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 and the Student Loan Forgiveness Plan
IPI Resident Scholar Merrill Matthews discusses the $1.7 trillion student loan debt owed to taxpayers and the possibility of another government shutdown on Houston’s Newsradio 740 KTRH.
IPI Policy Basics: What Is Dynamic Scoring? (Audio: Podcast)
Trying to not get TOO deep into the weeds, IPI President Tom Giovanetti and Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews explain why treating the economy as dynamic rather than static, and treating consumers and businesses as rational rather than stupid, is the right way to try to estimate the results of policy changes on the budget and the overall economy.
Which Administration Is the 'Party of Lawlessness' Now? (Audio: Podcast)
A day or so after the most breathtaking improper exercise of unconstitutional executive power in memory, IPI Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews and IPI President Tom Giovanetti discuss the Biden administration’s renewal of the CDC’s moratorium on evictions (yes you read that right), and discuss the implications and problems of such a move.
IPI Policy Basics: Put Not Your Trust in Polling (Audio: Podcast)
In a recent polling industry autopsy of the 2020 election, pollsters themselves acknowledge that they don’t know why their numbers were skewed by about 4% in favor of Joe Biden and Democrats. "It’s time to stop paying attention to pollsters," says IPI Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews. And IPI President Tom Giovanetti thinks that’s a great idea, since polling has a pernicious effect on our political system.
Biden's Economic Optimism Hits the Wall (Audio: Podcast)
With jobless claims increasing rather than declining, and with the infrastructure and budget resolution bills seemingly bogged down, President Biden’s economic agenda has hit rough sledding. And if the administration succeeds in getting their agenda through, will that help grow the economy or slow the recovery? And what can we learn from previous administrations in similar situations? IPI Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews and President Tom Giovanetti discuss these and other relevant topics.
IPI Policy Basics: Why is Zero Sum Economic Thinking Wrong? (Audio: Podcast)
What is zero-sum thinking, and is it appropriate for economic policy? Is the pie static, or can we have more pie? And was Donald Trump the ultimate zero-sum politician? By IPI President Tom Giovanetti with Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews.
Big Tech Companies Benefit Consumers, Monopolies Don't (Audio: Podcast)
Critics claim big tech companies like Amazon, Facebook and Google have become monopolies, and that the Federal Trade Commission should break them up—a sentiment shared by the new FTC chair. But IPI Research Fellow Bartlett Cleland explains that monopolies tend to limit choice and disregard consumer welfare, whereas these companies have greatly expanded choice and enhanced consumer welfare.
Chip In: Semiconductors, the Economy and National Security (Audio: Podcast)
The pandemic-induced global shortage of semiconductors has revealed just how dependent our economy and our lives are on these silicone chips. But as IPI Research Fellow Bartlett Cleland explains, it also underscores how vulnerable our national security is to these mostly foreign-manufactured chips.
The Debt Ceiling Showdown Is Back (Audio: Podcast)
"It’s ba-aack!” After an almost two year suspension, our old friend the debt ceiling showdown is back again as a deadline facing Congress. IPI Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews guides us through the recent history of the issue and explains how the debt ceiling can be used as leverage by the part out-of-power, if they are so inclined. Will they raise the debt ceiling? Will they once again find a way to suspend the vote and cop out? Or will they eliminate Congress’ control over the debt limit all together? The inquiring mind of IPI President Tom Giovanetti wants to know.
IPI Policy Basics: Local Control Is NOT a Governing Principle (Audio: Podcast)
Almost everyone, conservatives and liberals alike, thinks local control is a governing principle, and that state legislatures have no business intruding on local issues. But this is a misunderstanding of the structure of our constitutional system and results in cities enacting all sorts of policies that erode economic liberty, property rights, and individual liberty.
Your Share of the Federal Debt Is Likely Bigger Than You Think (Audio: Podcast)
We commonly hear numbers like “each American’s share of the national debt is $85,300,” but because many people have little or no federal income tax liability, the reality is that tax-paying households have a much higher share of the national debt hanging over their heads. Analysis by IPI Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews, with witty contributions by IPI President Tom Giovanetti.
Covid-19: Assessing the Actions of Trump, Biden and the CDC (Audio: Podcast)
IPI Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews, an expert on health care policy, discusses the relative responses of Presidents Donald Trump, Joe Biden, and the CDC to the Covid-19 pandemic, with contributions by IPI President Tom Giovanetti.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Plan Is a Bipartisan Mess (Audio: Podcast)
IPI Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews talks us through the all the problems with the bipartisan infrastructure plan, and IPI President Tom Giovanetti focuses on the specific problems with the broadband spending proposal.
IPI Policy Basics: The Failure of the Market Failure Excuse (Audio: Podcast)
What is “market failure?” Do markets fail, or is that just an excuse used by government bureaucrats to regulate industries, start antitrust investigations, and create new programs and entitlements? Are there ways to address gaps in markets without blowing the whole thing up? Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews guides us through the issue of supposed market failures, and IPI President Tom Giovanetti shares his thoughts.
The Threat and Consequences of Rising Inflation (Audio: Interview)
Talk show host Robert Pratt interviews IPI Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews about the threat and consequences of rising inflation.
Total Records: 704
