by jpitney | Feb 13, 2025 | civic virtue
George Thomas at The Atlantic: The founding generation’s fear of demagogues is well known. Alexander Hamilton insisted on the problem in Federalist No. 1: “Of those men who have overturned the liberties of republics, the greatest number have begun their career by...
by jpitney | Feb 12, 2025 | Economic Policy, Trade
Jeff Luse at Reason: The U.S. is the second-largest steel importer in the world, according to the International Trade Administration. In 2023, the U.S. imported 25.6 million metric tons of steel and exported a little more than 8.2 million metric tons. About half of...
by jpitney | Feb 10, 2025 | Congress, House of Representatives, Senate, Transparency, Uncategorized, Volunteering
Philip Wallach at AEI: Key Points The 118th Congress passed 274 laws, fewer than any other since the Civil War. Other metrics confirm its poor productivity. It was also among the most omnibus-dependent congresses in American history. Especially in the House of...
by jpitney | Feb 9, 2025 | Congress, Elections, House of Representatives, Transparency, Volunteering
Mike Johnson: I believe that Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune have character and respect for their respective houses of Congress. I believe that of democratic leaders, as well, such as Hakeem Jeffries and senior statemen such as Steny Hoyer....
by jpitney | Feb 8, 2025 | Congress, Elections, House of Representatives, Transparency, Volunteering
Don Wolfensberger at The Hill: Former Senate Majority Leader Lyndon Johnson (D-Texas) and House Speaker Sam Rayburn (D-Texas) were great party leaders in their time. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) probably comes closest to their caliber of leadership in...
by jpitney | Feb 6, 2025 | Claremont McKenna College, Journalism, Journalists
We’re delighted to announce that Michael Wilner is joining the Los Angeles Times as its Washington Bureau chief. Wilner has spent more than 12 years covering Washington, D.C. He joins The Times from McClatchy, where he was chief Washington correspondent through the...
by jpitney | Feb 5, 2025 | Congress, Elections, House of Representatives, Transparency, Volunteering
At the Niskanen Center, Soren Dayton, Josiah Watney offer a history of the House Rules Committee. The conclusion: From the 1930s to the 1960s, there were a series of fights over economics and Civil Rights. To accomplish their policy and political goals,...
by jpitney | Feb 4, 2025 | Congress, Elections, Transparency, Violence
Andrew Solender at Axios: Threats against members of Congress skyrocketed in 2024, marking a return to levels not seen since the year after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, according to new Capitol Police data. Why it matters: The data suggests that the...
by jpitney | Feb 3, 2025 | Economic Policy, Trade
Lindsay Wise at WSJ: The precise impact will depend on how long the tariffs stay in place and if other countries retaliate. The Tax Policy Center, a think tank, estimates the average household’s after-tax income will fall 1%, or $930, in 2026 because of the...
by jpitney | Feb 2, 2025 | Economic Policy, Trade
Wall Street Journal: The U.S. doesn’t produce enough lumber to meet domestic demand and thus imports about a third of the softwood used in home construction, mostly from Canada. Environmental policies restrict logging on public land in the American Northwest. Timber...
