Manhattan Insights

The trade-off between the economy and the environment is considered by many to be the defining issue of our time. Activists on the left now champion regulations to reduce carbon emissions at the expense of future economic growth. Other, self-described "degrowth" advocates take a more radical stance, calling for policies to lower incomes and shrink the global population. Alex Trembath is a deputy director at the Breakthrough Institute. He's deeply contemplated these trade-offs and believes firmly that technological advancement, economic growth, and a thriving ecological planet can coexist. He joins our host, Reihan Salam, to explore these issues in depth. Related reading:

Deregulating Clean Energy Is More Important Than Regulating Carbon Emissions, Breakthrough Institute https://thebreakthrough.org/issues/energy/deregulating-clean-energy-is-more-important-than-regulating-carbon-emissions Cost-Disease Environmentalism, City Journal online https://www.city-journal.org/article/cost-disease-environmentalism

The notion that "all politics is local" appears to be less true as the years pass. But despite the increasing focus on national issues among Americans, local leaders continue to wield significant influence when it comes to matters like education, finances, and law enforcement. Additionally, these officials remain open to guidance from interest groups.

Sarah Anzia is an associate professor of public policy and political science at the University of California, Berkeley. Her research delves into the intricacies of state and local governments, and she is also the author of the enlightening work titled "Local Interests: Politics, Policy, and Interest Groups in U.S. City Governments." She joins Reihan Salam to shed light on the dynamics that could shape the functioning of your own community.

Related reading:

Local Interests, by Sarah Anzia (University of Chicago Press) https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/L/bo151021813.html

Stranglehold: Public unions' power over California municipalities has created a governing crisis, City Journal online https://www.city-journal.org/article/stranglehold

American environmentalism is at a crossroads. Laws championed by environmental activists of the past are now hindering the reforms advocated by today's environmentalists, who deem them crucial to combat climate change. But lost in this debate between preservationists and climate hawks is a realistic understanding of the effects that "green" rules and regulations have on the everyday citizen. Nowhere is this clearer than in California. Jennifer Hernandez practices environmental, land use, and civil rights law in California. She joins Reihan Salam to discuss the class politics of environmentalism and the failures of the Golden State's model of environmental regulation. Related reading: California's Climate Hypocrisy, City Journal online California's Administrative Power Grab Hurts Californians, Does Nothing For Climate; Breakthrough Journal

This summer, the U.S. Supreme Court delivered rulings on such contentious issues as voting rights, student loans, and race-conscious college admissions. Amidst dissent from academics, journalists, and activists who challenge the Court's decisions, we confront a pressing question: should Americans be concerned about the Supreme Court's long-term legitimacy? Ilya Shapiro is a Manhattan Institute senior fellow and director of constitutional studies. He is the author of several books, including the forthcoming Canceling Justice: The Illiberal Takeover of Legal Education. Ilya joins host Reihan Salam to discuss what lies ahead for the Roberts Court and more.

Follow Ilya on X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/ishapiro

Related readings:

https://www.newsweek.com/what-right-wing-court-opinion-1811966

https://www.city-journal.org/multimedia/evaluating-the-courts-sffa-ruling

Throughout July, the Manhattan Institute conducted an extensive survey of likely 2024 Republican primary voters in key states—Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina.

Among other surprising findings, the GOP base is more unified on modern cultural debates surrounding identity politics than on long-standing disputes over abortion and gun rights. They remain hawkish on foreign policy and market-oriented on economics. And while Republicans see the present migrant crisis as a high priority, there is widespread support for easing legal immigration pathways for the skilled and financially independent.

Jesse Arm, the Manhattan Institute's director of external affairs, conducted the survey and analyzed the results in a recent paper. He joins Manhattan Insights to discuss the findings with Reihan Salam.

Follow Jesse on X (formerly known as Twitter): https://twitter.com/jesse_leg

Related readings: https://manhattan.institute/article/survey-analysis-on-the-political-and-policy-preferences-of-gop-voters-in-iowa-new-hampshire-south-carolina

https://www.city-journal.org/article/ron-desantis-unleash-your-nerdy-side

Gender identity has quickly emerged as one of the most contentious topics in American cultural politics. However, the roots of this conflict can be traced back to a series of seemingly unrelated decisions made by overlooked political, legal, and educational actors years ago.

Leor Sapir, a fellow at the Manhattan Institute, joins Reihan Salam to discuss the institutional origins of this intense cultural battle.

Follow Leor on Twitter: https://twitter.com/LeorSapir

Related readings: https://www.wsj.com/articles/medical-journals-false-consensus-on-gender-affirming-care-sex-change-procedure-transgender-f10cd52b https://www.city-journal.org/article/are-gender-ideology-debates-depolarizing https://thehill.com/opinion/healthcare/4070174-why-europe-and-america-are-going-in-opposite-directions-on-youth-transgender-medicine/

American democracy is in decline, or so it's been argued by political scientists and media pundits. But what if those proclaiming its demise are unintentionally eroding the nation's civic health, giving rise to the very outcome they fear?

Jason Willick is a columnist at the Washington Post who writes about politics, law, and foreign affairs. He's also an observer of the so-called "American democracy debate," and he joins our host Reihan Salam to discuss.

Follow Jason on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jawillick

Related readings:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/06/04/democracy-autocracy-republican-democrat-study/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/07/08/john-roberts-outmaneuvers-supreme-court-critics/

Americans have always been known to vote with their feet, even more than at the ballot box. With black Americans leaving cities in the North East and Midwest, the South is becoming an attractive destination for freedom and opportunity.

Mene Ukueberuwa, a member of the Wall Street Journal Editorial board, leads this episode of Manhattan Insights. His guest, Charles Blain, is the President of the Urban Reform Institute. His research focuses on free market policies that promote economic opportunity. He understands the American black communities and attempts to explain the trend of black Americans moving to the Sunbelt region.

Follow Charles Blain on Twitter: https://twitter.com/cjblain10

Learn more about Urban Reform: https://urbanreforminstitute.org/ https://twitter.com/urbanreformorg https://twitter.com/urbanreforminst

As federal spending on Medicare and Social Security grows in the coming years, the U.S. will be forced to make hard choices. What would it take to put the country on a stronger fiscal foundation? Is entitlement reform genuinely an insurmountable political challenge, as widely believed?

Chris Pope is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and a political scientist whose work focuses on health-care policy and the future of federal spending. He joins this episode to discuss the politics of fiscal consolidation.

New Yorkers like to think of their city as the greatest in the world, but the attitude of "New York exceptionalism" has its downsides. Residents often tolerate policies that they wouldn't put up with elsewhere, like the rising levels of housing costs.

Eric Kober knows New York inside and out. A senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and an adjunct lecturer at the Yale School of Architecture, he worked at the New York City Department of City Planning for 30 years, retiring as the director of housing, economic, and infrastructure planning in 2017. He joins us to discuss the perils of New York exceptionalism and how its policymakers might make the city and state more welcoming places to live.