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Politics and Policy

Companies That Receive State Subsidies Are More Likely to Break Workplace Laws‌

In a new study, Yale SOM’s Aneesh Raghunandan finds that state officials are then less likely to penalize companies that receive subsidies for corporate misconduct—and their leniency seems to encourage firms to ignore regulations.

A "Welcome to Washington" sign along a highway
  • Speaker Mike Johnson’s ‘Profiles in Courage’ Moment

    Yale SOM leadership expert Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and co-author Steven Tian write that the House Speaker displayed rare courage in learning on the job and defying extremists in his own party—and draw historical parallels to an ideological conversion that changed the course of the Cold War.

    House Speaker Mike Johnson speaking to the press, in a wide image from behind
  • Better Sanctions Can Weaken Russia

    Yale SOM’s Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, who has helped lead the movement to isolate Russia, and co-author Steven Tian write that the current sanctions regime is spottily enforced and ignores key commodities exports. They suggest three steps policymakers should take to give economic sanctions real bite.

    An aerial view of a stack of timber
  • Can Industrial Policy Help Revive Struggling Regions?

    A new paper co-authored by Yale SOM’s Cameron LaPoint looks at an effort in 1980s Japan to narrow economic inequalities between geographic regions, in order to understand the potential impact of the similar U.S. CHIPS and Science Act, enacted in 2022.

    President Joe Biden with a quantum computer during a tour of an IBM facility in Poughkeepsie, New York, in 2022.
  • A Divided America Emboldens Putin’s Aggression

    Alexei Navalny’s death is another sign that Russia is testing the limits of the West—and the U.S. is failing that test, write Prof. Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and co-author Steven Tian.

    A protester holding a poster of Alexei Navalny's face
  • What the U.S. Has to Gain from Supporting Ukraine

    Prof. Jeffrey Sonnnenfeld and co-author Steven Tian write that spending on weapons and aid boosts the U.S. economy, strengthens the NATO alliance, and weakens the Russian war machine.

    Supporters of aid for Ukraine outside the U.S. Capitol on February 11. 
  • How Connecticut Elevated Its Business Climate

    Connecticut turned itself into a destination for new businesses by prioritizing business development and inviting input and help from the private sector, write Prof. Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and three other leaders of AdvanceCT, the state’s business attraction and retention engine.

    The Connecticut state capitol and the Hartford skyline
  • No, the Business Exodus from Russia Was Not a Bonanza for Putin

    Yale SOM’s Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and Steven Tian, with Tymofiy Mylovanov and Nataliia Shapoval of the Kyiv School of Economics, respond to a New York Times articles on the effect of the boycott.

    A former McDonald’s restaurant in Moscow, with a different logo on otherwise similar food and packaging
  • The FTC’s Antitrust Overreach Is Hurting U.S. Competitiveness and Destroying Value

    Yale SOM’s Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and Steven Tian write that FTC chair Lina Khan’s attempts to block mergers are draining economic value—and consistently failing in court.

    Lina Kahn testifying
  • Dialogue About the Middle East Is Possible—Indeed, It’s the Only Way to Peace

    A recent event held at Yale showed that discussions among Israelis, Arabs, and other concerned parties can help bring out points of commonality that may be the first steps on a path toward peace, argue Yale’s Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and Steven Tian.

    Photo of the Middle East Peace Summit
  • Saying ‘Yes’ to Solve the Affordable Housing Crisis

    A lack of affordable housing is exacerbating homelessness and hobbling economic competitiveness, yet efforts to build new housing regularly meet NIMBY pushback. Three Yale SOM alumni tackle the tough challenge of getting to yes.

    An overhead view of housing under construction