Here’s a thought experiment. Imagine that you are elected to some public office, whatever it might be. Will your knowledge change – improve – in the course of your ascent […]
Tag: Policy
How Much Can We Trust Supposed Earmark Reforms?
Earmarks, which were banned for over a decade, were recently resurrected as “community project funding” in March’s $1.5 trillion government spending bill. Of course, given the disrepute earmarks have earned, […]
Do Voters Make Poor Choices?
As divisive as the political climate appears today, many people are likely to say that, yes, people who voted for candidates other than those they voted for made poor choices. People don’t […]
Why President Biden’s Climate Goals Are Fictional
President Joe Biden’s climate goals have something in common with many science fiction movies. The future that seems so far away is in reality too temporally close to make the […]
Questioning Policy Miracles
When I was an undergraduate math major, one of my classes got our professor to discuss his dissertation. It involved supplying a missing link in a proof. He showed us […]
The Democracy Illusion
In America, “democracy” or “democratic” are among the most common words used to justify or endorse positions or policies. “Democratic” is attached as an adjective whenever something is considered good […]
Gut and Amend Goes to Washington
In civics and government books, “how a bill becomes law,” whether at the state or federal level, always shows multiple steps during which representatives seriously consider bills before enactment. Unfortunately, […]
Filibuster Chatter Speaks to Problems With Policy, Not Institutions
One year into his presidency, Joe Biden is in desperate search of something – anything – to demonstrate that his administration is on the right track. Whether he succeeds depends […]
Political Preferences and Public Policy
Social scientists who study elections tend to assume that voters have public policy preferences and that parties and candidates design their platforms to conform with those preferences. In fact, the […]
Institutions, Incentives, and the Impending Death of the Senate Filibuster
In order to pass voting rights legislation that would introduce unprecedented federal control over state election laws, Senator Chuck Schumer is threatening to end the filibuster. Although frequently used – […]