Neil H. Buchanan

Neil H. Buchanan, an economist and legal scholar, is a visiting professor at both Osgoode Hall Law School and the University of Toronto Law school. He also holds the James J. Freeland Eminent Scholar Chair in Taxation at the University of Florida's Levin College of Law. Professor Buchanan blogs at Dorf on Law.

Columns by Neil H. Buchanan
Trump Throws Off the Last Pretense That His Campaign Is Not About Bigotry
Updated:

George Washington law professor and economist Neil H. Buchanan comments on Donald Trump’s inclusion of Brexit provocateur Nigel Farage as a speaker at a rally in Mississippi. Buchanan argues that the presence of such an openly anti-immigrant, whites-first agitator alongside Trump can mean only one thing about Trump’s own campaign for president.

An Analysis of Donald Trump’s Economic Proposa…—Wait, He Said What?
Updated:

George Washington law professor and economist Neil H. Buchanan evaluates Donald Trump’s economic proposal, finding it at best a regurgitation of Republican economic orthodoxy. Buchanan explains why Trump’s proposal is essentially trickle-down economics, which would simply worsen economic inequality and do nothing to improve the economy.

Clinton and the Democrats Will Have Two Years, at Most, to Accomplish Anything
Updated:

George Washington law professor and economist Neil H. Buchanan explains why, if Hillary Clinton is elected, she has at most two years in which to enact legislation. As Buchanan explains, the pattern of U.S. Senate elections makes it highly unlikely there can be any lasting, meaningful change to the government’s partisan gridlock.

Republicans Can Save Their Party if They Can Admit to Themselves That Clinton Is Tolerable
Updated:

George Washington University law professor and economist Neil H. Buchanan explains why it is in the best interests of Republican leaders for them to admit that Hillary Clinton would be a tolerable president, rather than to support Donald Trump. Buchanan argues that for them to continue to support Trump is to risk putting a dangerous loose cannon in the White House, who at best will render the Republican party unrecognizable, and at worst could tear apart the country.

What Do “High Negatives” Mean? Or: Hillary Clinton On Her Worst Day Is Better Than Donald Trump On His Best
Updated:

Neil H. Buchanan, a law professor and economist at George Washington University, discusses the negative opinions a large number of Americans hold about both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton in the lead-up to the 2016 Presidential Election. He further explains how peoples' discontent with Clinton differs from that relating to Trump, revealing a stark disparity between the two candidates' qualifications to become President. Where Clinton's naysayers frequently offer vague or unsubstantiated complaints, Buchanan argues that the criticism aimed at Trump is far more substantive.

Even After Trump Loses, Constitutional Democracy in the United States Will Still Be in Peril
Updated:

George Washington law professor and economist Neil H. Buchanan explains why, whether Donald Trump wins or loses the presidency, constitutional democracy in the United States is seriously threatened. Buchanan argues that Trump’s stated plans for the country would effectively destroy our constitutional democracy, but even a Republican-caused gridlocked Congress under a President Hillary Clinton could cause a debt crisis and economic collapse.

Is This the Beginning of the End of Constitutional Democracy in the U.S.?
Updated:

In this first of a two-part series of columns, George Washington law professor and economist Neil H. Buchanan considers whether the constitutional democracy in the United States is near its demise. Buchanan compares and contrasts the responses to issues faced by middle-class America given by Democratic presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton with those given by Republican nominee apparent Donald Trump.

Trump Finds a Way to Be Just a Bit More Unhinged than the Republican Establishment Is About the Federal Debt
Updated:

George Washington law professor and economist Neil H. Buchanan explains how Donald Trump’s recent comments about the federal debt reveal that he is even more irresponsible—though only slightly—than the Republican establishment on this issue. Buchanan describes the problems with repudiating the debt as Trump suggests the government do.

Genuine Tax Simplification—Not Grandstanding—From Senator Warren and Friends
Updated:

Neil H. Buchanan, a law professor and economist at George Washington University, praises a bill proposed by Senator Elizabeth Warren that would simplify the filing of taxes. Buchanan explains why filing should be much simpler than it is and also why efforts to simplify the process have, to date, failed.

On Social Security, at the Very Least, the Dishonesty Is All on the Republican Side
Updated:

George Washington University law professor and economist Neil H. Buchanan explains why, contrary to claims by Republicans, Social Security is not on the brink of bankruptcy or insolvency. Buchanan points out that even in the unlikely event of the worst case scenario—where the Social Security trust fund reaches zero—retirees would still receive modest benefits.

Why Clinton and Sanders Are Both Right (and Trump Is Wrong) About International Trade
Updated:

George Washington law professor and economist Neil H. Buchanan explains why Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders are both correct about international trade. Buchanan points out that there is no single set of policies that deserves to be called “free trade,” and thus that the term is incoherent.

Social Security Will Be There When Today’s Young People Retire
Updated:

George Washington University law professor and economist Neil H. Buchanan argues that Social Security will still be there when today’s youth retire, despite claims to the contrary by Republicans and the media. Buchanan explains the key difference between the Social Security trust fund and the Social Security system generally.

The Kasich Moderation Burlesque
Updated:

George Washington University law professor and economist Neil H. Buchanan continues his series of columns evaluating presidential candidates’ claims of being moderate by looking at Ohio governor John Kasich. Buchanan cautions that although as governor Kasich accepted a Medicaid expansion for Ohio and acknowledges climate change, his actions and words with respect to issues such as abortion, the Affordable Care Act, and the federal budget—among others—reflect extreme conservative views, not moderate ones.

Republicans Will Not Seriously Try to Sell Marco Rubio as a Moderate, Will They?
Updated:

In this first of a series of columns evaluating presidential candidates’ claims of being moderate, George Washington law professor and economist Neil H. Buchanan argues that Marco Rubio is extremely conservative on both social and economic issues. Buchanan points to Rubio’s position on such social issues as reproductive rights, same-sex marriage, gun control, and economic issues such as tax policy and the federal budget.

Have Democrats Rediscovered Unions Too Late?
Updated:

Neil H. Buchanan, a law professor and economist at George Washington University, comments on the recent trend of mainstream liberal opinion makers to express public support for labor unions. Buchanan explains the tumultuous history of liberals and labor unions, and he wonders whether this overdue support is too little too late, in light of a case currently before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Republicans Should Learn From Flint That Governing on the Cheap Costs Too Much
Updated:

George Washington law professor and economist Neil H. Buchanan discusses a set of issues raised by an op-ed on the public health emergency in Flint, Michigan, written by one of former president George W. Bush’s speechwriters. Buchanan argues that one of the takeaway lessons is that the government—and particularly the federal government—plays an essential role in responding adequately when disaster strikes.

Are Baby Boomers Better to Millennials Than Millennials Are to Themselves?
Updated:

George Washington law professor and economist Neil Buchanan explains how the ways in which Baby Boomers have positively and negatively shaped the world for Millenials. Buchanan points out that Baby Boomers actually did well in some of the areas for which Millenials criticize them, though they also fell short in other areas.

At This Point, Would Any Republican Ever Leave the Party?
Updated:

George Washington law professor and economist Neil H. Buchanan considers whether any Republican would ever leave the party in light of the increasingly extremist views of the influential party leaders. Buchanan concludes that it is highly unlikely, for a number of reasons, that even Donald Trump could drive away moderate Republicans from the GOP in any permanent sense.

The Republican Candidates Show Their Weakness as They Try to Look Strong
Updated:

George Washington law professor and economist Neil H. Buchanan argues that the Republican presidential candidates fear doing anything risky or unpleasant, such as criticizing the extreme views of Donald Trump or failing to enact meaningful gun control reform.