Ray Nothstine

2 weeks ago | americanhabits.org | Ray Nothstine

I’m seeing quite a bit of media noise and commentary claiming that President Trump is violating federalism given the administration’s immigration enforcement actions in California. Much of this is related to Trump calling out the National Guard against the governor’s wishes, something that hasn’t happened since the Selma to Montgomery march in 1965.

2 weeks ago | americanhabits.org | Ray Nothstine

Cooperative federalism is a foundational principle of American governance, embedded in everything from environmental law to public health policy. But in practice, it often feels more like one-way compliance than true collaboration. Federal agencies all too often dictate the terms while states are left with the burden of implementation, and the blame when things go wrong.

3 weeks ago | americanhabits.org | Ray Nothstine

A native of the state, Meghan Portfolio is the manager of research and Analysis at the Yankee Institute in Wethersfield, Connecticut. Meghan worked in the private sector for two decades in various roles in management roles and sales. She covers policy issues for the Yankee Institute, with a particular focus on state budgets and the economic impact. She recently spoke with American Habits Editor Ray Nothstine.

3 weeks ago | americanhabits.org | Ray Nothstine

The historical documentary by Ken Burns, “The Roosevelts: An Intimate History” brought further discussion to the historical legacies of Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt. The Roosevelts is another powerful achievement by Burns, who tells the story of one of America’s most influential families and it tells both the public and private stories of Theodore Roosevelt, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Franklin D. Roosevelt. Both President Theodore Roosevelt and President Franklin D.

3 weeks ago | americanhabits.org | Ray Nothstine

The United States federal government is more than $36.5 trillion in debt. If it paid down $1 million every day, it would take 100,000 years to pay off. So why are states becoming increasingly reliant on the most indebted institution in the history of the planet? Late last year, Pew Research examined historic trends in state reliance on federal funds. A look back at the 40-year period from 1982 to 2022, for instance, shows that in 1982 the national average for state reliance was just 24 percent.