Interview with Matt Bruenig

This interview was conducted with Matt Bruenig, founder of People’s Policy Project. In this interview with Matt, the conversation revolves around his interest in public policy and welfare benefit policies, potential future developments in the welfare discourse, and successful welfare policies in the US and abroad.

Matt initially became interested in economic philosophy during high school, and his focus on egalitarianism eventually led him to research policies in the most equal countries, such as the Nordic economies. He is uncertain about how the discourse surrounding welfare benefit policies will develop over the next decade, but suggests that there may be an increased focus on fully refundable child tax credits.

When discussing the most successful welfare policies in the US, Matt highlights Social Security programs as the most effective, specifically old age insurance, disability insurance, and survivors insurance. These programs offer simple, accessible benefits without means testing, providing financial security to those who need it. Matt believes that the US could learn from other countries’ child benefits policies, such as parental leave, childcare benefits, and cash child benefits. The US currently lags behind in these areas, which are crucial for supporting families with young children.

Matt also shared insights about his work on family welfare policy, especially the family fun pack, and how he connects with the policy community to exchange ideas, get feedback, and work on new research. Matt identifies three main methods he uses to engage with policy professionals and political scientists:

1. Direct communication with politicians and their staff, helping write bills for members of Congress that align with his political beliefs. He credits his online presence, writing, and ability to influence others for opening doors to connect with the right people in this field.
2. Publicly releasing analysis and critiques of other ideas. By publishing papers, Matt creates discourse and influences policies indirectly. He shares the example of his 2017 social housing paper that led to new bills being introduced in several states. He finds that critical engagement in discourse tends to have the most significant impact.
3. Utilizing a broadcast approach, emailing his work to a list of policy stakeholders, including House and Senate staffers and state-level policy professionals. This method allows his ideas to reach a wider audience and potentially influence policymakers indirectly.

He then talks about the challenges he faces advocating for welfare and child benefit policies. The biggest challenge is people who oppose these ideas for ideological reasons. He also mentions intra-left issues, where people within the same political spectrum disagree on the best approach to a policy. In these situations, turf wars and defensiveness often hinder progress.

In the second part of my interview with Matt Bruenig, we discussed remarkable developments in the policy world, the future of welfare and child benefit policies, and advice for young scholars wishing to get into policy analysis.

Matt identifies the one-year child tax credit, which significantly cut child poverty, as the most remarkable development in the policy world. He explains the historical significance of this policy change, as there has been a consensus since the mid-90s that cash benefits couldn’t be provided to very poor children. This consensus was based on concerns of welfare dependency and the potential negative impact on work incentives. However, the introduction of the child tax credit in the American Rescue Plan Act showed that this consensus could be broken, which may help solve poverty problems that have been difficult to address.

When asked about advice for young scholars wishing to enter policy analysis, Matt suggests two main paths:

1. An unconventional path similar to his own, where one starts a blog and a Twitter account to engage with others, gain attention, and build a following. This method is labor-intensive and can take time, but may eventually lead to writing for publications or being picked up by an institution.
2. A more traditional approach, involving obtaining an advanced degree (such as a Master’s in Public Policy), internships at established policy institutions or organizations, or working within the government. However, he notes that the quality of some MPP programs might be low and not provide the necessary skills.

In conclusion, my interview with Matt Bruenig offered valuable insights into the policy world, significant developments in welfare and child benefit policies, and advice for aspiring policy analysts. The information he provided was immensely helpful for this project and for understanding the intricacies of the field.