A good test of whether the 113th Congress is likely to take budgeting seriously will come early this week, when the House considers the remainder of its Hurricane Sandy relief legislation. House conservatives are proposing several amendments that would cut enough spending to offset the $17 billion base bill (H.R. …
While 46 states have jumped on the national education standards bandwagon, it’s not too late to hit the brakes. We’ve been down this road before. During the 1990s, the push to nationalize standards and testing reached a fever pitch. There were the infamous national history standards, which were so poor …
A New York Times editorial published in the midst of Hurricane Sandy’s devastation has received a good deal of attention. The article argued that “A Big Storm Requires Big Government,” politicizing and distorting calls for reform of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). A response by The Wall Street Journal, …
Let’s be honest: We all know you’re not really gonna quit smoking, start exercising, and eat more vegetables as of today. As Emerson wryly remarked: “All promise outruns performance.” The key to keeping your New Year’s resolutions is to make them more realistic. Rather than try to drastically change the …
The “National Popular Vote” plan (NPV) is a scheme that would effectively abolish the Electoral College without going through the formal (and politically difficult) process of amending the Constitution. The NPV proposes an interstate compact in which participating states agree in advance to automatically allocate their electoral votes to the …
Confused about the federal role in education? A simple analogy will help. This new Heritage video tells the story of Steve, the president of the local homeowners’ association. Steve decides to centralize the yard care decisions for the entire neighborhood to achieve uniformity. Unfortunately, not all lawns are the same. …
Since the passage of Obamacare, the federal government’s role in American citizens’ lives has grown significantly. In a recent lecture, Heritage expert Robert Moffit discusses how passage of the health care law has not only grown the size and scope of government, but has also ignited a debate over the …
