LATEST
Thomas Philippon Claims the US Has Grown Less Competitive Than Europe. Seriously?! I Take Him to Task in My NRO Review of His Book With profits rising, productivity growth slowing, investment middling despite near-zero interest rates, and large competitors gaining market share, proponents of income redistribution insist that an increase in monopoly rents — profits earned by cooperating with competitors to raise prices and restrict output rather than competing honestly with them — has misallocated resources, increased income inequality, and slowed middle- and working-class wage growth. If cronyism increasingly misallocates resources, theoretically policymakers can redistribute income without significantly slowing growth and diminishing prosperity — the proverbial free lunch. Politicians such as Elizabeth Warren insist… Read More
I Take Sides in Taylor Swift’s Fight with Private Equity Over Music Rights on Fox Business Ed Conard take sides in Taylor Swift’s fight with private equity over music rights Fox Business’s “Varney & Co.” Listen to Ed Conard and Stuart Varney's discussion. Read More
Debating What Warren Gets Wrong About Private Equity on FBN’s “Cavuto Coast to Coast” Neil Cavuto and I debate what Elizabeth Warren gets wrong about investors and private equity—investment makes the US middle class 30% more prosperous than their counterparts in Northern Europe. Read More
Defending JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon’s $31m Salary on FBN’s Making Money with Charles Payne Charles Payne, Heather Higgins, and I defend JP Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon’s $31 million annual salary on “Fox Business’s Making Money with Charles Payne.” Read More
American Innovation Drives Prosperity in the U.S. and Abroad on Varney & Co I discuss how American innovation is driving economic prosperity for the middle class here in the United States and in Europe on Fox Business’s “Varney & Co.” Read More
The Success of the Most Successful Workers Benefits the Middle Class on Varney & Co. I explain why the success of the most successful workers benefits the middle class on Fox Business’s “Varney & Co.” Read More
Sanders’ and Warren’s Wealth Tax Proposals Will Hurt the Middle Class I explain why Bernie Sanders’ and Elizabeth Warren’s wealth tax proposals will ultimately hurt the middle class. We also discuss Walmart stock performance, WeWork’s delayed IPO and leadership fight, and, surprisingly the strength of my tennis game on Fox Business’s “Varney & Co.” Read More
Warren’s Proposals Will Extract a Heavy Cost From the Middle Class I explain why Elizabeth Warren’s proposals will extract a heavy cost on the middle class on Fox Business’s “Varney & Co.” Read More
Democrats Are Campaigning for European Socialist Policies That Would Hurt the Middle Class on FBN’s Varney & Co David Asman and I discuss how Democrats are campaigning to bring European socialism to America which would slow growth and hurt the middle class. Read More
Debating the Logic Underpinning the Expected Fed Rate Cut on Fox Business’s “Making Money” Charles Payne, David Nelson, and I debate the logic underpinning the expected Fed rate cut on “Fox Business’s Making Money with Charles Payne.” Read More
Ed Conard Responds to Pres. Trump’s Claim That Fed Policy Is Fostering Trade Deficits with China on FBN’s “Varney & Co.” Ed responds to President Trump’s claim that Fed policy is fostering trade deficits with China, on Fox Business’s “Varney & Co.” Read More
A Strong Economy Makes Trump the Favorite to Win in 2020 on Fox Business’s “Varney & Co.” America’s strong economy, driven by President Trump’s pro-growth policies of tax cuts and regulatory restraint, puts him in the best position to win in 2020, on Fox Business’s "Varney & Co." Read More
Joe Scarborough and Ed Conard Debate Pres. Trump’s Immigration Plan on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” Joe Scarborough and I debate President Trump’s new immigration plan and its emphasis on high-skilled immigration to produce economic growth on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” Read More
Matthew Continetti in NRO Analyzes My Proposal on How to Help the Middle Class How to Help the Middle Class by Matthew Continetti for National Review Ed Conard, former business partner of Mitt Romney and author of Unintended Consequences and The Upside of Inequality, appears on the most recent episode of Conversations with Bill Kristol. The interview is worth your time. It arrives at a moment when conservatives are debating what economic policies are best for the middle class. Conard challenges some widespread assumptions and offers intelligent if controversial suggestions. First, like his American Enterprise Institute colleague Michael Strain, Conard says the middle class is neither stagnating… Read More
Debating a Book’s-Worth of Economic Issues on “Conversations with Bill Kristol” I cover a book’s-worth of economic issues in my 90 minute discussion with Bill Kristol on “Conversations with Bill Kristol.” Read More
HIGHLIGHTS
A Trade Policy That Wouldn’t Leave Low-Wage Workers Behind Edward Conard National Review December 5, 2016 President-elect Donald Trump has shown Republicans how to forge a new electoral college majority by energizing blue-collar voters. His victory, with its demands to restrict trade and immigration, also marks the end of free-market advocates’ control over the Republican party. But there is a way that these advocates might find common ground with blue-collar Republicans to accelerate wage growth, better fund looming pension benefits without tax increases, and defeat the next iteration of liberalism. Republicans have always been a coalition of voting minorities,… Read More
