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Intelligence Squared US Debate Analysis: Raise the Federal Gas Tax to Fund Infrastructure

by robertrosenkranz on November 16, 2015

Robert Rosenkranz: Intelligence Squared US Debate Analysis
Raise the Federal Gas Tax to Fund Infrastructure

As most Americans may know, a portion of their gasoline bills is a federal gas tax. This tax is 18 [CK] cents a gallon and is used largely for the building and maintaining of roads, highways and bridges around the country.

As noted at the outset of the debate, economists consider the federal gas tax to be as close to a “perfect tax” as can likely exist. This is because it is “reasonably close to a user tax. It’s a fee for using the service…and that is almost the least distorting tax you could have…where the people who are using it are paying for it.” Conservatives might like it for that reason; environmentalists might favor it because it discourages use of fossil fuels.

Despite its near-Utopian economic nature, the federal gas tax remains unpopular, and has not been raised in more than 20 years. This reality is the background for our latest Intelligence Squared debate in which two teams put forth arguments for and against the concept of raising the gas tax to fund transportation infrastructure projects.

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robertrosenkranzIntelligence Squared US Debate Analysis: Raise the Federal Gas Tax to Fund Infrastructure

Intelligence Squared US Debate Analysis: China and the U.S. are Long-term Enemies

by robertrosenkranz on November 5, 2015

Robert Rosenkranz: Intelligence Squared US Debate Analysis
China and the U.S. are Long-term Enemies

The evolving relationship between China and the United States is one of inherent tension yet also mutual benefit. As China’s position as a world power strengthens, the U.S. must choose carefully how to respond and to relate as that growing power naturally changes the dynamics between the two countries.

For its part, the United States is not likely to allow itself to be shut out of the Pan-Asian region while China is not likely to sit back idly while a democratic coalition designed to limit its growth emerges. The natural inclination of nations in these positions is to assume that the other party has malicious intent. Yet, each country has reason to not act hastily upon such assumptions.

Given this landscape, how adversarial is the relationship between China and the U.S.? This was the subject of a recent debate in which the motion “China and the U.S. are long-term enemies” was discussed. I pointed out that this debate “could have been held three years ago…or three years from now…because the challenge of accommodating the shifting power relationships in Asia is a huge challenge and a long-term project.”

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robertrosenkranzIntelligence Squared US Debate Analysis: China and the U.S. are Long-term Enemies

Recommended Reading: Bill Browder’s Red Notice

by robertrosenkranz on September 22, 2015

Bill Browder, the famous hedge fund manager whose grandfather was the head of the Communist Party in the United States, is someone I have known for years. My personal experience in Russia is limited to a trip I took with a group from The RAND Corporation to meet senior officials and oligarchs shortly after the Russian financial crisis of 1998. The place was corrupt from top to bottom. At the top, a $5 billion IMF loan to Russia’s central bank disappeared in a matter of days. At the bottom, an elderly beggar I engaged in conversation outside of a MacDonald’s told me how much she had to pay for the privilege of begging in that particular location.

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robertrosenkranzRecommended Reading: Bill Browder’s Red Notice

Announcing The Fall 2015 IQ2US Season Lineup

by robertrosenkranz on September 16, 2015

I’m proud to announce the next exciting season of Intelligence Squared U.S. Debates, which launches this evening in New York City.  Our series premieres tonight with a timely debate on sexual assault in America’s colleges. Everyone agrees that campus sexual assault needs to be addressed – but the question is, how?  Tune in at 6:45 PM EDT and watch our live stream.  Details for all of our upcoming debates can be found below, and don’t forget to cast your pre-debate vote online for all of our topics.

CampusSexualAssault-IQ2USDebate-RobertRosenkranz
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16TH, 2015:
Courts, Not Campuses, Should Decide Sexual Assault Cases
High-profile cases have recently put campus sexual assault in the spotlight. One question that has repeatedly come up: why are these cases being handled by campuses at all? Title IX requires that every school receiving federal aid must take concrete steps to deal with hostile environments and sexual assault. This leaves colleges and universities with the task of figuring out what policies and procedures to enforce. Proponents say that campus investigations serve a real need, forcing schools to respond to violence and protecting the interests of victims in ways that the criminal justice system may fail. Can schools provide due process for defendants and adequate justice for victims, or do these cases belong in the courts?  Learn more

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robertrosenkranzAnnouncing The Fall 2015 IQ2US Season Lineup

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