Catherine Rampell

New York, N.Y.

Columnist covering economics, public policy, immigration and politics

Education: Princeton University

Catherine Rampell is an opinion columnist at The Washington Post. She frequently covers economics, public policy, immigration and politics, with a special emphasis on data-driven journalism. She is also an economic and political commentator for CNN, a special correspondent for the PBS NewsHour and a contributor to Marketplace. She serves on the advisory board for the Journal of Economic Perspectives. Before joining The Post, she wrote about economics and theater for the New York Times. Rampell received the 2021 Online Journalism Award for Commentary and the 2010 Weidenbaum Center Award for Evi
Latest from Catherine Rampell

Forget Trump’s IVF promises. The GOP’s record shows contempt for fertility care.

As always, pay more attention to what politicians do than to what they say.

September 5, 2024
Former president Donald Trump takes part in a town hall in Harrisburg, Pa., on Sept. 4.

‘Health care’ is both everywhere and nowhere this election cycle

Health is invoked in debates on climate change, gender, gun violence and immigration, but the health-care system itself is out of the spotlight

August 29, 2024
(iStock)

The Trump effect: Politicians are in no hurry to craft policy solutions

Along with character and ethics, the GOP nominee has also degraded our expectations for governing.

August 27, 2024
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump delivers remarks at a campaign rally in Glendale, Ariz., on Aug. 23. (Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)

Doug Emhoff, modern-day sex symbol

Doug Emhoff is secure enough with his own masculinity to sometimes prioritize his wife’s ambitions over his own. What. A. Hunk.

August 23, 2024
Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Douglas Emhoff wave to the audience during a campaign stop in Rochester, Pa., on Aug. 18. (Angela Weiss/AFP/Getty Images)

The GOP’s greatest skill: Taking credit for things Democrats did

One party keeps lying about its public service record. Talk about “stolen valor.”

August 20, 2024
Republican vice-presidential nominee JD Vance speaks in Philadelphia on Monday.

When your opponent calls you ‘communist,’ maybe don’t propose price controls?

It’s hard to exaggerate how bad Kamala Harris’s price-gouging proposal is.

August 15, 2024
Vice President Kamala Harris delivers remarks during a campaign event in Detroit on Aug. 7. (Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post)

Hot tip: Both parties should stop bribing voters with tax cuts

Exempting tips from taxes is a terrible idea, regardless of which party is proposing it.

August 13, 2024
A waitress carries breakfast dishes to customers at a restaurant in Denver. (David Zalubowski/AP, File)

What will the Google antitrust ruling mean for search — and all of us?

Creating more competition could be good for consumers, other tech companies and even Google itself.

August 9, 2024

Democrats should adopt a new agenda: Make America Minnesota Already

Tim Walz’s policies have been politically smart, fiscally sound and family friendly.

August 8, 2024
Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota is hugged by elementary school students after he signed a bill in Minneapolis in March 2023 guaranteeing free school lunches for public school students. (Elizabeth Flores/Star Tribune via Getty Images)

    Trump claims no ties to Project 2025. Right. | Opinion

    It’s "preposterous" for Trump to feign ignorance of Project 2025, conceived by his closest advisers.

    August 6, 2024