The Ripon Forum
Volume 53, No. 4
September 2019
In this edition
by LOU ZICKAR
In this edition of The Ripon Forum, we take a look at the state of our national political discourse, and why facts matter now more than ever.
On the Front Lines of the Fight Against Opioids
by CHRISTINA MURYN
There is hope for our communities. But it only will occur through continued collaboration between the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.
What Medicare for All would Mean for Us All
by CHARLES BLAHOUS
Medicare for All would involve an unprecedented expansion of federal government expenditures and tax burdens.
Why the Electoral College Should be Preserved
by JAMES WALLNER
The Electoral College, along with the Constitution’s other institutional arrangements, exists to safeguard the space where Americans participate in politics to make collective decisions based on equality.
FACTS MATTER
Poppy MacDonald discusses the mission of USAFacts and the effort to combat misinformation heading into the 2020 election.
What Every American Should Know About the Debt & Deficit
by G. WILLIAM HOAGLAND
In the current year, the federal government collected $3.47 trillion in revenues and spent $4.47 trillion, resulting in an annual deficit for 2019 of $1 trillion.
What Every American Should Know about U.S. Foreign Aid
by GEORGE INGRAM
At $39.2 billion for fiscal year 2019, foreign assistance is less than 1% of the federal budget.
What Every American Should Know about Our Health Care System
by GAIL R WILENSKY
We can spend less – we just cannot spend less and still have as easy an access to the open-ended, technically-advanced, sophisticated health care delivery system that we have had in the past.
What Every American Should Know about the Immigration Crisis
by JACKIE VARAS
To overcome this crisis, we must rethink our asylum processes at the border and our deficient legal immigration system.
What Every American Should Know about Education
by KYLE CHANCE
Preparing the next generation of Americans for the future is in our nation’s greatest interest and is our society’s greatest investment.
