Looking to the Founders: The Copper Panic and The Gold Standard Debate

No State shall . . . coin Money; emit Bills of Credit; make any Thing but gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debts... --U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 10

July 1789

George Washington's new government had only been in place for a few short months when it faced its first financial crisis. The new government under the Constitution had just been elected, the Treasury hadn't even been formed yet -- but the country was dealing with the collapse in the value of colonial and Confederation-era coinage.

Everything You Need to Know About The Good and the Bad of Quantitative Easing

For the U.S., ‘quantitative easing’ (QE) is over—for now, anyway. While the costs and benefits will take time to reveal themselves completely, we can assess what we know of it to this point. To make sure we’re all singing the same notes, let’s begin with a brief summary of what QE is and how it was accomplished here in the U.S.

First of all, QE was a derivative, if you will, of the standard functioning of the Federal Reserve System (the Fed). Even among the most developed nations central banks have somewhat different functions in different monetary systems.

Why Americans Should Not Give Up Hope for Political Change in 2015

This article is for people who would like to believe that, despite our nation's political woes, there is cause for renewed optimism. It is for those among us who hold some vestige of hope that the coming New Year may turn America not further down the path of despair, but up a trail of progress.

Read on if you are tired of hearing that bipartisanship is dead; weary of media reports of dysfunction in government; tired of listening to pundits who tell us that our nation's lawmakers are beyond the ability to legislate.

Despite Ruble Crisis, Russia and China Still Threaten U.S. Trade Interests

For about a decade, Russian and Chinese politicians, bankers, and industry captains have been calling for a new world super-currency in an effort to ditch the United States dollar as the primary worldwide trading currency. Even with the current ruble crisis, the plans continue to move forward with a significant currency swap between Russia and China.

Both China and Russia are heavily dependent on American dollars for their exports. Russia's primary export is petroleum and natural gas, while China exports large quantities of consumer goods to American markets.

The Political Defaults: Ideological, Pragmatic, or Independent

Have you ever found yourself at a church gathering where the topic of conversation is supported by default, only because it is part of the agenda of the political party or organization behind it?

It is probably no different than a labor union meeting where your support is expected in favor of the political party that primarily supports labor issues.

Media Starting to Recognize How Top-Two Brought Business Back to California

California's nonpartisan, top-two primary has been in place for two major elections now. Critics, including several media outlets in the state, have frequently argued that it has not done much to curb partisanship or polarization.

However, a large problem with this is political pundits and academic researchers have focused mostly on the state's delegation in the U.S. Congress, while ignoring what has happened in Sacramento.

Poll: Millennials More Likely to View Volunteering as 'Very Important'

Millennials are often characterized as narcissistic, lazy, and entitled. A generation that came of age at one of the worst economic times in U.S. history, were mostly coddled by their Baby Boomer parents, and are the most indebted (due to massive student loan debt) generation in U.S. history is often looked down on by older generations -- perhaps unfairly, too.