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Articles by Jackson Gode
Tweeter‐in‐chief: Dynamics of Trump's populist campaign against the Fed
CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT The authors declare no conflict of interest. Supporting Information REFERENCES 2006. “How Richard Nixon Pressured Arthur Burns: Evidence from the Nixon Tapes.” Journal of Economic Perspectives 20(4): 177–188. https://doi.org/10.1257/jep.20.4.177 2020. real stats: Using Econometrics for Political Science and Public Policy. New York: Oxford University Press. “This Air Force One Fight over Trump's Covid Mask Helped Transform the 2020 Race.” NBCnews.com, July 13, 2021.
Voter registration at tax time
Voting rights are the bedrock of democracy, but in many parts of the country, those rights are being eroded. In the aftermath of the 2020 election, while 25 states have enacted laws to improve access to the ballot, 18 states have enacted 30 laws making it harder to vote. American citizens’ most basic rights should not be dependent on their zip code. Current patterns endanger the basic functioning of our elections and undermine the hard-won victories of the civil rights movement.
Accessing the vote: A case for tax-time registration
Twitter Join the conversation on Twitter using #FilerVoter The right to vote is an essential component of democracy, but those rights are being threatened in many areas throughout the country. Since the 2020 election, 18 states have enacted laws making it harder for Americans to vote and endangering the integrity of our elections.
Divided Government, Disruptive President: Congressional Oversight of the Executive Branch in the 116th Congress
Shortly after Democrats took control of the House of Representatives in January 2019, TIME magazine ran a cover that depicted Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi using a trebuchet to send subpoenas to President Donald Trump (who, for his part, was portrayed as flinging Tweets with a slingshot in the Speaker’s direction).
Saving the news
Twitter Join the conversation on Twitter using #SavingTheNews The news industry in the United States is grappling with many serious and simultaneous challenges, including massive declines in the number of staff and outlets, perceptions of bias and blame for increasing political polarization, and displacement by opinion and even disinformation.
Proxy voting turns one: The past, present, and future of remote voting in the House
On Monday, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) once again extended the “covered period” for proxy voting in the House of Representatives, this time through July 3. It’s been just over a year since the House instituted proxy voting in response to the health risks of gathering in person during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rather than having to travel to Washington, D.C. to cast votes in person, members can instead designate a colleague to record their votes for them, subject to direct instructions.
Cannabis reform as a pathway to racial justice and opportunity
Twitter Join the conversation on Twitter using #Legalization Federal cannabis legalization would serve as the ideal step toward reversing the effects of the racially motivated and enforced War on Drugs. However, President Biden has not yet supported such a policy position, despite pressure from Democrats in Congress.
Tax Day has been delayed for the second year in a row-here is why that is important
For the second year in a row, the IRS has extended the filing date for federal taxes.[1] The new May 17th deadline will provide financial flexibility to Americans currently navigating the hardships brought on by the pandemic and it will also deliver a vital administrative reprieve to the underfunded and overburdened tax agency. While this action will benefit all Americans, it will be especially important for low-income people and the organizations that help them access tax refunds.
Analysis | White parents in D.C. talk a lot about racial justice. So why do they focus on majority-White schools?
On a playground, one parent tells another that they are moving to the suburbs “for the schools.” After a meeting, a mom asks a co-worker how they chose a preschool. Informal conversations like these can be decisive for parents’ school choices, and perceptions of school quality play a significant role in where people choose to live. But such social networks can also spread misinformation and bias.
‘We all want what’s best for our kids’
Combining data from the online parent forum, commonly known as “DC Urban Moms,” and publicly available school data, this paper explores how an online community, one that appears to be dominated by privileged parents, discusses its local school system. The results suggest that if there is a market for schools in the District, the commenters on DC Urban Moms are participating in a highly segregated version of it.
Early oversight in the 117th Congress: Three takeaways
The 117th Congress is off to a historic start. The January 6th insurrection, former President Trump’s second impeachment, and the passage of major economic legislation have all consumed lawmakers’ time. Still, legislators continue to conduct oversight aimed at holding both the Trump and Biden administrations accountable for their actions—even if they have gotten off to a slower start than in the last Congress.
