Qualified Opinions

Being middle class in America used to mean something. It was something socially transformative and even revolutionary. What happened? These are the ideas Christine Rosen writes on in her recent article for Commentary, “The Elite War on the American Middle Class—and How to End It.”  Christine sits down with host Veronique de Rugy to discuss what has happened to America’s middle class and how we can turn the tide. Christine Rosen is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where she

With the U.S. debt-to-GDP ratio approaching 180%, Americans are getting increasingly concerned about the future of our economy. Strangely, however, Japan’s debt-to-GDP ratio is over 250%, and it has not seen any inflationary crisis so far. What does this mean, and what should the takeaway be for America? In part two of his interview with host Veronique de Rugy, David Bahnsen delves deeper into Japan’s historical economic landscape and what we can learn from it. David Bahnsen is the founder and

Newspapers have been reporting on demographic challenges and birth declines in nations across the world. How hard will these problems hit the United States, and what can be done to counter them? Host Veronique de Rugy sits down with social science trailblazer Dr. Catherine Pakaluk to discuss her research into the relationship between family structure and economic outcomes. Pakaluk is an Associate Professor at the Busch School of Business at the Catholic University of America, where she established

Work-life balance has been in the news a lot in recent years. Young people have been quiet quitting. Bernie Sanders wants Americans to work only 32 hours per week. Gen Zers have surpassed Baby Boomers in the workforce and are demanding employers establish a company’s purpose in a way that contributes to a better society. Veronique de Rugy sits down for a discussion with David Bahnsen to discuss these trends and cuts through the noise to pinpoint the true meaning of work. David Bahnsen is the founder

Birth rates are falling. Parents and kids are stressed out. Mental health issues among kids are on the rise. What made raising kids much harder than it needs to be? Tim Carney joins host Veronique de Rugy to discuss the contemporary challenges facing parenting and what we can do about it.  Timothy P. Carney is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where he works on civil society, family, localism, religion in America, economic competition, and electoral politics. He is concurrently a

California’s top income tax rate stands at 13.3%, whereas Arizona’s sits at 2.5%. When are income taxes so high that they become counterproductive? At what point is a state income tax rate high enough to incentivize leaving the state? Host Veronique de Rugy sits down with economist Joshua Rauh to discuss these questions and more. Joshua Rauh is the Ormond Family Professor of Finance at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business and a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution. He leads the Hoover

The Republican Chairman of the House Budget Committee made news recently when he announced that if Republicans are serious about fixing Washington D.C.’s finances, they’ll have to talk about raising taxes. But with how fast deficit spending has accelerated, how much would tax rates have to increase to solve the problem? Which areas of federal spending need a second look? What is the trajectory of entitlement spending? Host Veronique de Rugy sits down with Adam Michel to discuss America’s finances

Federal Trade Commission Chairwoman Lina Khan’s meteoric rise turned antitrust and administrative precedent on its head. How did this rise come about? What impact has Khan already had on corporate America? How will her tenure as the top antitrust cop change the future of administrative precedent?  Adam White joins host Veronique de Rugy to discuss these questions and more. Adam White is a Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and the Co-Director of Scalia Law School’s C. Boyden Gray