Owatonna, Minnesota Correspondent — The question has largely been answered since it was drafted, which is worth saying plainly. The Chairman retired the word transitory at the end of November. The November print came in at six point eight percent, the highest in forty years. The Fed accelerated the taper in December and signaled three … Continue reading Is the current level of federal spending on pandemic relief and infrastructure likely to produce sustained inflation, or will it prove temporary?
politics
After the first hundred days and the January 6 prosecutions, is “domestic violent extremism” now a coherent federal priority, or a label that will be applied to whichever street the current majority dislikes?
Gastonia, NC Correspondent — January 6 was ugly, illegal, and a gift to every camera in the country. Whether it was domestic terrorism depends on whether the noun means anything or just means a crowd we dislike on a day we can use. A coherent priority would have found the word in 2020. A police … Continue reading After the first hundred days and the January 6 prosecutions, is “domestic violent extremism” now a coherent federal priority, or a label that will be applied to whichever street the current majority dislikes?
Briefly, what are the three or four most important issues that the winner must address in the first year, and which candidate is better positioned to handle them?
Clermont, Florida Correspondent — Finish the acute phase and get a vaccine distributed, assuming one works, without leaving permanent emergency rules behind. Restore economic activity and employment. Re-establish order in the cities that had sustained unrest. Set a coherent course on China and critical supply chains. Trump's instincts on reopening, on order, and on strategic … Continue reading Briefly, what are the three or four most important issues that the winner must address in the first year, and which candidate is better positioned to handle them?
Regardless of the outcome, has the 2020 campaign revealed deeper problems in the primary process, debate structure, or campaign finance system that both parties should address before the next cycle?
Prescott Valley, AZ Correspondent — Yes, and the useful thing about this question is that it can be answered before anyone knows who won. The primary calendar and the debate rules amplified early momentum and limited sustained scrutiny. A candidate who survives the first three contests acquires an aura that substitutes for examination, and both … Continue reading Regardless of the outcome, has the 2020 campaign revealed deeper problems in the primary process, debate structure, or campaign finance system that both parties should address before the next cycle?
Foreign policy differences on China, Iran, Russia, and alliances have received less attention than domestic crises. Which candidate’s approach is more likely to reduce long-term strategic risk, and why?
Sydney, Australia Correspondent — I don't have a vote and I'm not going to pretend to a preference, but I can tell you how this looks from an allied capital, and it's more mixed than either campaign would like. On China the substance was correct and I'd say so plainly. The prior consensus underweighted the … Continue reading Foreign policy differences on China, Iran, Russia, and alliances have received less attention than domestic crises. Which candidate’s approach is more likely to reduce long-term strategic risk, and why?
Trust in media, technology platforms, and government institutions has fallen further during this campaign. Does the next president have any realistic ability to improve that trust, or has institutional credibility become a structural problem beyond one administration?
Wheeling, West Virginia Correspondent — Institutional credibility is a structural problem now, and it was structural here long before it was structural nationally. A president can stop making it worse. He can reduce the pressure on agencies and platforms to police speech. He can't make a newsroom cover something it doesn't want to cover. Trump … Continue reading Trust in media, technology platforms, and government institutions has fallen further during this campaign. Does the next president have any realistic ability to improve that trust, or has institutional credibility become a structural problem beyond one administration?
The confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court has intensified debate over the Court’s future direction. How significant should the Court’s composition be in voters’ decisions, and what are the realistic stakes for the next four years?
Prescott Valley, AZ Correspondent — The Court's composition matters for regulation, religious liberty, the Second Amendment, and above all for the scope of administrative power, which is the question that touches the most law and gets the least attention. Barrett's confirmation is a durable consequence of this term and it's already accomplished. Voters who care … Continue reading The confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court has intensified debate over the Court’s future direction. How significant should the Court’s composition be in voters’ decisions, and what are the realistic stakes for the next four years?
The economy remains under severe pandemic pressure, with high unemployment in some sectors and large federal interventions. What are the most important differences in the candidates’ plans for recovery, jobs, and the long-term fiscal consequences of continued stimulus?
Owatonna, MN Correspondent — The core differences are the speed of reopening, the scale of further support, and how seriously each treats the long-term debt path, which is to say not very seriously in either case. Trump's pressure to reopen and his pre-pandemic labor market give him the stronger claim on recovery and jobs. Biden's … Continue reading The economy remains under severe pandemic pressure, with high unemployment in some sectors and large federal interventions. What are the most important differences in the candidates’ plans for recovery, jobs, and the long-term fiscal consequences of continued stimulus?
Law and order became a central issue after the unrest of 2020. What concrete differences exist between the candidates on policing, prosecution of rioters, and federal support for cities, and which approach is more likely to restore order without overreach?
Wheeling, West Virginia Correspondent — Cities that tolerated sustained disorder saw businesses and residents leave, and the businesses that left were frequently the ones that had the least ability to absorb it. The President's position has been consistent: back the police, prosecute rioters, and use federal resources when a city won't maintain order. Biden's campaign … Continue reading Law and order became a central issue after the unrest of 2020. What concrete differences exist between the candidates on policing, prosecution of rioters, and federal support for cities, and which approach is more likely to restore order without overreach?
Character, age, and fitness for office have been raised against both candidates. Should these considerations carry more, less, or the same weight as policy differences in this election?
Prescott Valley, AZ Correspondent — Character and fitness matter because the office concentrates power and demands judgment under pressure that nobody can rehearse. Both candidates have vulnerabilities and I'd resist the framing that one set is serious and the other is noise. Trump's are extensively documented and frequently self-inflicted. Biden is seventy-seven and the questions … Continue reading Character, age, and fitness for office have been raised against both candidates. Should these considerations carry more, less, or the same weight as policy differences in this election?
