Executive Summary If elected in 2024, Trump is proposing a 10% tariff on all U.S. imports. As a result, U.S. businesses would be faced with a substantial rise in import costs. Much of this would likely be paid by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), who may end up taxed over $83.9 billion annually. Introduction If … Continue reading
Latest Entries
BRICS and Currency Diversification Challenge the Dollar
Executive Summary The U.S. dollar’s position as the preeminent global reserve currency for international trade and transactions is under threat from countries across the world – particularly Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS) – that seek greater economic autonomy. BRICS nations plan to become less reliant on the U.S. dollar by circumventing it … Continue reading
“Regulation by Enforcement”: What Does the SEC’s Crackdown on Cryptocurrency Exchanges Mean for the Industry?
Executive Summary In early June, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) charged the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange Binance and America’s largest crypto exchange Coinbase, arguing that several of the digital assets offered on the platforms qualify as securities and that the exchanges must therefore register with the SEC. The SEC has pursued a “regulation by … Continue reading
ICHRAs: An Alternative to Traditional Employer-Sponsored Coverage
Executive Summary In 2019, the Trump administration authorized all employers the option to offer individual-coverage health reimbursement arrangements (ICHRAs) instead of a traditional health plan. ICRHAs are a tax-free contribution that employees use to purchase their own plan on the Affordable Care Act marketplace (or toward premiums for traditional Medicare or Medicare Advantage). Although the … Continue reading
The Moral Case for Price Gouging
Executive Summary Last year Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.) along with Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) introduced the Price Gouging Prevention Act of 2022 which would allow the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and state Attorney Generals to enforce a federal ban against “unconscionably excessive” price gouging. While having good intentions, such legislation has … Continue reading
Bidenomics: The Costs of Public Sector Investment
Executive Summary: On June 28, President Biden touted in a Chicago speech his administration’s economic approach dubbed “Bidenomics,” a strategy centered around the pillars of smart public sector investments, empowering workers, and promoting competition. In past administration policies, the White House and its approach to Bidenomics have typically understated the costs of public sector investment, … Continue reading
The Updated Consumer Cost of Regulation
Executive Summary Regulations from the past five years from federal agencies will raise everything from the cost of household goods, vehicles, and utilities; in the aggregate, these regulations will make it costlier for consumers. Based on the agencies’ own projections, a hypothetical individual consumer who would buy all of the affected products, could expect … Continue reading
The Lightning-Fast Adoption of the North American Charging Standard
Executive Summary: In June, three automakers Ford Motor Company, General Motors, and Rivian, have all switched to manufacture electric vehicles (EV) with the North American Charging Standard (NACS), Tesla’s proprietary charging port integrated into their 21,000 Superchargers nationwide. To access the Biden Administration’s $7.5 billion allocated for EV charging, the Combined Charging System (CCS), a … Continue reading
WIC’s Unsavory Response to Economic Instability During COVID-19
Executive Summary A surge in unemployment during COVID-19 caused more families to become eligible for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infant, and Children (WIC). Yet, national program participation barely budged. Many “online” states that digitized enrollment and benefit reloading processes for WIC saw increases in WIC participation, ranging from 2% to 20%. However, … Continue reading
The Green New Deal, Reintroduced
Executive Summary Canadian wildfires spread smoke from the Midwest to the Mid-Atlantic United States last week, prompting some policymakers to renew calls for massive climate change initiatives such as the Green New Deal. The Green New Deal, the Inflation Reduction Act, and other similar initiatives impose massive costs and institute inefficient programs for mitigating climate … Continue reading
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