My family and I were driving back from Florida last week after vacation and happened to stop at McDonald’s (fine Irish cuisine) in Knoxville, Tennessee. And what do I see on the television but Senator Bill Cassidy talking about portable benefits on Fox News. I pointed like the Leo meme — I'm sure the people there thought I was nuts. But it was one of the clearest breakthroughs I've seen our research make. In that moment I saw years of Mercatus research breaking through to the national stage, andit was glorious.
That spotlight belonged to Liya Palagashvili, who has spent half a decade making the case that independent workers shouldn’t have to choose between flexibility and benefits. Earlier this month, Congress introduced a bill built on exactly that premise. This is the culmination of Liya’s briefings, testimony, and original research.
Then, as I was writing this newsletter, the administration released its AI Action Plan. Our former colleague, Dean W. Ball, joined these efforts a few months ago and has been instrumental in developing this set of policies. Huge congrats to him.
Portable benefits and AI policy are just two examples of the larger truth: Mercatus is a launchpad for scholars whose ideas refuse to stay in the ivory tower. Consider these recent wins:
Andy Levinidentified the need for true accountability at the Federal Reserve to protect it from over-politicization. His work on cost overruns on construction and staffing has been covered in the media and is raising serious interest from policymakers.
Alain Bertaud was invited to 10 Downing Street to discuss housing policy and how to build 1.5 million new homes. He also spoke with MPs, Councillors, and housing activists during his time there.
Tyler Cowen was cited by Noah Smith in a piece acknowledging that market-oriented reform is far more effective than he had previously thought.
These achievements stem from intentional strategy. Mercatus combines scholarly independence with intensive training in policy translation, media strategy, and legislative engagement. Promising ideas receive the platform and momentum necessary to navigate Capitol Hill's complex challenges.
Ben Brophy Director of Marketing
Mercatus Center at George Mason University
Tyler Cowen weighs in on the Europe v. America argument. Spoiler: America wins. For instance, did you know that more Europeans die of heat death, largely due to a lack of air-conditioning, than Americans die from gunshot wounds? Tyler knew that.
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