Soviet America? And more from this week…
From Understanding America, for better understanding America.
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Tax Cuts Aren’t a Magic Bullet for Red States
The traditional Republican playbook for state success is too simplistic.
Redefining Income Is the Wrong Approach to Inequality
Earnings before taxes and government transfers remains a key benchmark for prosperity.
Welcome to Understanding America
Your guide to the future of economics, American politics, and public policy.
Reality is Forcing a Shift in America’s Tax And Spend Debate
US conservatives are moving away from the old orthodoxy on how to balance deficits and revenues.
What the ‘Success Sequence’ Misses
Long-term flourishing requires a deeper conversation than proponents admit.
Freedom from Economic Fear
Defending the American economy against an economic-liberty killer: fear.
Ten Years of Fighting the Dragon
Looking back at a decade of shifting the consensus on China
‘Free Trade’ Is a Story of Broken Promises. America Needs Tariffs
Globalization has weakened our industrial base, eroded communities and ruined job prospects. Tariffs are essential to restoring our future.
Pronatalism Isn’t Pro-Family
Supporting America’s families is more than a numbers game.
Will Trump II See the Return of Fiscal Conservatism?
The long-standing conservative consensus on tax cuts is now teetering, and even if Republicans win the presidency and both houses of Congress, TCJA’s extension is no sure thing.
Fiscal Conservatives Should Care About Trade Deficits
Fiscal conservatives need to care about trade deficits, not just budget deficits, when it comes to sound economic policy.
The Credit Card Industry’s False Lifeline
The credit card industry is gouging small business with swipe fees, claiming it’s doing so to help working-class Americans.
Why Is Mitch McConnell Still In Charge?
On policy, he is badly misaligned with the GOP and its standard bearer. He is weak on immigration, allied with big business, and expansive in his vision for the nation’s foreign policy commitments.
Surprising Consensus on the Productivity Problem
A new AEI paper reaches the same conclusion as American Compass: Rising inequality for American workers is a problem.
It’s Conservatives That Should Be Storming the Ivory Tower
Universities depend on taxpayer money to survive, and they are wasting those funds
Trump’s Trade Critics Inflate Their Claims
“Until you came along, nobody ever mentioned it.”
Growing Pains
Rebuilding American industry is worth it—but it won’t be quick, easy, or cheap.
How Republicans learnt to love bigger government
The era of “the era of big government is over” may itself now be over, writes Oren Cass in the Financial Times.
Out of Time on Outbound
If Republicans are serious about confronting China, they need to sideline members who aren’t
