By Will Portman Critics of a balanced budget amendment (BBA), such as the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), argue that a BBA would “mandate perverse actions in the face of recessions” and thus “aggravate recessions.” And they’ve got a point — at least about a BBA that would mandate that the budget be balanced … Continue reading
Category Archives: Politics
Weekly Graphic: Government Spending – 40 Year Comparison
Data from CBO 2012. All numbers are in FY 2005 dollars adjusted for inflation. © Joseph Chrisman Continue reading
Economy / Fiscal policy / Healthcare / Politics / Tax
Occupy entitlements! And the tax code!
By Will Portman The Occupy movement has brought income inequality to the forefront of the national political discussion over the past year, even if both the movement and the issue have faded in recent months. Occupy protestors are concerned about the growing wealth gap in the U.S., pointing to studies like the recent Congressional Budget Office … Continue reading
Mexico: 3 months away from the election of Enrique Peña Nieto
Mexico’s Presidential Election is less than two months away, and it appears that Enrique Peña Nieto of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) will be the winner. Peña Nieto is a young, charismatic former Mexico State governor. His competition for the Mexican presidency is Josefina Vásquez Mota of the National Action Party (PAN) and Andres Manuel … Continue reading
Economy / Foreign Policy / Other / Politics
For Israel, Nuclear Iran Not Biggest Concern
All we hear from Israel is everything Iran. Netanyahu, in a fiery speech, said in relation to Iran: “as Prime Minister of Israel, I will never let my people live under the shadow of annihilation.” Israelis have lots of important issues on their plate. In Israel there are numerous social cleavages and economic issues that … Continue reading
Economy / Fiscal policy / Healthcare / Politics / Tax
The Ryan budget vs. the Obama budget
By Will Portman Winston Churchill once said, “Americans can always be counted on to do the right thing… after they have exhausted all other possibilities.” House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) cited the late British Prime Minister’s famous quote this week as he unveiled The Path to Prosperity, his budget for fiscal year 2013, arguing … Continue reading
Communications / Culture / Economy / Fiscal policy / Politics / Tax / U.S. Domestic Policy
Weekly Graphic: Annual Expenditure Between Income Groups
As the debate over income equality in the US continues to build, economists and policy makers are focusing on the large amount of new and old studies that attempt to quantify the rising disparage of incomes. However, many of these studies and statistics can be misleading because they do not take several important factors into … Continue reading
America / Constitution / Other / Politics / Rule of Law
Our Constitution: Absolutely Not A “Living Breathing Document”
Is our Constitution a “Living Breathing Document?” Well, what is a “Living Breathing Document?” In The American Constitution and The Debate over Originalism, Dennis Goldford defines the concept of a living breathing document. He quotes Harlold Koh, legal expert, as defining the concept as a “flexible pragmatism that views the Constitution as a living document … Continue reading
Is it too hard to amend the Constitution?
By Will Portman On Monday, I went to a talk at the Brookings Institution entitled “America’s Dysfunctional Politics: Is the Constitution to Blame?” Professor Sanford Levinson of the University of Texas School of Law discussed his new book, Framed: America’s 51 Constitutions and the Crisis of Government, which argues that the 225-year-old U.S. Constitution is … Continue reading
CO-OPs: a new competitor in the insurance exchange market
Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Sebelius is given the responsibly to fund a Consumer Operated and Oriented Plan (CO-OP) program in every state or expand CO-OPs in states that do not have one. A CO-OP is a non-profit, consumer owned and governed health insurance organization.[1] … Continue reading
You must be logged in to post a comment.