The pandemic, racial crisis and recession—it’s enough to make 2020 surpass 1968.
William A. Galston
Politics and Ideas Columnist, The Wall Street Journal
William A. Galston writes the weekly Politics & Ideas column in the Wall Street Journal. He holds the Ezra K. Zilkha Chair in the Brookings Institution’s Governance Studies Program, where he serves as a senior fellow. A former policy advisor to President Clinton and presidential candidates, Galston is an expert on domestic policy, political campaigns, and elections. His current research focuses on designing a new social contract and the implications of political polarization.
Articles
The Nordic nation has a higher death rate and immunity hasn’t built up as planned.
The Fed chairman’s advocacy for spending might save the U.S. from a depression.
But only if it comes with a sunset clause and rules protecting workers from the coronavirus.
The Problem Solvers proposal would cost $500 billion, half of Pelosi’s favored sum.
States will embrace different strategies. But we must protect the vulnerable.
Now, as in 1933, it’s up to leaders to state facts, earn trust and project confidence.
He can’t overrule the states’ police powers, which include public health regulation.
And Covid-19 has cost the president two major arguments for his re-election.
Let’s examine the failures that led to this crisis so it never happens again.
Large corporations have piled on debt, making themselves vulnerable to shocks.