A conversation on the past, present, and future of Black political power in the South
Twitter Join the conversation on Twitter using #BlackHistoryMonth Joe Biden’s win in Georgia and the historic elections of Reverend Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff to represent Georgia in the Senate during the 2020 elections elevated a continuing national conversation about the power of the Black electorate. Exit poll data from the 2020 election in November found that Black Americans represented over 50% of all Democratic voters in Georgia.
With new House rules, more diversity in technology legislation and hearings is possible
Congress has a problem when it comes to the lack of representation among the many roles in the legislative branch: non-white people compose approximately 11% of senior staffers in the Senate and 21% in the House, as well as approximately one-quarter of elected members in both chambers.
With House Republicans flouting COVID-19 guidelines, proxy voting remains an essential option
On Monday, Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.) announced she had tested positive for COVID-19. A seventy-five-year-old cancer survivor, Rep. Watson Coleman had returned to the Capitol to be sworn in and certify electoral college votes—she had not voted in person since May, instead making use of the House proxy voting system allowing members to designate a colleague to cast their votes.
Who is-and isn’t-represented in environmental oversight in Congress
In recent years, climate change has moved to the forefront of many voters’ consciousnesses, and younger voters identify it as one of the most significant problems for the federal government to address. Many have taken to the streets to protest a lack of action on climate issues, and the issue is receiving increasing attention from leaders of the Democratic party.
Congress finds success targeting private actors for information on executive branch actions
Editor's Note: Oversight actions in this article have been identified by the Brookings House Oversight Tracker. On September 10 congressional Democrats released a withering bicameral staff report alleging the misuse of taxpayer funds by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Seema Verma and her staff on private communications consultants.
FixGov
Focused on new ideas to make government work, FixGov is a blog that identifies and aims to solve the nation’s most pressing political and governance challenges. The solutions offered here are sensible and realistic. Sign up to receive updates on new posts » The first 100 days: What does President Biden’s approach to the world look like so far?
Addressing another COVID-19 crisis: Corruption
Twitter Join the conversation on Twitter using #COVIDoversight The need for oversight of Trump administration coronavirus spending has reached an inflection point, with numerous reports in recent weeks of coronavirus-related spending flowing to Trump administration allies causing corruption concerns.
How is COVID-19 affecting House oversight efforts?
Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, the House of Representatives has been, since mid-March, trying to adapt to new ways of doing business—including the efforts by committees to oversee actions by the Trump administration. We’ve been tracking oversight activity during this period—both related to the pandemic itself and beyond—using the Brookings House Oversight Tracker, and here’s what we’ve learned. 1. Many committees are involved in COVID-19-related oversight.
Congressional oversight of the CARES Act could prove troublesome
On March 27th, President Trump signed the CARES Act providing for more than $2 Trillion in federal spending in response to the COVID-19 crisis. Overseeing the outlay of relief funding from the bill will be no easy task, given its size, complexity and the backdrop of the 2020 election. However, this is not the first time that a major government rescue package has included oversight measures.
Congressional census oversight: Underprepared for COVID-19 digital challenges?
Editor's Note: If you haven’t already, please go to 2020census.gov and complete the Census for your household. You can also encourage other members of your community to participate! On Saturday, the United States Census Bureau announced it would be further suspending all field operations until at least April 15th in an attempt to prioritize employee safety amid the spread of COVID-19.
There are clear, race-based inequalities in health insurance and health outcomes
Editor's Note: This is part of a video series in which Brookings experts highlight race-based disparities or discrimination in public policy. Visit Race in American Public Policy for more videos in this series and related research from Brookings experts. In the United States, there are significant racial disparities in access to health coverage and in health outcomes. People of color are far more likely to be uninsured in America, due in part to several states’ refusal to expand Medicaid.
Congress’s oversight mandate goes beyond impeachment
For the last eleven months, the Trump administration has been the target of House Democrats’ efforts to investigate improper activity by members of the executive branch. Major storylines have focused on high-profile events such as Michael Cohen’s Oversight and Reform Committee testimony, the Judiciary Committee’s 81-document request announcement on threats against the rule of law, and the current impeachment inquiry.
On National Voter Registration Day, examining ways to expand voter registration
Today, Americans celebrate National Voter Registration Day, a holiday established in 2012 that coincides with an effort to register hundreds of thousands of citizens to vote across the country. The work done by local organizations in this space is commendable. But research shows that, when it comes to voter registration, private action cannot be substituted for legislative change.
