IPI Policy Basics: Every Law Should Have an Expiration Date (Audio: Podcast)
In legislation, “sunset” means that a law or agency or regulation has a built-in date at which it disappears in a poof of common sense unless specifically reauthorized by the legislature. This is a good idea that would prevent the continual accumulation of archaic, redundant and overlapping government functions. Sunset review is a forcing function that would create predictable opportunities to review, modify, modernize and streamline government functions, and to occasionally phase out unnecessary functions. With IPI President Tom Giovanetti and Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews.
IPI Policy Basics: The Role of Layoffs in the Economy (Audio: Podcast)
No one wants to be involuntarily released from their employment, but in a growing economy, layoffs represent the redeployment of human capital from less-productive to more-productive uses. With this understanding, policymakers should make it as easy as possible for people to change jobs and forms of income generation. Any policy that makes it harder to change jobs, start a business, or work a “gig economy” job creates friction slowing down the most efficient deployment of human capital. With IPI President Tom Giovanetti and Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews.
IPI Policy Basics: Should We Limit the Debt Limit? (Audio: Podcast)
What is the debt ceiling, and why do we have it? How often does the debt ceiling come up, and isn’t it an anachronism, since Congress has already authorized that spending? Or is any leverage over spending worth preserving? IPI President Tom Giovanetti and Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews explain and discuss the debt ceiling, and remind us that the core problem is spending, not the debt limit.
IPI Policy Basics: Regular Order, How Congress Is Supposed to Work (Audio: Podcast)
What is “regular order” for Congress and why is that better governance than the annual drama and circus we see now every year with continuing resolutions and gigantic, must-pass omnibus spending bills? Was the old way better? Tom Giovanetti, Merrill Matthews.
IPI Policy Basics: The Student Loan Problem--Causes and Solutions (Audio: Podcast)
On the occasion of the Biden administration announcing its $500 billion “forgiveness” of student loan debt, IPI President Tom Giovanetti and Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews discuss the origin and causes of the student loan problem, whether it’s as big of a problem as claimed, why “forgiveness” involves a truckload of moral hazard, and how we would address the problem of skyrocketing college tuition and debt.
IPI Policy Basics: Why Fossil Fuels Became our Dominant Source of Energy (Audio: Podcast)
Fossil fuels are naturally energy dense, can be relatively easily transported, and can be stored indefinitely for future use. These three characteristics are why the world’s economy migrated to fossil fuels as soon as they were discovered, and it’s why any transition to renewable energy sources faces these three challenges, because most renewables are not energy dense, cannot be easily transported, and cannot be stored indefinitely for future use. With former CFO of Vine Energy Wayne Stoltenberg, IPI Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews, and IPI President Tom Giovanetti.
IPI Policy Basics: What Is a Supply Chain? (Audio: Podcast)
Lots of chatter lately about supply chain problems, so the Institute for Policy Innovation is proud to host Research Fellow Prof. Daniel Ogden, (among other things) Adjunct Instructor of International Business at Baylor University, to explain the basics. In conversation with IPI President Tom Giovanetti and Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews.
IPI Policy Basics: What Is a Recession and Why Does It Matter? (Audio: Podcast)
In this episode, IPI President Tom Giovanetti and Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews discuss the various definitions of recession, what causes recessions, what’s the harm of recession, and are there any possible silver linings to a recession? Are recessions always unintentional, or are they sometimes intentional?
IPI Policy Basics: The Private Space Revolution (Audio: Podcast)
One thing the Obama administration got right was shifting NASA’s space program toward reliance on private space launch providers, which has led to an environment of much more rapid innovation, lower costs to taxpayers, and the emergence of multiple competing providers. IPI President Tom Giovanetti and Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews discuss how the private space revolution is yet another example of how the private sector does things better, faster, and cheaper.
IPI Policy Basics: The Impact of Inflation on Your Taxes (Audio: Podcast)
IPI President Tom Giovanetti and Resident Scholar Dr. Merrill Matthews explain why inflation can result in taxes paid on false gains because capital gains tax rates and other taxes on assets are not indexed for inflation, and that income tax brackets in many states are also not indexed for inflation.
Total Records: 56
