Speaker: Andy Matthews
Andy Matthews took office as Nevada’s 23rd state Controller on Jan. 2, 2023.
Prior to his election as Controller, Andy spent his professional career in the public-policy arena as an advocate for fiscal responsibility, individual liberty, and accountable, transparent government.
From 2011-2015, Andy served as President of the Nevada Policy Research Institute, a think tank that promotes market-oriented reforms and solutions to Nevada’s public-policy challenges.
From 2020-2022, Andy represented Assembly District 37 in the Nevada Legislature, promoting legislation to increase government efficiency, accountability, and transparency.
For his work during the 2021 Session, Andy was named the Policy Champion of the Year by the Nevada chapter of Americans for Prosperity, and he was the Nevada Assembly’s recipient of the Guardian of Small Business Award from the National Federation of Independent Business.
A native of Massachusetts, Andy has lived in Nevada since 2006. He and his wife, Valerie, live in Las Vegas.
Topic
Economic growth has been slowing for decades due to factors that are continuing. First, as James Carville would say: It’s the spending, stupid. That has caused huge public (and private) debts, and we have reached the danger zone. Just as bad has been excess regulatory growth and policy mistakes, plus the metastasis of the administrative state. But the Supreme Court and current administration may reverse these trends. Ehrlich’s Population Bomb turns out to be an implosion, not explosion. How will that and other demographic trends play? Contra Fukuyama, history hasn’t ended with the triumph of liberal democracy and market capitalism – and bad guys and real conflict will always be with us.
Some good news: market capitalism works and America’s extreme and growing income inequality are myths. China prudently avoids shooting wars, but is very aggressive otherwise. On the other hand, Xi’s return to hard core communism is already leading to their downturn. Like other alleged limits to growth, shortages of rare earths, strategic minerals and various resources will be handled by human ingenuity.
Some other items as time permits: education, employment preparation and labor force changes; health care and insurance, plus retirement income and investment returns; and social problems, immigration, identity politics and tribalism. Technological change, innovation and productivity growth may rescue us from our policy errors and problems.
