Nikolai G. Wenzel, American Institute for Economic Research Journalist Profile

Articles

God and Man at Harvard: The Forgotten Constitutional Roots

2 days ago | independent.org | Nikolai G. Wenzel

The hubbub at Harvard is fascinating because of the deafening silence—on all sides—about the most important underlying problem: the US Constitution. President Trump has frozen about $2 billion in federal funds for the university, which has refused to accede to his demands that the university adhere to merit-based hiring (over DEI) and allow federal oversight of the university’s handling of campus anti-semitism. He is threatening more punishment, but Harvard isn’t backing down.
Trumponomics: Unshackling the Economy or Bidenomics 2.0?

1 month ago | blog.independent.org | Nikolai G. Wenzel

Among the 64% of eligible voters who cast a presidential ballot in 2024, the vote was almost a tie (President Trump won 49.8% versus Vice President Harris’s 48.3%). The close call is not the most interesting part; the polarization is much more interesting. President Trump is not one to leave many voters or commentators indifferent. He is portrayed as satanic by his detractors and messianic by his supporters.
Canada’s Ailing National Healthcare Is Not a Model for America

1 month ago | fee.org | Nikolai G. Wenzel

Long wait times are the symptom of a deep problem. Earlier this month, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau began a US-Canada economic summit designed to improve his country’s economic climate. Canada’s political landscape is shifting. After nearly a decade in office, Trudeau has announced his resignation, with the Party leadership election scheduled for March 9. He will leave behind a country that has been grappling with a decade of disillusionment.
The Real Cost of the Tariffs on Steel and Aluminum

1 month ago | catalyst.independent.org | Nikolai G. Wenzel

Recently, President Trump placed tariffs on steel and aluminum. The executive action restored a 25 percent tariff on steel (from the first Trump presidency) and raised the existing 10 percent tariff on aluminum to 25 percent. It also revoked exemptions for nine countries and the European Union, which had been negotiated by President Biden subsequent to the 2018 Trump tariffs.
Of Budgets and Biases

2 months ago | blog.independent.org | Nikolai G. Wenzel

Austrian economist Gene Callahan likes to remind us that fantasy is not an adult policy option. We are often reminded of his words in national debates and handwringing over potential budget cuts, whether by the Republican-led Congress, or President Trump’s new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)—or attempts to address the $36 trillion debt elephant in the room. Economist Bryan Caplan has pointed out a number of systematically biased beliefs American voters hold about the economy.
DOGE Must Rethink Federal Spending: Prioritize Reducing Responsibilities v. Starving the Beast Through Tax Cuts

Jan 14, 2025 | spectator.org | David J. Hebert |Nikolai G. Wenzel

The U.S. federal government has a debt problem. At $36.2 trillion (or about 125 percent of GDP), this burden is already so great that it cannot be paid back any time soon and would take decades of concerted efforts to do so. Further, it is abundantly clear that this is a spending problem, not a revenue problem. But what are we to do about this? One answer floated about is to trim waste from the federal government.
Saving Us From Scheming Landlords? Biden DOJ Sues Real Estate Tech Company RealPage

Sep 17, 2024 | spectator.org | Nikolai G. Wenzel |David J. Hebert

In its continuing frenzy to see anticompetitive behavior behind every bush — and then apply the wrong remedies — the Biden Department of Justice recently sued RealPage, a technology company that helps landlords determine how much to charge in rent. On the face of it, RealPage is one of the many new tools offered by modern technology. It aggregates national data with landlord data and suggests a figure for rent.
French Exports to Avoid: Wealth Taxes

Aug 2, 2024 | aier.org | Nikolai G. Wenzel

Some bad ideas just won’t go away. In the 2020 primaries, several candidates floated the idea of burdening the wealthiest Americans with a wealth tax, on top of taxes already levied on annual income. More recently, President Biden floated the idea of a “billionaire tax” and a few economists have suggested reducing income inequality and tax arbitrage through a . A wealth tax has once again been proposed, by both extremist parties in France.
Wenzel: Is Congress Considering a Jack Abramoff-esque Giveaway?

Jul 18, 2024 | newsmax.com | Nikolai G. Wenzel

OPINION The Jack Abramoff scandal (2005-2007) exposed how deeply corruption had infiltrated Washington,D.C. Lobbyists secured special privileges for their clients at the expense of others. Despite reforms, these underhanded tactics persist 20 years later. Exploiting Native American tribes was central to Abramoff‘s corrupt empire.
'Second Class' Misunderstands Poverty (Book Review)

Jul 16, 2024 | heartlanddailynews.com | Nikolai G. Wenzel

‘Second Class’ misunderstands poverty, shows ignorance of economics, and repeats Marxist class-system nostrums. (Book Review)I don’t quite buy the facile explanation that the Republican Party has become the party of disaffected blue-collar workers, while the Democratic Party has become the party of college-educated elites. To be sure, there are fascinating tectonic shifts in the American political landscape, and today’s parties are not the parties of 40 years ago.