In early June, a coalition of urban and rural politicians in the Senate banded together to pass the Farm bill, a legislative piece that distributes welfare benefits to an unlikely pair: wealthy agro-businesses and the inner-city poor. Although widely popular among constituents, a common sense look at the bill reveals serious flaws. The Senate’s version … Continue reading
5. Overlapping Renewable Energy Subsidies. Senator Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) estimates that redundancies in government spending alone amount to roughly $250 billion. That’s three times the cost of sequester cuts. Right now 23 agencies and 130 sub-agencies are in charge of some 679 renewable energy initiatives, according to the Government Accountability Office. One would think with … Continue reading
After years of taking heat from Republicans on healthcare, Democratic strategists have suggested what was once the unthinkable – embracing the oft-spurned Affordable Care Act, colloquially known as Obamacare, in the 2014 election. Key provisions of the bill are set to be implemented in January 2014, and the ACA will almost certainly again play a … Continue reading
The Bipartisan Policy Center recently hosted an event discussing the geopolitical impacts of the US’s recent tight oil boom. Tight oil, or shale oil, production has increased with the expansion of hydraulic fracturing technology used to access shale gas from shale or sandstone formations. Amidst the rallying cries of a “qualified abundance” instead of a … Continue reading
“Freedom isn’t free” – a refrain often used by soldiers, politicians, and country singers. In context, the phrase refers to the remarkable sacrifices our armed service members have made throughout the history of the United States. However, the true cost of freedom is spread across all Americans and is a far higher price than most realize. Recent revelations regarding the … Continue reading
Consumers in the modern age hold a precarious balance between privacy and technology. While there is an inherent tradeoff between the two, consumer privacy is increasingly threatened. Right now your cell phone is probably sitting right next to you with many downloaded applications. Do you know what information is being collected at this very moment … Continue reading
1. OIRA is not interesting. If you’re reading this, congratulations on being among the few Americans who care about the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. Even most of the members of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs demonstrated their lack of interest by failing to attend the hearing. OIRA is the … Continue reading
The federal government employs people of many different professional backgrounds, but among them you will not find fortunetellers. Yet scientists, analysts, and lawyers could sometimes use an assist from seers in completing the work they are asked to do. Conducting cost-benefit analyses of agencies’ proposed regulations necessitates predicting their impact on the economy, an unfathomably … Continue reading
In today’s world where people get their news from platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, and Google, ethical standards reasonably come into question. Entire internet platforms are now starting to notice the impact they have on public opinion, and are starting to take a stand for what they feel is right. Take, for example, last … Continue reading
The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions recently released a new report detailing how to incorporate natural gas into an emissions- and carbon-free future, with recommendations for use by sector. They launched their report with a meeting featuring a “CEO-level” discussion and a “sector-level” discussion. The two panels followed the format of the report. … Continue reading
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