The United States and Switzerland have lighter tax burdens and smaller welfare states than France, yet both rank higher on median income.

Dan Mitchell
Daniel J. Mitchell is the President of the Center for Freedom and Prosperity and the Center for Freedom and Prosperity Foundation. Dr. Mitchell advocates limited government and fundamental tax reform, and is the nation’s leading opponent of tax harmonization schemes developed by the Brussels-based European Union, the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and the United Nations.
In addition to fiscal policy, Dr. Mitchell is a trenchant observer of economic developments and an expert on Social Security reform – particularly the fiscal policy impact of reform and what the US can learn from other nations that have created personal retirement accounts.
FitFS 2026: The Freest State Is…
Arizona and Montana make moves in the 2026 Freedom in the Fifty States rankings.
United Airlines vs. America’s Flying Public
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby backs shocking taxes.
Part X of the Western World’s Entitlement Crisis: Will Belgium Be the First Domino?
With borrowing costs climbing and spending projected to rise, could a Swiss-style spending cap and Dutch-style pension reform put Belgium on firmer footing?
Part IX of the Global Entitlement Crisis: Will Spain Be the First Domino?
Pension promises make Spain’s long-term outlook troubling.
Part VIII of the Western World’s Entitlement Crisis: Will the U.S.A. Be the First Domino?
The dollar’s reserve status can buy Washington time, but entitlement reform is essential to reining in spending.
Part VII of the Western World’s Entitlement Crisis: Will Greece (again) Be the First Domino?
Greece’s debt-to-GDP ratio has fallen by more than 60 percentage points since 2020, yet it remains higher than when the 2009 crisis began.
Part VI of the Western World’s Entitlement Crisis: Will Canada Be the First Domino?
Canada is unlikely to trigger the next fiscal crisis but there is still reason to worry.
Part V of the Western World’s Entitlement Crisis: Will Italy Be the First Domino?
Italy’s pension bill remains high, and its borrowing costs are rising faster than the international average.
Part IV of the Global Entitlement Crisis: Will Japan Be the First Domino?
What have decades of stimulus bought Japan?










