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Articles by Robert Maxim
Underinvestment in Indian Country: How federal and philanthropic funding to Native Americans falls short, and how to fix it
Executive summary American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes and communities have seen significant shifts in federal funding in recent years. Sweeping federal laws passed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and recession brought historic levels of funding to Tribal communities in areas such as infrastructure, health, education, clean energy, and economic development. However, since the start of 2025, the funding landscape has shifted.
How Trump’s ‘one big beautiful bill’ is cutting climate investments and weakening the safety net for Native Americans
Last July, President Donald Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) into law, enacting several of the administration’s major policy priorities. The law’s changes to tax policy will largely go into effect this year as households file their 2025 taxes. At the same time, the impacts of the law’s most consequential changes—namely, changes to green energy spending, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and Medicaid—have been more difficult to quantify.
The Absence of October's Job Report Shows Why Native American Communities Need Better Data
Guest Opinion. On November 19, the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that, as a result of the government shutdown, it would not release its October jobs report—the first time in the report’s 77-year history that it would not be published. As a result, businesses, state and local governments, and the Federal Reserve (which will decide this month whether to adjust interest rates) are now left without a clear view of the nation’s economic situation.
The Absence of October's Job Report Shows Why Native American Communities Need Better Data
Guest Opinion. On November 19, the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that, as a result of the government shutdown, it would not release its October jobs report—the first time in the report’s 77-year history that it would not be published. As a result, businesses, state and local governments, and the Federal Reserve (which will decide this month whether to adjust interest rates) are now left without a clear view of the nation’s economic situation.
The government shutdown shows the need to reform how the federal government funds Native American Tribes and communities
While the effects of the federal government’s ongoing shutdown will be widespread, it will have a particularly damaging impact on Native American Tribes and people. The federal government maintains trust and treaty obligations to Tribal Nations, citizens, and communities that are distinct from its relationships with other groups in the United States.
Good data, stronger Tribes
Data is integral to the well-being of communities. With good data, policymakers can make laws and regulations that reflect the conditions and needs of the populations they serve, as well as make informed decisions about how best to support their citizens. Native Americans need data that sufficiently measures their populations, lands, and governing priorities.
A federal grant freeze could disrupt over $24 billion to Native American communities and undermine US obligations to Tribes
Just days into his second term, President Trump’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a directive to freeze all federal grants, temporarily halting access to trillions in funding for states, Native American Tribal governments, municipalities, nonprofit organizations, and other entities in the United States and around the world.
How federal funding cuts impact Tribal communities
Tribal communities are faced with relying on federal funds to stand in for so much of what we lost through colonization. Allison Neswood In this episode of Metro Blueprint, experts examine the challenges Indian Country is facing due to the disruption in federal funding. Robert Maxim, fellow at the Brookings Institution, and Allison Neswood, senior staff attorney at the Native American Rights Fund, discuss what these cuts mean to Native communities—and why non-Native audiences should pay attention.
Federal data vastly undercount Native American college students. New federal standards could change that.
Since 2010, colleges nationwide have lost nearly one-fifth of their students. This enrollment decline has strained higher education institution budgets, damped economic activity in college towns, and harmed skill development and degree completion for students. While these national numbers are significant, they mask the fact that some students have been substantially more affected than others.
China’s retaliatory tariffs will hurt Trump-voting counties most
Editor's note: This report was updated on February 10, 2025 to reference Noble County, Oklahoma rather than Noble County, Ohio. Most of the discussion around President Donald Trump’s volley of tariff threats this week has centered on their potential impact on consumer prices and inflation. While price increases are a real concern, another impact involves the fact that regional economies (and the local jobs there) are frequently caught in the middle of trade disputes, though not equally.
President Biden issued a historic apology for Native American boarding schools. Here’s what policymakers can do next to support tribal education
In late October, President Joe Biden issued an apology for the U.S. Indian Boarding Schools program, a century-long concerted effort by the federal government to destroy Native American culture and assimilate Native children through a network of residential schools.
The future of the US digital economy depends on equitable access to its jobs
Over the past several years, emerging technologies such as generative artificial intelligence (AI) have dominated headlines, while industrial strategies centered on technologies such as semiconductors have become central to U.S. economic policymaking.
Expanding South Kansas’ aerospace cluster into a resilient advanced manufacturing sector
The South Kansas region’s aerospace cluster is simultaneously facing growing demand and acute challenges. Known as the “Air Capital of the World,” the South Kansas region will be central to nation’s ability to meet rising global aerospace demand. Industry experts forecast the need for 40,000 additional commercial aircraft in the next two decades—almost twice as many as are in the air today.
