It’s no secret that I have very little faith in the competence and good will of government. I focus primarily on the fecklessness of Washington, but I also can’t resist highlighting malfeasance and stupidity by local governments, state governments, and foreign…
Daily Analysis
Will Regulators Kill Bitcoin?
Bitcoin, a digital cryptocurrency, is a potentially disruptive technology offering both social and economic gains. While the technology that has revolutionized peer-to-peer payments is growing in popularity, it is nevertheless vulnerable to being stamped out by…
Great Moments in State Government
Back in 2010, I shared parts of a Dave Barry column that mocked the government for bizarre examples of stupid law enforcement. Barry was specifically making fun of OSHA bureaucrats for fining a company for the horrible transgression of saving a worker when a trench…
Special Employment Rights for Crooks: Our Tax Dollars at Work
As an economist with a boring personality (sorry to be redundant), I sometimes focus on numbers. And when contemplating the cost of regulation and red tape, there are some numbers that should frighten all of us. Americans spend 8.8 billion hours every year filling out…
Obama’s Hidden $236 Billion Tax Hike
Obama imposed a big tax hike last year. But I’m not talking about the fiscal cliff and the President’s class-warfare trophy of higher tax rates on those evil rich people. That happened this year. Instead, I’m referring to the increase in the regulatory burden. Here…
Havoc Wreaked By FATCA Spreads
As the rest of the world is forced to deal with imperialist US tax policy, Americans and the US economy are continuing to suffer the consequences. We’ve already written about how FATCA is causing Americans being dropped from banks in Switzerland, Taiwanese banks…
While Much of America Suffers with Stagnation, Washington’s Political Class Is Having a Very Merry Christmas
In large part because of an excessive burden of government, the American economy is suffering European-style stagnation, with even the Washington Post now confessing that growth far below the long-run trend. This helps explain why job creation has been so dismal in…
Giving Control of the Internet to the United Nations Would Be Like “Handing a Stradivarius to a Gorilla”
The United Nations may be useful as a forum for world leaders, but it is not a productive place to develop policy. The international bureaucracy compulsively supports statist initiatives that would reduce individual liberty and expand the burden of government. Global…
Will Natural Gas Cronyism Lead to a Post-Election Regulatory Deluge?
Veronique de Rugy documented today the degree to which the natural gas industry has captured the ear of government, receiving favorable treatment as a result: Public outrage at cronyism and corporate welfare is growing—and that’s all to the good. But don’t expect…
Price Controls Are Exacerbating the Damage of Hurricane Sandy
Price controls are a spectacularly foolish idea, and that’s true whether they’re imposed by thugs such as Hugo Chavez in Venezuela or bureaucrats at the Department of Health and Human Services. That’s why one of the 20th Century’s economic heroes is Ludwig Erhard, who…