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…
Daily Analysis
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…
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 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…
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…
The No-Tax-Hike Pledge Is a Necessary (but not Sufficient) Condition to Restrain Big Government
I’m not sure why it has become my job to defend Grover Norquist from attacks, but I’ve done it before and now it’s time to do it again. But I’m not really defending Grover. Instead, I’m defending the wisdom and value of Grover’s no-tax-hike pledge. Especially when it…
Eduardo Morgan Exposes OECD Cartel for High Tax Nations
My friend Dr. Eduardo Morgan Jr. sees first hand in Panama how the OECD works. While hypocritically chastising smaller jurisdictions and ignoring the same behavior from larger members, the bureaucrats in Paris also keep moving the goal posts, always pushing for…
The Danish Dr.-Jekyll-Mr.-Hyde Paradox and Wagner’s Law
What nation is a role model for economic reformers? I’ve certainly cited Hong Kong as an example, but I’ve also explained that we can learn lessons – at least on certain issues – from nations such as Sweden, Australia, Canada, and the Baltics. Today, let’s talk about…
The Sun Rises in the East, the Pope is Catholic, Democrats Push for Tax Hikes…and Republicans Often Are the Stupid Party
Some things don’t need to be said because they are so obvious, and the title of the blog post gives a couple of examples. But sometimes it’s worth elaborating on these eternal truths, at least when we need to warn gullible Republicans that they shouldn’t get seduced…
Happy Fiscal New Year (with an Unhappy Obama Hangover)
Today, October 1, is the first day of the 2012 fiscal year. And if you’re wondering why America’s economy seems to have a hangover (this cartoon is a perfect illustration), it’s because politicians had a huge party with our money in FY2011. We don’t have final numbers…