To Reduce Poverty, Expand the Welfare State
The policy solutions to poverty are simple: redistribute capital ownership and expand the welfare state.
200 Articles by: Matt Bruenig
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Matt Bruenig is the founder of People’s Policy Project.
The Fifth Circuit Ruled That the NLRB Is Unconstitutional
The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals sided with SpaceX earlier this week, ruling that the National Labor Relations Board’s current structure is unconstitutional. The decision will keep the agency hamstrung until the case makes its way to the Supreme Court.
The Bad Argument Against Zohran Mamdani’s Free Bus Proposal
In his campaign for NYC mayor, Zohran Mamdani has proposed making city buses fare-free. Critics of the proposal say this would deprive buses of needed funds, but their argument is based on a mistaken understanding of government revenue.
No, There Isn’t an Epidemic of Workless Medicaid Recipients
Trump administration officials including RFK Jr want to add work requirements to Medicaid, arguing that there is a major scourge of able-bodied recipients refusing to get jobs. Their case dramatically overstates how many people in this group are not working.
The “Success Sequence” Argument Makes No Sense
Many conservatives argue that the order in which a person achieves certain life milestones is key to their financial security. The point of the argument is to blame individuals for their poverty.
Will Trump’s Attorney General Override the NLRB?
An anti-union trade association is urging the US attorney general to invalidate 15 previously decided NLRB cases. The group argues the AG can and should declare that certain board precedent is no longer binding, an unprecedented and illegal move.
Young Men Are Not Lazily Opting Out of Work
Republicans are citing a supposed epidemic of young men opting out of work as a rationale for cutting Medicaid. But the data shows that only a small percentage of young men are absent from the labor force in a long-term way.
What the “Abundance Agenda” Leaves Out
Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson’s new book Abundance has plenty of merits, writes Matt Bruenig, but its emphasis on growth and innovation must be married to other egalitarian concerns.
How Many Americans Really Live Paycheck to Paycheck?
Centrist pundits take issue with Bernie Sanders’s frequent claim that 60% of Americans are living “paycheck to paycheck.” His critics’ attempts to debunk this statistic aren’t convincing.
The NLRB Can’t Punish Employers Strongly Enough
The problem of case backlogs at the National Labor Relations Board goes deeper than budget shortfalls. Without serious penalties for employers who break the law, the board will continue to be hampered by a pileup of charges.
Universalism Fixes Flawed Welfare States
Thousands of Americans cohabitate but don’t marry because doing so would result in the loss of Medicaid eligibility. Marriage penalties (and bonuses) are just part of why we need a universal social-democratic welfare state.
What Now for the NLRB?
The National Labor Relations Board has been a bright spot for progressives. Don’t think Trump’s team hasn’t noticed.
Manchin and Sinema Just Handed the GOP an NLRB Majority
Yesterday Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema voted to block the reappointment of Democrat Lauren McFerran to the National Labor Relations Board. This means that when Donald Trump takes office, he can immediately establish a GOP majority on the board.
Blame Health Insurers for Exorbitant Health Care Costs
Since the shooting of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO, a number of pundits have claimed that the main cause of exorbitant US health care costs is overcharging by providers, not health insurance companies. The argument doesn’t hold up: insurers are mostly to blame.
Democrats’ Antitrust Push Has Been Mostly Rhetorical
The Biden administration’s more aggressive approach to antitrust has been much discussed by proponents and critics alike. Yet the administration’s regulatory moves have really been small-bore tweaks around the edges, with little impact felt by voters.
What Does Trump’s Win Mean for the NLRB?
Donald Trump will probably sack National Labor Relations Board general counsel Jennifer Abruzzo, who has been friendly to unions, on day one of his presidency.
Why Is the Audubon Society Attacking the NLRB?
Last month, the National Labor Relations Board issued a complaint against the Audubon Society concerning treatment of its employees. In a wildly aggressive response, the nonprofit is arguing that the NLRB is unconstitutional.
The NLRB Is Hamstrung by the Dysfunctional US Legal System
Thanks to a corporate challenge to the National Labor Relations Board’s constitutionality, labor protections for tens of millions of workers have effectively been repealed until the Supreme Court can weigh in on the meaning of two words in the Constitution.
Labour’s Adventures in Pointless Means-Testing
Keir Starmer’s means-testing mania has produced its most absurd policy yet. Limiting access to the Winter Fuel Payment won’t lead to meaningful savings — but it will make it harder for low-income pensioners to access their benefits.
Our Verdict on Kamala Harris’s New Plans
Matt Bruenig reviews Kamala Harris’s new economic policy proposals — from money for first-time homebuyers to fighting grocery price gouging to an expanded child tax credit. Some of her ideas are good. Some are bad. Most are meh.