Political Commentary

November 28, 2025

Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Update: Tariffs, Revenues and the Federal Defecit–What the Latest Numbers Show

An Update from the Congressional Budget Office. *

INTRODUCTION:

The Congressional Budget Office’s November 2025 update shows that rapidly changing tariff policies have significantly reshaped federal budget projections. As of mid November, the effective U.S. tariff rate is about 14 percentage points higher than a year earlier, and CBO now estimates that tariffs implemented in 2025 could reduce federal deficits by roughly $3.0 trillion over the next decade, including lower interest costs. The report explains why these estimates are smaller than earlier projections, highlights exemptions and policy shifts affecting major trading partners. It also underscores the considerable uncertainty surrounding the long term fiscal and economic effects of today’s unprecedented tariff levels.

November 19, 2025

Why the United States Has Not Yet Elected a Woman President

by David Badertscher

This posting provides a concise analytical summary of several key explanations for why the United States, despite more than two centuries of democratic development and expanding opportunities for women in public life, has yet to elect a female president. A curated selection of relevant reference sources follows, intended to enhance context and support further inquiry into this persistent political phenomenon.

OVERVIEW:

1. Historical and Structural Barriers

October 3, 2025

Power Plays in Washington: A Deep Dive Into the 2025 Government Shutdown

by David Badertscher

OVERVIEW:

In their opinion feature “‘The wrong hill to die on’: 3 writers discuss the government shutdown”, Benjy Sarlin (Assignment Editor), Robert Gebelhoff (Editorial Board), and James Hohmann (Deputy Opinion Editor) dissect the unfolding government shutdown standoff. The authors explore the tug of war between Democrats’ demand to extend health care subsidies and Republicans’ insistence on passing a clean continuing resolution, all while President Donald Trump threatens to fire rather than furlough federal workers. The Washington Post

Together, they engage in a frank conversation about whether Democrats have picked the wrong political battlefield, who currently holds leverage, and how the high stakes of this shutdown could reshape the broader narrative over health care and governance.