Fortifying a robust Indigenous Finance Industry in the Mountain-Plains region through Native knowledge, institutions, and relationships
The Indigenous Finance Industry is essential for economic growth, but it has faced historic and present-day underinvestment. Owing to hundreds of years of harmful government policies, Native Americans living on tribal land have the lowest levels of household wealth in the United States and face structural barriers to capital access that diminish entrepreneurship, business growth, and wealth-building.
Around the halls: Brookings scholars discuss a much-needed revision to America’s diversity data
Twenty-seven years since the last revision in 1997, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has altered its Statistical Policy Directive No. 15 (SPD 15)—providing a much-needed update in the standards for defining race and ethnic categories for use in data collection across all government agencies. The revised standards are not perfect, and OMB promises to continue monitoring their use.
Our revised race standards still fall short for Indigenous Americans
This March, the White House Office of Management and Budget published new standards for race and ethnicity data to help policymakers and researchers collect more accurate statistics on underrepresented racial and ethnic groups.
Nathan Benefield: Gov. Shapiro wants unilateral power to commit the state to climate agreements
During a recent black-tie affair in a Manhattan ballroom, Gov. Josh Shapiro encouraged Pennsylvania lawmakers to embrace bipartisanship. “It doesn’t just last a weekend, and it can happen in Pennsylvania, not just in New York City,” Shapiro said.
Mark Muro and Robert Maxim: What Pennsylvania needs to do to create growth and jobs
Pennsylvania has been slow to convert its considerable assets into abundant, high-quality economic growth. Powerhouse research universities are working on the most critical issues of the day in the life sciences, artificial intelligence, robotics, transportation, space, and energy. Breakout companies like Pittsburgh’s Astrobotic are making headlines and garnering major investments. And the diversity of the state’s cities and rural areas contributes to a rich capacity for community-based innovation.
An Agenda for Revitalizing Pennsylvania’s Economic Dynamism
With Gov. Josh Shapiro committed to ensuring that Pennsylvania becomes “a national leader” in innovation and economic development, the time has come for the commonwealth to make that pledge a reality. Pennsylvania has all the assets it needs to lead innovation-driven growth. Powerhouse research universities are working on the most critical issues of the day in the life sciences, artificial intelligence, robotics, transportation, space, and energy.
Why the federal government needs to change how it collects data on Native Americans
This January, the White House released proposals for reclassifying racial data collection in the 2030 census. Most notably, the proposals include combining race and ethnicity into a single question, as well as creating a new racial category for Middle Eastern and North African people.
Technology’s impact on financial inclusion is not what you think
Since the first iteration of the Global Findex survey in 2011, the share of adults in developing economies with a financial account has risen to 71%—an increase of more than 50 percentage points. While that growth is worth celebrating, the total numbers hide significant differences in how and why adults today in developing economies are accessing and using financial services.
Breaking down an $80 billion surge in place-based industrial policy
The 117th Congress may be coming to an end, but its major legislation continues to reverberate. Those laws—the American Rescue Plan Act (ARP), Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), CHIPS and Science Act, and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)—stand out for their sheer number of sizable programs, with some $3.8 trillion in total spending.
Breaking down an $80 billion surge in place-based industrial policy
The 117th Congress may be coming to an end, but its major legislation continues to reverberate. Those laws—the American Rescue Plan Act (ARP), Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), CHIPS and Science Act, and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)—stand out for their sheer number of sizable programs, with some $3.8 trillion in total spending.
Unemployment Data on Native Americans Shows a Stark Picture
Last week’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) jobs report delivered a burst of good news, with the U.S. economy adding 470,000 jobs in January and revised data from the November and December reports showing that over 700,000 more jobs were added at the end of 2021 than initially estimated. While these topline numbers received the majority of press coverage, there was a second important story inside this month’s labor market data.
New legislation and research reaffirm the importance of regional public universities for local economies
Regional public universities (RPUs) are public, four-year, community-oriented universities, and they have long been anchor institutions for regions across the nation. [1] As our previous work has shown, the presence of a RPU in a community can help bolster employment growth and increase residents’ income and educational attainment. In recent months, policymakers and researchers have been increasingly recognizing the important role these universities play for communities.
