Ed Dolan
@dolanecon.bsky.social
Economist, Senior Fellow at Niskanen Center. Political economy, social policy, environmental economics and more.
Pinned
Ed Dolan
@dolanecon.bsky.social
· May 6
Trump's rule-breaking is going far beyond what even the most pessimistic imagined. These data shows that rule-breaking populist rulers do not make their countries great -- far from it! tiny.cc/pya7001
As @pkrugman.bsky.social explains, the GOP is shooting itself in the foot with its cutoff of SNAP funding. Just a glance at this map shows that SNAP cutoffs hit red counties (well, darker green on this map) harder than blue. paulkrugman.substack.com/p/the-hunger...
October 28, 2025 at 12:27 PM
As @pkrugman.bsky.social explains, the GOP is shooting itself in the foot with its cutoff of SNAP funding. Just a glance at this map shows that SNAP cutoffs hit red counties (well, darker green on this map) harder than blue. paulkrugman.substack.com/p/the-hunger...
Administration's immigration policy is disrupting farm labor market. This piece highlights the fact that no one seems to be thinking this through carefully. www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
Trump administration says immigration enforcement threatens higher food prices
U.S. farmers face labor shortages and potential food price hikes due to Trump’s immigration policy, the administration acknowledged in a Federal Registry document.
www.washingtonpost.com
October 11, 2025 at 12:29 PM
Administration's immigration policy is disrupting farm labor market. This piece highlights the fact that no one seems to be thinking this through carefully. www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
From @niskanencenter.bsky.social , a potentially powerful tool to ease the nationwide housing shortage. www.niskanencenter.org/home-field-a...
HOME field advantage: Leveraging HUD dollars to build more housing - Niskanen Center
This proposal represents the single biggest action HUD could take on its own to increase housing supply and open the possibility to substantially address the U.S. housing affordability crisis.
www.niskanencenter.org
October 10, 2025 at 12:16 PM
From @niskanencenter.bsky.social , a potentially powerful tool to ease the nationwide housing shortage. www.niskanencenter.org/home-field-a...
Sometimes we have to say "no." This yes-no-yes approach makes it easier to do without unnecessary antagonism. www.talkmarkets.com/content/sayi...
Saying No To Empower Your Yes: Practical Ways To Disagree Without Picking A Fight
By prefacing a principled
www.talkmarkets.com
October 7, 2025 at 12:18 PM
Sometimes we have to say "no." This yes-no-yes approach makes it easier to do without unnecessary antagonism. www.talkmarkets.com/content/sayi...
1/2 Alarmed by the decrease in college enrollment? Most of the drop is in low-quality schools, says @prestoncooper93.bsky.social . Although humanities majors like me will be saddened by erosion of deeper learning in favor of career-boosting majors. prestoncooper93.substack.com/p/why-the-co...
September 23, 2025 at 12:18 PM
1/2 Alarmed by the decrease in college enrollment? Most of the drop is in low-quality schools, says @prestoncooper93.bsky.social . Although humanities majors like me will be saddened by erosion of deeper learning in favor of career-boosting majors. prestoncooper93.substack.com/p/why-the-co...
It's far too soon to know the full effects of the Administration's war on immigration. But one thing is already clear: It isn't creating jobs www.wsj.com/opinion/trum...
Opinion | Trump Secured the Border, So Where Are the Jobs?
There’s little evidence that less immigration means more opportunities for Americans to work.
www.wsj.com
September 17, 2025 at 11:51 AM
It's far too soon to know the full effects of the Administration's war on immigration. But one thing is already clear: It isn't creating jobs www.wsj.com/opinion/trum...
Forget about meaningless year-on-year inflation. What's important is what is happening now. August CPI inflation was 4.5 percent compounded annual rate -- and rising fast.
September 11, 2025 at 3:23 PM
Forget about meaningless year-on-year inflation. What's important is what is happening now. August CPI inflation was 4.5 percent compounded annual rate -- and rising fast.
This California bill promotes more housing near transit hubs. Lists arguments for and against. Looks to me that the listed arguments against are things that make me like it better. www.slowboring.com/p/breaking-d...
Breaking down State Senate Bill 79
California debates a major transit-oriented housing reform
www.slowboring.com
August 26, 2025 at 12:44 PM
This California bill promotes more housing near transit hubs. Lists arguments for and against. Looks to me that the listed arguments against are things that make me like it better. www.slowboring.com/p/breaking-d...
Those of us in the academic world write about "state capacity." Sometimes that term is just too wonky for those who live on planet Earth. Here is a case study that says exactly what "state capacity" means in that real world. (Hat-tip to @pahlkadot.bsky.social ) www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2025...
