Social Security and Medicare Cuts Are Coming, Whether Politicians Do It or Not
As legislators refuse to act, benefits will be cut without any possibility of sheltering those seniors who are poor.
Democratic Party
For Joe Biden, Competition Is Essential. Except When It Must Be Banned.
It's a fundamental contradiction that's affected the Biden administration's economic policy for the past two years.
The Fight Over the Debt Ceiling Is Just Beginning
Legislators will increasingly argue over how to spend a diminishing discretionary budget while overall spending simultaneously explodes.
Joe Biden, Travel Agent in Chief
Plus: Bill would make all social media platforms check IDs, appeals court rejects rent control challenge, and more...
Republicans and Democrats Face Impasse Over Cutting Spending Versus Raising Taxes
Plus: Court denies motion to suppress January 6 geofence warrant, Texas may ban some immigrants from buying property, and more...
Democrats Say They Support Green Energy. Why Do Their Policies Say Otherwise?
If you look closely, you'll find a lot of contradictions.
Jennifer Sey Keeps Getting Canceled for Speaking Up
"I think the Democratic Party has severely underestimated how many people like me there are," says the 1986 USA Gymnastics national champion.
Social Security Is on the Brink of Collapse. The GOP Won't Touch It.
In 1950, there were more than 16 workers for every beneficiary. In 2035, that ratio will be only 2.3 workers per retiree.
The GOP's Current Plan To Cut Spending Is a Political Failure
Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are still the chief drivers of our future debt. But Republicans aren't touching them.
If Kamala Harris Is the Future of the Democratic Party, It's Doomed
The underwhelming vice presidency of an unpopular former prosecutor has created a succession problem for the Democrats.
Kamala Harris Is a Flop
The underwhelming vice presidency of an unpopular former prosecutor has created a succession problem for the Democrats.
To Win the Speakership, Kevin McCarthy Had To Promise To Cut Spending. Good.
While some Republicans may have had misguided motivations, a few disrupted McCarthy's campaign in order to enact fiscal restraint. Their colleagues were fine with business as usual.
A Michigan Supreme Court Justice Hired an Ex-Con. Another Justice Shamed Him Into Resigning.
Justice Richard Bernstein said Pete Martel's hiring as clerk was unacceptable because "I'm intensely pro-law enforcement."
Trump's Tax Returns Show What Sort of Tax Reform We Need
But partisans are having the wrong debate.
Democrats May Regret Compromising Taxpayer Privacy To Get Trump
The release of the former president’s tax returns sets a dangerous precedent.
Pundits Predicted a Backlash Against Criminal Justice Reform in the Midterms. What Happened?
While rising crime created headwinds for candidates who supported criminal justice reform, the apocalyptic storm never quite arrived.
Congress and the Federal Reserve Could Be Setting Us Up for Economic Disaster
If lawmakers keep spending like they are, and if the Fed backs down from taming inflation, then the government may create a perfect storm.
Charity and Capitalism Are Better Than Government
When I was young, I assumed government would lift people out of poverty. But those policies often do more harm than good.
Congress Can Reduce the Deficit by $7.7 Trillion in 10 Years
The Congressional Budget Office projects that future deficits will explode. But there's a way out.
Subsidies To Help Workers Would Hurt Poor People
Some people would benefit. Others would lose money or be rendered unemployable.
Where Does ChatGPT Fall on the Political Compass?
We asked the hot new artificial intelligence system to take four popular political quizzes. Guess what we found...
Merchants of Death, Swaps, and Shake-ups
Plus: The editors briefly celebrate a noteworthy shake-up in the Senate.
Sinema's Defection from Democrats Sows Welcome Chaos Among the Political Class
We should appreciate anything that shakes the confidence of both major parties.
Congress' Lame-Duck Legislators Want To Spend Money Like We're Still in a Pandemic
It's especially outrageous when considering the billions of dollars in fraud that took place thanks to COVID-19 relief programs.
