ACCF Scholar William A. Galston
Ezra K. Zilkha Chair Brookings Institution’s Governance Studies Program Former Policy Advisor to President Clinton
Trump, the Working Class and Social Order
The following views and opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the American Council for Capital Formation
Demographic shifts compel governments...
The Social Security Crisis Is Coming
Time isn’t on our side. If lawmakers acted tomorrow, restoring Social Security’s long-term solvency would require a 22% benefit cut for current and future...
The American Political Realignment Is Real
The Democrats’ defeat in 2024 reflected long-term shifts in the electorate, not merely Kamala Harris’s vulnerability or Joe Biden’s decision to seek re-election. If these...
Big Tax Hikes Are Coming
In a statement Sunday night, the House Freedom Caucus said that the bill “fails to actually honor our promise to significantly correct the spending...
Lessons From Purim for the War in Gaza
ACCF Scholar William Galston: The Book of Esther tells a story of Jews fighting back—with admirable restraint. It’s an example they should follow against Hamas in Rafah
President Biden’s Fraying Coalition
The general election begins this week. When all the Super Tuesday votes are counted and delegates allocated, both President Biden and Donald Trump will...
Ukraine May Have to Accept a Cease-Fire
According to a recent report in the Washington Post, troops on the front line are running out of ammunition. Artillery shells are being rationed,...
Trump’s Fate and Other 2024 Cliffhangers
This has been a wretched year. At home, political dysfunction has deepened, and increasing numbers of young Americans are disaffected from constitutional democracy. Abroad,...
Amid Dismal Polls, the Optimist’s Case for Biden Falters
Mr. Biden’s low standing in head-to-head general-election polls reflects voters’ dour appraisal of his performance as president. In surveys of polls from both RealClearPolitics...
Biden and Ukraine Need a Senate Deal
If the continuing Senate negotiations on border security fail, U.S. economic and military aid to Ukraine will end. And if this happens, a pillar...
Are Americans in the Mood for More Trump?
In 1960, John F. Kennedy campaigned on a pledge “to get this country moving again.” He understood that while older Americans welcomed the Eisenhower...
ACCF Scholar: The Post-Midterm Scramble Begins
If Republicans end up with a majority in the House, their margin will be much smaller than expected, giving factions within the caucus substantial...
ACCF Scholar: Right-Wing Populism May Rise in the U.S.
William Galston notes that If Democrats won’t compromise on issues like immigration and cultural values, they’ll lose working-class voters for good.
Passover and the Constitution
On Friday after sundown, Jews everywhere will gather in their homes to observe Passover. No doubt familiar themes will be discussed—the liberation from oppression...
ACCF Scholar: How Will Inflation End?
Inflation is now, incontestably, the leading issue for the electorate, and voters are giving the Biden administration low marks for handling it. This is...
What if It Can Happen Here?
ACCF Scholar William Galston: "I scoffed at Sinclair Lewis, but I’ve had second thoughts since the Jan. 6 attack."