Politics

“Regulation by Enforcement”: What Does the SEC’s Crackdown on Cryptocurrency Exchanges Mean for the Industry?

Executive Summary  Introduction  On June 5-6, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed charges against Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange; Changpeng Zhao, Binance’s CEO; and Coinbase, the largest cryptocurrency exchange in America. The Binance charges, filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, allege that Binance entities operated an illegal trading platform, … Continue reading

Healthcare

ICHRAs: An Alternative to Traditional Employer-Sponsored Coverage 

Executive Summary  Introduction   On average, employer premium costs for traditional group plans have increased by 5-7% annually. In response, in 2019, the Trump Administration published a final rule to expand the use of health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs) to provide employers more flexibility in providing health coverage.   Since January 1, 2020, employers of any size can offer … Continue reading

Economy

The Moral Case for Price Gouging

Executive Summary Introduction The pandemic saw dramatic increases in the price of necessary supplies. From a pack of masks costing over $200 to Purell costing almost $150, prices for goods that people genuinely needed skyrocketed. Many politicians criticized suppliers and large corporations for using the chaos of global markets as a guise for artificially inflating … Continue reading

Politics

Bidenomics: The Costs of Public Sector Investment

Executive Summary: Introduction: Inside Chicago’s Old Post Office and flanked by signs with the word “Bidenomics,” President Joe Biden outlined his economic vision on June 28th—a vision that rewrites the economic orthodoxy of the last four decades: Reaganomics or “trickle-down economics,” as Biden calls it. President Biden has repeatedly criticized “trickle-down economics” for leaving the … Continue reading

Regulation

The Updated Consumer Cost of Regulation

Executive Summary Introduction American Action Forum (AAF) research has concluded 20 regulations enacted over the past five years will harm economic growth and increase costs by more than $8,000 per capita in a given year (some commercial consumers could see additional higher costs of $83,463) for businesses and consumers. Higher-priced vehicles, pricier household goods, and … Continue reading