20 | January | 2012

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

How about Congress establishes the”Reasonable Deficits Board” and gets that to work first? THE HILL — “Six House Democrats, led by Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio), want to set up a “Reasonable Profits Board” to control gas profits. The Democrats, worried … read more >

Economics, Taxes and Spending

Why WonkBlog and Jared Bernstein are wrong on taxing capital

James Pethokoukis | January 20, 2012, 3:21 pm

Liberals really hate that capital income, at least in the form of cap gains, is taxed at a lower rate than labor income. Really hate it. Just look at the reaction to Mitt Romney’s admission that he pays around a … read more >

Economics, Energy and the Environment

A hopeful note!

Kenneth P. Green | January 20, 2012, 1:52 pm

While I’m not likely to be known anytime soon as a booster of alternative energy technologies, I have, for some time, seen a lot of promise in algae biofuels. Algae has natural characteristics that make it a particularly good candidate … read more >

Politics and Public Opinion

Abortion attitudes: 39 years after Roe v. Wade

Karlyn Bowman and Andrew Rugg | January 20, 2012, 12:45 pm

As the 39th anniversary of Roe v. Wade approaches, we updated our historical collection of public opinion polls on abortion. Since questions were first asked regularly in the mid-1970s, abortion attitudes have been remarkably stable. Below are eight major highlights … read more >

Economics, International economy

Banter #40: The one about trade! (It’s a big deal)

Andrew Rugg | January 20, 2012, 9:56 am

In the latest edition of AEI’s podcast, Banter, hosts Stu James and Andrew Rugg sit down with AEI trade experts Claude Barfield and Matt Jensen to discuss their new paper on global value chains. Claude and Matt give a fascinating … read more >

Foreign and Defense Policy

Best of the foreign policy blogs (Jan. 14-20)

Marc Thiessen | January 20, 2012, 9:36 am

Here is the best of what AEI’s foreign and defense policy scholars are reading this week: • Spencer Ackerman at Wired.com’s Danger Room blog breaks the news of a New U.S. commando team operating near Iran. • Barbara Starr … read more >

Politics and Public Opinion

What you may have missed in the polls: 15 percent tax rates, voter enthusiasm, and negative campaigns

Karlyn Bowman and Andrew Rugg | January 20, 2012, 9:00 am

• A 15 percent tax rate?: Polls consistently show that Americans don’t think the rich pay their fair share of taxes. The issue doesn’t usually have much political punch because people generally feel they are doing OK and gaining ground. … read more >

Carpe Diem

Cartoon of the Day

Mark J. Perry | January 20, 2012, 2:35 am

The Uses of Scandal
One of the greatest uses of scandal is to vividly demonstrate what new laws are needed and to create the political conditions to get them enacted. […]
Lean In… to Government?
Sheryl Sandberg's runaway best-selling book Lean In has managed to offend both the Left and the Right. Sandberg touts female hard-headedness, yet also calls for an elaborate government- and employer-supplied support system for women. […]
Are American Voters Racist?
Racial prejudice plays a very small role in American politics, but a highly disciplined sense of self-interest on the part of one group may play a very large role in the way the federal government functions. […]
The Perpetual Passion for Paper
Paper is becoming less important in some respects, but its strengths — prestige, utility, permanence, and security — are more essential than ever. […]