I’ve shared evidence from around the world (England, Italy, the United States, and France) and from various states (Illinois, Oregon, Florida,Maryland, and New York) to argue that it is foolish to ignore the Laffer Curve. Not that it makes any difference. I’m slowly…
Daily Analysis
John Stossel Exposes the Fraud of Government Job Training Programs
There have been lots of studies showing that there’s no benefit to job training programs. People who sign up with these government schemes are not more likely to either get jobs or to earn more money. Heck, even the New York Times was forced to acknowledge that these…
France’s Fiscal Suicide
I try to be self aware, so I realize that I have the fiscal version of Tourette’s. Regardless of the question that is asked, I’m tempted to blurt out that the answer is to reduce the burden of government spending. But sometimes that’s exactly the right prescription,…
How Will Economic Freedom Fare in Honduras?
Would you want to live in a city with no income, sales or capital gains taxes? Well you can soon move to Honduras and get your chance: Small government and free-market capitalism are about to get put to the test in Honduras, where the government has agreed to let an…
It’s Wrong for Federal Tax Deductions to Encourage Bad Fiscal Policy by State and Local Governments
I have a handful of simple rules for good tax policy. Keep government small, since it’s impossible to have a reasonable tax system with a bloated welfare state. Keep tax rates low to minimize penalties against income, production, and wealth creation. Since capital…
Another Push for Global Taxation from the United Nations
I spoke at the United Nations back in May, explaining that more government was the wrong way to help the global economy. But I guess I’m not very persuasive. The bureaucrats have just released a new report entitled, “In Search of New Development Finance.” As you can…
Obama’s Phony Economic Patriotism
I despise protectionism. Mostly because it is bad economic policy, but also because politicians often use protectionism as a way of diverting attention from their own failures. So when I appeared on Neil Cavuto’s show to comment on President Obama’s criticism of…
No, a Carbon Tax Won’t Halve the Deficit
When I wrote last week about renewed bipartisan interest in a destructive carbon tax, I noted that support from big government proponents would be forthcoming due to the prospect of putting more money in the hands of politicians. Here’s what I said: The motives…
Assuming You’re Intellectually Lazy, there’s a Very Strong Argument for Command-and-Control Regulation
Even though I’m a fiscal policy economist, I often get hit with questions on other topics. This frequently happens when I’m overseas and I’m put in the position of defending every nuance of free market policy. I don’t mind pontificating on other issues, but I get…
America Isn’t (Yet) a Divided Nation of “Makers” and “Takers,” but some on the Left Are Pushing Dependency as a Political Strategy
I’m part of a just-posted online Debate Club sponsored by U.S. News & World Report which asks “Is the United States a Nation of ‘Makers and Takers?’” My contribution to the discussion is basically a reworked version of what I wrote last week about Romney and the…