September 09-08 — The American, A Magazine of Ideas

Wit and Wisdom Meet Straight Talk

A speechwriter for five presidents on John McCain, Barack Obama, and some 'straight-talk' from the first President Bush.

The Fed shouldn’t hike interest rates until it has clear evidence of stabilization in the housing and credit markets.

Fred Thompson and Joe Lieberman make the case for John McCain.

Republicans are gushing over the Alaska governor’s primetime debut, and for good reason.

In last night’s speech, the Arizona senator sought to establish his independence from the unpopular GOP brand.

Higher pollution taxes make sense, provided the revenues are used to offset existing taxes that distort incentives.

How would a McCain administration or an Obama administration actually govern?

Microfinance institutions do not offer a panacea for poverty, but they can play a significant role in development.

Recent economic data paint a gloomy picture.

The line in the sand that Treasury drew over the weekend was obscured within a few days.

To stem the contamination crisis, Chinese officials should be giving handheld spectrometers to their key regulators.

Both presidential candidates have made arguments and endorsed policies that are inconsistent with economic reality.

Beneath the popular craze are a number of significant concerns.

What should we make of the proposed government bank bailout?

Most Americans may not realize that formal presidential debates are a somewhat recent phenomenon.