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The 2023 ForecastThe reason for worry about a recession is the Federal Reserve’s response to high inflation.

Some Labor Market Facts You Won’t Read ElsewhereIndiana is simply not producing a 21st century workforce.

Three Types of Public DebtAll types of public debt are effectively transfers of wealth from the future to our present selves.

Remote Work Is Indiana’s Biggest Opportunity and RiskThere are now more Hoosiers in remote work than there are in manufacturing and logistics combined.

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Commentaries tagged with politics

January 15, 2023 Three Types of Public DebtAll types of public debt are effectively transfers of wealth from the future to our present selves.
December 4, 2022 Inflation Will Make the Legislature’s Job Difficult This YearThe budget challenges faced by state legislatures are twofold.
November 13, 2022 The Timing of Economic PolicyCentral planning of economic activity likely will result in wasteful, ineffective policies.
October 23, 2022 The Badness of National Conservatism IdeologyA political movement that rejects the fundamentals of our Constitution is, by definition, anti-American.
October 16, 2022 Partisan Effect of Disinformation on COVID DeathsNationwide, at least 250,000 Americans died of COVID because they chose not to be vaccinated.
September 25, 2022 Two economic lessons from the Russo-Ukrainian WarOne lesson is about public spending on services, the other about free trade.
September 18, 2022 Why Do We Care About a Monarchy?Strong, stable, adaptable institutions help us navigate change while ensuring continuity.
August 28, 2022 Student Loan Forgiveness Is a Policy MistakeThis addition to federal debt during this time risks worsening inflation.
August 21, 2022 Limiting Future InflationOverreacting to inflation can be worse to the economy than underreacting.
July 31, 2022 Trying to Measure the Effect of Abortion Bans on Our EconomyThe effect we see right now is vastly different from what we’ll see in a few years.
July 10, 2022 The Tensions of Economic Policy in a Volatile TimeDiffering political views can lead to very different policy choices.
July 3, 2022 The 246th Anniversary of ‘The Great Experiment’Our nation may be at its most divided, but I have great hope.
June 19, 2022 Yes, State Stimulus Checks Boost InflationTax reductions and rebates can only increase inflation.
May 29, 2022 Let Us Ask More of Ourselves on Memorial DayToday’s challenges demand an understanding of evolving facts and trends.
January 16, 2022 Americans Are Quietly Realizing Dr. King’s VisionMLK’s words are part of the canon of American political writing, and belong to a long tradition of Enlightenment thought.
January 2, 2022 2021 Was an Unnecessarily Horrible YearFrom political unrest to vaccination and economic woes, this year was heavy.
November 14, 2021 It Is Time to Be Honest About Debt, Spending and TaxationSpending that makes us more productive often pays for itself through increased GDP that is then taxed.
September 12, 2021 Lessons from Afghan Refugees and September 11Our fight against the extremists who attacked us 20 years ago is ongoing.
July 18, 2021 Free Speech and Senate Bill 414The origin of free speech problems on campus lie primarily outside the classroom.
July 4, 2021 The Ideals of Independence DayLiberty flows from the simple act of being human, not from government, religion, ancestry or race.
January 17, 2021 An Attack on America’s EconomyThis was not a protest, nor was it an accident.
January 3, 2021 Political Economy for the HolidaysTo avoid the stain of hypocrisy, ideas must also guide our behavior.
December 13, 2020 How to Stop Worrying About National PoliticsLocal government requires pragmatic competence, not ideological showmanship.
November 8, 2020 Some Places of Economic CompromiseWe are in the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, and that gives us a chance for Congress to compromise.
November 1, 2020 The Economic Policies of the Losing Party Also MatterEach party may face identity crisis depending on the outcome of the election.
June 30, 2019 Erasing College Debt Is an Astonishingly Bad IdeaTo expand college access, we need to make it less expensive up front, which requires more public investment at the front end of the college experience.
May 12, 2019 Taking Seriously a Socialist CritiqueWhat part of criticism of our market economy is right, and what should we do about it?
August 26, 2018 College Starts AgainHere you can entirely reinvent yourself in ways that will never again be possible.
November 13, 2016 Three Quick Lessons About the ElectionElections matter, and future elections matter.
June 5, 2016 More Free Speech ShenanigansAs citizens, we must necessarily make judgments about research in which we aren’t experts.
May 29, 2016 unKoch My Campus Is Soros-Funded HypocrisyThe contracts and grants we receive fund research on nonpartisan issues.
May 22, 2016 We Must Take Federal Tax Dollars, then Elect a Better PresidentFederal funding typically amounts to about 10 percent of the budget.
May 8, 2016 The Great Hoosier Jobs Lie of 2016Productivity has lead to a growing manufacturing industry, but fewer, better-educated workers.
April 17, 2016 Free Tuition a Gift to Rich FamiliesMost students already receive some sort of tuition discount.
March 20, 2016 Mysteries of Economic PopulismDiscerning actual policy recommendations from Mr. Sanders and Mr. Trump is not a trivial task.
November 22, 2015 Campus ShenanigansCollege should focus on our ideas, passions and character
May 24, 2015 A Lesson from Guadalcanal on Memorial DayThe things that divide us matter less than those things that unite us.
May 10, 2015 Measuring School QualityMuch of individual student performance depends on the family, not the school.
April 5, 2015 RFRA Impact Is Worse Than EconomicIt is simply not possible to legislate the details of the inevitable tensions between culture and faith.
December 14, 2014 Chicago Raises the Minimum Wage, Protecting the Mayor’s JobIf the minimum wage is set above the market wage, some workers will lose jobs while some will be better paid.
November 2, 2014 Some Big Ideas for the ElectionThough a large swing is predicted to favor the GOP, it is clearly out of frustration with the current administration.
September 14, 2014 Focus on Shrinking the Federal GovernmentMost of our current problems are at the local level: schools, crime, housing, unemployment, and poverty.
August 31, 2014 Liberalism on Campus Is Mostly IrrelevantIn my experience, few professors use their political feelings to inspire their coursework.
March 9, 2014 Russian Sanctions Are RiskyAdding armed conflict to a place with even a tiny whiff of ethnic tension rarely turns out well.
April 7, 2013 Bad Ideas Still ReignToday I see three bad intellectual influences that merit noting—one each from the political right, the left and bipartisan folly.
February 17, 2013 Let’s Try a $25 Minimum WageLabor markets are subject to the laws of supply and demand.
December 30, 2012 Looking Back on the Daniels AdministrationThere were failures, successes and unfinished business.
December 2, 2012 Demagoguery and Truth About TaxesWe should be a bit mindful of demagoguery about taxes.
November 25, 2012 ‘Scooby Snacks’ and The Great American GiveawayHere, we'll focus on the ‘something for nothing’ crowd.
October 28, 2012 More Clarity on Gender and PayIt should not be surprising that the majority of wage differences between men and women can be explained by schooling, occupational choice, and experience.
November 14, 2011 Indiana Elections, 2011In taking an oath of office, one’s perspective changes—which is precisely why we demand these oaths of public officials.
August 15, 2011 Downgrading Standard & Poor’sFor anyone who recalls its glowing ratings for mortgage backed securities, S&P research is hard to take seriously.
January 17, 2011 Gentle and Intemperate AngelsIt is reprehensible to blame killing on vitriolic political language – but that does not make the tenor of political debate useful or appropriate.

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