As an elected Republican in Lancaster County, I spent a lot of my time thinking about regulatory reform. I work hard to strip back burdensome government regulation and restrictive zoning, allowing the market to respond to the needs of buyers and developers while still providing accountability and oversight to keep people safe. As it turns out, not only is getting rid of restrictive zoning a bipartisan solution to the housing crisis, it can also strengthen political engagement and keep Republican voters loyal to the party. Citylab reports on a study by Stanford University political … [Click to Read The Full Post...]
Why Ronald Reagan Won Macomb County:
On April 2018, Washington D.C. hosted its annual White House Correspondents' Dinner but the man who lives in the White House wasn’t there: he was holding a Make America Great Again rally in Macomb, County. President Trump opened his speech by saying “I love this state and I love the people of this state. I was invited to another event tonight, but I’d much rather be in Washington, Mich., than Washington, D.C." If you’re not a Michigan native, you’ve likely never heard of Macomb County, and yet this Detroit suburb is the preeminent case study location for Stanley B. Greenberg, the … [Click to Read The Full Post...]
Affordable Housing in Lancaster County
One of the biggest economic challenges facing Americans is the increasing lack of affordable housing. This challenge is present nationwide but the root causes can often differ by location because both state and local policy can have a direct effect on the availability of affordable housing. In an editorial for LancasterOnline, Tom Baldrige, President & CEO of the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce, addressed the lack of affordable housing in Lancaster County. Baldrige noted that “permits for multi-housing developments and vacancy rates for homes and rental units are way below the national … [Click to Read The Full Post...]
The Power of Moments – Book Review
The existentialist philosopher Kierkegaard once wrote that we live forward but understand backward. In their book The Power of Moments, authors Chip Heath (Stanford) and Dan Heath (Duke) help us explore those defining moments in our lives that shape our core identity. The authors identify four main characteristics of defining moments (though some of the most memorable combine two or more of these elements): Elevation: “defining moments rise above the everyday. They provoke not just transient happiness, like laughing at a friend’s joke, but memorable delight.” Insight: “defining moments … [Click to Read The Full Post...]
Accessory Dwelling Units: Policy Brief
Introduction: The United States continues to grapple with a persistent lack of affordable housing. An article in Curbed.com explains that this lack of affordable housing is leading to less geographic mobility, less creation of new businesses, an increasing concentration of wealth and opportunities in a select few regions of the country, and an increasing burden on young adults attempting to begin their adult life. In the face of this crisis, many policy experts suggest that adjusting local policy to allow for the development of Accessory Dwelling Units might provide one solution. While Tiny … [Click to Read The Full Post...]
Secretary Ben Carson’s Plan for Affordable Housing
Ben Carson, the Republican Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development wants to make housing affordable and he has a simple plan: cut unnecessary government regulation. In an interview in the Wall Street Journal, Carson said: “I want to encourage the development of mixed-income multifamily dwellings all over the place.” At a gathering of public housing authority directors in Washington, D.C, Carson shared his diagnosis of the problem: “I want to take a closer look at the archaic local and state regulatory barriers—such as zoning and land use restrictions—that are … [Click to Read The Full Post...]
The Great Revolt – Book Review
Salena Zito has been a political journalist for almost 15 years. Her rule for traveling is “no planes, no interstates and no hotels.” While many pundits, journalists, political strategists, and the like tend to fly over the rural and industrial areas of America, Zito stays at the local bed-and-breakfasts and eats at the local diners. This dedication to getting to know Middle America has given Zito a compelling vantage point for understanding the 2016 election. Her book The Great Revolt (co-written with Republican strategist Brad Todd) introduces us to the counties and citizens who put Donald … [Click to Read The Full Post...]
The Case for Accessory Dwelling Units
Accessory Dwelling Units have gotten a lot of publicity in recent years, due in large part to the Tiny Houses movement. Often valued for their trendiness and novelty, ADUs are becoming an important alternative to standard housing. And while Tiny Houses are one form of ADUs, they are not the only or even the most important one. Common models for ADUs include turning a basement or garage into a fully furnished apartment or building a cottage in a spacious backyard. ADUs allow renters to find more affordable housing options and allow homeowners to generate additional revenue by charging … [Click to Read The Full Post...]
Reconnecting Democracy: #LongRead
Is Democracy Dying? Democracy has developed into a cornerstone of Western Civilization, providing the basis for our political systems, our views of human rights, and the way in which we organize our businesses, our schools, and our homes in society. A paper published in The Journal of Democracy shares global research that indicates that dedication to and support of democracy is beginning to wane -- even in the West. The report shows, for example, that in the United States, less than one-third of millennials—defined as people born since 1980— say that democracy is an essential factor for … [Click to Read The Full Post...]
Paid Leave: Good for Family, Good For Enterprise
Families are the building block of civil society. Businesses are also an integral foundation of civil society. Paid family leave policy is important because it impacts families and businesses. Our society is ready for a practical blueprints that give families access to better leave policies while also enabling businesses to do the good they are often afraid to do. We recognize that family leave is good for families: A study published in The Journal of Mental Health Policy and Economic found that maternity leave led to women reporting fewer depressive symptoms, reduction in severe … [Click to Read The Full Post...]
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