Executive Summary: Introduction On October 9th, China imposed export controls on rare earth minerals and related technologies. Since then, rare earth minerals have been dominating news headlines, with many experts espousing the importance of reducing the U.S.’s dependence on China for these minerals. The Trump administration’s policies have heavily focused on rare earth minerals too; … Continue reading
Tag Archives: Politics
Money Supply and the Current Account: Testing the Predictions of the AA-DD Model
Executive Summary: As part of his rationale for increasing tariffs, President Trump has focused on the U.S.’s trade deficits. Experts have long debated whether trade deficits matter; some argue a trade deficit simply signals that the region is attractive to foreign investment and has strong consumer demand, while others have instead contended that a trade … Continue reading
The Impact of AI Efficiency Gains on National Debt and Gross Domestic Product
Aryan Mirchandani Executive Summary Introduction Historically, only a few technological innovations have created anticipation that rivals the likes of artificial intelligence, which has catapulted the first phase of the new productivity revolution. Proponents of AI argue that it will streamline workflows, enhance decision-making, and unlock rapid efficiencies across wide-ranging industries. The Trump Administration is making … Continue reading
Betting on Trade: Prediction Markets & Tariff Uncertainty
Executive Summary: On February 1st, 2025, Trump signed an executive order imposing tariffs on imports from Mexico, Canada, and China. Two days later, Trump agreed to a 30-day pause on these trade threats. Since then, Trump has announced a myriad of tariffs, many of which he has paused or completely revoked in the following days. … Continue reading
Trump’s policies will increase home prices in a long-suffering housing market
Executive Summary Introduction There is a housing supply shortage in the United States which is skyrocketing home prices. The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta’s Home Ownership Affordability Monitor reached 64 for the total U.S. market in May 2025. This is the lowest number on record and well below 100, the benchmark for “affordable.” In January … Continue reading
The Trade-Off Behind the Trade Deficit
Executive Summary Introduction President Trump has long called for the U.S. to impose higher tariffs to reduce the trade deficit, which he has declared a national emergency. His administration announced unprecedented unilateral tariffs to reverse what it alleges are unfair trade practices. This strategy ignores the accounting principle known as the balance of payments: The … Continue reading
‘Golden share’ of U.S. Steel extends president’s reach into the private sector
Executive Summary Introduction On June 18, the Japanese firm Nippon Steel finalized a “historic partnership” with U.S. Steel (USS), acquiring the company for nearly $15 billion. This came after years of Biden and then Trump blocking the purchase due to national security concerns. The deal was finally allowed soon after President Trump was promised a … Continue reading
What will sector-specific tariffs cost?
Executive Summary Introduction Although President Trump has paused his April 2 “Liberation Day” tariffs for 90 days, he continues to threaten immanent sector-specific tariffs. The threatened sectors include pharmaceuticals, copper, lumber, semiconductors, chemicals and minerals, and energy, which combined account for roughly 20-percent of U.S. imports and include most products initially exempted from “Liberation Day” … Continue reading
Firing The Government: Inside the Largest Federal Workforce Reduction in U.S. History
Executive Summary Introduction Since the beginning of 2025, sweeping layoffs across the federal government have resulted in the dismissal of over 30,000 employees. The primary sector of federal workers facing cuts are those in their probationary period. Civil servants remain on probation for one year after they are hired, promoted, or demoted. While on probation, … Continue reading
How Biden Helped to Create Trump’s Unilateral Trade Policy Process
Executive Summary Introduction Throughout his time in office, President Biden was a persistent advocate of innovative executive branch tactics to restrict trade volumes and capital flows in and out of the United States. While Biden did not engage in the brinkmanship negotiation strategies President Trump has used over the past month, he did use the … Continue reading
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