Alex Garlick
@garlicksauce.bsky.social
UVM prof. Author of "Pre-Existing Conditions: How Lobbying Makes American Health Care More Expensive." I research lobbying, legislatures and health policy. www.alexgarlick.com
“Concepts of a plan” forever.
November 9, 2025 at 12:57 AM
“Concepts of a plan” forever.
Encouraging thaw in the Senate, but this would only kick the responsibility for ending the shutdown over to the House.
November 6, 2025 at 8:04 PM
Encouraging thaw in the Senate, but this would only kick the responsibility for ending the shutdown over to the House.
X is lamenting that Republicans are getting blamed, but I wonder why that is?
November 6, 2025 at 4:10 PM
X is lamenting that Republicans are getting blamed, but I wonder why that is?
This is looking like 18/18.
November 5, 2025 at 11:42 AM
This is looking like 18/18.
Sadly I can also report that Needham High School will be without an elected Governor alumnus for the first time since 2014.
November 5, 2025 at 11:18 AM
Sadly I can also report that Needham High School will be without an elected Governor alumnus for the first time since 2014.
I'm teaching Skowronek tomorrow, whose belief that "the presidency is a battering ram" has held up. Although, his statement should probably be updated that the POTUS is a "foreign-made excavator" to keep up with the times.
November 3, 2025 at 9:37 PM
I'm teaching Skowronek tomorrow, whose belief that "the presidency is a battering ram" has held up. Although, his statement should probably be updated that the POTUS is a "foreign-made excavator" to keep up with the times.
This shows how lobbying works in a polarized age. The hotel trade association just hired Scalise's chief, and from his mind, the need to build coalitions only includes Republicans.
via POLITICO Influence
via POLITICO Influence
October 30, 2025 at 1:49 PM
This shows how lobbying works in a polarized age. The hotel trade association just hired Scalise's chief, and from his mind, the need to build coalitions only includes Republicans.
via POLITICO Influence
via POLITICO Influence
Why is this dragging on with no end in sight?
1) The House being out is simply not building political pressure on House Dems
2) Trump was eager for shut down. They dressed up Vought like grim reaper!
3) Many Dems are okay with Senate Repubs nuking filibuster, so that consequence is not foreboding.
1) The House being out is simply not building political pressure on House Dems
2) Trump was eager for shut down. They dressed up Vought like grim reaper!
3) Many Dems are okay with Senate Repubs nuking filibuster, so that consequence is not foreboding.
October 29, 2025 at 2:18 PM
Why is this dragging on with no end in sight?
1) The House being out is simply not building political pressure on House Dems
2) Trump was eager for shut down. They dressed up Vought like grim reaper!
3) Many Dems are okay with Senate Repubs nuking filibuster, so that consequence is not foreboding.
1) The House being out is simply not building political pressure on House Dems
2) Trump was eager for shut down. They dressed up Vought like grim reaper!
3) Many Dems are okay with Senate Repubs nuking filibuster, so that consequence is not foreboding.
This week the #GarlickBLT makes it to @usnews.com, where I drop some important new economic insights. www.usnews.com/news/best-st...
October 28, 2025 at 5:48 PM
This week the #GarlickBLT makes it to @usnews.com, where I drop some important new economic insights. www.usnews.com/news/best-st...
The @Newsweek.com reviewed my book highlighting how negative lobbying is a key driver of health care inflation.
www.newsweek.com/study-finds-...
www.newsweek.com/study-finds-...
October 22, 2025 at 1:52 AM
The @Newsweek.com reviewed my book highlighting how negative lobbying is a key driver of health care inflation.
www.newsweek.com/study-finds-...
www.newsweek.com/study-finds-...
My book does not advocate for a single "silver bullet" to make health care more affordable. But Vermont needs to think more holistically about increasing the supply of providers to ease costs, either with the federal rural health care dollars or by building more housing. #YIMBY
October 20, 2025 at 1:18 PM
My book does not advocate for a single "silver bullet" to make health care more affordable. But Vermont needs to think more holistically about increasing the supply of providers to ease costs, either with the federal rural health care dollars or by building more housing. #YIMBY
If you pull out one year of those state-by-state expenditures, you see 1) It's not liberal/blue states where health care is most expensive for residents. 2) There's a positive relationship with the size of the health care lobby driving the trend.
October 13, 2025 at 1:48 PM
If you pull out one year of those state-by-state expenditures, you see 1) It's not liberal/blue states where health care is most expensive for residents. 2) There's a positive relationship with the size of the health care lobby driving the trend.
