January | 2013 | AEIdeas

Monday, May 20, 2013

Image Credit: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

What pivot?

Claude Barfield | January 31, 2013, 4:20 pm

One might be tempted to argue that Gary Schmitt’s post from earlier today, “The questions they should have asked Kerry,” is nitpicking, taking a minor excerpt from the hours’ long nomination hearing appearance and blowing it up beyond real importance. … read more >

Society and Culture, Education

Uncle Sam learns his lessons

Allison Kimmel | January 31, 2013, 3:50 pm

Today, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that after two years of an impasse between the New York City teachers union and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the state would step in and impose its own teacher evaluation system. … read more >

Economics, Pethokoukis

Mission accomplished for Obama’s jobs council? Not so much

James Pethokoukis | January 31, 2013, 3:22 pm

President Obama’s Jobs and Competitiveness Council will soon be no more. It expires today, and the White House has no plans to renew it. The Associated Press: Officials said the president always intended for the council to fulfill its mission … read more >

Economics, Health Care

Hyping the individual mandate’s penalties

Thomas P. Miller | January 31, 2013, 3:17 pm

Political views differ on the wisdom and effectiveness of the individual coverage mandate under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Is empirical evidence more convincing? Enter the “incidental” health economist Austin Frakt in a recent JAMA Forum article. He argues that … read more >

Economics, U.S. Economy

Lessons from Japan on economic recovery

Henrik Temp and Sofiya Mahdi | January 31, 2013, 2:53 pm

John Makin’s latest AEI piece, “Japan’s Lessons for America’s Budget Warriors,” examines lessons from Japan’s past for current American policymakers. Like Japan, the United States has been suffering from weak economic growth since 2007 because of the bursting of a real … read more >

Economics, Health Care, Pethokoukis

Fed study suggests a central idea underlying Obamacare is wrong

James Pethokoukis | January 31, 2013, 1:10 pm

A core idea at the heart of President Obama’s healthcare reform law is the notion that while expanding coverage is expensive, there are huge offsetting savings to be had from reforming how medicine is practiced by doctors and hospitals. Who … read more >

Economics, Pethokoukis

More on the supposed austerity threat to growth

James Pethokoukis | January 31, 2013, 12:37 pm

After yesterday’s downer GDP report, I sketched out this hypothetical: “What if government spending added 6 percentage points, and the private sector subtracted 2 percentage points? The news headlines would say GDP rose by 4%, but that growth would be … read more >

Pethokoukis, Politics and Public Opinion

President Hillary? | If this economic forecast is correct, the Democrats will be tough to beat in 2016

James Pethokoukis | January 31, 2013, 11:50 am

JPMorgan Chase economist James Glassman offers a pretty upbeat forecast for 2013: Private forecasts tend to predict more of the same slow growth in 2013. Many Fed policy makers apparently agree with that prediction. Instead, the economy is likely to … read more >

Carpe Diem

2011 plastic surgery facts and some economic lessons

Mark J. Perry | January 31, 2013, 11:28 am

According to this Survey on Aesthetic/Cosmetic Procedures Performed in 2011 by the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, these were the top five countries for plastic surgery procedures in 2011: 1. United States (3,100,000) 2. Brazil (1,447,000) 3. China (1,050,000) 4. Japan (952,000) … read more >

Economics, Pethokoukis

Is Rubio really about to ruin the Republican Party?

James Pethokoukis | January 31, 2013, 11:22 am

Some high-profile conservatives, including Ann Coulter and the editors of National Review, think Senator Marco Rubio is making a big mistake in his push for immigration reform. Embedded in many of these critiques — sometimes subtly, sometimes not — is … read more >

Lean In… to Government?
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Are American Voters Racist?
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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. […]
Could California Make a Comeback?
An unexpected glimmer of hope might cast a new light on the Golden State. […]