"Given the disappointing March numbers, it is unlikely that this month's report will show a huge improvement. It is likely that the economy will add 120,000-140,000 jobs--small numbers that suggest protracted periods of sluggish growth still lie ahead of us." Aparna Mathur, AEI

The April issue of AEI’s Political Report covers polls on the presidential contest, environmental and energy issues, and world affairs.

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As policymakers continue their efforts to reduce the government’s role in the currently nationalized housing market, the broadly available and deep subsidies provided to the five divisions of the Government Mortgage Complex continue to distort the marketplace and thwart these efforts.

April 1 may be a day for jokes, but on Sunday Japan ceded to the United States a distinction that is no laughing matter: the highest combined statutory corporate tax rate (state, local, and federal) in the developed world.

In 2011, the Government Mortgage Complex accounted for 88 percent of all first-mortgage originations in the United States, with the government also controlling an estimated 90 percent of the student loan market. The government’s growing dominance in the home mortgage and student loan categories is cause for concern, posing a threat to private investors, borrowers, and taxpayers.

Tom Miller's remarks on the election's impact on health care at the annual meeting of the American College of Physicians.

The latest polls show that President Obama is still a formidable candidate for the 2012 election despite a dip in popularity on a number of issues. Views have also changed about federal income taxes and confidence in institutions.

PDF link to Robert Helms' full presentation, "Medicaid on April Fool's Day: Who Is Being Fooled".