Category: Uncategorized
Category: Uncategorized (page 4)
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Federalism – It’s Like Riding a Bike
In the Fall of 2016, at the height of the Trump-Clinton presidential campaign, my wife Becky and I took an anniversary trip to Pagosa Springs, Colorado. Pagosa Springs is home…
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The Seventh Edition of the Global Intellectual Property Index – IP “Inspires Tomorrow”
Earlier this month the Global Innovation Policy Center (GIPC) of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce released the seventh edition of the International IP Index. This year’s volume, entitled Inspiring Tomorrow,…
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The Asia Reassurance Initiative Act – A Strategic Vision for the Indo-Pacific
On the last day of 2018, the President signed the Asia Reassurance Initiative Act (ARIA) into law. Among the final pieces of legislation of the year, it is also one…
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All Systems Are NOT Go … Restoring the Governing Balance of Federalism
Shortly after boarding my return flight from the ALEC Annual Meeting in New Orleans last year, the pilot announced over the intercom that they were having some mechanical difficulties. He…
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Occupational Board Antitrust Reform Act
A bill for an act relating to occupational regulations contrary to the Sherman (Antitrust) Act; establishing the state policy for the regulation of occupations, specifying criteria for government regulation to increase…
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Accountability in Education
Ensuring that our kids are prepared for college, a career, and real life is something that families as well as policy leaders view as a top priority. The process starts…
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Democracy’s Fragility Is Evident in Hungary
In September, the European Parliament voted to trigger Article 7 of the European Union (EU) Treaty against Hungary for breaching the EU’s fundamental values. Members of the EU Parliament based…
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State Solutions to Make Health Care Affordable
A topic on the minds of many Iowans and Americans as a whole is the issue of health care. In Iowa, we spent a lot of time addressing many of…
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Term Limits Appear to Strengthen Nascent Democracies in Africa
Around the world democratically elected leaders from Venezuela (read more here) to Turkey (read more here) are subverting rule of law to install themselves as “rulers for life.”…
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Reining in the Federal Government
Over the last decade, you would be hard-pressed to find many Americans who are pleased with the United States Congress. While Republicans, Democrats, and Independents struggle to find consensus on…
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New Resources on International Trade
Americans – whether they are consumers, manufacturers or farmers – benefit from robust international trade. The overwhelming majority of firms that export are small to medium-sized businesses and one-third of…
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Liberia’s Path toward Democracy
On January 22, 2018, newly elected Liberian president, George Weah spoke to his people about a future of peace and democracy. Weah, a soccer legend, pledged to fight corruption winning…
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German Investment in the U.S. Creates American Jobs
Much current U.S. trade policy misses the importance of foreign direct investment (FDI) in growing the American economy and creating American jobs. Foreign-owned businesses are responsible for more than 6…
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Minimum Wage Levels — Let the States and Free Markets Decide
There is a wide variation in opinions on the minimum wage at both the national and state levels. Some would prefer minimum wages ranging from $15 to more than $20…
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Converting from Defined Benefit to Defined Contribution: The “Free” Money Pays Down Unfunded Liabilities and Pays Dividends to Taxpayers
Implementing a DC system delivers immediate payroll savings for the new plan’s participants. Using these savings to shore up the unfunded liabilities from the preexisting DB plans will ensure that past promises made are kept. At the same time, the new DC plan participants rest assured that each and every paycheck, funds are being deposited into an account belonging to them. Taxpayers win as the escalation in retirement overhead costs level off and eventually realize the full benefit of the savings.
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A House Divided: A Revisiting the Arab Spring in Libya
After the hope and excitement for democracy in the Middle East in 2011, the only successful transfer of power from autocracy to democracy is in Tunisia. Its next door neighbor…
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“Draining the Swamp” in States’ Backyards Starts with Grant Reform
The passage of the country’s second-largest spending bill promises a windfall of federal money to states and localities. In many cases, this money will enable the state to address pressing…
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Sugar Subsidies: A Bitter Pill for the States to Swallow
America’s sugar policy is an 18th-century relic that, like many policies developed more than 200 years ago, is desperately in need of reform. The United States is one of the…
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The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Releases Governance Frameworks to Counter Illicit Trade – Another Important IP Resource
Enshrined in the U.S. Constitution, intellectual property rights (IPR) are part of America’s constitutional heritage. Millions of American jobs owe their existence to the innovation economy, and IP-intensive industries…
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NAFTA Is All about the States
There is no better day to underscore the North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement’s (NAFTA’s) importance to the nation and to the states than Wednesday, the misguided National Day of Action…