I’ve shared horror stories about government thuggery and I’ve shared horror stories about government stupidity. Thanks to Mark Steyn, we have a story that exemplifies both the brain-dead nature of the public sector and the nasty nature of our bureaucratic…
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.
Lower Tax Rates > Targeted Tax Credits
Some folks on the right in Washington, generally known as reformicons (short for reform conservatives), want the Republican Party to de-emphasize marginal tax rate reductions and instead focus on providing tax relief to parents. There are many leaders in this movement…
The Medicare Money Pit of Waste, Fraud, and Abuse
Since I primarily work on fiscal policy, I normally look at the budgetary impact of entitlement programs. And the numbers are very grim. But I’m also an economist, so I periodically comment on how government intervention undermines the efficient functioning of…
Another Victory for the Laffer Curve, this Time over the Lifestyle Puritans
What do cigarettes and capital gains have in common? Well, they both start with the same letter, so maybe the Cookie Monster could incorporate them into his favorite song, but I’m thinking about something else. Specifically, both cigarettes and capital gains tell us…
Secular Stagnation Is the Unwelcome and Predictable Consequence of Bad Policy and Big Government
I shared a chart back in February that shows how long it takes to double GDP based on different growth rates. For instance, if the economy grows only 1 percent per year, it takes 70 years before the economy doubles. Think Italy or some other decrepit European welfare…
Some Praise for a Minor Part of Obamacare
I like to think that very few people despise Obamacare more than me. I don’t like Obamacare because it’s a fiscal boondoggle. I don’t like Obamacare because it’s bad healthcare policy. I don’t like Obamacare because it generated an embarrassingly bad decision by the…
Encouraging Polling Data…Plus Disturbing Policy Developments from Russia and the United Kingdom
The polling data I shared last month about confused young people was a bit of a downer, so let’s look at three different polls that are a bit more encouraging. First, I’m glad to see that many Americans feel that government and politicians are their leading cause of…
World Bank Research Shows Tax Complexity Facilitates Corruption
I don’t like international bureaucracies because they generally push for policies that expand the burden of government and undermine economic growth. But I recognize that there are some good people who work at these institutions and I’m always willing to acknowledge…
America’s Libertarian Moment?
I think libertarianism is the philosophy that best reflects human decency, but I sometimes wonder why libertarians aren’t more persuasive and why there aren’t any libertarian societies. However, maybe there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. I’ve been asked by…
Obama, Corporate Inversions, and Grotesque Hypocrisy
Last month, I put together a list of six jaw-dropping examples of left-wing hypocrisy, one of which featured Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew. He made the list for having the chutzpah to criticize corporate inversions on the basis of supposed economic patriotism, even…