My book shows that while the ACA did not "bend the cost curve down" like Obama hoped, it has plateaued a bit. But the bigger issue for Lawler and Republicans is that the states where health care is the biggest crisis for its residents are red states, like WV where 24%! of expend went to healthcare.
October 13, 2025 at 1:46 PM
My book shows that while the ACA did not "bend the cost curve down" like Obama hoped, it has plateaued a bit. But the bigger issue for Lawler and Republicans is that the states where health care is the biggest crisis for its residents are red states, like WV where 24%! of expend went to healthcare.
Rick Scott joins team "Concepts of a Plan." Where is the secret plan that lowers the cost of care without (1) kicking people off health insurance? (2) Gutting what health insurance covers (pre-existing conditions)?
www.wsj.com/opinion/demo...
www.wsj.com/opinion/demo...
October 10, 2025 at 4:50 PM
Rick Scott joins team "Concepts of a Plan." Where is the secret plan that lowers the cost of care without (1) kicking people off health insurance? (2) Gutting what health insurance covers (pre-existing conditions)?
www.wsj.com/opinion/demo...
www.wsj.com/opinion/demo...
Republicans just cannot resist leaking the contents of a conference call while they're on the call. But yeah, this tactic seems like it's losing steam.
October 9, 2025 at 6:21 PM
Republicans just cannot resist leaking the contents of a conference call while they're on the call. But yeah, this tactic seems like it's losing steam.
Keeping the House out has been an interesting tactic. On the one hand, Johnson and leadership struggle to keep their conference's messaging together. But it's taken energy out of shaming Dems for shutting things down, which usually is the best argument of the ruling party.
October 9, 2025 at 1:12 PM
Keeping the House out has been an interesting tactic. On the one hand, Johnson and leadership struggle to keep their conference's messaging together. But it's taken energy out of shaming Dems for shutting things down, which usually is the best argument of the ruling party.
This is a rich text from Rep. MTG for understanding the health care plank of the "populist economics" wing of MAGA.
October 7, 2025 at 1:28 PM
This is a rich text from Rep. MTG for understanding the health care plank of the "populist economics" wing of MAGA.
To the extent the Democrats shutdown tactics over ACA subsidies makes sense, this is it. It could bring a looming wedge issue in the GOP conference to light.
October 1, 2025 at 8:52 PM
To the extent the Democrats shutdown tactics over ACA subsidies makes sense, this is it. It could bring a looming wedge issue in the GOP conference to light.
For public policy scholars: JPIPE published our article that uses machine learning to code the universe of congressional and state legislative data since 2009 by the Comparative Agenda Project policy codes. That's 1.68 million bills. OPEN-ACCESS here: www.nowpublishers.com/article/Deta...
October 1, 2025 at 2:24 PM
For public policy scholars: JPIPE published our article that uses machine learning to code the universe of congressional and state legislative data since 2009 by the Comparative Agenda Project policy codes. That's 1.68 million bills. OPEN-ACCESS here: www.nowpublishers.com/article/Deta...
Thanks to @eliseconant.bsky.social for inviting me to her ethics class and the Vermont Conversation Lab to talk about my book and future health care policy research. The #GarlickBLT book tour continues.
September 25, 2025 at 1:41 PM
Thanks to @eliseconant.bsky.social for inviting me to her ethics class and the Vermont Conversation Lab to talk about my book and future health care policy research. The #GarlickBLT book tour continues.
This Jimmy Kimmel protest proposal couldn't be more Vermont even if it was covered in maple syrup.
September 19, 2025 at 2:03 AM
This Jimmy Kimmel protest proposal couldn't be more Vermont even if it was covered in maple syrup.
It was a pleasure to kick off the #GarlickBLT (book launch tour) for PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS at the UVM Cancer Center's PSCO group this week. The book ships this month, and you can use the 30% promo code AUFLY30 here: global.oup.com/academic/pro...
September 5, 2025 at 4:48 PM
It was a pleasure to kick off the #GarlickBLT (book launch tour) for PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS at the UVM Cancer Center's PSCO group this week. The book ships this month, and you can use the 30% promo code AUFLY30 here: global.oup.com/academic/pro...
My book is available for 30% off. Ideal for public/health policy students and anyone that is suspicious of special interests in America health care.
August 25, 2025 at 6:22 PM
My book is available for 30% off. Ideal for public/health policy students and anyone that is suspicious of special interests in America health care.
Phish has got to be the most under-played artist in Spotify data.
August 10, 2025 at 8:09 PM
Phish has got to be the most under-played artist in Spotify data.
This is the top listing for perhaps the most famous book in social science. WTF
August 6, 2025 at 4:06 PM
This is the top listing for perhaps the most famous book in social science. WTF