Matters of Policy & Politics

Matters Of Policy & Politics: Did He Act Alone? Kevin Hassett on the Death of Curiosity, and the Birth of Economic Policy | Bill Whalen And Kevin Hassett | Hoover Institution

One economist believes that what is lacking in America today is too little in the way of intellectual curiosity. Kevin Hassett, a Hoover Institution distinguished visiting fellow and past chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisors (and a man very curious about the motives behind JFK’s assassination as well as a recent book about the assassination, The Oswalds: An Untold Account of Marina and Lee by Hoover colleague Paul Gregory), ponders why some topics – climate change and CO2 emissions, social justice, and income inequality – don’t receive the re-examination they should. Finally, Hassett offers a few thoughts on how to talk about economic policy in the current political landscape.

2024’s Elephant Parade: Who Plays the Trump Card? | Bill Whalen and Ben Ginsberg | Hoover Institution

Should he formalize his candidacy, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott would be the fifth Republican looking to unseat President Biden in 2024. How many other Republicans will join the field – and what are their odds of denying Donald Trump the GOP nomination? Ben Ginsberg, the Hoover Institution’s Volker Family Visiting Fellow and a nationally recognized political law advocate and veteran of past Republican presidential efforts, discusses the current state of the GOP “establishment,” Trump’s loyal base and influence over the primary electorate, plus his current Hoover projects devoted to election integrity and re-instilling voter confidence.

A California Update: San Francisco’s “Doom Loop,” Newsom’s Wanderlust, Harris’ Bad Luck | Lee Ohanian, Bill Whalen, Jonathan Movroydis | Hoover Institution

A lurid homicide in an upscale neighborhood underscores San Francisco’s various crises. Meanwhile, California governor Gavin Newsom tours America’s red states – begging the question of his interest in his day job. 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 why Newsom’s promise to build millions of new homes has fizzled as well as vice president Kamala Harris’ inability to catch a break – her tour of Africa is overshadowed by Donald Trump’s legal woes.

As the World Turns: Macron’s China “Sweet Tooth”; Politics or Realpolitik for Biden? | Bill Whalen and Russell Berman | Hoover Institution

Amidst his country’s turmoil over pension reform, French president Emmanuel Macron courts Chinese president Xi Jinping, while Israel and the US are at odds over the Israel’s proposed judicial reform. Hoover senior fellow and former State Department senior advisor Russell Berman discusses the latest in Europe and the Middle East, including NATO’s commitment to arming Ukraine, Iran’s regional ambitions, and the Saudi government warming up to Chinese diplomacy – and currency – while cutting back on oil production.

Campaign 2024: Waiting for Kohoutek, What’s Behind Door Number 3 | Bill Whalen, Dave Brady, and Doug Rivers | Hoover Institution

Donald Trump’s legal woes aren’t the only unknowns as the 2024 election cycle begins. There’s a question of the identity of today’s GOP; a Democratic void should President Biden surprisingly not run; plus the wild card of a domestic crisis (an economic recession) and a foreign crisis (Ukraine). Hoover senior fellows Dave Brady and Doug Rivers, both Hoover senior fellows and Stanford political scientists, whose polling tracks the health of the two parties’, reflect on the state of the next presidential race.

California High-Speed Rail: More “Loco” Than “Motion” | Bill Whalen and Lee Ohanian | Hoover Institution

Why has California governor Gavin Newsom taken to denouncing Walgreens’ drug policy (hint: abortion-pill availability) and what should happen with the Golden State’s problematic high-speed rail project that’s more “loco” than “motion”? Hoover senior fellow Lee Ohanian and distinguished policy fellow Bill Whalen, both contributors to Hoover’s “California on Your Mind” web channel, discuss the latest in the Golden State including why Newsom chose not to deliver a State of the State address, fentanyl-plagued San Francisco revisiting its sanctuary policy, and California bracing for (sigh) another round of battering rainstorms.

Chicago’s Mayor Gets Schooled | Bill Whalen and Michael Hartney | Hoover Institution

A Chicago mayoral primary fueled by the issue of crime ends up with the incumbent’s ouster and an April runoff between two Democrats with opposing views on education – one espousing school choice, and the other backed by a powerful teachers’ union. Michael Hartney, a Hoover Institution fellow and author of How Policies Make Interest Groups: Governments, Unions, and American Education, discusses the oversized influence of teachers unions in policy-making, elections, and interest-group politics.  

A Year After Putin’s Invasion: What is Next for Eastern Europe? | Bill Whalen and Tomasz Blusiewicz | Hoover Institution

As Russia’s “special military operation” in Ukraine passes its one-year milestone, what are the prospects of hostilities spreading across the European continent? Tomasz Blusiewicz, a Hoover Institution research fellow and a historian of modern Europe and Russia, reflects on the war’s legacy tapping into his roots as a Polish native, a Russian university professor, and a scholar and observer of the Baltic states’ as they emerged from their Cold War existence.

The Supreme Court: Student Loan Debt and “Hiding Elephants in Mouseholes” | Bill Whalen and Michael McConnell | Hoover Institution

The 2023 Supreme Court docket includes weighing the constitutionality of President Biden’s student loan debt-forgiveness plan, state legislatures’ roles in redistricting, and whether California can export woke business practices across state lines. Michael McConnell, a Hoover Institution senior fellow and Stanford Law School professor, explains why he took part in an amicus brief in the matter of loan forgiveness and what to expect from the conservative-majority court.  

Vengeance, Virtue and “Who We Are” | Bill Whalen and Zachary Shore | Hoover Institution

A look back at wartime moral dilemmas confronting America’s “greatest generation” – dropping atomic bombs, interning Japanese-Americans, whether to starve Axis populations – all raise questions concerning how present-day leaders will confront crises. Zachary Shore, a Hoover Institution national security fellow and Naval Postgraduate School professor, discusses lessons learned from World War II and the fine art of understanding enemies especially when dealing with the likes of Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping.