Matters of Policy & Politics

What are we to make of the debt-ceiling drama in Washington and why is there a need for the Federal Reserve to engage in greater self-examination? John Cochrane, the Hoover Institution’s Rose Marie and Jack Anderson …

San Francisco’s fentanyl “crackdown” begins; California’s budget drama heats up inside the State Capitol; and Governor Gavin Newsom’s ongoing …

At the dawn of the 20th Century, control of the African continent centered around European colonial desires – national pride, natural resources, and …

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 …

Should he formalize his candidacy, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott would be the fifth Republican looking to unseat President Biden in 2024. How many …

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. …

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 …

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 …

Why has California governor Gavin Newsom taken to denouncing Walgreens’ drug policy (hint: abortion-pill availability) and what should happen with …

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 …

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 …

The 2023 Supreme Court docket includes weighing the constitutionality of President Biden’s student loan debt-forgiveness plan, state legislatures’ …

A look back at wartime moral dilemmas confronting America’s “greatest generation” – dropping atomic bombs, interning Japanese-Americans, whether to …

Can California governor Gavin Newsom play a role in the congressional debate over an assault weapons ban and what is the feasibility of reparations …

The aftermath of California’s devastating winter storms begs the questions: can state government clean up efficiently and effectively; and will …

Why did California governor Gavin Newsom slip across the US-Mexico border and how can anyone explain the Golden State’s exorbitant gasoline prices? …

What’s the story behind the student-workers’ strike at UC campuses across California, and what changes in homeless policy will a pair of mayors-elect …

November provides two political hurdles for many an American: a contentious election, followed by a heated conversation around the Thanksgiving …

After 2020’s contentious election, how well did America’s latest experiment in democracy fare? Ben Ginsberg, the Hoover Institution’s Volker …

Why didn’t the anticipated “red wave” appear and what do last week’s results suggest about political polarization and the path moving forward for …

California’s election returns slowly trickle in (no surprise there), with the Golden State being the wildcard in terms of control of the U.S. House …

A potentially good night for Republicans, whom to blame on the Democratic side should the party lose control of half, if not all, of Congress, plus …

What to watch for in the midterm election returns—and the chances that the battle for Congress goes into overtime thanks to runoffs, slow vote counts, and legal challenges. Hoover Institution visiting fellow Ben …

As polls show the economy and crime toping the charts of voter concerns (with abortion as a wild card), what about the hangover from the 2020 …

California’s high-speed rail project grows ever more quizzical, the Golden State’s housing market slumps, and Sacramento’s Educrats seem in no rush …

How to remove distrust and negative partisanship – the politics of maximum fear and maximum blame – from America’s voting population? Hoover …

President Biden’s assertion that the pandemic has ended notwithstanding, a new COVID wave seems likely during the holiday season. Dr. Jay …

What to do about the public’s eroding faith in elections and a lack of confidence in ballot tallies? Hoover Institution visiting fellow Ben Ginsberg, a preeminent authority on election law, interviews Neal Kelley, …

With polls showing alarming pluralities of voters not believing in the legitimacy of the last national election, how can we set the record straight …

Big-money initiative wars over wealth taxes and online gaming dominate California’s airwaves; the Golden State’s plan for electric vehicles travels …

How do elections officials prepare for midterm and presidential votes, and what improvements can be made to states’ voting systems? Hoover Institution visiting fellow Ben Ginsberg, a preeminent authority on election …

In battleground states across the nation, disinformation and partisan accusations have fed a growing lack of public confidence in America’s democratic process. Hoover Institution visiting fellow Ben Ginsberg, a …

The “Fourth Taiwan Strait Crisis” raises unsettling questions as to the future of that island nation, including Beijing’s ambitions and America’s …

How to reinvest in and reinvigorate Newark, New Jersey, a city stricken by chronic poverty, unemployment and lack of investment capital? Hoover veteran fellow “Iron Mike” Steadman, a former Marine infantry officer, …

An irony in states across America: candidates seeking to become chief election officers who campaign and rail against the integrity of the democratic process. Hoover Institution visiting fellow Ben Ginsberg, a …

Over the next few days, London will be filled to the brim with mourners paying their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II; billions around the world will watch her state funeral. Historian and Hoover visiting fellow …

On the eve of the 9/11 anniversary, another event that went largely unnoticed outside the military community: Aug. 30 and the one-year anniversary of …

Why is the right to vote important to a democracy? What legal protections should there be? How do we counter electoral refuseniks who won’t accept …

As an FBI affidavit reveals details of what classified documents the FBI found in Donald Trump’s Palm Beach residence, the question is: will the Justice Department take the unprecedented step of prosecuting a former …

What can be done to avoid a repeat of 2020 and a re-questioning of the legitimacy and validity of American elections? Attorney Ben Ginsberg, a Hoover Institution visiting fellow and preeminent authority on election law, …

An online retail giant chooses not to expand in California, and Newsom’s change of heart regarding safe injection sites generates further …

Are Chinese and American forces on a collision course in the South China Sea? Admiral Roughead, the Hoover Institution’s Robert and Marion Oster …

Congress allocates $370 billion to address climate change while philanthropists offer billions more under the guise of environmental stewardship. Bjorn Lomborg, a Hoover Institution visiting fellow and environmental …

As a result of California’s “wildfire season” now a year-long occurrence there is widespread difficulty in finding insurance, unsustainable pressure …

Are we in a recession, what are the roots of the present inflationary spiral, what’s valid criticism of Federal Reserve policy and federal spending …

Will a California state law that’s survived a legal challenge now force the state’s independent truckers to unionize? Hoover senior fellow Lee …

California governor Gavin Newsom vacations in Montana despite his public feuds with other such red states and a California law banning official travel by state employees. Hoover senior fellow Lee Ohanian and …

The Supreme Court’s recent rulings on abortion, guns, and other contentious social issues further complicates an already opaque political landscape. …

The Supreme Court offers landmark decisions concerning abortion, Second Amendment rights, and public prayer at school activities. John Yoo, a Hoover …

San Francisco’s economy is a shell of its former self. California throws money at its homeless problem with mixed results, and Gavin Newsom resides …

Inflation continues to rage as a recession nears, a market downturn erodes investments and savings, and the Biden White House struggles to find …

Primary night in California yielded damning results for San Francisco’s now-recalled district attorney and the question of whether a law-and-order …

Sacramento’s legislative deadline brings bad news for California’s affordable housing crunch (no new development on community-owned golf courses) and …

While the war in Ukraine continues to make front-page news, a historically troubled region of the world offers its usual array of intrigue and …

California’s Democratic governor questions his party’s willingness to engage in culture wars, the Golden State seeks to attract businesses offended …

California’s new math standards don’t add up, Twitter’s San Francisco days may be numbered if Elon Musk has his way, and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex may be royally tired of California. Hoover senior fellow Lee …

Does a Florida judge’s decision to strike down the federal mandate for wearing masks mark a shift from pandemic to endemic thinking? Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, a Hoover senior fellow, a Stanford University professor of …

A legislative maneuver turning a tax break into a tax hike, coupled with a proposed one-day reduction in California’s work-week, begs the question of economic knowledge in Sacramento. Hoover senior fellow Lee Ohanian …

A major newspaper editorializes remorse over not covering the Hunter Biden laptop story when it first emerged soon before the November 2020 election – big news, little news, no real news at all? Carl Cannon, Real Clear …

The COVID pandemic struck universities in various ways – a shift to online learning, declining enrollments, plus changes in standardized testing and …

Despite President Biden’s warning a week ago, a Russian-related cyberattack on American interests has yet to occur. Jacquelyn Schneider, a Hoover …

California governor Gavin Newsom and Democratic lawmakers differ on how to spend the state’s budget surplus – Newsom favors $400 vouchers for …

One month into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, does polling show a “rally ‘round the flag’” effect in America and President Biden enjoying a higher …

California’s governor delivered an 18-minute State of the State oration notable for its many omissions, including underperforming public schools and …

Has the war in Ukraine and a reliance upon Russian fossil fuels prompted western European nations to reconsider their respective energy strategies? Bjorn Lomborg, a Hoover visiting fellow and environmental researcher, …

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine begs questions of flawed military strategy, bad geostrategic gambits, plus how information true and false flows amidst a …

Gas prices soar in California, San Francisco voters lash out at three members of the county’s Board of Education, and a gubernatorially-declared …

Only two months into 2022 and already a turbulent year for K-12 education: voters recalled three members of San Francisco’s Board of Education; …

Each year, California lawmakers fail to implement single-payer healthcare and curb homelessness – 2022 being no exception to the rule. Hoover senior …

