Saving Gas Via Underpowered Death Traps
Research confirms that increasing fuel economy standards does cost lives on the road. But economist Mark Jacobsen explains how that doesn’t have to be the case.
Would Debt-Ceiling Circus Occur With Women in Charge?
Academics and advocates are asking if there were lots more women in the U.S. government whether the debt-ceiling debacle would have been allowed to develop.
Mortgage Interest Deduction on the Chopping Block?
A panel ranging from liberals to libertarians suggests turning the mortgage interest deduction, a sacred cow of the U.S. tax code, into hamburger.
Less Stress May Mean Less Fat
And that's why keeping the larder stocked for safety-net programs such as food stamps may keep people fed and fit.
Political Infamy Is Raising Money — For Both Sides
A new measurement using Google search terms creates an “infamy index” for politicians and finds that being infamous helps in fundraising.
Political Polarization Grows as Job Security Falls
The tenor of the partisan kerfuffle over the debt ceiling may have its roots in declining job security, which has been declining steadily since the 1970s, argues political scientist Philipp Rehm.
Give Me a Receipt Next Time I Pay Taxes
If Americans saw exactly how their specific tax dollars were being allocated, would it change the substance or tenor of discussions on, say, the debt ceiling?
Plain English Urged to Limit Federal Bureaucracy
Could you say that in English, please? The Plain Writing Act of 2010 asks the U.S. government to better talk the talk of its constituents.
Foreign Aid Should Deliver Science, Too
A pairing of U.S. foreign aid and the National Science Foundation should deliver vital technological and scientific access to the world at no additional cost to U.S. taxpayers.
U.S. Seeking LGBT Health Data in Future Surveys
In a little remarked upon sign of the times, U.S. government health surveys will start asking Americans to check a box about their sexual orientation in 2013.