Like its politics, Pennsylvania’s innovation challenges have national implications
With closely watched races for the Senate and the governor’s office, Pennsylvania sits at the center of this year’s high-stakes midterm elections. The state’s Senate race may determine control of that chamber for the next two years, while the gubernatorial race will affect not only the state’s economic direction, but also broader issues ranging from abortion access to voting rights.
Racial equity and inclusion in tech: Can apprenticeships help change hiring practices?
Twitter Join the conversation on Twitter using #TechInclusion In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic’s unequal impacts on workers, particularly workers from underserved communities, and the nation’s racial awakening in 2020, CEOs of Netflix, Cisco, and other large technology companies joined on to a major Business Roundtable commitment to racial equity. However, progress toward an equitable tech ecosystem has stalled, and in many respects is regressing.
Commonwealth of innovation: A policy agenda for revitalizing Pennsylvania’s economic dynamism
Few states possess as many of the assets needed for innovation-driven growth as Pennsylvania. Powerhouse research universities are working on the most critical issues of the day in the life sciences, artificial intelligence, robotics, transportation, and energy. Breakout companies are making headlines and garnering major investments.
Commonwealth of innovation: A policy agenda for revitalizing Pennsylvania’s economic dynamism
Few states possess as many of the assets needed for innovation-driven growth as Pennsylvania. Powerhouse research universities are working on the most critical issues of the day in the life sciences, artificial intelligence, robotics, transportation, and energy. Breakout companies are making headlines and garnering major investments.
Native Americans are getting left behind in the remote work economy
The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) August jobs report showed a labor market that, while not as hot as earlier in the year, is still showing significant growth. But despite that growth, there remains serious variation in the economic health of different racial and ethnic groups.
Despite an optimistic jobs report, new data shows Native American unemployment remains staggeringly high
Last week’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) jobs report delivered a burst of good news, with the U.S. economy adding 470,000 jobs in January and revised data from the November and December reports showing that over 700,000 more jobs were added at the end of 2021 than initially estimated. While these topline numbers received the majority of press coverage, there was a second important story inside this month’s labor market data.
The chip shortage won’t be fixed without major federal investment
Intel’s recent announcement that it plans to build a $20 billion semiconductor plant outside Columbus, Ohio unleashed euphoric headlines, with President Joe Biden calling it a “game changer” that would begin to revive the Midwest’s industrial sector and address supply chain bottlenecks that have led to the current computer chip shortage.
Why the pandemic’s record-breaking quit rates are a boon to workers
Workers quit their jobs in record-breaking numbers in November, the Labor Department reported last week. At first glance, such a large number of quits, followed by mediocre job growth in the December jobs report, may suggest a negative trend for the labor market.
The House’s Build Back Better Act is a milestone for place-based solutions
Last week, the House of Representatives passed the Build Back Better Act, which boasts an array of social and climate programs, ranging from generous support for child care, paid leave, and new health benefits to renewable electricity tax credits. Democrats are trumpeting the vote as a major milestone, although the bill’s passage is only a waystation en route to a tougher showdown in the Senate.
The monthly jobs report ignores Native Americans. How are they faring economically?
Friday’s jobs report was an optimistic signal after a string of disappointing reports the past few months. As the worst effect of the delta variant waned, hiring picked up—albeit not across every demographic group. However, one group was conspicuously missing from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) jobs report, as they are every month: Native Americans.
What does the Build Back Better Framework mean for BIPOC communities?
On Oct. 28, President Joe Biden presented his Build Back Better Framework (BBB), a guide for legislative language for several proposals in his $1.75 trillion spending plan.
Inclusive Innovation and Talent Development
The Latest What does the Build Back Better Framework mean for BIPOC communities? On Oct. 28, President Joe Biden presented his Build Back Better Framework (BBB), a guide for legislative language for several proposals in his $1.75 trillion spending plan.
July’s promising jobs report hides the challenges of left-behind communities
Last week’s Bureau of Labor Statistics July jobs report showed a robust, 943,000-job increase from the month prior and a decrease in the unemployment rate, to 5.4%. However, the fact remains that the U.S. economy is still 6 million jobs short of where it was in February 2020—indicating there is still work to do. Most notably, stark inequality persists between racial and ethnic groups and between places.
Congress needs to prioritize inclusion in our slumping innovation system
Contents The nation’s innovation system isn’t just flagging—it’s dividing Proposals to close the innovation gap exist, but aren’t law yet Current congressional action on inclusive innovation isn’t enough There’s still a chance to deliver change On his Inauguration Day, President Joe Biden signed a wide-ranging executive order proclaiming a “whole-of-government equity agenda.” Since then, “Bidenism” has centered equity for marginalized people and underrepresented communities as a core priority...
