The Brookings Institution

The U.S. judiciary has a long-established role in checking executive power, tracing its authority back to common law traditions and Marbury v. Madison. However, the Trump administration presents an unprecedented challenge by systematically enacting policies that conflict with existing statutes. On this episode of Democracy in Question, host Katie Dunn Tenpas and Senior Fellow Benjamin Wittes explore consequential pending court cases along with the statutory questions and constitutional considerations they raise. 🎧 Listen here: https://lnkd.in/e2W5Xvis

Sun Belt cities such as Dallas and Phoenix that once offered affordable housing are starting to resemble high-priced coastal markets like New York and Los Angeles. Edward Glaeser and Joseph Gyourko examine why in new research from this week's Brookings Papers on Economic Activity.

The shift away from the five-day office work week and the fact that American cities are experiencing the worst housing crisis of the post-World War Two era creates a renewed opportunity and an important mandate to convert underused offices into residential properties, particularly in hotter markets. In a new report, The Brookings Institution researchers and their co-authors examine how office to residential conversions are operating in six metros (Houston; Los Angeles; Pittsburgh; St. Louis; Stamford, Conn.; and Winston-Salem, N.C.). The authors highlight how different market conditions and policy environments influence conversion success, benefiting local tax bases and revitalizing office districts. But while office to residential conversions offer many benefits, local leaders are experiencing barriers to successfully implement the innovative policy, including cost gaps and complex approval processes, while subsidies for affordable housing in conversions remain underdeveloped. To address these issues, Cara Eckholm, Tracy Hadden Loh, Jonathan Meyers, and Steven Paynter recommend that leaders in each city use tools for their own specific solution that connects motivations to feasibility to outcomes through office to residential conversions. For example:    State and local governments can:  1️⃣ Ease the conversion process through zoning and regulatory reforms  2️⃣ Invest public funds via tax credits, subsidies, and downtown infrastructure improvements    The federal government’s role is currently limited to historic tax credits and low-income housing tax credits but could be expanded by:  1️⃣ U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development providing project-based vouchers for conversions 2️⃣ U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Congress restructuring tax incentives 3️⃣ U.S. Department of Transportation streamlining loan programs   Read more: https://lnkd.in/eF5z6Swt 

On the latest episode of The Current, Brookings senior fellow and development expert Caren Grown explains why the loss of data from government websites will harm good policymaking. Find the link in the comments or search for The Current on your favorite podcast app.

Yesterday, President Trump signed a long-awaited executive order directing the Secretary of Education to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return authority over education to the states. At the link below, see text of the executive order with important context and analysis added by scholars from our Brown Center on Education Policy.

Welcome back Marcela Escobari! 🎉 (Learn more about Marcela's work on migration policy and workforce initiatives in the link she shares below.)

Despite advances in AI and data-driven hiring tools, traditional job matching systems remain entrenched, relying on outdated credentials and rigid classifications. Eduardo Levy Yeyati and Ian Seyal discuss how a smart combination of taxonomies and ontologies can provide a common skills language that scales effectively across industries and creates a more dynamic and inclusive job market. 

"Some see rural areas as obsolete in an information-driven, agglomeration economy, but history has repeatedly shown that rural America remains central to the nation’s identity and success," says Tony Pipa, a senior fellow at the Brookings Center for Sustainable Development and a leading voice on rural development. Read a conversation with Tony from our Brookings Global Economy and Development program on why rural America matters now more than ever.

Can U.S. metro areas achieve economic growth and prosperity while preserving affordability? Read the post below for some key takeaways from the new edition of our Metro Monitor.

I’m excited to share new research from myself, Hanna Love, and Amy Liu at The Brookings Institution delving into data from the latest FBI NIBRS release at the local level. Public safety and the economy are among the top priorities for mayors, governors, and state legislators in 2025, just as each is important to the public. These issues come as a new federal environment aims to shift a greater share of costs and responsibilities to states and localities—placing these two levels of government at the center of the nation’s ability to deliver effective services and programs that address constituents’ key concerns. This report includes analysis of select local crime trends in 🔟 U.S. states and provides evidence-based recommendations to address the intersection between place, public safety, and the economy. While inflammatory news headlines paint a picture of rampant crime across U.S. cities, crime in suburban and rural areas is still also prevalent, and these communities deserve just as much attention and investment in economic development efforts that help break the cycle of violence and advance prosperity. There's some great work going on here, and if nothing else, have a scroll through some of the cool data visualizations and interactives made possible by Carie Muscatello. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gYb2sphF