What matters in American politics and power doesn’t always make the top of the news. It’s the behind-the-scenes implementation of an executive order, or the email correspondence of an unwilling plaintiff, or the handshake deals that help build the country. That was my focus this year over 179 articles and newsletters. Here are some of my favorites:
“McCarthy’s 21 Republican Defectors Didn’t Get Much”
The beginning of the year was dominated by 15 votes until Kevin McCarthy became Speaker, a position he lost later on. I argued that the holdouts in that fight got nothing of substance other than the ability to kick out a Speaker they didn’t like. The pitiful output of this Congress, which has mainly punted on major legislation and hasn’t cut a dollar of spending yet, has borne this out.
“A Pitched Battle on Corporate Power”
In July 2021, President Biden issued a comprehensive executive order promoting competition in the U.S. economy. Eighteen months later, I set out to understand how the 72 different actions in the order were progressing. I found an uneven process, with some reticence amid corporate pushback. But the ship of state is turning away from corporate dominance and toward fairness.
“The Junk Fees Biden Hasn’t Talked About”
This was a good example of the Prospect at its best. The White House’s junk fee campaign was mostly focused on travel and entertainment charges, which doesn’t show the whole picture. I wrote about a series of junk fees that affect the working class in their everyday lives, particularly in rental housing. Within months, the administration had picked up on this, attempting to limit and even ban certain rental housing fees. That’s called making a difference.
“The Silicon Valley Bank Bailout Didn’t Need to Happen”
One of the big business stories of the year was the meltdown at regional banks, a wholly predictable outcome given the way in which Congress deregulated that sector during the Trump years. I retold that history, and the incompetence of the same bank officials who lobbied for reduced oversight, not to mention Silicon Valley Bank’s VC depositors.
“Big Tech Lobbyists Explain How They Took Over Washington”
A fascinating hidden history was told in a research paper about the tech industry inventing the concept of digital trade and then embedding that perspective inside the U.S. trade representative’s office. The author of the paper was perfectly positioned, having previously worked at USTR as a special assistant.
“The Student Loan Case’s Unwilling Participant”
The Supreme Court ruling in the student debt relief case is a supreme example of how the law and the truth are virtually in opposition in this age. The only injured party in the case did not file, did not solicit, and indeed wanted nothing to do with it at all. That a fake plaintiff could be used as the basis for a ruling that deprived tens of millions of student borrowers of debt relief should shake our notions of equal justice to the core.
“A Liberalism That Builds Power”
As the Biden administration launched its industrial-policy agenda, I challenged the argument from the “supply-side progressivism” crowd, explaining that you cannot separate domestic supply chains, carbon reduction, good jobs, and public input, or your political project will collapse. I got a lot of pushback to this argument, and responded to the responses. But I think our yearlong series Building Back America, which visited eight states to follow this project in action, reinforced my point of view.
“Barbenheimer Reveals the Drastic Choices of Hollywood Executives”
I like stretching to write about the culture on occasion, and this was a perfect opportunity to merge that with thoughts about the economy and labor. At a time when writers and actors were striking for their own survival, a cultural phenomenon proved that the way Hollywood executives had run their businesses for years was completely backwards. People want original work and shared experiences, not another superhero movie and streaming video.
“Patient Zero”
This was my contribution to our special series on The Business of Health Care, one of my favorite projects I’ve done at the Prospect. This one looked at the career of Tom Scully, a Zelig-type figure for the privatization of U.S. health care, who worked in both Bush administrations to bring market forces into Medicare and Medicaid and prescription drug benefits, then became a private equity executive who used his knowledge of the system for profit.
“A Chance to Speak”
I wanted this one to get more attention. It involves Katie Anderson, an independent contractor at Aflac who was raped in a hotel room on a work trip. This story sat at the intersection of worker misclassification, sexual assault policies for workplaces, the use of forced arbitration and secret settlements, and more. And it was a privilege to tell Katie’s moving story.