This past weekend marked Ronald Reagan’s 111th birthday. Peter Robinson, the Hoover Institution’s Murdoch Distinguished Policy Fellow and a Reagan …

On the back-burner in an otherwise ambitious first year of the Biden presidency: a dramatic overhaul of America’s immigration policies, a new pathway …

A state assembly committee advances a single-payer healthcare scheme without debate, California’s public employees unions dodge a political bullet, …

On the one-year anniversary of President Biden’s inauguration, his administration’s struggles seem to lend truth to the adage: campaigning is easy, …

A big news week in Sacramento includes Governor Newsom unveiling a record $286 billion budget proposal and a Democratic lawmaker offering a massive tax increase to cover the cost of a statewide single-player healthcare …

An unusually long Supreme Court hearing (three hours in all) regarding two Biden Administration vaccine mandates raises thorny questions regarding federalism, states’ rights, and balance of power between the three …

What issues resonate with today’s Republicans? How has the party morphed since the rise of Ronald Reagan? What is Donald Trump’s influence upon next year’s GOP primaries and beyond? David Brady and Douglas Rivers, …

A pandemic, a recall election, a year-end crime wave and the question of how to invest a revenue windfall next year. Hoover senior fellow Lee Ohanian …

As a celebrated historian and prolific columnist, Niall Ferguson has plenty for which to be grateful. Ferguson, the Hoover Institution’s Milbank …

“Diversity math,” the changing fortunes of Gavin Newsom and Kamala Harris, a record revenue surplus in Sacramento, plus dubious outlooks for public pensions and high-speed rail. Hoover senior fellow Lee Ohanian and …

In a few days, the Congressional Budget Office will either back or buck President Biden’s claim that the Build Back Better plan – aka, “human …

Never mind Virginia’s gubernatorial vote: California has its own education-related controversy in the form of a new diversity math curriculum. Hoover …

As a younger generation of veterans transition from military service, how will they impact America’s communities? Jacquelyn Schneider, a Hoover …

Does an off-year gubernatorial race in the Old Dominion constitute a preview of next year’s midterm election? David Brady and Douglas Rivers, Hoover …

California’s bill-signing session concludes with hundreds of new state laws – many long on woke symbolism. Hoover senior fellow Lee Ohanian and …

As public and private-sector employees struggle with COVID vaccine mandates, the Supreme Court returns to in-person arguments, and Donald Trump seeks an end to his Twitter suspension. John Yoo, a Hoover Institution …

California Governor Gavin Newsom signs legislation meant to ease California’s housing crisis, but is it sensible – will it make homes in the Golden …

A new school year is underway, but what has the past year taught us about the political and policy clout of America’s teachers’ unions? Michael …

The election results are in and California’s governor has survived an attempt to recall him from office. Hoover senior fellow Lee Ohanian (the …

A new study shows companies are leaving California at double the rate of the past three years due to taxes, over-regulation, and a high cost of …

An admission at a recent press conference that his staff pre-determines the order of reporters’ questions points to an odd facet of the Biden presidency: behind-the-scenes choreography on public display. Debra Saunders, …

Donald Trump’s gone (from office) but not forgotten as many of the elements that contributed to his political ascent – immigration, overseas …

Taliban forces take control of Kabul and the visuals coming out of Afghanistan – Americans hastily evacuated, US-friendly Afghans desperate to join …

As California’s gubernatorial recall election approaches, will Democrats rally behind their embattled governor or will Republicans continue to enjoy …

A new COVID variant raises complicated health-policy questions: should masking be mandated and proof of vaccination required to enter indoor spaces? …

With polls showing Californians almost evenly divided on whether to recall Gavin Newsom, just how concerned should California’s governor be? Hoover …

The U.S. Navy’s latest budget request, coupled with Chinese naval expansion, raises questions concerning America’s ability to project strength and respond to crises across the Pacific Rim. Admiral Gary Roughead, former …

With only a week remaining for candidates to enter the race, California’s Sept. 14 recall election continues to take shape. Hoover senior fellow Lee …

President Biden’s American Families Plan would take Washington in a new direction: expanding entitlements deep into the nation’s middle class. Daniel …

For some Americans, July 4th has a special meaning. Lt. Gen H.R. McMaster, the Hoover Institution’s Fouad and Michelle Ajami Senior Fellow, revisits …

Should he survive a recall election later this year, would California Governor Gavin Newsom preside more cautiously, having survived the political …