warned that Britain’s leaving the EU “could threaten global economic recovery.” Brexit also would produce serious…Continue reading