Matters of Policy & Politics

Single Payer, Multiple Headaches?

A big news week in Sacramento includes Governor Newsom unveiling a record $286 billion budget proposal and a Democratic lawmaker offering a massive tax increase to cover the cost of a statewide single-player healthcare system. Hoover senior fellow Lee Ohanian and distinguished policy fellow Bill Whalen, both contributors to Hoover’s “California on Your Mind” web channel, join Hoover senior writer Jonathan Movroydis to discuss what Newsom’s spending blueprint says about California’s priorities and what effects a single-payer system would have on California’s economy and outbound migration.

The Supreme Court Weighs In On Vaccine Mandates

An unusually long Supreme Court hearing (three hours in all) regarding two Biden Administration vaccine mandates raises thorny questions regarding federalism, states’ rights, and balance of power between the three branches of the federal government. John Yoo, a Hoover Institution fellow and UC-Berkeley School of Law professor, explains why conservative justices may strike down at least one mandate and the he previews two upcoming landmark cases involving Harvard’s admission practices and New York’s gun restrictions.

The Future Of The Republican Party – A Report

What issues resonate with today’s Republicans? How has the party morphed since the rise of Ronald Reagan? What is Donald Trump’s influence upon next year’s GOP primaries and beyond? David Brady and Douglas Rivers, Hoover Institution senior fellows and Stanford University political scientists, and co-authors (along with Hoover senior fellow Morris Fiorina) of a survey of self-identifying Republicans, discuss their findings and reflect on what transpired politically in 2021.

Smash And Grab . . .Tax and Spend

A pandemic, a recall election, a year-end crime wave and the question of how to invest a revenue windfall next year. Hoover senior fellow Lee Ohanian and distinguished policy fellow Bill Whalen, both contributors to Hoover’s “California on Your Mind” web channel, join Hoover senior writer Jonathan Movroydis to discuss what transpired in the Golden State in 2021, and what 2022 may offer in the way of policy and political developments.

Niall Ferguson (Still) Giving Thanks

As a celebrated historian and prolific columnist, Niall Ferguson has plenty for which to be grateful. Ferguson, the Hoover Institution’s Milbank Family Senior Fellow, explains why Americans should be giving thanks this holiday season. Note: this was first broadcast a few years ago, before the pandemic disrupted our lives and complicated our holiday planning.

Fuzzy Math & Turkey Brine

“Diversity math,” the changing fortunes of Gavin Newsom and Kamala Harris, a record revenue surplus in Sacramento, plus dubious outlooks for public pensions and high-speed rail. Hoover senior fellow Lee Ohanian and distinguished policy fellow Bill Whalen, both contributors to Hoover’s “California on Your Mind” web channel, join Hoover senior writer Jonathan Movroydis to discuss the latest in the Golden State, including what Lee’s cooking on Thanksgiving Day.

Inflation, The Fed And “Zero Dollars”

In a few days, the Congressional Budget Office will either back or buck President Biden’s claim that the Build Back Better plan – aka, “human infrastructure” – “costs zero dollars”. Michael Boskin, the Hoover Institution’s Wohlford Family Senior Fellow and the Tully M. Friedman Professor of Economics at Stanford University, discusses the measure’s fiscal impact, inflationary concerns, plus the significance of President Biden’s choice for chairman of the Federal Reserve – also expected soon.

Running Up The Score

Never mind Virginia’s gubernatorial vote: California has its own education-related controversy in the form of a new diversity math curriculum. Hoover senior fellow Lee Ohanian and distinguished policy fellow Bill Whalen discuss whether a parental backlash will occur in the Golden State, needed updates to California's water policy and government technology/computers, plus recall movements in San Francisco, and finally poor sportsmanship on display in a high-school football game in Inglewood.

Veteran Fellows

As a younger generation of veterans transition from military service, how will they impact America’s communities? Jacquelyn Schneider, a Hoover fellow studying the intersection of technology, national security, and political psychology with a special interest in cybersecurity, discusses the Hoover Institution’s newly announced Veterans Fellowship Program (10 military veterans studying significant policy issues that will affect localities across America) and offers her thoughts on the younger generation “coming home” and the military’s role in campus life and the IT sector.

Yes, Virginia, There Is . . . An Election

Does an off-year gubernatorial race in the Old Dominion constitute a preview of next year’s midterm election? David Brady and Douglas Rivers, Hoover Institution senior fellows and Stanford University political scientists, discuss whether Virginia is a bellwether, President Biden’s declining poll numbers, and why some progressive columnists are forecasting a Democratic congressional wipeout next year.