Back in 2012, I shared a sadly amusing image about how the modern political process has degenerated into two wolves and a sheep voting what to have for lunch. I was making an argument in that column against majoritarianism (and that is a critical issue, as explained…

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.
Obamacare is Bad News for Your Wallet Today and Worse News for Your Wallet Tomorrow
I wrote a few weeks ago about the hidden economic damage of Obamacare, particularly the harm to the job market. Today, let’s get further depressed by looking at the ever-worsening fiscal damage of the law. Here’s some of what Chuck Blahous of Mercatus wrote about this…
Scholarly Evidence Shows that Discretionary Spending Undermines Economic Growth
I’ve shared lots of data and evidence about the harmful economic impact of government spending. Simply stated, budgetary outlays divert resources from more productive uses.And this results in labor and capital being misallocated, leading to less economic output….
The Left Was Wrong about Unemployment Insurance
Over the past several years, I’ve repeatedly argued that you get more unemployment when the government pays people to be unemployed. But I’m not just relying on theory. I’ve cited both anecdotes and empirical research to bolster my case. You won’t be…
Is FATCA the Worst Part of the Internal Revenue Code?
The worst part of the tax code is something most Americans have likely never heard of.
Libertarianism and the Proper Meaning of Patriotism
Since we’re enjoying a long holiday weekend to celebrate the 4th of July, let’s take a moment to ponder patriotism. I’ve always been inspired (in more ways than one) by this t-shirt. My patriotism is for American principles, not the federal government. Indeed, I’m…
Everything You Need to Know about Greece
We’re going to touch on two topics today. I realize that not that many readers care about Greek economic policy, but sometimes other nations can teach us very important lessons. For better orworse. And in the case of Greece, the lesson is that government intervention…
Is the IRS Suffering from “Fewer Resources”?
The internal revenue service has allowed itself to become a tool of the White House. To be more specific, bureaucrats at the tax-collection agency sought to undermine a free and fair political process by stifling political speech. And now the IRS is lying about its…
Bigger Government Means More Corruption
A story in Fortune reports that government corruption at the state level is very costly. …corruption is everywhere, in one form or another. And it’s costing U.S. citizens big time. A new study from researchers at the University of Hong Kong and Indiana University…
Herbert Hoover’s Anti-Market Policies Helped Turn an Economic Downturn into a Great Depression
There have been many truly awful presidents elected in the United States, but if I had to pick my least favorite, I might choose Herbert Hoover. I obviously have disdain for Hoover’s big-government policies, but I also am extremely irritated that – as Jonah Goldberg…


