Analysis: Trump's activist approach turns federal government into corporate shareholder
By
James Surowiecki
Pulled from the oven just right. Trustworthy, fact-dense, deeply satisfying.
Summary
The article argues that Donald Trump has become the most activist president since FDR in terms of government intervention in business, using tariffs, purchasing power, and regulatory threats to influence corporate behavior. It highlights that the federal government has taken equity stakes in private companies, including a recent $2 billion investment in quantum-computing firms. The author contends that while these federal stakes may enrich the government in the short term, they are ultimately detrimental to America's economic system and principles of free enterprise.
Key quotes
· 5 pulledWhen it comes to the government's relationship with business, Donald Trump is the most activist president since Franklin D. Roosevelt.
He has wielded tariffs, the government's purchasing power, and the threat of regulatory action to bend companies to his will.
Over the past year, the president has even made the federal government a corporate shareholder across a range of industries.
Just last week, the Commerce Department announced that it was taking stakes in a portfolio of quantum-computing companies in exchange for $2 billion in investment.
Federal stakes in public companies may enrich the government, but they are bad for America.
You might also wanna read
Opinion: Critique of Trump Administration's Domestic and Foreign Policies
A strongly opinionated piece criticizing Donald Trump's policies and actions, claiming he is harming the American public through environment
Defector·13d ago
Analysis of Trump's Stock Trading and Allegations of Unprecedented Corruption
The article argues that Donald Trump is the most corrupt president in U.S. history, citing evidence such as his stock portfolio making 3,600
Rolling Stone·11d ago