The Origins of South Carolina's Primary, Merkel's Succession Plans, and More

February 29, 2020

Where did the South Carolina primary come from?

There has been much discussion this election cycle about the differences between caucuses and primaries. Former Democratic Party officials Carol and Donald Fowler explain how South Carolina went from using a caucus system to holding primaries and what that change meant in critical election cycles.

America's responsibilities on the cusp of its peace deal with the Taliban

What is the cost of negotiating with the very terrorists you once sought to defeat? Madiha Afzal argues that the United States should create a clear narrative about its deal with the Taliban, explain how it will safeguard human rights, and mitigate potential repercussions.

Resetting Merkel's succession plans

"The Thuringian debacle reveals that the AfD, two and a half years after entering the federal legislature for the first time, has matured to become a very savvy political operator." Sam Denney and Constanze Stelzenmüller discuss the fallout after Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer—Merkel's heir apparent—announced her resignation and what it means for the far-right AfD.

Key issues facing Black America

The Black middle class needs political attention. "When politicians proselytize on the needs of the middle class but don't mention the racial wealth gap or homeownership rates...they are signaling they are only talking to the white middle class," write Andre Perry and Carl Romer.

The Black-white wealth gap. In 2016, the net worth of a typical white family stood at $171,000, nearly 10 times greater than that of a black family. Kriston McIntosh, Emily Moss, Ryan Nunn, and Jay Shambaugh examine this disturbing gap and explain how taxing income from wealth could be part of the solution.

The devaluation of businesses in Black communities. On this week's Brookings Cafeteria podcast, Andre Perry discusses new research, which finds that highly-rated businesses in Black-majority neighborhoods experience annual losses in business revenue up to nearly four billion dollars.

Black History Month is coming to a close, but Brookings experts are continuing to produce work on the historic racial inequalities found in U.S. policy. Explore the Race in American Public Policy series for more research and commentary.

The conclusions and recommendations of any Brookings publication are solely those of its author(s), and do not reflect the views of the Institution, its management, or its other scholars.

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