Greg Mankiw & Ed Conard Discuss the Upside of Inequality on C-SPAN’s Book TV Harvard economist Greg Mankiw interviews Ed Conard about his new book, The Upside of Inequality: How Good Intentions Undermine the Middle Class for C-SPAN Book TV’s “After Words.” Read More
Analyzing President-elect Trump’s Policy Priorities on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” with Andrew Ross Sorkin Ed Conard discusses President-elect Donald Trump's transition team and banking policy challenges with Andrew Ross Sorkin on CNBC's "Squawk Box." Read More
Dallas Morning News Q&A: How We Can Address Growing Wage Disparity with Ultra-High-Skilled Immigration Ed Conard speaks with Jim Mitchell of the Dallas Morning News about his new book, The Upside of Inequality: How Good Intentions Undermine the Middle Class. Jim Mitchell Dallas Morning News October 13, 2016 Former Bain Capital managing director Edward Conard says middle-class prosperity is taking it on the chin, but the concentration of wealth in the top 1 percent is not the reason. The problem is the entrepreneurs have moved to Silicon Valley, with few left behind to re-employ workers in areas where factories are closing down. In his new book, The Upside of… Read More
Debating the Politics of Income Inequality on CNBC’s “Squawk Alley” Ed Conard debates the politics of income inequality with Carl Quintanilla and Jon Fortt on CNBC’s “Squawk Alley." Read More
“The Upside of Inequality” Reaches #1 on New York Times Business Book List My new book The Upside of Inequality: How Good Intentions Undermine the Middle Class reached #1 on the New York Times bestselling business book list this month. The National Review says Upside is “the Conservative answer to Thomas Piketty that you’ve all been waiting for.” Buy the book, write a review, or follow me on social media at www.EdwardConard.com/Action. Read More
Buzzfeed’s Ben Smith on My Views About Trumponomics & The Future of the GOP Buzzfeed’s Ben Smith summarizes my talk at Mitt Romney’s offsite conference on how advocates of free enterprise can find common ground with Trump supporters, and win the presidential election without slowing the economy or dividing the country. It’s a little over-the-top, with menacing music and such, but you can read Ben's post below and watch my presentation here. Buzzfeed by Ben Smith September 28, 2016 At a private gathering of wealthy Republicans this June, a banker named Edward Conard made a radical proposal: To save capitalism from Donald Trump, American business leaders would need to abandon old… Read More
Explaining Trump’s Tax and Trade Policies with Tom Keene on Bloomberg TV’s “Surveillance” Ed Conard explains Trump’s tax and trade policies with Tom Keene on Bloomberg TV’s “Surveillance." Read More
How to Save the Middle Class on Bloomberg Radio’s “Surveillance with Tom Keene” Ed Conard discusses how to save the middle class on Bloomberg Radio’s “Surveillance with Tom Keene." Read More
“The Upside of Inequality” Reaches #8 on The New York Times Bestseller List! My new book The Upside of Inequality: How Good Intentions Undermine the Middle Class reached #8 on the New York Times bestseller list this week. I summarize the book for Morning Joe, Maria Bartiromo, The New York Times and TIME Magazine. The National Review says Upside is “the Conservative answer to Thomas Piketty that you’ve all been waiting for.” Buy the book, write a review, or follow me on social media at www.EdwardConard.com/Action. Read More
National Review: “The Upside of Inequality” Is The Conservative Answer to Piketty That You’ve All Been Waiting For National Review by Patrick Brennan September 19, 2016 It’s been a rough few years for conservative economics. In some arenas, such as federal policymaking, this is understandable, given who holds the White House. But the fact that we’re losing ground in the world of ideas, too, is less forgivable. In some arenas, such as federal policymaking, this is understandable, given who holds the White House. But the fact that we’re losing ground in the world of ideas, too, is less forgivable. Consider the economics books and ideas that have broken… Read More
Explaining “The Upside of Inequality” on FBN’s “Mornings with Maria” I explain my new book "The Upside of Inequality" and debate middle-class wage growth with Maria Bartiromo on Fox Business Network's "Mornings with Maria." Watch the latest video at video.foxbusiness.com Read More
Debating “The Upside of Inequality” on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” I debate my new book The Upside of Inequality with Joe Scarborough, Mika Brezezinski, Mike Barnicle and Mike Lupica on MSNBC's "Morning Joe". Read More
What Liberals Don’t Understand About Income Inequality Edward Conard Time.com September 13, 2016 Blaming the success of America’s 1% for the slow growth of middle- and working-class incomes leads to policies that slow an already slow-growing economy. A shortage of properly trained talent and risk-taking limit the growth of America’s innovation-driven economy. In those circumstances, growth can manifest itself as an increase in employment or an increase in wages. When America spreads talent and entrepreneurial risk-taking over a greater number of workers, it slows middle- and working-class productivity and wage growth. U.S. employment has grown twice as… Read More
Edward Conard Debate Highlights Edward Conard published The Upside of Inequality: How Good Intentions Undermine the Middle Class in September 2016. The book debuted at #8 on the New York Times top ten non-fiction list and reached #1 on the New York Times business book list. Upside was met with positive reviews, including former president of Harvard University and economist Larry Summers, a very tough critic on the other side of the aisle, blurbed: I disagree but respect the argument, calling it “a very valuable contribution” that will “sharpen your thinking on critical economic issues.” National Review said of Conard and Upside:… Read More