In the Case of Asset Forfeiture, the Moral Case against Big Government Is Even More Compelling than the Economic Case

by Dan Mitchell | Feb 23, 2015 | Big Government, Blogs, Crime, Justice, Society

Earlier today, I gave a speech to some folks at London’s Institute of Economic Affairs about the failure of global financial regulation. I touched on some predictable themes: The absence of cost/benefit analysis for regulatory initiatives. The failure of anti-money...

Another Example of Government Thuggery – and another Reason Why Decent and Moral People Are Libertarians

by Dan Mitchell | Oct 26, 2014 | Big Government, Blogs, Crime, Financial Privacy, Society

A report from the New York Times that has me frothing at the mouth. I can’t imagine any decent person not being outraged by this example of big government run amok. For almost 40 years, Carole Hinders has dished out Mexican specialties at her modest cash-only...

Even its Creators Want to Shut Down the Government’s Asset-Forfeiture Racket

by Dan Mitchell | Sep 20, 2014 | Big Government, Blogs, Crime, Society

If you ask me about the most wasteful department in the federal government, I’ll state that there are lots of good choices, but if forced to identify the best candidate for elimination, I’ll go with the Department of Housing and Urban Development. If you ask me about...

No More Stealing by Government? A Long-Overdue Attack on Asset Forfeiture

by Dan Mitchell | May 15, 2014 | Big Government, Blogs, Crime, Society

Since I’m a public finance economist, I realize I’m supposed to focus on big-picture issues such as tax reform and entitlement reform. And I do beat those issues to death, so I obviously care about controlling the size and power of government. But I like to think I’m...