Walter Olson Voters in ten or so states this month turned down proposals to change the way elections are held, and reformers will be taking time to absorb the lessons. But I’d caution against treating this, as some headline writers have done, as a general rejection of ranked choice voting (RCV), which figured in many of the proposed ballot measures. ...
Neal McCluskey In a bit of a surprise to education watchers, former World Wrestling Entertainment CEO Linda McMahon has been nominated to be the new US Secretary of Education. It comes amidst a renewed push to eliminate the unconstitutional and ineffectual federal Department of Education. Will McMahon tear the place down? That’s the wrong question. The right one points to ...
Jeffrey A. Singer In a September blog post, I discussed the encouraging news from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) that drug overdose fatalities decreased from approximately 112,000 to approximately 97,000 during the 12 months ending on April 30, 2024. I speculated that policymakers are increasingly willing to permit harm-reduction organizations to expand syringe services programs, distribute the opioid ...
Adam N. Michel and Chris Edwards President-elect Donald Trump campaigned on reforming the federal government with spending cuts and overhauling the bureaucracy. He has tasked Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy with leading a Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and delivering a report to him by July 4, 2026. At Cato, we are here to help the effort and have proposed ...
Romina Boccia and Dominik Lett All eyes are on the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE—a Trump initiative to cut wasteful government spending spearheaded by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy. With dire fiscal projections threatening the American dream, efforts to curb spending and rein in administrative excess should be welcomed. But before DOGE is scheduled to report recommendations no later ...
Colin Grabow Whoever leads the incoming Trump administration’s trade team faces a difficult task. In the face of theoretical flaws, historical experience, and, frankly, common sense, they will have to convince Americans that a policy of deliberate inefficiency and increased costs through higher tariffs will somehow make the country better off. But prosperity through higher taxes on imported goods is ...
James A. Dorn In the history of economic thought, it is often found that what at first appears as a new idea can often be traced back to earlier work, which was lost sight of. Such is the case with Benjamin M. Anderson’s article, “Capitalism versus Socialism in the Light of the Present World Economic and Financial Situation,” published in June ...
Andy Craig “…in Case of Disagreement between [the House and Senate], with Respect to the Time of Adjournment, [the President] may adjourn them to such Time as he shall think proper.” — Article II, Section 3 The presidential power of adjourning Congress has never been used. There are no precedents and scant commentary about what it means, or exactly what ...
Vanessa Brown Calder President-elect Donald Trump has signaled an appetite for change with his new Department of Government Efficiency and various cabinet picks. While many federal programs and regulations need an overhaul, childcare policy is an overlooked area that is ripe for a new approach. For parents of young children who utilize formal childcare, it is one of the most ...
Colleen Hroncich “The more that I, as a parent, learned about Charlotte Mason principles, the more I realized that this woman was way ahead of her time,” says Andy Zawacki, Head of School at Arborbrook Christian Academy in Charlotte, North Carolina. Arborbrook was founded in 2005 by four homeschooling families who wanted a Charlotte Mason-based education for their own children ...