America’s military is important as a symbol of our nation, to deter conflicts, and for the United States to prevail when conflicts arise. Defense spending is one of the largest programs in the federal budget and is an enormous sum compared to funding for other domestic programs such as education or welfare. What do Americans get from defense spending? How does America’s defense budget compare to spending by other nations?

As the COVID pandemic began to recede in 2021, Americans noticed rising prices throughout the economy, from groceries to gasoline, utility bills, and house prices. Rising prices reduce consumer and business confidence and make it harder for people to make ends meet. What is inflation, what causes it, and what can the United States government do about it?

In the past two decades, U.S. natural gas and oil production has increased to the point that America is now a net exporter of these commodities. This change is due to a new technology, hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. How does fracking fit into the debate over climate change?