From the S&P report (via HollyontheHill): Political brinksmanship of recent months highlights what we see as America’s governance and policymaking becoming less stable, less effective, and less predictable than what we previously believed. Thestatutory debt ceiling and the threat of default have becomepolitical bargaining chips in the debate over fiscal policy. Despite this year’s wide-ranging debate, in our view, […]
Reading right now: “The Myth of the Rational Voter: Why Democracies Choose Bad Policies.”
August 4, 2011 by
Lately, I’ve not had a lot of time to read. But when I have had time, I’ve enjoyed reading the wonkish and pointed “The Myth of the Rational Voter” by Bryan Caplan. It’s an economist’s look at why, as the sub-title says, voters tend to support bad public policies. The reason, Caplan argues, is not […]
“The Constitutional Origins of the American Revolution” by Jack P. Greene
July 21, 2011 by
Time for a segment of “A moment in obscure history.” This time, we’re looking at the constitutional dispute that resulted in the American Revolution. Since sometime in 2009, the Tea Party movement has lead a revival of interest in the US Constitution. Senator Mike Lee summed up why the increased interest of late during the release […]
In California, anything is possible…maybe even “Fat History Month.”
July 18, 2011 by
Sometimes, laws don’t make sense. They’re the result of an agenda forced on the majority by a loud and influential minority. The law doesn’t reflect good public policy, just a successful lobbying effort. California‘s recent dictate to schools to teach the benefits of gays and lesbians to history is one such law. If people thought […]
A false dilemma: Support a Dictator, or Support Oppressed People…How about instead support the “Constitution, limited government, limited executive power to kill people, [and] limited executive power to put our armed forces at risk…”
June 27, 2011 by
When in doubt of winning a debate, re-frame it as a false dilemma. In other words, make it impossible for people to choose anything but your side. Never mind if it means ignoring the Constitution or killing people, just to start. It takes a lot of restraint to put things in their fair perspective. Evidently, Secretary Clinton does […]
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