Better living through better policy.

Category: Poverty and Inequality

Weakening Tri-Merge Would Make Housing Less Affordable

Post author By Patrick M. Brenner
Post date February 6, 2026
No Comments on Weakening Tri-Merge Would Make Housing Less Affordable

Why cutting credit reporting costs won’t fix housing affordability, and may make it worse.

Conservatism Culture Domestic Policy Government Regulation Government Transparency and Accountability Health Care Life New Mexico Political Thought Poverty & Welfare Poverty and Inequality Progressivism Public Health Public Opinion Top Issues Updates

Government Can’t Reduce Smoking by Attacking Safer Alternatives

Post author By Patrick M. Brenner
Post date January 31, 2026
1 Comment on Government Can’t Reduce Smoking by Attacking Safer Alternatives

New Mexico legislators are considering higher taxes and new restrictions on nicotine products such as nicotine pouches. These proposals are typically framed as public-health measures. In practice, they risk doing precisely the opposite—nudging smokers back toward cigarettes, expanding illicit markets, and increasing preventable disease. Cigarettes remain the most dangerous nicotine product legally sold in the […]

Conservatism Courts Crime and Justice Culture Cybersecurity Domestic Policy Economic Opportunity Economy Government Regulation Government Transparency and Accountability Infrastructure & Technology Legal and Judicial Life Markets and Finance Political Thought Poverty & Welfare Poverty and Inequality Progressivism Public Opinion Technology The Constitution Transparency

Real Clear Markets: Credit Card Rate Caps Will Lead To a Shortage of Credit Cards

Post author By Patrick M. Brenner
Post date January 19, 2026
No Comments on Real Clear Markets: Credit Card Rate Caps Will Lead To a Shortage of Credit Cards

Why a national credit card rate cap would shrink access and worsen inequality.

Tags Affordability Crisis, Capital Allocation, Command Economy Policies, Consumer Credit Policy, Consumer Debt, Consumer Finance Research, Consumer Protection Policy, credit access, Credit Building, Credit Card Accounts, Credit Card Interest Rates, Credit Card Limits, Credit Card Rate Caps, Credit Card Regulation, Credit Card Rewards Programs, Credit Contraction, Credit Market Infrastructure, Credit Markets, Credit Rationing, Credit Underwriting, Digital Payments, Donald Trump Economic Policy, Economic Freedom, Economic Inequality, Economic Policy Analysis, Federal Reserve Bank Of New York, financial inclusion, Financial Mobility, financial regulation, Financial Risk Pricing, Financial Stability, Fraud Protection, Free Market Economics, Household Debt, Household Finance, Housing Affordability, Inflation And Cost Of Living, Interest Rate Caps, Lending Standards, Market Distortions, Milton Friedman, Monetary Policy, National Interest Rate Cap, Online Commerce, Patrick M. Brenner, Payment Systems, Price Controls, Prime Borrowers, Regulatory Overreach, Southwest Public Policy Institute (SPPI), Subprime Borrowers, Temporary Government Programs, Trump Credit Card Proposal

Conservatism Culture Domestic Policy Economic Opportunity Economy Government Regulation Government Spending Government Transparency and Accountability Life Markets and Finance Missouri Political Thought Poverty & Welfare Poverty and Inequality Progressivism Public Opinion Taxes Top Issues Updates

SPPI Joins National Coalition Calling on Missouri to Modernize Its Tax System

Post author By Patrick M. Brenner
Post date January 6, 2026
No Comments on SPPI Joins National Coalition Calling on Missouri to Modernize Its Tax System

Coalition backs Governor Kehoe’s effort to modernize Missouri’s tax code.

Tags Americans For Prosperity, Better Living Through Better Policy, Coalition Letter, Competitive Enterprise Institute, Economic Freedom, Economic Growth Policy, Fiscal Policy Reform, Free Market Policy, Government Waste Reduction, Governor Mike Kehoe, Income Tax Elimination, Income Tax Phase Out, Market Driven Policy, Missouri Legislature, Missouri Promise, Missouri Tax Code, Missouri Tax Reform, National Policy Coalition, National Taxpayers Union, Outdated Tax System Reform, Pro Business Policy, Pro Growth Tax Policy, Public Policy Institute, Southwest Public Policy Institute (SPPI), State Tax Reform, Tax Burden Reduction, Tax Modernization, Tax Policy Reform, Tax Reform Coalition, Taxpayer Advocacy, Taxpayer Protection

Amicus Curiae Conservatism Corner Post, Inc. v. Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System Courts Crime and Justice Culture Domestic Policy Economic Opportunity Economy Government Regulation Government Transparency and Accountability Infrastructure & Technology Legal Legal and Judicial Life Markets and Finance North Dakota Political Thought Poverty & Welfare Poverty and Inequality Progressivism Public Opinion Technology The Constitution Top Issues Updates

SPPI Files Amicus Brief Supporting the Federal Reserve in Major Debit Card Case

Post author By Southwest Public Policy Institute
Post date December 30, 2025
No Comments on SPPI Files Amicus Brief Supporting the Federal Reserve in Major Debit Card Case

A major federal court case could reshape debit card economics nationwide, impacting payment security, reliability, and everyday consumer transactions.