by Dan Mitchell | Jan 8, 2018 | Blogs, Economics
The left’s fixation on reducing inequality is misguided. If they really care about the poor, they instead should focus on reducing poverty. And that means pushing for more growth. We know from U.S. evidence and global evidence that better economic performance is the...
by Dan Mitchell | Jan 4, 2018 | Big Government, Blogs, Economics, Regulations
I was not optimistic about a Trump presidency. Before the 2016 election, I characterized him as a “statist” and a “typical big-government Republican.” I’ve also criticized his policies on entitlements, trade, child care, capital gains taxation, government spending,...
by Dan Mitchell | Dec 21, 2017 | Blogs, Economics, Taxation
Now that we have a final bill rather than a mere “agreement in principle,” let’s step back and consider some implications of tax reform. There are three reasons to be pleased and one reason to worry. Win: Less-destructive federal tax code There are several provisions...
by Dan Mitchell | Dec 15, 2017 | Blogs, Economics, Taxation
Adopting tax reform (even a watered-down version of tax reform) is not easy. Some critics say it will deprive the federal government of too much money (a strange argument since it will be a net tax increase starting in 2027). Some critics say it will make it more...
by Dan Mitchell | Dec 11, 2017 | Big Government, Blogs, Economics, Government Spending
Whenever I discuss education policy with one of my leftist friends, it usually follows the same script. They’ll ask whether I want good education for kids. I’ll say yes. They’ll then say we should devote more money to government schools. I then show them this powerful...