Raphael Warnock Defeats Herschel Walker, Removing Obstacle to Biden Administration Agenda
Democrats had already retained their majority, but by keeping Warnock's seat, they gained even more power in the upper chamber to hinder Republican opposition.
A Lame-Duck Congress Should Reject the Extended Child Tax Credit
The policy has some bipartisan support, despite the fact that it has mostly been a failure since its inception.
With Congressional Gridlock, Americans Get a National Breather
A hobbled Congress isn’t a solution to our woes, but it’s a lot better than lawmakers set loose.
Wallowing Around in a Gerontocracy
Plus: The editors consider what type of fresh attacks the marijuana legalization movement is likely to encounter.
Nancy Pelosi Embodied America's Gerontocracy Problem
She was the beneficiary of a political system that limits opportunities for new ideas and new faces to rise.
After House Democrats' Midterm Defeat, Nancy Pelosi Says She'll Step Down From Congressional Leadership
The first female speaker of the House leaves behind a legacy of big government liberalism.
Republicans Need an Actual Plan To Grow the Economy
The biggest beneficiaries of economic growth are poor people. But the deepest case for economic growth is a moral one.
Kari Lake's Defeat Is the Latest Disaster for Arizona's Trump-Backed Republicans
Voters rejected other Republicans who have cozied up to the former president, including Senate candidate Blake Masters and secretary of state candidate Mark Finchem.
The Red Wave That Wasn't
Plus: The editors field a question on U.S. ballot counting and talk more on Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover.
Bankrupt Crypto Exchange FTX Under Investigation
Plus: Democrats retain control of Senate, RIP Sharon Presley and Martin Wooster, and more...
The Election Betting Markets Fell Short. They're Still the Most Flexible Predictor.
People with money on the line try harder than pundits to be right, and they adjust quickly when they've made a mistake.
Jared Polis' Success Shows That Democrats Can Win Without Embracing Big Government
Jared Polis cruised to reelection this Tuesday on a platform that included reducing the state's income tax and giving "more freedom" to Coloradans.
It Was a Good Night For Abortion Rights, Ron DeSantis, Iowa Gun Owners—and Democrats
What we know about 2022 midterm results so far
Kari Lake's Election Conspiracy Theories Aren't Even the Worst Thing About Her
It's her willingness to wield state power to punish the ideas and groups she dislikes.
In Arizona's Senate Race, Blake Masters and Mark Kelly Battle Over Their Preferred Kinds of Big Government
Though the candidates have seemingly little in common, either one winning will harm the cause of individual liberty.
'This Is What Democracy Looks Like. And It Kinda Sucks.'
Plus: Peter Suderman may or may not attempt a rendition of a famous rap from the movie Bulworth.
Neither Democrats Nor Republicans Have a Clear Advantage Going Into Election Day
Plus: University cancels "The Problem of Whiteness" class, Twitter's snowflake-in-chief, and more...
A GOP-Led Congress May Focus on Owning the Libs. Instead, It Should Focus on Owning Inflation.
If the midterms favor Republicans, their top priority needs to be the fight against inflation—whether or not they feel like they created the problem.
Why Are Democrats Still Backing Trumpists in GOP Primaries?
Democrats paid $435,000 to back a pro-Trump Republican in Michigan—nearly $100,000 more than the candidate himself raised.
It Should Be OK To Talk About Negotiating With Russia Over Ukraine
Progressives shouldn't be ashamed of being anti-war.
This Election Day, Listen to the Betting Market Instead of Pundit Predictions
Over time, betting has been a better predictor than polls, pundits, statistical models, and everything else.
What Will the GOP Do if It Wins?
Wait, are the midterms really about entitlement cuts?
Polling Data Suggest That Student Loan Debt Relief Is Not Very Important to Young Voters
The new survey, released by Data for Progress, could spell trouble for Democrats hoping for gains in November following Biden's debt relief plan.
Midterm Polling, PayPal, and Patellas
Plus: The editors consider Ye and social media, then field a question about the TARP bailouts during the 2008 fiscal crisis.