Stephen Moore
Columns by Stephen Moore
BOOK REVIEW: ‘Know Thine Enemy’ by Mark Melcher and Steve Soukup
No one understands the dysfunctions and debilitating impact of America's political system in the swamp better than Mark Melcher and Steve Soukup. For decades between them, they followed Washington for Wall Street at one of America's largest brokerage houses. For the last 16 years, the two have run their own, independent research shop, delivering political commentary and forecasting to the investment community, studying the intersection between politics and economics. This pushed them into a relentless pursuit of the new left -- measuring its deleterious impact on everything it touches -- most especially Western civilization. Published November 12, 2018
Why Wall Street must get ready for Maxine Waters
Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters of California appears a lock to become the next chairman of the powerful Financial Services Committee. Ms. Waters is pledging to be a diligent watchdog for mom and pop investors, and recently told a crowd that when it comes to the big banks, investment houses and insurance companies, "we are going to do to them, what they did to us." I'm not going to cry too many tears for Wall Street since they poured money behind the Democrats in these midterm elections. You get what you pay for. Published November 11, 2018
5 midterm races that matter the most in 2018
I've been arguing for months that the ideal outcome in the midterm elections to set up Donald Trump for a landslide re-election in 2020 is for Republicans to hold the Senate and narrowly lose the House. Published November 4, 2018
Why the left hates prosperity
Here is Moore's rule of modern day politics: The better the economy performs under President Trump and the more successes he racks up, the more unhinged the left becomes. It's a near linear relationship. And it goes for media as well. Published October 28, 2018
How 157 million Americans lose their health insurance
It seems like just yesterday that Democrats were telling us that under Obamacare, "if you like your doctor and if you like your health plan you can keep it." Published October 21, 2018
End Moody’s and S&P credit-rating agency racket
This month marks the 10-year anniversary of the housing market meltdown that led to the Great Recession. Is another crisis looming around the corner? Published October 14, 2018
Donald Trump’s North American trade triumph
For those on the left and right who were certain that Donald Trump's presidency meant the end of global free trade ... think again. Though President Trump's critics have dismissed the significance of the new Mexico and Canada trade deal, it's hard to deny it's a welcome advance for the economy on the entire continent. Published October 14, 2018
End Moody’s and S&P credit-rating agency racket
This month marks the 10-year anniversary of the housing market meltdown that led to the Great Recession. Is another crisis looming around the corner? Published October 7, 2018
The Congressional Budget Office misses the mark
I have spent some two to three decades railing against faulty budgetary scoring of tax bills, but the latest charade from the Congressioanl Budget Office (CBO) and Joint Tax Committee takes the cake. The story of fiscal phony math is so indefensible when it comes to the Trump tax cut that you may not believe it could be true. Alas, it is. Published September 30, 2018
Saving the Republican Congress
Even at this late hour, Donald Trump can save the Republican Congress in November — if they want to be saved. To understand how, we need to rewind back to this time last year. Published September 23, 2018
Liberals push initiatives that require utilities to buy expensive wind, solar power
Liberals love to talk about helping the poor and the middle class and they are obsessed with reducing income inequality. So why is it that across the country they are pushing one of the most regressive taxes in modern times? Published September 16, 2018
Why Trump deserves a Nobel Prize in Economics
This past week I asked a friend at the White House about how the president was holding up against the onslaught of media attacks. "They didn't even deliver a glancing blow," was the response. It wasn't for a lack of trying. Published September 9, 2018
The threat of tariffs may work
Love him, or hate him, you've got to hand it to Donald Trump. His trade and tariff strategy — risky as it is — seems to be working. The master negotiator is hammering out agreements — first with the Europeans and now with Mexico — that are better deals for American firms and workers. Published September 2, 2018
‘Don’t let the Fed end the Trump prosperity’
There's an old cliche that the Federal Reserve likes to take away the punch bowl just when the party is getting going. That's what President Trump suspects that Fed Chairman Jerome Powell is doing now by raising interest rates at a time of a booming economy. Published August 26, 2018
The United States didn’t sign the Paris Climate Accord, but beats the whining signers
Take a wild guess what country is reducing its greenhouse gas emissions the most? Canada? Britain? France? India? Germany? Japan? No, no, no, no, no and no. Published August 19, 2018
An easy way to lower the trade deficit
From the first day Donald Trump started running for president, he has raged against America's large and persistent trade deficit. Published August 12, 2018
Donald Trump will ease Barack Obama mandates on fuel efficiency standards
A few years ago, I (Steve) spoke at my son's 5th grade class about all of the wonderful things that we have today in our great country that weren't around 100 years ago. Inventions like cars. Published August 5, 2018
The EU pledges to lower its tariffs on American soybeans, oil and gas
The media and other Trump haters can't seem to let themselves admit it, but President Trump scored a big victory for the American economy on trade last week. Mr. Trump and the European Union reached a handshake deal that is designed to lower tariffs on both sides of the Atlantic. They agreed to shoot for zero tariffs on both sides of the Atlantic. Sounds like freer and fairer trade to me. Published July 29, 2018
Liberal war on work
Once upon a time, work for welfare was a pretty accepted notion. In 1996, Bill Clinton signed a strict workfare bill that was so popular, it helped him get re-elected. A Brookings Institute study by welfare scholar Ron Haskins proved those reforms moved more than half of those on welfare (mostly young single moms) into the workforce, and millions eventually gained economic self-sufficiency. Published July 22, 2018
How Trump can lower drug prices
One of Donald Trump's more memorable promises on the campaign trail was to lower the cost of prescription drugs. Polls show this issue remains popular with Americans — especially lower-income families — who are worried about high drug prices. Published July 15, 2018