Lessons from the Texas Budget

by Dan Mitchell | Feb 20, 2023 | Big Government, Blogs, Government Spending

I shared some data last month from the National Association of State Budget Officers to show that Texas lawmakers have been more fiscally responsible than California lawmakers over the past couple of years. California politicians were more profligate in 2021...

The IMF’s Dirigiste Tax Agenda, Part II

by Dan Mitchell | Feb 19, 2023 | Big Government, Blogs, Taxation

Yesterday’s column reviewed a new report from the International Monetary Fund and criticized that bureaucracy for celebrating how the world’s most-powerful governments are going to take more money from the private sector thanks to a corporate tax cartel. But that’s...

The IMF’s Dirigiste Tax Agenda, Part I

by Dan Mitchell | Feb 18, 2023 | Blogs, Tax Competition, Tax Harmonization, Taxation

Thanks in large part to the pro-growth agendas of Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan, but also giving credit to policymakers in nations like Ireland and Switzerland, businesses (and their workers, consumers, and shareholders) have...

Should America Copy Estonia’s Pro-Growth Flat Tax?

by Dan Mitchell | Feb 17, 2023 | Blogs, Flat Tax, Taxation

The Baltic nation of Estonia is an improbable success. After breaking free from the horror of Soviet communism, leaders adopted pro-market reforms. Including a low-rate flat tax for households.Including a pro-growth tax system for...

A Simple Spending Cap Will Avert America’s Fiscal Crisis

by Dan Mitchell | Feb 16, 2023 | Big Government, Blogs, Government Spending

Every six months or so, the Congressional Budget Office produces a 10-year forecast and most fiscal experts focus on the projections for deficit and debt. Those are important (and worrisome) numbers, but I first look at the data...