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2 weeks ago | 
brookings.edu | Ben Harris |Liam Marshall
The federal government last year spent $6.8 trillion, of which $4.1 trillion was mandatory spending (e.g., Social Security and Medicare), $1.8 trillion was annually appropriated discretionary spending, and $900 billion was interest. In addition, the United States also effectively spends $1.8 trillion in targeted tax breaks, known as “tax expenditures.”Over the past several decades, public concern about inadequate oversight has morphed into deep skepticism.
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Oct 15, 2024 | 
brookings.edu | Ben Harris |Liam Marshall
Support for first-time homebuyers has reemerged as an important policy issue in the wake of rising housing prices and attention from presidential candidates. The most prominent proposal is a plan by Vice President Harris to provide $25,000 in downpayment support for first-time homebuyers.
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Aug 30, 2024 | 
usnews.com | Albert Hunt |Brianna Navarre |Ben Harris
House Republicans should pay a price this November for a failure that transcends ideology, rhetoric or partisanship: their gross incompetence. “Circus” doesn’t begin to describe the conduct by the majority party in Congress over the past 20 months. It took 15 ballots – a record since the Civil War era – for Republicans to elect a speaker, Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California, only to dump him nine months later.
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May 8, 2024 | 
brookings.edu | Janice Eberly |Ben Harris |Stefanie Stantcheva |Jón Steinsson
Many indicators suggest that the U.S. economy is thriving, yet Americans continue to have a negative overall economic outlook. Stubbornly high inflation has played a significant role in this negative sentiment among consumers, even as wage growth has caught up with the rate of inflation. In a new study, “Why do we dislike inflation?” Stefanie Stantcheva fielded a survey to explore how Americans experience inflation and why they have such strong feelings about it.
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Apr 13, 2024 | 
dailycamera.com | Ben Harris
Recently released government data hammered home what we have known for at least a year: A national housing shortage, not broad-based price increases, is driving inflation. Inflation over the past year was 3.1% — far less than in 2021 but still high enough for the Federal Reserve to keep interest rates elevated.
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Mar 29, 2024 | 
brookings.edu | Ben Harris |Liam Marshall
Earlier this month, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) reached a settlement agreement to resolve a series of lawsuits against the organization. The key issue in the lawsuits was the practice of “tying,” whereby NAR members require that commissions paid to buyers’ agents be set by the seller’s agent when a home is listed. These NAR practices dominate the realty market in the United States, as close to of all homes sold are listed through a Multiple Listing Service (MLS).
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Mar 18, 2024 | 
newsbreak.com | Ben Harris
Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Our contributor network of tens of thousands of creators appears alongside stories from established publications and journalists. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments. It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency: our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies.
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Mar 18, 2024 | 
triblive.com | Ben Harris
Recently released government data hammered home what we have known for at least a year: A national housing shortage, not broad-based price increases, is driving inflation. Inflation over the past year was 3.1% — far less than in 2021 but still high enough for the Federal Reserve to keep interest rates elevated.
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Mar 14, 2024 | 
seattletimes.com | Ben Harris
Recently released government data hammered home what we have known for at least a year: A national housing shortage, not broad-based price increases, is driving inflation. Inflation over the past year was 3.1% — far less than in 2021 but still high enough for the Federal Reserve to keep interest rates elevated.
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Mar 13, 2024 | 
everand.com | Ben Harris
Recently released government data hammered home what we have known for at least a year: A national housing shortage, not broad-based price increases, is driving inflation. Inflation over the past year was 3.1% — far less than in 2021 but still high enough for the Federal Reserve to keep interest rates elevated. However, unlike the inflation we saw soon after the onset of the pandemic, the more ...