FEMA staff warn Trump officials’ actions risk a Katrina-level disaster
About 180 FEMA employees, many of them anonymous, signed a letter to Congress arguing that agency leadership has hindered the ability to effectively manage emergencies.
www.washingtonpost.com
August 25, 2025 at 4:38 PM
Those of us in the academic world write about "state capacity." Sometimes that term is just too wonky for those who live on planet Earth. Here is a case study that says exactly what "state capacity" means in that real world. (Hat-tip to @pahlkadot.bsky.social ) www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2025...
"President says he’ll decide later “whose fault it is” that Moscow and Kyiv have not moved closer to end the war." (If he hasn't figured that out yet, things don't look good.) wapo.st/3JvvRrN
Frustrated, Trump signals pause in his Ukraine peace effort
The president, who had said a deal to end the war could be reached soon, expressed frustration over lack of progress and signaled he would pause his efforts.
wapo.st
August 23, 2025 at 8:27 PM
"President says he’ll decide later “whose fault it is” that Moscow and Kyiv have not moved closer to end the war." (If he hasn't figured that out yet, things don't look good.) wapo.st/3JvvRrN
By some reports, Russia is "winning" the war in Ukraine. However, the cost to its economy is enormous. meduza.io/en/feature/2...
As the Kremlin stalls on peace talks, Russia’s economy shows mounting strain — Meduza
The wartime mobilization of Russia’s economy has drained its reserves, though the country has so far avoided slipping into a recession. Civilian industries are stagnating or already shrinking, while o...
meduza.io
August 22, 2025 at 12:11 AM
By some reports, Russia is "winning" the war in Ukraine. However, the cost to its economy is enormous. meduza.io/en/feature/2...
@pkrugman.bsky.social quotes Arendt: "Totalitarianism in power invariably replaces all first-rate talents, regardless of their sympathies, with those crackpots and fools whose lack of intelligence and creativity is still the best guarantee of their loyalty." paulkrugman.substack.com/p/hackificat...
Hackification
Arendt’s Law comes for economic data
paulkrugman.substack.com
August 14, 2025 at 2:06 PM
@pkrugman.bsky.social quotes Arendt: "Totalitarianism in power invariably replaces all first-rate talents, regardless of their sympathies, with those crackpots and fools whose lack of intelligence and creativity is still the best guarantee of their loyalty." paulkrugman.substack.com/p/hackificat...
Utilities often keep coal plants online even when they are not the cheapest source of power. Trump rules are making this problem worse. We could have a win-win (cut electricity prices AND cut emissions) if we could thwart this coal-friendly practice. www.volts.wtf/p/trumps-lat...
Trump's latest attempt to save coal
Frank Rambo joins me to discuss the multi-billion-dollar utility practice of running expensive coal plants and the Trump administration's efforts to prop them up.
www.volts.wtf
August 14, 2025 at 12:28 PM
Utilities often keep coal plants online even when they are not the cheapest source of power. Trump rules are making this problem worse. We could have a win-win (cut electricity prices AND cut emissions) if we could thwart this coal-friendly practice. www.volts.wtf/p/trumps-lat...
What to expect in Alaska? “The ideal scenario for Putin would be to divorce the issue of relations with America from the issue of Ukraine, hoping that other political and economic matters would make Ukraine of little relevance to Trump.” www.wsj.com/world/russia...
Russia Has High Hopes for Trump-Putin Summit. Peace Isn’t One of Them.
The meeting represents a victory for Russian President Vladimir Putin, who seeks to end international isolation and separate Russian ties with the U.S. from the fate of Ukraine.
www.wsj.com
August 12, 2025 at 12:42 PM
What to expect in Alaska? “The ideal scenario for Putin would be to divorce the issue of relations with America from the issue of Ukraine, hoping that other political and economic matters would make Ukraine of little relevance to Trump.” www.wsj.com/world/russia...
Looks much like Bukele's playbook. www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
Trump readies federal moves on D.C. crime, takes over D.C. police
The president is planning to flex his law enforcement power over Washington, declaring that he would clear the city of homeless people and crack down on crime.
www.washingtonpost.com
August 11, 2025 at 3:22 PM
Looks much like Bukele's playbook. www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
I, for one, am all for cutting government waste. Why, then, is the government becoming a major perpetrator of waste? www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2025/...
Vast supplies of U.S. aid remain stranded, despite State Department promises
More than 60,000 metric tons of food have languished in warehouses in the United States and around the world — with expiration dates nearing on some items.
www.washingtonpost.com
August 2, 2025 at 12:06 PM
I, for one, am all for cutting government waste. Why, then, is the government becoming a major perpetrator of waste? www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2025/...
You can't fight the culture wars and make government more efficient at the same time. The see-saw battle over paper vs. plastic straws is a case in point, says @gabemenchaca.bsky.social of @niskanencenter.bsky.social www.eatingpolicy.com/p/grasping-a...
