American Action Forum

06/12/2026

Proposals from President Trump and Senator Sanders for government stakes in firms would expand federal involvement in business and risk undermining competition and innovation.

Executive Summary President Donald Trump and Senator Bernie Sanders have separately called for the federal government to take direct stakes in artificial intelligence (AI) companies; proponents of this approach have argued that government involvement could both benefit taxpayers and encourage more r...

06/12/2026

AAF President Douglas Holtz-Eakin joins us to discuss the near- and longer-term economic forecast and the new Federal Reserve.

https://www.americanactionforum.org/multimedia/aaf-exchange-ep-193-the-economic-forecast-and-the-new-federal-reserve/

06/12/2026

The Trump Administration's deregulatory push has had mixed results, but SEC actions aimed at easing burdens on smaller firms could expand public markets and improve economic efficiency.

Deregulation is a signature initiative of the Trump Administration (best followed by subscribing to the Week in Regulation.) The public relations line associated with this effort is the president’s “one in, ten out” pledge to eliminate 10 regulations for every new one. At a mechanical level, t...

06/11/2026

Lawmakers often vow not to touch Social Security, but inaction effectively endorses a 22 percent benefit cut for nearly 71 million beneficiaries when the retirement trust fund becomes insolvent in six years.

This research reveals that lawmakers' promise not to touch Social Security endorse a 22% cut when the program's retirement fund runs out.

06/11/2026

AAF President Douglas Holtz-Eakin joins us to discuss the near- and longer-term economic forecast and the new Federal Reserve.

AAF President Douglas Holtz-Eakin joins us to discuss the near- and...

06/11/2026

May CPI inflation reached 4.2 percent, up sharply from 2.4 percent in January. Meanwhile, soaring demand from AI data centers has roughly tripled memory-chip prices, adding new inflationary pressures.

It dawned on Eakinomics that there has never been an Eakinomics “fun fact.” Now, obviously, every Eakinomics issue is chock full of facts and tons of fun. Duh. But FOMO must have struck hard, so here are two inflation fun facts. Yesterday the Bureau of Labor Statistics released the May data on t...

06/11/2026

Here’s the Weekly Economic Tracker! Douglas Holtz-Eakin discusses this week’s economic news.

06/10/2026

The 2026 Social Security Trustees report paints a troubled picture of Social Security’s financial health and demonstrates that the present course is unsustainable.

The Social Security and Medicare Trustees have released their annual reports on the financial status of the nation's two-largest entitlement programs. Both are approaching insolvency with significant reforms to shore up their finances.

06/10/2026

AAF President Douglas Holtz-Eakin discusses the future of the Federal Reserve under its new chairman, Kevin Warsh.

https://www.americanactionforum.org/multimedia/aaf-exchange-ep-193-the-economic-forecast-and-the-new-federal-reserve/

06/10/2026

The affordability issue is fundamentally about real wages. President Biden never recovered politically from falling living standards, and President Trump would be wise to do everything – including a hands-off approach to the Fed – to fight inflation.

Today the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) releases the May report on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and the atmosphere is more charged than Madison Square Garden. (Well, sort of.) As the chart below reminds us, the Federal Reserve’s progress toward getting inflation to the 2-percent target rate h...