Chaotic trade policies are destabilizing the economy and preventing long-term business investment.
The rising costs of housing and healthcare are the primary drivers of economic anxiety, and current policies are failing to address them.
Decades-old zoning and environmental laws have created an "anti-growth machine" that stifles the construction of necessary infrastructure and housing.
US industrial policy, like the CHIPS Act, may be misdirected, subsidizing low-value manufacturing while ignoring existing US dominance in high-value design.
Opportunities Identified
Reframing the national manufacturing goal from "making T-shirts" to "making homes" could create a domestic construction boom with high-paying jobs.
Addressing the housing crisis by reforming zoning and permitting laws could unlock significant economic growth and alleviate cost-of-living pressures.
Focusing industrial policy on attracting high-value talent (e.g., chip designers) rather than just subsidizing factories could be a more effective use of resources.