Merrill Matthews, Ph.D., is a resident scholar with the Institute for Policy Innovation, a research-based, public policy “think tank.” He is a health policy expert and opinion contributor at The Hill. He also serves on the Texas Advisory Committee of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.
Dr. Matthews is a past president of the Health Economics Roundtable for the National Association for Business Economics, the largest trade association of business economists. Dr. Matthews also served for 10 years as the medical ethicist for the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center’s Institutional Review Board for Human Experimentation, co-author of On the Edge: America Faces the Entitlements Cliff, and has contributed chapters to several books, including Physician Assisted Suicide: Expanding the Debate and The 21st Century Health Care Leader and Stop Paying the Crooks (on Medicare fraud).
He has been published in numerous journals and newspapers, including The Wall Street Journal, Investor’s Business Daily, Barron’s, USA Today, Forbes magazine and the Washington Times. He was an award-winning political analyst for the USA Radio Network.
Dr. Matthews received his Ph.D. in Humanities from the University of Texas at Dallas.
Biden's Policies Have Us Soooo Confused (Audio: Podcast)
IPI Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews shares a number of conflicting and contradictory acts of the Biden administration that demonstrate inconsistency and incoherence, and IPI President Tom Giovanetti reacts.
IPI Policy Basics: Tax Rates vs. Tax Revenues (Audio: Podcast)
When a politician talks about “cutting taxes,” what does she mean? Usually, she means reducing marginal tax rates, but what are those? And what’s the difference between marginal tax rates, effective tax rates, average tax rates, and tax revenue? Does raising marginal tax rates automatically raise tax revenues? IPI President Tom Giovanetti explains, with the able assistance of Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews.
The OTHER Texas Border Invasion--Companies Fleeing California (Audio: Podcast)
Texas’ southern border is not its only border people cross fleeing an oppressive regime—California businesses are relocating to Texas because of absurd tax and labor regulations. IPI Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews runs through a few recent examples, with IPI President Tom Giovanetti contributing.
Will Kamala Harris Be Judged as One of the Worst Vice Presidents in US History? (Audio: Podcast)
IPI President Tom Giovanetti and Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews discuss Dr. Matthews’ recent opinion piece in The Hill about Vice President Kamala Harris’ many incidents of word salad and confusion, and discuss the role of the vice president in modern American administrations.
Does Senator Rick Scott Want to Raise Your Taxes? (Audio: Podcast)
IPI Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews and President Tom Giovanetti discuss Florida Senator Rick Scott’s confusing position on whether Republicans should raise taxes on low and middle income earners, and his even more confusing defense of his position.
IPI Policy Basics: When the Federal Reserve Raises Interest Rates (Audio: Podcast)
To what degree does the Federal Reserve control interest rates on home mortgages, credit cards and bank savings accounts? Why does the Federal Reserve raise or lower rates? And what rate does the Federal Reserve actually control? The basics of Federal Reserve action with IPI President Tom Giovanetti and Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews.
Has Russia Been Funding Anti-Fracking, Anti-Nuclear Environmental Groups? (Audio: Podcast)
IPI Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews and President Tom Giovanetti discuss the likelihood that Russia has been engaging in soft power to make European countries as dependent as possible on Russian oil and gas.
IPI's Reactions to the State of the Union Address (Audio: Podcast)
On a special episode recorded the day after President Biden’s 2022 State of the Union Address, IPI President Tom Giovanetti, Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews, and Director of Development & Events Addie Crimmins discuss the speech, its tone, its connection to political reality, and other various hot takes.
Were the Protesting Canadian Truckers Heroes? (Audio: Podcast)
What red-blooded American doesn’t love a bit of rebellion and defiance of government every once in a while? But at what point does protest become civil disobedience, and when does civil disobedience become something else? Is consistency important? If it’s wrong for antifa and BLM to shut down highways, isn’t it also wrong for Canadian truckers? IPI Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews discusses the rights and wrongs of civil disobedience with IPI President Tom Giovanetti.
IPI Policy Basics: The Perils and Pitfalls of Modelling (Audio: Podcast)
No, not fashion modelling or Instagram modelling, though we’re sure there are perils and pitfalls there, too. This episode is about using mathematical models and computers to try to predict outcomes. Riffing off of IPI’s experience and knowledge of economic modelling, IPI President Tom Giovanetti and Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews draw some conclusions about climate change modelling as well. Hint: Models are just not very accurate.
Heritage's Big Tech Temper Tantrum (Audio: Podcast)
We’ve got SERIOUS problems with a paper released recently by our friends at the Heritage Foundation entitled “Combatting Big Tech’s Totalitarianism.” It’s a shocking departure from anything approaching normal policy analysis from a conservative, free-market standpoint, and would empower the genuine, proven dangers of Big Government as a counterpoint to anecdotal assertions against Big Tech that entirely overlook the consumer welfare delivered by these innovative platforms.
Earmarks--They're Back! (Audio: Podcast)
What’s an earmark? Why did Republicans in Congress do away with them, and has that turned out to be a good move? Why are Democrats bringing them back, and why aren’t Republicans complaining? IPI Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews and IPI President Tom Giovanetti discuss the return of earmarks and the possibility that earmarks might serve a useful purpose.
IPI Policy Basics: When Congress Doesn't Act, Congress Still Has Acted (Audio: Podcast)
When you hear a president say “If Congress Won’t Act, I will,” red flags should go off in your head. That’s because when Congress does not legislate, that is Congress CHOOSING to not legislate. Congress choosing to do nothing is just as important, if not more important, than Congress choosing to do something. Or so it seems to IPI President Tom Giovanetti and Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews.
Why Price Controls Don't Work (Audio: Podcast)
IPI Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews talks with economist Dr. David Henderson, who explains some of the history of, and reasons why, some politicians propose price controls to counter high prices and inflation—and why that approach never works
Predictable Democrat Overreach and Predictable Midterm Wave Elections (Audio: Podcast)
IPI Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews reminds us of two major wave midterm elections in the past which resulted from Democrat overreach, and speculates on the upcoming 2022 midterm election. With comments and recollections by IPI President Tom Giovanetti.
Total Records: 704
