How important were social policy issues in the presidential election?
Social policy issues contributed to President-elect Trump’s victory, as his margin on immigration more than offset Vice President Harris’s margin on abortion Most important issue for voters Exit polls asked voters to choose which of five issues was most important to them. Two of those five issues were social policy issues: abortion and immigration. Of […]
Read MoreDo Americans prefer Harris’s or Trump’s student loan policy?
Comparing the candidates’ student loan policies President Biden has made student loan forgiveness one of his largest domestic policy priorities. In August 2022, he announced a plan to forgive about $430 billion of student loan debt for more than 40 million borrowers, but the Supreme Court blocked that plan in June 2023 for exceeding executive […]
Read MoreDo Americans prefer Harris’s or Trump’s immigration policy?
Comparing the candidates’ immigration policies Americans have long considered immigration to be one of the most important policy issues. Unprecedented surges in illegal border crossings during the first half of the Biden administration have raised immigration to an even higher priority than usual with U.S. voters. An August 2024 Economist/You Gov poll found that 87 percent […]
Read MoreDo Americans prefer Harris’s or Trump’s abortion policy?
Comparing the candidates’ abortion policies After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, abortion was expected to be a key issue in the 2024 Presidential election. Other issues now seem more important to voters, as an August 2024 Economist/You Gov poll found that only 75 percent of respondents considered abortion to be important, which […]
Read MoreShould Congress pass a bump stock ban?
A Congressional bump stock ban likely would not have bipartisan public support, would have uncertain effectiveness, and almost certainly would face Constitutional challenges that could invalidate the ban On June 14, the Supreme Court invalidated a ban on firearm bump stocks that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) had imposed in 2019. The Trump […]
Read MoreMexican border wall standoff in the debt ceiling negotiations
It is unsurprising that the Biden administration and the Democratic-majority Senate, on the one hand, and the Republican-majority House of Representatives, on the other hand, are having trouble agreeing on appropriations bills for fiscal year 2024. If they cannot agree by October 1, they will need to pass a short-term continuing resolution or there will be […]
Read MoreWork requirements in the bipartisan debt ceiling bill
The SNAP and TANF work requirements in the debt ceiling bill have bipartisan support and may both increase employment rates among less vulnerable groups and reduce poverty rates among a few more vulnerable groups. However, the effects of the new work requirements on Black Americans, in particular, should be carefully monitored. The recent bipartisan debt […]
Read MorePresident Biden’s proposal to offer public health insurance to DACA recipients
The Biden administration’s proposal to allow DACA recipients to obtain public health insurance would help reduce insurance and health disparities among Latinx Americans at a relatively reasonable cost, but would be politically divisive and would share the DACA program’s uncertain future in the courts, although it should not add to that uncertainty. The Biden administration […]
Read MoreElection day 2022 recap: A good day for moderates
On Election Day, Americans elected 34 U.S. senators (with Georgia’s election going to a runoff), 435 U.S. representatives, 36 governors, and members of 88 of the country’s 99 state legislative chambers. They also voted on dozens of ballot proposals. Overall, the results were generally favorable for moderates. The U.S. Congress will be divided, with Democrats […]
Read MoreArizona’s school voucher law
Although the effectiveness of school vouchers is still unproven, there is plurality support across parties for these programs and the equity and legal issues seem manageable The largest school voucher program in U.S. history recently took effect in Arizona. The new law will give parents who send their child to a private or parochial school […]
Read More