The Court’s Invitation to Negotiate

This week, the Supreme Court closed out a term full of blockbuster decisions by setting off alarm bells for those who believe the judiciary has overreached its authority. However, writing for the New York Times, AEI Director of Social, Cultural, and Constitutional Studies Yuval Levin contends that the Court is pushing everyone in our system, including federal judges and Congress, toward their proper constitutional responsibility.

The responsibility of the federal Social Security Administration (SSA) is to manage government programs like Disability Insurance to be sure disability benefits are only awarded to those who cannot work. To do this job right, given the dynamism of the American job market, SSA must stay up-to-date on the skills that changing occupations demand. But AEI’s Mark J. Warshawsky finds that the SSA is relying on antiquated data and an outdated approach to the world of work.

Voters gearing up for the presidential election appear unmoved by the Biden campaign’s charge that a second Trump administration poses a threat to democracy. Senior Fellow Ruy Teixeira marshals public opinion data in the Liberal Patriot to show that the Democrats will have to turn to other policy positions to convince Americans to support their nominee.

Confidence in the US government has seen a sustained decline in recent years. What will it take to unify the country in the wake of record-low institutional trust? Writing in the Acton Institute’s Religion & Liberty, Senior Fellow Christine Rosen explains the forces isolating Americans and how local, community-driven civil society could step in to fill the void.

Trust from American allies in Europe also hangs in the balance. During his first term, Donald Trump hinted at pulling the United States out of NATO, and he has suggested that he may raise the prospect again if reelected. In Foreign Policy, AEI’s Senior Fellow Hal Brands outlines the best- and worst-case scenarios of a “post-American Europe.”

Because of excessive government regulation preventing new construction, many regions face a housing market shortage, resulting in high home prices and a significant financial burden for first-time homebuyers. Many federal policies designed to stimulate demand for mortgages are being employed, but how are these programs affecting market trends and conditions? The June Housing Market Indicators report from Edward J. Pinto and Tobias Peter at AEI’s Housing Center presents the most comprehensive picture of the state of the housing market in America, allowing data-driven decision-making for governments, private sector, and consumers. This month, purchase volume reached its lowest point since 2018, with housing costs rising significantly faster than income, forcing first-time buyers to take on more debt relative to their income.

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