AMERICAN.COM -- A Magazine of Ideas, Online

Is Football on Its Deathbed?

Alan W. Dowd — 2013-05-03T19:03:33Z

Lawsuits over players’ brain injuries have some saying football is dead. In fact, it has dislodged baseball as the national pastime and will remain America’s passion for decades to come.

Nudging Conservatives to Harness Behavioral Science

Rich Thau and Celeste Gregory — 2013-05-03T18:58:37Z

While liberals are deploying behavioral science with stunning results, conservatives have failed to follow up on their success three decades ago with the psychology of ‘broken windows.’ Here are several policy initiatives with which to begin.

Venezuelans Resist an Illegitimate and Violent Regime

Roger Noriega — 2013-05-01T19:00:44Z

A majority of Venezuelans voted for change and now has no choice but to resist a regime that can hold on to power only with violence.

More Subsidies for Prosperous Farmers

Barry Goodwin — 2013-05-01T14:40:40Z

In the face of deficits not seen since World War II, we should question proposals to provide billions of taxpayer dollars to support an industry that is enjoying record profits.

Increasing Distortions and Feeding Leviathan: The Internet Sales Tax

Benjamin Zycher — 2013-04-30T14:27:04Z

A policy shift that weakens the link between taxes imposed and benefits received by definition yields wealth transfers, and the vast array of perverse incentives attendant upon them.

Sympathy for the Devil

Lee Harris — 2013-04-26T19:22:03Z

When the search for motives leads to moral alibis.

Still Waiting for Superman: The School Leaders We Need

Frederick M. Hess and Kerri Briggs — 2013-04-26T11:34:21Z

It might seem like the primary ingredient for school improvement hinges on superhero principals, but a more promising approach starts by recognizing that there are two halves to the leadership challenge.

10 Lessons from Cyprus

Desmond Lachman — 2013-04-25T01:46:52Z

Here are the likely lessons future historians will draw from Cyprus’s sorry experience in the euro.

The Federal Financial Triangle

Alex J. Pollock — 2013-04-23T19:49:09Z

What would it mean for the world’s principal central bank to have negative net worth?

The True Crisis in the Asia-Pacific

Michael Mazza — 2013-04-23T13:49:43Z

The Asia-Pacific’s most dangerous crisis may be going overlooked due to North Korean threats. Despite the Obama administration’s ‘pivot’ to the region, Asian allies worry that the United States will not continue to be a steadfast partner.

Earth Day and Four Decades of Fear

Benjamin Zycher — 2013-04-22T15:17:36Z

A vast array of blatherings have accumulated over the years, warning the end is nigh.

Greed Is Green: How the Profit Motive Helps the Environment

Pierre Desrochers — 2013-04-19T15:16:09Z

The search for increased profitability has long delivered both economic and environmental improvements by promoting the evermore efficient use of material resources.

When Saving Is a Problem Not a Virtue

Blake Hurst — 2013-04-18T14:12:14Z

The Obama administration’s proposed limits on ‘reasonable’ retirement savings would penalize success and patience in favor of the nebulous concept of fairness.

Margaret Thatcher Showed the World What a Woman Can Do

Christina Hoff Sommers — 2013-04-19T19:00:06Z

Even after her death, critics revile Britain’s brilliant, trail-blazing leader and liberator as ‘unfeminine.’ Yet she reveled in her femininity throughout her career, charming men and women alike.

Why Expanding Social Security Is a Bad Idea

Andrew G. Biggs — 2013-04-15T23:10:37Z

A New America Foundation proposal would cost 3.7 percent of GDP and crowd out the private saving that drives our economy.