by Dan Mitchell | Sep 10, 2017 | Big Government, Blogs, Regulations
I’m lucky. When I think of how government regulation impacts my life, my list contains minor nuisances such as inferior light bulbs, substandard toilets, second-rate dishwashers, weak-flow showerheads, and inadequate washing machines. For my friend Matt Kibbe, by...
by Dan Mitchell | Sep 9, 2017 | Big Government, Blogs, Economics, Government Spending
There are some core functions of government, even in a libertarian world. The most prominent examples are national defense by the central government and public safety at the state/local level. So how do we make sure those functions are handled competently? I’ve...
by Dan Mitchell | Sep 8, 2017 | Blogs, Economics, Free Market
Right after Obamacare was enacted in 2010, I wrote a column suggesting four principles that should guide and motivate supporters of free markets and limited government. As part of that article, I pointed out that Obamacare wasn’t a dramatic change. Instead, it was...
by Dan Mitchell | Sep 7, 2017 | Big Government, Blogs
I wrote a four-part series about how governments are waging a war against cash, with the first two columns looking at why politicians are so interested in taking this radical step. In Part I, I looked at the argument that cash should be banned or restricted so...
by Dan Mitchell | Sep 6, 2017 | Blogs, Taxation
Whenever I see an otherwise sensible person express support for a value-added tax, it triggers a Pavlovian response. And it’s not a favorable reaction. I’ve criticized Tom Dolan, Greg Mankiw, and Paul Ryan, for pro-VAT comments. I’ve gone after Kevin Williamson, Josh...