Brief Analyses / International

Three Reasons Why the United States Should Defund the U.N. Palestinian Refugee Program

American taxpayer money spent on U.N. programs is often wasted, and the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) is a prime example. The United States remains the largest contributor to the United Nations, funding 22 percent of the organization’s 2015 budget. The United States is also the single largest donor to UNRWA, paying approximately $380 million toward a nearly $1 billion budget in 2015.

Testimony

NCPA’s John R. Graham testifies before House Ways & Means Committee on ACA individual mandates

The individual mandate is Obamacare’s least popular feature. It was the subject of the 2012 lawsuit asserting Obamacare was unconstitutional: Never before had the federal government forced any resident to buy a good or service from a private business. The people lost that argument. Nevertheless, Republicans have pledged to eliminate the individual mandate. This commitment remains good politics. Perhaps counterintuitively, it is also good economics.
Testimony

Obamacare’s Individual Mandate is Economically Inefficient and Does Not Improve Access to Health Care

Chairman Buchanan, Ranking Member Lewis, and Members of the Committee, I am John R. Graham, Senior Fellow at the National Center for Policy Analysis, a nonprofit, nonpartisan public policy research organization dedicated to developing and promoting private alternatives to government regulation and control, solving problems by relying on the strength of the competitive, entrepreneurial private sector. I welcome the opportunity to share my views and look forward to your questions.

The individual mandate is Obamacare’s least popular feature. It was the subject of the 2012 lawsuit asserting Obamacare was unconstitutional: Never before had the federal government forced any resident to buy a good or service from a private business. The people lost that argument. Nevertheless, Republicans have pledged to eliminate the individual mandate. This commitment remains good politics. Perhaps counterintuitively, it is also good economics.

According to last November’s Kaiser Family Foundation Tracking Poll, only 35 percent of respondents have a favorable view of the individual mandate. The proportion drops to just 21 percent among Republicans, and just 16 percent among Trump supporters.

News Release

NCPA to Testify on ACA Individual Mandate before House Ways & Means Committee

Dallas, TX (1/23/17) – On January 24, 2017, Senior Fellow John R. Graham will testify on “Examining the Effectiveness of the Individual Mandate under the ACA” to the House Committee on Ways & Means. John Graham is one of the leading healthcare experts in the country and has written extensively on Obamacare and other healthcare policies. The theme of his testimony will be that Obamacare’s “Individual Mandate” is economically inefficient and does not improve access to healthcare. 

Other NCPA Experts

NCPA to Testify on ACA Individual Mandate before House Ways & Means Committee

On January 24, 2017, in the first meeting of the House Ways & Means Subcommittee on Oversight, NCPA Senior Fellow John R. Graham will testify on “Examining the Effectiveness of the Individual Mandate under the ACA” to the House Committee on Ways & Means. John Graham is one of the leading healthcare experts in the country and has written extensively on Obamacare and other healthcare policies. The theme of his testimony will be that Obamacare’s “Individual Mandate” is economically inefficient and does not improve access to healthcare.

Staff

Luke Twombly

Media Manager Luke Twombly is the Media Manager at the National Center for Policy Analysis. At the NCPA, he coordinates social media, handles event & publication promotion, and manages our …

News Release

NCPA Statement On Andy Puzder for Secretary of Labor

Dallas, TX (1/18/2017)— National Center for Policy Analysis President & CEO Jim Amos  released the following statement in response to the vicious libel that has been leveled against Andy Puzder, Chief Executive of CKE Restaurants, which owns Hardees’, Carl’s Jr., Green Burrito and Red Burrito restaurant brands, a franchise system with 3,750 franchised or company-operated restaurants in 44 states and 40 foreign countries and U.S. locations, and a member of the IFA Board of Directors.

Economy / Issue Briefs

How the Economy Affects Major Asset Classes

Asset performance patterns are not always easy to explain, even over longer time frames. For instance, stock and bond prices are positively correlated, but they are also negatively correlated at various times. Asset prices also move differently in periods of uncertainty than in quieter times.

National Defense / News Release

NCPA Statement on Expected Confirmation of Mike Pompeo for CIA Director

Representative Mike Pompeo, President-elect Trump’s nominee to lead the CIA will have a tough task ahead in rebuilding the credibility of one of the most revered institution in the American government. The Obama administration’s fecklessness and short-term thinking has so undermined the integrity of the intelligence community that Pompeo will likely spend an inordinate amount of time having to rebuild trust and relationships, both stateside and abroad, rather than immediately improving operational readiness.

Health / Issue Briefs

How to Make New Drugs More Affordable

Over the past several years, a few high-priced drugs have elevated drug spending to a political issue. Patients are more sensitive to rising costs due to increasing deductibles and, because consumers pay more of their drug costs, pharmaceutical companies are less able to pass on high prices without anyone noticing.