Americans are unhappy with their choices in the upcoming Presidential election. Hillary Clinton, whose net favorability rating is -15.4,[i] is the least popular presidential candidate in the last 10 elections cycles save one:[ii] her opponent Donald Trump.[iii] Seeing this, some media outlets have speculated[iv] that this could be the election cycle in which we see … Continue reading
The phenomenon of “Midnight Regulations” — the high volume of rules issued as a lame duck President’s term winds down — has been well documented by the American Action Forum, as have Congressional attempts to curb the Midnight trend. Building on that analysis, we decided to investigate the effect of a 1996 law that was … Continue reading
Last week, Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) wrote an op-ed titled, “A Victory for the American People Against the Export-Import Bank.” The “victory” being Senate Banking Committee Chairman Richard Shelby (R-Alabama) blocking a vote on the nomination of J. Mark McWatters to the export credit agency’s board. By blocking the nomination from a Senate vote, Sen. … Continue reading
A source of frustration for policy makers is that effective policy and feasible policy do not always neatly intersect. Of course the political climate determines the reforms that receive serious attention, but some proposals fail even without ideological opposition. One roadblock for evidence-backed proposals that policy makers must navigate is the “wrong pocket problem”. The … Continue reading
Network weaknesses are like holes in a fence – eventually something is going to get through. This entry will look at how hacking groups were able to take advantage of general weaknesses in outdated systems and gain access to a rural dam and a network of hospitals in the DC-metro area Continue reading
Among the many popular topics of the 2016 presidential campaigns, healthcare remains a timeless defining issue sparking vivid debate on both sides of the political spectrum. In the 2016 presidential campaign, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) – commonly referred to as “Obamacare” – has become the privileged scapegoat. However, beyond the political contention, an aspect … Continue reading
When Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan started as Speaker of the House last October, he promised to outline a Republican vision on policies for the 2016 election. Last week, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX), began that process by outlining a bill designed to replace the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform … Continue reading
History will be made next week when President Barack Obama heads south on Air Force One to visit Cuba, being the first president to visit the controversial country since Calvin Coolidge in 1928. Cuban-US relations have been nearly non-existent for more than 50 years, as the trade embargo has severed all ties between the nations. … Continue reading
Editor’s Note: This article appears as the third of a three-part series dealing with the recent legal battle between Apple and the F.B.I. over a court order requiring Apple to break into the phone of one of the San Bernardino Shooters. Jesse examines the tech and privacy issues in the case. Apple and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) … Continue reading
Editor’s Note: This article appears as the second of a three-part series dealing with the recent legal battle between Apple and the F.B.I. over a court order requiring Apple to break into the phone of one of the San Bernardino Shooters. Jon examines the legal underpinning of the case. My colleague Alessandra does an excellent job … Continue reading
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