List/Grid

Government Spending Subscribe to Government Spending

Other than Obama and Krugman, Is there Anybody Who Still Thinks Bigger Government Is Good for Growth?

Other than Obama and Krugman, Is there Anybody Who Still Thinks Bigger Government Is Good for Growth?

I’ve repeatedly explained that Keynesian economics doesn’t work because any money the government spends must first be diverted from the productive sector of the economy, which means either higher taxes… Read more »

I Made a $16 Trillion Mistake, but Still Had a Stronger Position in this Debate

I Made a $16 Trillion Mistake, but Still Had a Stronger Position in this Debate

I’ve done a handful of TV debates on Social Security, including the time I said that I wished Republicans had a secret plan for personal retirement accounts. So I thought… Read more »

With the Nation Facing a Fiscal Crisis, Why Are Greek Taxpayers Subsidizing a Big Bird-Type State-Run Media Network?!?

With the Nation Facing a Fiscal Crisis, Why Are Greek Taxpayers Subsidizing a Big Bird-Type State-Run Media Network?!?

couple of years ago, I shared a chart that powerfully demonstrated why Greece was in fiscal crisis. The chart, which showed the explosive growth of the government bureaucracy, also provided… Read more »

Let’s Hope for Heavy Casualties on Both Sides in the War Between the IMF and European Commission

Let’s Hope for Heavy Casualties on Both Sides in the War Between the IMF and European Commission

It is reported that Henry Kissinger, commenting on the Iran-Iraq war, said something to the effect that, “Too bad both sides can’t lose.” I imagine lots of people felt the… Read more »

Discussing Europe’s Faux Austerity with John Stossel

Discussing Europe’s Faux Austerity with John Stossel

I want a smaller burden of government spending, so you can only imagine how frustrating it is for me to observe the fight in Europe. On one side of the… Read more »

The IMF Is the Doctor Kevorkian of Global Economic Policy

The IMF Is the Doctor Kevorkian of Global Economic Policy

I don’t like giving international bureaucrats tax-free salaries. And it really galls me when they use their privileged positions to promote statism. So you can understand why I’m not a… Read more »

UFOs, Faked Moon Landings, and Fiscal Policy

UFOs, Faked Moon Landings, and Fiscal Policy

I was very pleased to report the other day that the people of France overwhelmingly favor spending cuts, even when they were asked a biased question that presupposed that Keynesian-style… Read more »

Hell Has Officialy Frozen Over: French Support Spending Cuts by Overwhelming 4-1 Margin

Hell Has Officialy Frozen Over: French Support Spending Cuts by Overwhelming 4-1 Margin

I like the think I’m a reasonably savvy observer of public opinion and international economics, but every so often I’m stunned by some bit of data. Several years ago, for… Read more »

Another Example of Editorial-Page Fiction at the New York Times

Another Example of Editorial-Page Fiction at the New York Times

Are there any fact checkers at the New York Times? Since they’ve allowed some glaring mistakes by Paul Krugman (see here and here), I guess the answer is no. But… Read more »

Tax and Expenditure Limits: The Challenge of Turning Mitchell’s Golden Rule from Theory into Reality

Tax and Expenditure Limits: The Challenge of Turning Mitchell’s Golden Rule from Theory into Reality

The main goal of fiscal policy should be to shrink the burden of government spending as a share of economic output. Fortunately, it shouldn’t be too difficult to achieve this… Read more »