Grasping at (Paper) Straws
You can have government efficiency or wage the culture war, but not both at once
www.eatingpolicy.com
August 1, 2025 at 12:42 PM
You can't fight the culture wars and make government more efficient at the same time. The see-saw battle over paper vs. plastic straws is a case in point, says @gabemenchaca.bsky.social of @niskanencenter.bsky.social www.eatingpolicy.com/p/grasping-a...
Can someone explain why this is different from a cybercriminal who steals your data and then promises to give it back in return for a payment? www.washingtonpost.com/education/20...
White House touts deal with Columbia as critics decry ‘chilling’ precedent
Education lawyers and advocates said Columbia’s deal with the White House was a potentially dangerous government intrusion into higher education.
www.washingtonpost.com
July 24, 2025 at 6:57 PM
Can someone explain why this is different from a cybercriminal who steals your data and then promises to give it back in return for a payment? www.washingtonpost.com/education/20...
@meduza.io reports a bizarre trend among Russian elites toward beards, long hair for men, and traditional "patriotic" dress meduza.io/en/feature/2...
Dressing the part In wartime Russia, political elites are literally wearing their patriotism on their sleeves — Meduza
Since launching its full-scale war against Ukraine, the Kremlin has demanded total loyalty from government officials. In response, many in the country’s political elite have remade their public image ...
meduza.io
July 23, 2025 at 12:53 PM
@meduza.io reports a bizarre trend among Russian elites toward beards, long hair for men, and traditional "patriotic" dress meduza.io/en/feature/2...
1/2 @pkrugman.bsky.social explains here why Trump's Japan trade deal, if fully implemented, will increase rather than decrease the US trade deficit. The key is the simple equation US Trade Deficit = Net Foreign Investment to US. ... open.substack.com/pub/paulkrug...
July 23, 2025 at 12:49 PM
1/2 @pkrugman.bsky.social explains here why Trump's Japan trade deal, if fully implemented, will increase rather than decrease the US trade deficit. The key is the simple equation US Trade Deficit = Net Foreign Investment to US. ... open.substack.com/pub/paulkrug...
1/2 To follow the rise of inflation, watch the annualized monthly rate, not the %change from a year ago.
July 15, 2025 at 2:55 PM
1/2 To follow the rise of inflation, watch the annualized monthly rate, not the %change from a year ago.
The only slim hope that Trump's Big Bad Bill will NOT trigger a major fiscal crisis is for GDP growth to increase. Already not very realistic, that hope is further dashed by a new study from the Atlanta Fed showing that mass deportation will send growth down, not up. www.wsj.com/opinion/dona...
Opinion | The Economic Drain of Mass Deportation
A Dallas Fed study shows how much it could sap economic growth.
www.wsj.com
July 12, 2025 at 2:23 PM
The only slim hope that Trump's Big Bad Bill will NOT trigger a major fiscal crisis is for GDP growth to increase. Already not very realistic, that hope is further dashed by a new study from the Atlanta Fed showing that mass deportation will send growth down, not up. www.wsj.com/opinion/dona...
Trump's tariff policy is bad enough on economic grounds alone, but this is something else altogether. www.wsj.com/world/americ...
Trump Threatens 50% Brazil Tariff, Citing Bolsonaro Trial
That is the highest levy announced so far in Trump’s letters to world leaders this week, and comes after he wrote a lengthy message supporting the former Brazilian leader.
www.wsj.com
July 9, 2025 at 11:50 PM
Trump's tariff policy is bad enough on economic grounds alone, but this is something else altogether. www.wsj.com/world/americ...
"It's the housing, stupid!" Well, this new report from @niskanencenter.bsky.social does not go so far as to call anyone "stupid," but it does show that the high cost of housing is the leading reason for California's sky-high SPM poverty rate. www.niskanencenter.org/housing-poli...
Housing policy and poverty: The case of California - Niskanen Center
Policy strategies that increase housing supply and reduce housing costs should be viewed analogously to anti-poverty strategies that redistribute cash income.
www.niskanencenter.org
July 9, 2025 at 8:46 PM
"It's the housing, stupid!" Well, this new report from @niskanencenter.bsky.social does not go so far as to call anyone "stupid," but it does show that the high cost of housing is the leading reason for California's sky-high SPM poverty rate. www.niskanencenter.org/housing-poli...
1/2 Economists who study our healthcare system are frustrated by one thing above all: Not only are prices high, they are unknowable. www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...
Opinion | Surprise, the No Surprises Act hasn’t stopped shock medical bills
Americans who thought they knew what a trip to the doctor was going to cost them still don’t.
www.washingtonpost.com
July 8, 2025 at 12:47 PM
1/2 Economists who study our healthcare system are frustrated by one thing above all: Not only are prices high, they are unknowable. www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...