The Laffer Curve is the simple notion that higher tax rates don’t necessarily generate as much loot as politicians expect because taxpayers have less incentive to earn and/or report income. And it works in both directions. Lower tax rates don’t lose as much revenue as…
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.
A Simple Fix to Turn Herman Cain’s Good Tax Plan into a Great Tax Plan
I’m very enthusiastic – but also a little worried – about Herman Cain’s tax plan. So when I got the opportunity to write a short column for the New York Times, I explained that his proposal was very good tax policy, in large part because it is based on the same…
New Video Has Important Message: Freedom and Prosperity vs. Big Government and Stagnation
The folks from the Koch Institute put together a great video a couple of months ago looking at why some nations are rich and others are poor. That video looked at the relationship between economic freedom and various indices that measure quality of life. Not…
Over-the-Top Media Bias at Reuters
Life is difficult when you’re a cranky libertarian. President Obama’s latest stimulus scam was just rejected by the Senate, so I went online to read about this rare bit of good news. But my cheerful mood was undermined by a reprehensible bit of bias by the folks at…
More Problems with Cain’s 9-9-9 Plan
I like the overall approach of Herman Cain’s 9-9-9 tax plan. As I recently wrote, it focuses on lower tax rates, elimination of double taxation, and repeal of corrupt and inefficient loopholes. But I included a very important caveat. The intermediate stage of his…
Will Richard Sulik Save Europe?
I’m routinely critical of politicians, even the “good” ones that say they want to limit government and promote freedom. But I think I’ve found a lawmaker who is worthy of strong praise. Unfortunately, he’s not in America. He is Richard Sulik, the head of the Slovakian…
No More Bailouts for the IMF
I’m not an expert on addiction, but it’s probably safe to assume that one would never treat an alcoholic by giving him more booze. Or treat an addict by giving him more drugs. So you won’t be surprised to learn that I’m opposed to bailouts. I’m against bailing out…
Will Republicans Choose Sequester Savings or a Supercommittee Surrender?
The budget fights this year began with the “shutdown” battle, followed by the Ryan budget and then the debt limit. These fights have mostly led to uninspiring kiss-your-sister outcomes, which is hardly surprising given divided government. Now the crowd in DC is…
Vote for the French Gal in the Stimulus Debate
The folks at U.S. News & World Report have posted an online debate on the never-ending topic: “Does Stimulus Spending Work?“ You know my thoughts on the topic, including my thumbs-down to Obama’s latest stimulus scheme, so it won’t surprise you to know that I…
Another Sign of American Decline: USA Drops from 1st to 5th in Index of Financial Centers
I’ve previously blogged about the declining status of the United States, as measured by objective sources such as the Economic Freedom of the World Index and the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report. My attitude about these developments is to…