Trump and the waning power of tax cuts in Republican party mobilization
Over the past two weeks, President Trump and his advisors have been issuing conflicting statements on plans for future tax cuts. In recent days, the administration’s economic policy declarations have had the substance of a nativist MadLibs and the erraticism of a Plinko game. But wherever the chip lands on tax cuts, it is unlikely to aid Republican electoral chances.
Anatomy of an oversight investigation: White House security clearances
Since regaining the majority in January, House Democrats have been conducting oversight of the Trump administration on issues ranging from family separation at the border to the rollback of environmental regulations. While the policy areas addressed by these investigations are diverse, House committees often apply the same tools to perform oversight.
Red-tape voter suppression: How new, draconian voter registration rules undermine voting rights
In Tennessee, a draconian new law aims to penalize groups engaging in voter registration campaigns. Civil rights advocates have rightly compared the legislation to the racist voter suppression policies of the Jim Crow era and are contesting the law’s constitutionality. Having experienced the effects of similar legislation in the field, we can say with confidence that if the Tennessee law is allowed to stand, it will undermine voter registration efforts and keep eligible voters off the rolls.
The Mueller report and the Barr letter: What happens now?
Twitter Join the conversation on Twitter using #Lawfare Special Counsel Robert Mueller has filed his final report on the Trump-Russia investigation and Attorney General William Barr has issued a four-page letter summarizing Mueller’s principal findings. The letter declares that Mueller did not find that anyone associated with the Trump campaign had conspired with the Russians to interfere in this country’s 2016 election.
Maintaining the rule of law: How House Democrats are conducting oversight in the 116th Congress
Earlier this month, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) announced an investigation into “Threats Against the Rule of Law” on behalf of his committee that would seek to uncover abuses of power by President Trump and others involved in his administration and campaign activities.
Tracking House oversight in the Trump era
House Democrats in the 116th Congress have several oversight tools to hold the Trump administration accountable and investigate executive branch misconduct. Two of the most significant mechanisms include holding congressional hearings as well as sending letters to executive branch agencies and to individuals involved in executive branch operations.
More productive, more diverse: What ‘Vital Stats’ tells us about the new Congress
Editor's Note: Vital Statistics on Congress is a regular publication of the Brookings Institution. Since its first publication in 1980, it has become a go-to reference guide for those interested in congressional affairs. This blog will highlight data from the most recent update, released March 2019.
Understanding Uproar Over IRS Refunds
Jackson Gode & Vanessa Williamson, FixGov February 25, 2019 In a tweet last week, Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) incorrectly blamed the 2017 Republican tax law for an 8.4 percent decrease in tax refunds processed so far this filing season. In fact, the decrease is mainly the result of changes to IRS withholding tables, meaning most Americans, while receiving a smaller refund, had little variance in their overall tax liability. The Washington Post awarded Harris' statement four Pinocchios.
Understanding the uproar over IRS refunds
In a tweet last week, Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) incorrectly blamed the 2017 Republican tax law for an 8.4 percent decrease in tax refunds processed so far this filing season. In fact, the decrease is a mainly the result of changes to IRS withholding tables, meaning most Americans, while receiving a smaller refund, had little variance in their overall tax liability. The Washington Post awarded Harris’s statement four Pinocchios.
Tax cuts: The gift that keeps not giving
Largely unnoticed alongside a seemingly unending stream of scandals and crises, Republicans have pushed forward a second round of tax cuts. The legislation has little chance of passing the Senate, and so is more a messaging maneuver than a serious attempt at reform. But if the tax bills that will be voted on in the House on Friday are intended to mobilize midterm voters, the plan is profoundly ill-conceived. With additional tax cuts, Republicans are throwing good money after bad.
Molly E. Reynolds
Molly Reynolds is a senior fellow in Governance Studies at Brookings. She studies Congress, with an emphasis on how congressional rules and procedure affect domestic policy outcomes. She is the author of the book, "Exceptions to the Rule: The Politics of Filibuster Limitations in the U.S. Senate," which explores creation, use, and consequences of the budget reconciliation process and other procedures that prevent filibusters in the U.S. Senate.
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