Mike Konczal

Maryland, Washington, D.C.

Personal account. Special Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, National Economic Council. Former @RooseveltInst. Liberal. #Rstats. Dad. Chicago guy.

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Articles

Block Editor - Publication Template

1 month ago | rooseveltinstitute.org | Stephen Nuñez |Felicia Wong |Mike Konczal |Marshall Steinbaum

In this report, we seek to offer an analysis of the people, institutions, and history that brought us to this moment in economic policymaking. From the Green New Deal, to the American Rescue Plan, we look at key economic moments and what has been accomplished and what remains to be done if we are to see a sustained transition toward more progressive economic governance.
The Abundance Doctrine

1 month ago | businessandamerica.com | Mike Konczal

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The Abundance Doctrine

1 month ago | democracyjournal.org | Mike Konczal

The Empire State Building, then the world’s tallest building at 102 stories, was completed in 1931. Building that majestic structure, later called one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World by the American Society of Civil Engineers, took just one year and 45 days. Contrast that with just about anything we try to build now. And it’s not just speed. In the 1970s, 1.7 million new homes were constructed each year.
Rethinking the Biden Era Economic Debate

2 months ago | mikekonczal.substack.com | Mike Konczal

I believe one reason there’s been a conservativevibesshift was that the recent Democratic loss was broad enough to hit any theory of what the Democratic Party coalition should look like and what their agenda should be going forward. So there’s going to be some necessary autopsies of what went wrong; but they’ll also need to be refined through pushback.
Racing the Tariffs: How The Election Sparked a Surge in Auto and Durable Goods Spending in Q4 2024

2 months ago | mikekonczal.substack.com | Mike Konczal

In Q4 2024 auto sales spiked 7%, with spending on durable goods picking up from between 3% and 24%. Since auto lending standards net tightened, this is likely from anticipated tariffs. This spending on durables showed up in GDP, with durables driving 37% of real GDP and being the main increase in nominal PCE, with auto inflation up 6.6%. As the United States approaches a trade war with autos particularly exposed, auto inventories remain weak and have recently fallen.
Did Remote Work Drive the Global Surge in Job Openings?

2 months ago | mikekonczal.substack.com | Mike Konczal

The 2025 Economic Report of the President (ERP), the last one under President Biden, came out right before the end of his administration. It’s a fun document. At the National Economic Council I got to make a small contribution, giving some comments and edits to try and get my grubby politico fingerprints all over ithelp advise, monitor, coordinate, and establish consistency in the policymaking process. There’s a chapter on remote work that is particularly useful at this moment.
Did We Tame Inflation With No Economic Cost? The Sacrifice Ratio Has the Wrong Sign

Jan 22, 2025 | mikekonczal.substack.com | Mike Konczal

How costly will it be to bring down inflation? This is one of the big questions in macroeconomics, and it’s been one of the most important questions over the past few years as inflation spiked following the pandemic.
Rewiring Regulation: Regulatory Review for a New Political Economy

Nov 1, 2024 | rooseveltinstitute.org | K. Sabeel Rahman |Felicia Wong |Suzanne Kahn |Mike Konczal

IntroductionIn recent years, the executive branch has become an increasingly central focus for policymaking on both the left and the right. Among progressive advocates, there has been a growing attention to how executive action might help advance progressive priorities, from climate to racial and gender equity to imbalances of economic power, and more.
What’s the Matter With the Democrats?

Sep 24, 2024 | dissentmagazine.org | Sean Byrnes |Mike Konczal |Daniel Schlozman |Marcia Chatelain

What’s the Matter With the Democrats? Two new books reveal the shortcomings at the heart of the liberal critique of Trump voters. &squarf; Fall 2024 Illiberal America: A Historyby Steven HahnW.W. Norton & Company, 2024, 464 pp. Rebellion: How Antiliberalism Is Tearing America Apart—Againby Robert KaganKnopf, 2024, 256 pp. It’s been a hard year for the Democrats.
The Never-Ending Grift of DC Influence Peddling

Sep 3, 2024 | thenation.com | Chris Lehmann |Mike Konczal |Elie Mystal

Politics / Right-wing fraudsters Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman got caught lying about their lobbying firm, but K Street has long been a breeding ground for bottom-feeding grifters. Ad PolicyThe most surprising thing about the exposure of serial right-wing fraudsters Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman atop a sketchy digital lobbying firm is that it took them so long to hit upon the grift.