National Analysis

ROLL CALL 04/02/12 By Michael Shank and Former Republican Congressman Wayne Gilchrest (R-MD) Three months in and 2012 is setting trans-Atlantic records for harsher-than-normal austerity measures and disillusioned voters. East of the Atlantic, Greece struggles to regain footing while Portugal, Italy and Spain teeter on the brink. West of it, […]

THE HILL 04/24/12 By Michael Shank Today (April 24), the Institute for Economics and Peace released the second annual U.S. Peace Index, which assesses America’s peacefulness at the state and city levels and analyzes the costs associated with violence and the socio-economic measures associated with peace. So just how peaceful […]

FINANCIAL TIMES 03/07/12 By Michael Shank and Thorben Albrecht Sir, With reference to your report (“Romney talks China to Ohio”, US Politics & Policy, March 2): if the candidate is looking for manufacturing answers, take a lesson from Germany. Losing 4m jobs over the past 10 years, US manufacturing has […]

THE HILL 02/17/12 By Michael Shank 
and Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) As the Republican candidates head to Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen’s state of Tennessee next month for the Super Tuesday primaries, one topic seems to have escaped their attention entirely: a credible economic cure for what ails the states in […]

AL JAZEERA 02/04/12 By Michael Shank and US Congressman Steve Cohen (D-TN) As the Republican candidates depart the southeast United States to head to Nevada, one topic seems to have escaped their attention entirely: a credible economic cure for what ails the states where they’re waging their campaigns for president. […]

ROLL CALL 01/25/12 By Michael Shank and Melissa Powell With last month’s climate talks in South Africa postponing specific carbon cuts until 2020, it is clear that something more than mere nation-state commitments will be needed to counter climate change and reduce global warming. With nations reluctant to recommit to […]

WASHINGTON POST 01/24/12 By Michael Shank It is ironic that Amish and Mennonites — arguably some of the least politically active Christian sects in America — settled in some of the most politically important regions of the country, in states that are critical for their primary caucus value or swing […]

PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER 01/12/12 By Michael Shank and US Congressman Michael Honda (D-CA) Homicide, other violent crimes, incarceration, policing, and guns are costing this country hundreds of billions of dollars, and millions of jobs, every year. According to conservative estimates by the Institute for Economics and Peace, if the United States […]

THE HILL 12/21/11 By Michael Shank and US Congressman Michael Honda (D-CA) In light of Congress’s failure to wrestle up short-term cost-cutting measures for our country, we must not lose sight of longer-term concerns about the sustainability of our deficits, debts and, ultimately, our budgets.  While we tempt deadlines now, […]

CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR 12/19/11 By Michael Shank What makes for a peaceful society? Hot spots from Congo to the Middle East would benefit from such knowledge. But so would the United States, which, at home, isn’t always so harmonious and abroad, is still at war in Afghanistan. The Institute for […]