Matters of Policy & Politics

Where Is Chief Joseph?

President Biden’s choice for Interior Secretary, former New Mexico Rep. Deb Haaland, made history as the first Native American to hold a federal cabinet post. She’s also an outspoken critic of fossil fuels and fracking – a departure from past Interior picks. Terry Anderson, the Hoover Institution’s John and Jean De Nault Senior Fellow and a proponent of “free market environmentalism,” discusses the potential impact on federal land management, what Haaland could do for her fellow Native Americans in terms of self-reliance, and previews his upcoming book on climate change.

But Is It Constitutional?

A federal COVID relief package that dictates how states can spend grant money, a federal election reform bill that likewise imposes restrictions on state governments, plus talk of killing  the Senate filibuster all lead to one question: are such actions constitutional and what did the Founding Fathers envision? John Yoo, a Hoover Institution visiting fellow and UC-Berkeley law professor, analyzes the legality of the latest legislation from Congress plus the Supreme Court’s legacy after denying the last of the Trump election challenges.

Kamala’s Way

The first Californian to hold national office since Ronald Reagan also made history as America’s first female and biracial vice president. Journalist Dan Morain, author of Kamala’s Way: An American Life, discusses Vice President Harris’ climb up California’s political ladder to Joe Biden’s running mate, in theory, first in line for the Democratic nomination should Biden not seek re-election in 2024.

Auf Wiedersehn, Merkel . . . Bonjour, Macron?

Two elections this year and next will underscore Europe’s political shift – Germany choosing Chancellor Angela Merkel’s successor, France possibly giving Emmanuel Macron a second presidential term. Hoover Institution senior fellow Russell Berman examines the two leaders’ political fortunes, how COVID and the cancel culture have affected both nations’ characters, as well as the state of the transatlantic alliance given a new American president.

In Search Of A Republican Message

Donald Trump addresses an adoring CPAC audience, while California’s troubles linger – chief among them, government mismanagement. Lanhee Chen, the Hoover Institution’s David and Diane Steffy Fellow in American Public Policy Studies and Director of Domestic Policy Studies in Stanford University’s Public Policy Program, discusses Trump’s hold on the GOP and what role a dysfunctional bureaucracy might play in a 2021 gubernatorial recall election in the Golden State.

As The World Turns . . . From Trump To Biden

President Donald Trump entered office in 2017 vowing a dramatic shift in U.S. foreign policy and national security. Four years later, President Joe Biden offers a return more in sync with President Obama’s worldview. H.R. McMaster,  the Hoover Institution’s Fouad and Michelle Ajami senior fellow and a former Trump National Security Advisor, offers his thoughts on the effectiveness of the Trump approach and what to expect from the anticipated Biden “re-pivot” on China and Iran. 

A Post-Trump Realignment?

Last November, President Donald Trump gave back five states he carried in 2016, as a normally urban-centric Democratic Party made inroads into America’s suburbs. David Brady and Douglas Rivers, Hoover Institution senior fellows and Stanford University political scientists, discuss America’s post-Trump political landscape and whether a genuine realignment occurred in 2020, or if the 45^th President’s impact won’t be all that lasting. 

Trump, Impeachment And The Courts

Amid an otherwise chaotic presidency, the last four years witnessed a methodical, prolific appointment of conservatives to the federal bench. John Yoo, a Hoover Institution fellow and UC-Berkeley law professor, assesses the Trump record on judges and previews how the Biden White House might differ. But first, some thoughts on the constitutionality of convicting Trump in a post-presidency Senate impeachment trial.

Exit “Trumponomics” Enter “Bidenomics”

How radical will the economic departure be from the outgoing Trump administration to the incoming Biden administration? Michael Boskin, the Hoover Institution’s Wohlford Family Senior Fellow and the Tully M. Friedman Professor of Economics at Stanford University, weighs the good, the bad, and the unresolved of the Trump years as well as what actions Biden might take on taxation, spending, and regulation and their consequences for the American and world economies.

Another Philly Special?

What comes after Election Day in America? Legal maneuvering by the two presidential campaigns as votes/ballots are counted and ballot integrity comes under scrutiny. John Yoo, a Hoover Institution fellow, and constitutional law professor, explains what the Supreme Court might be asked to decide should a Republican challenge in Pennsylvania reach the highest court in the land.