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Donovan Zagorin is a senior fellow and the Director of Policy at YIP. He is currently a high school student in California who looks to further the goal of improving discourse in politics, especially among youth. He has interests in politics, philosophy, and economics, all of which he hopes to pursue through college and the rest of his foreseeable future.
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Published Policy Briefs
Harvesting the Future: Analyzing the Role of the Farm Bill in Shaping the Agricultural Industry
Farming as an industry is largely impacted and dictated in some way by policy, specifically the farm bill. This brief will analyze the role the farm bill plays in the industry and how its revisions can impact the future of farming.
Debt Ceiling Dilemma: Evaluating its Necessity, Economic Impact, and Solutions
Delving into the intricacies of the annual US debt ceiling debate, this comprehensive brief provides a thorough understanding of its long-standing history, the policy frameworks it revolves around, and the various conclusions that can be inferred. We aim to illuminate the inherent nature of the debt ceiling, along with exploring the potential impacts stemming from diverse solution strategies.
The Run on Silicon Valley Bank
This brief will review the run on the Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and the looming implications. This bank was a cornerstone of one of the largest areas of economic prosperity in the U.S., it is not new as we have seen banks run throughout history. However, it has forced us to analyze the event in terms of policy that led to it occurring or could have prevented it from happening in order to improve the future economy.
The Role of Campaign Finance in Elections
When running for public office, individuals will attempt to maximize the contributions they receive as a means to help further their campaign. This brief will cover the history of campaign financing, the policy that surrounds it, and other policy options. This allows us to understand the current and desired impact of campaign financing on elections.
President Biden’s Student Loan Debt Forgiveness Plan
This brief will cover President Biden’s new student loan forgiveness proposal in relation to its economic implications. The relevance, history, related policy options, and a conclusion about said policy options will be demonstrated.
Impact of a Strong US Dollar
This brief will cover the current strength of the U.S. dollar and what it means for the economy. Relevance, history, related policy options, and a conclusion about said policy options will be demonstrated.
Mass Tech Layoffs and Recession
This brief will cover the implications of the mass tech layoffs that have occurred recently and how it has and continues to impact the American economy. The relevance, history, policy positions, and policy recommendations regarding this issue will be detailed throughout the brief.
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U.S. Economic Shrinkage Throughout 2022
The brief will discuss economic shrinkage that has occurred throughout 2022. Various issues such as a drop in exports, decreases in government spending, and changes to interest rates will be covered. The relevance, history, and policy responses regarding this issue will be outlined alongside certain policy suggestions to revert this economic shrinkage.
Tariffs and their Consequences
The following brief covers the pros and cons of tariffs. From a political point of view, tariffs are an appealing policy if policymakers wish to preserve domestic industry from foreign competition. However, from an economic perspective, we must always consider: what are the opportunity costs behind such a policy, and are the trade-offs a worthy sacrifice of potential benefits?
The Future of Social Security
The Social Security program is best known for its retirement benefits and is primarily funded (89.6 percent) by payroll taxes. The longevity of Social Security has been put under question as of late and this brief will attempt to address the conflict regarding Social Security (with a focus on its funding) as well as a recommendation for how it should be approached.
The Debt Ceiling
Modern precedents regarding congressional debates have been politically dramatic. Despite its bipartisan history, the debt ceiling has been a center for partisanship since the opening of the century. Take two instances, then Senator Joe Biden and fellow Democrats refused to increase the debt ceiling during George W. Bush’s presidency in protest of the Iraq War. In the next administration, Republicans sought to make spending cuts in attempts to choke out Obama’s Affordable Care Act in 2013 which ultimately led to a government shutdown. Today, President Biden attempts to lift the debt ceiling to fund his administration’s federal programs. One of the only bipartisan agreements on the debt ceiling in the past decade was when Trump tentatively abolishing the debt ceiling to sidestep a major political showdown before the 2020 election.
Regulating the Cryptocurrency Industry
This brief will be an analysis that covers the topic of crypto-currency volatility along with the bill which has been proposed to regulate the industry. The relevance, history, policy positions, and policy recommendations regarding crypto-currency will be explored.
Price Controls
Now, how necessary are price controls? How much control is too much? Is it more important to protect the consumer over the provider and risk sincere quality?
Monetary Solutions for Inflation after COVID-19
In November of 2021, the Federal Reserve began to taper which translates to gradual reduction in asset purchases in order to maintain economic stimulus at a more sustainable pace. It is a question as to if the Fed should taper, contract, or engage in different practices.
A $15 Minimum Wage on Balance
The federal minimum wage serves as the baseline for how much workers will receive as compensation. Recently, many Americans have advocated that the federal government ought to increase the minimum wage $7.25 to $15 per hour.
Fellowship Projects
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Published Opinion Articles
Affirmative Action - The Accepted Discrimination
Hooked? The Reality of Opiate Addiction
In this article, we argue that addiction is a conscious choice rather than a disease, highlighting the power of individual decision-making in the escalation and continuation of drug use. The article disputes popular misconceptions about opiate withdrawal, emphasizes the fallacies of the disease model of addiction, and criticizes pharmacological approaches, arguing for greater personal accountability in confronting addiction.
Where Did it Come From? – A Note on the Origin of Money
One of the most pondered questions in society is “why do we have money?” Many question why we cannot simply live in a society where people create the necessary resources and exchange with one another. This is a question that revolves around the origin of money. Those already versed in economics typically hold the barter theory of money, which was mainly developed by Adam Smith and Carl Menger; however, there are some contentions to this theory which have mainly come about due to anthropologist David Graeber and his book, Debt: The First 5000 Years. This article aims both to explain the barter theory of money and defend it from Graeber’s critiques.
The End to Endo -- A Critique of Endogenous Money Theory
Is the Market Responsible for Monopolization? The History of Monopolies in America
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