Supporting distressed communities by strengthening regional public universities: A federal policy proposal
Contents A proposal to support regional public universities in distressed communities Which institutions would be eligible for federal grants? What type of economic and community development projects could the grants be used for? What are the potential economic and budgetary effects of this program? Forecasters predict the economy will grow significantly in the latter half of 2021 as the U.S. continues its recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and recession.
Remote work won’t save the heartland
Hopes persist that a burst of relocations by tech companies and remote workers will revitalize the American heartland. Recent location announcements by firms such as Google and Apple have generated optimism, magnified by a steady stream of articles about tech workers fleeing the coasts. Maybe remote work and pandemic-spurred moves really are going to redistribute economic vitality more evenly across the country after a decade of excessive concentration in coastal “superstar” cities.
White Terrorist Murders 8 San Jose VTA Employees
White Terrorist Samuel Cassidy murdered 8 individuals at a VTA rail yard. As the events are currently unfolding, it is important to note that the media will likely classify this as a “lone wolf incident.” It must be stated clearly and on the record, that Samuel Cassidy was a white terrorist who murdered in the same vein of all incel mass shooters. A self repressed idiot who was likely angry with his own inadequacies.
How cities, states, and tribes can boost entrepreneurship via the American Rescue Plan
The COVID-19 crisis has put thousands of small businesses, from high-growth startups to Main Street employers, out of business. Importantly, the economic impacts of COVID-19 have not been equal. Minority-owned businesses and very small businesses are disproportionately concentrated in the industries most heavily impacted by the COVID-19 crisis such as restaurants, retail stores, and personal services.
Indiana’s plan to use COVID-19 relief to uplift its struggling regions
Last month, Brookings Metro detailed the American Rescue Plan’s (ARP) appropriation of $350 billion in extremely flexible state, local, and tribal COVID-19 recovery funds. This unprecedented amount ensures that many of these governments will have abundant resources to deploy for addressing their biggest problems.
State of the Capital Region 2021: Examining the pandemic’s impact on the geography of jobs
Twitter Join the conversation on Twitter using #StateofCapRegion While the long-term economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are still uncertain, the sharp increase in remote work raises some fundamental questions about the geography of jobs and the demand for housing, office, and retail space. If work-from-home (or a hybrid model) persists, it could have ripple effects throughout regional labor markets and commercial real estate, as well as impacting where workers choose to live.
What’s stopping automatic retirement savings for more workers?
As the nation begins to grapple with the shape of its post-COVID-19 economy, policymakers are exploring how to better (if belatedly) support the millions of low-wage, essential workers that kept the country functioning during the pandemic. In March, our colleagues Molly Kinder and Laura Stateler laid out an impressive agenda for paying, protecting, and empowering low-wage, essential workers, including suggestions on how to boost worker pay and income stability.
State of renewal:
There’s been no escaping the COVID-19 pandemic, with its toll of hospitalizations, layoffs, and quarantines. Every place in America has been affected, often in drastic ways, as the coronavirus hit home and laid bare—like an X-ray—an array of underlying economic and social challenges wherever it arrived. And so it has been in Indiana.
What Deb Haaland’s historic nomination as interior secretary means for Indigenous peoples
In an historic election year that saw the first African American and first Asian American woman elected vice president of the United States, the first woman nominated for treasury secretary, and the first openly gay man nominated to a cabinet position, yet another first was announced this Thursday: Rep. Deb Haaland (D-N.M.) as the nominee for secretary of the interior.
Biden-voting counties equal 70% of America’s economy. What does this mean for the nation’s political-economic divide?
Even with a new president and political party soon in charge of the White House, the nation’s economic standoff continues. Notwithstanding President-elect Joe Biden’s solid popular vote victory, last week’s election failed to deliver the kind of transformative reorientation of the nation’s political-economic map that Democrats (and some Republicans) had hoped for. The data confirms that the election sharpened the striking geographic divide between red and blue America, instead of dispelling it.
Biden-voting counties equal 70% of America's economy. What does this mean for the nation's political-economic divide?
Editor's note: This post was updated on February 26, 2021 with new data. Even with a new president and political party soon in charge of the White House, the nation’s economic standoff continues. Notwithstanding President-elect Joe Biden’s solid popular vote victory, last week’s election failed to deliver the kind of transformative reorientation of the nation’s political-economic map that Democrats (and some Republicans) had hoped for.
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