Wheeling, West Virginia Correspondent — We've watched powerful people protect each other for a long time in this country, and I spent thirty years on the union side of that arrangement, so I'm not new to it. When the settlement money comes out of public funds, it stops being a private personnel matter. Ordinary workers … Continue reading Should members of Congress who used taxpayer funds to settle sexual misconduct claims be required to repay those funds, resign, or face prosecution?
politics
Is the growing migrant caravan from Central America primarily a humanitarian, security, or political issue, and what policy responses does it demand?
Prescott Valley, Arizona Correspondent The question gives me three boxes to choose from, and I taught long enough to distrust any question that comes with its own boxes, so let me say at the outset that the caravan is all three and that the order in which a person ranks them tells you more about … Continue reading Is the growing migrant caravan from Central America primarily a humanitarian, security, or political issue, and what policy responses does it demand?
Thinking Outside the Boxe Releases Transcript of Q&A Session from Independence Day 2018 Champagne Summit
Myrtle Beach, SC, Orlando, FL and Washington, D.C. July 31, 2018—Thinking Outside the Boxe has released the transcripts of the question and answer session from its Independence Day Champagne Summit held in Orlando on July 4, 2018. Participants in the annual Champagne Summit question and answer session included Thinking Outside the Boxe’s correspondents from Gastonia, … Continue reading Thinking Outside the Boxe Releases Transcript of Q&A Session from Independence Day 2018 Champagne Summit
Is the growing gap between coastal economic performance and that of the interior becoming a structural political problem rather than a temporary one?
Wheeling, West Virginia Correspondent — It's felt structural here for thirty years, and I'd gently suggest that the question is only being asked now because it started showing up in national election returns. Coastal metros captured most of the high-value service and technology growth. Many interior communities were left with weaker job markets and falling … Continue reading Is the growing gap between coastal economic performance and that of the interior becoming a structural political problem rather than a temporary one?
How can the United States reduce its dependence on single foreign sources for critical rare-earth minerals without triggering new trade conflicts?
Novi, Michigan Correspondent — Diversify among allied countries, invest in domestic processing, improve recycling. The automotive angle is that an electric motor needs magnets and the magnets need these elements, and the industry is committing to electrification on the assumption that the supply exists. Nobody in my business has a plan B for neodymium. We … Continue reading How can the United States reduce its dependence on single foreign sources for critical rare-earth minerals without triggering new trade conflicts?
Should cities that have declared themselves sanctuaries face greater federal pressure on immigration enforcement, or is local discretion still preferable?
Clermont, Florida Correspondent — Immigration enforcement is a federal responsibility, but cities and counties absorb the daily effects on policing, schools, and budgets, and that's where the argument actually lives. Complete local non-cooperation makes enforcement harder and produces uneven application of the law across a metro area. Turning every local police department into an immigration … Continue reading Should cities that have declared themselves sanctuaries face greater federal pressure on immigration enforcement, or is local discretion still preferable?
Will the midterm elections of 2018 produce a meaningful shift in the balance of power between Congress and the executive branch?
Dayton, Ohio Correspondent — Midterms usually act as a check when one party holds the White House, and I'd expect this one to run true to form. If the opposition takes the House you get aggressive oversight, subpoenas, and resistance to the agenda. That's a real shift in the day-to-day even if the Senate stays … Continue reading Will the midterm elections of 2018 produce a meaningful shift in the balance of power between Congress and the executive branch?
How should Western governments respond to the increasing use of social-media platforms by foreign actors to influence domestic political debates?
Wheeling, West Virginia Correspondent — Foreign attempts to stir up division aren't new. My father's union dealt with people who turned up to make a strike worse on somebody else's instructions. What's new is the speed and the price. Governments need better detection and public attribution when a campaign is clearly state-directed. Platforms have to … Continue reading How should Western governments respond to the increasing use of social-media platforms by foreign actors to influence domestic political debates?
What are the strategic consequences of the United States withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA)?
Clermont, Florida Correspondent I advise small professional firms for a living, and the most common mistake I see is a partner who tears up a contract because it is a bad contract without first asking what he intends to replace it with. The old agreement was flawed. Everyone agreed it was flawed. That is not … Continue reading What are the strategic consequences of the United States withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA)?
With political parties seemingly less productive and more gridlocked, and business executives focused primarily on amassing wealth, are there any real and effective leaders anymore? If so, who?
Gastonia, NC Correspondent-I have all but given up on finding leaders from among the ranks of politicos in Washington or in our state houses across the country. Self-dealing, blind party loyalty and rampant self-aggrandizement rule the day, and the few moderates left find themselves buried under partisan shouting and pushed to the periphery. There are … Continue reading With political parties seemingly less productive and more gridlocked, and business executives focused primarily on amassing wealth, are there any real and effective leaders anymore? If so, who?
