Theodore Cangero
Articles
The Trump Administration Proposes Streamlining Financial Regulation
When the housing bubble burst in 2007 shortcomings were revealed in the risk-management practices of many financial institutions. During the Great Recession, the Financial Conditions Leverage Index reached the highest level since the 1970s. Financial institutions learned from the crisis and shored up their balance sheets. They have since increased their capital, raised liquidity standards,…
Government Intervention in Health Insurance Falls Short
The Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, fell short of its main objectives. The goal of Obamacare was to expand access to health care and to reduce costs.It failed because it attempted to force transactions that would not happen in a free market. The act mandated that insurance companies offer coverage in the individual…
A Look at The American Health Care Act
Back in March, President Trump and Speaker Ryan failed to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as Obamacare. The GOP bill was called the American Health Care Act. The bill failed because members of the House’s Freedom Caucus refused to vote for it. The GOP leadership made changes to the AHCA and…
President Trump Proposes Deep Budget Cuts
Earlier this week, President Trump released his proposed budget for 2018. The budget is ambitiously titled “A New Foundation for American Greatness.” The White House forecasts that the new budget would eliminate the federal deficit in 10 years. President Trump would balance the budget by cutting $3.6 trillion in federal spending over the next decade.…
Delinquency Rates Rise For Student Loans, Credit Cards, and Auto Loans
A new report on debt and credit shows that in the first quarter of 2017, household debt just surpassed the previous peak of $12.7 trillion, seen during the Great Recession. Rising debt levels may become a problem. From the first quarter of 2009 to mid-2013, consumers paid down debt. Since mid-2013, households have taken on…
Americans Are Leaving States with Burdensome Governments
Internal migration has always been a part of America. The ability to move for a better job has promoted economic growth. AIER studies have shown that a better match between workers and employers helps productivity and wages. A new article from the Mises Institute shows that Americans are also moving for favorable tax environments. For…
Trouble Ahead: Unfunded Liabilities in State Pension Funds
Since the Great Recession, large federal budget deficits and a record level of government debt have dominated the headlines. But municipal and state finances have also come under stress in recent years. On the municipal side, Detroit declared bankruptcy and restructured public pensions. In Dallas, the police and firefighters’ pension fund is broke. Stockton and…
Government Shutdown Averted for Now
The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 suspended the debt ceiling through March of this year. In mid-March the debt ceiling was raised to the current level. The Treasury has undertaken so-called extraordinary measures to continue funding the government. In effect, extraordinary measures allow the Treasury to temporarily borrow from other federal agencies. Congress is set…
Private Governance and Online Shopping
In years past, almost all retail trade was conducted at brick-and-mortar stores. Merchants depended on their reputations to drive customer traffic. But reputation mostly spread by word of mouth. Merchants risked their good reputation if they sold bad products. This gave consumers a layer of protection. As retail sales moved outside of brick-and-mortar shops to…
President Trump Slaps a Tariff on Canada
“Canadian Bacon” is a mid-1990s satire of U.S. politics. In the film, the president tries to boost the economy by starting a war with Canada. The opening salvo involves Bud Boomer, a rural sheriff from upstate New York, sneaking into Toronto to throw garbage in a park. The fictitious war ends up hurting the economy.…
