How to pick a Vice President in 2016 (Grace Wallack, Brookings)

With only one week until the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, speculation is brewing that Trump will announce his VP pick in the next seven days. But unlike many historical candidacies, Trump is unlikely to pick either of the primary runners-up, Senator Ted Cruz or Ohio Governor John Kasich. In the video below, Elaine Kamarck explains why. Beginning in 1831, conventions were almost always “brokered” in other words they were the result of deal making between party elites. Because the conventions were brokered, the second-place pick would cut a deal with the nominee and become the VP as a way to bring the party back together.

http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/fixgov/posts/2016/07/11-how-to-pick-a-vice-president-2016-wallack

Are Trump and Sanders helping outsider congressional candidates? (Elaine Kamarck, Alexander Podkul, Grace Wallack, Nicholas W. Zeppos, Brookings)

Although both the Republican and the Democratic nominating conventions are coming up soon, both parties effectively decided on their nominee long ago. Trump secured the GOP nomination in May, when both Senator Ted Cruz and Ohio Governor John Kasich dropped out, and Clinton secured the necessary number of delegates for the Democratic nomination in June, despite the persistence of her challenger, Senator Bernie Sanders. But the presidential nominees will not be alone on the ballot in November—and the primary season for those congressional seats is just over halfway finished. Much has been said so far about the impact of Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump on congressional candidates, either in the primary or in the general, but little has been tested empirically. In the second cycle of the Brookings Primary Project, we have taken exit polls from congressional primaries to see what effect—if any—the presidential candidates are having down ballot. The answer so far: Not much.

http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/fixgov/posts/2016/07/07-trump-sanders-outsider-congressional-candidate-kamarck-podkul-wallack-zeppos

Is too much democracy responsible for the rise of Trump? (Grace Wallack, Brookings)

http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/fixgov/posts/2016/06/14-rise-of-trump-too-little-democracy-wallack

Clearing up misconceptions about marijuana rescheduling: What it means for existing state systems (John Hudak, Grace Wallack, Brookings)

As marijuana rescheduling has gained traction in Congress and DEA has announced it will rule on a rescheduling this summer, a common concern has emerged in the cannabis reform community and among industry actors. It goes something like this: "If marijuana is moved to Schedule II, the Feds will shut down our state's legal system." The worry is that this administrative change will make marijuana pharmaceuticals legal and thus require all such products to be removed from the market until FDA approval is granted. And of course, clinical drug testing and FDA approval often takes years and hundreds of millions (if not more) dollars in research—something cannabusinesses can't afford and time medical marijuana patients don't have

http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/fixgov/posts/2016/05/27-misconceptions-marijuana-rescheduling-hudak-wallack

Does strong corporate culture create long-term value? (Grace Wallack, Brookings)

In 2005, billionaire hedge fund manager Eddie Lampert acquired a large portion of Sears Holdings, the parent company of Sears and Kmart, among other brands. In 2008, Lampert reorganized the company into 30 autonomous business units that would operate like independent businesses, with their own IT contracts, marketing officers, and most importantly, annual financial statements.

http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/fixgov/posts/2016/05/02-corporate-culture-long-term-value-paper-wallack

Political appointees harm the integrity and efficiency of government (Grace Wallack, Brookings)

Not everyone knows what an Inspector General (IG) does, but surely Americans of all ideologies can get behind their stated mission: to improve the integrity, efficiency, and effectiveness of government. The 72 IGs throughout the federal government oversee vastly different agencies, but each carries out similar functions, including conducting audits of government programs, investigating fraud both within and outside agencies, reviewing contract, personnel, and management practices, and guarding against waste, fraud, and abuse in all activities of the agency they oversee.

http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/fixgov/posts/2016/04/13-political-influence-harms-the-efficiency-of-government-wallack