by Dan Mitchell | Oct 4, 2020 | Blogs, Economics, Supply Side, Tax Competition, Taxation
Yesterday’s column featured some of Milton Friedman’s wisdom from 50 years ago on how a high level of societal capital (work ethic, spirit of self-reliance, etc) is needed if we want to limit government. Today, let’s look at what he said back then about that era’s...
by Dan Mitchell | Oct 3, 2020 | Big Government, Blogs, Government Spending
I identified four heroes from the “Battle of Ideas” video I shared in late August – Friedrich Hayek, Milton Friedman, Ronald Reagan, and Margaret Thatcher. Here’s one of those heroes, Milton Friedman, explaining what’s needed to control big government. For all intents...
by Dan Mitchell | Oct 2, 2020 | Big Government, Blogs, Economics, Regulations
When I write about regulation, I mostly focus on cost-benefit analysis. Simply stated, red tape makes it more expensive for people and businesses to do things, much as adding obstacles makes it more difficult for someone to get from Point A to Point B. So a relevant...
by Dan Mitchell | Oct 1, 2020 | Big Government, Blogs, Bureaucracy
I have a “Bureaucrat Hall of Fame” to acknowledge individuals who go above and beyond the call of duty. As measured by sloth and waste, of course. But maybe I also need a “Bureaucracy Hall of Fame” for examples that capture the self-serving nature of departments,...
by Dan Mitchell | Sep 30, 2020 | Big Government, Blogs, Government Spending, Health Care
Last night’s train-wreck debate reinforced my disdain for politicians. But let’s ignore the immature theatrics from Trump and Biden and focus on one of their policy disagreements. The two candidates squabbled over whether creating a government-administered health plan...