by Dan Mitchell | Sep 9, 2017 | Big Government, Blogs, Economics, Government Spending
There are some core functions of government, even in a libertarian world. The most prominent examples are national defense by the central government and public safety at the state/local level. So how do we make sure those functions are handled competently? I’ve...
by Dan Mitchell | Sep 8, 2017 | Blogs, Economics, Free Market
Right after Obamacare was enacted in 2010, I wrote a column suggesting four principles that should guide and motivate supporters of free markets and limited government. As part of that article, I pointed out that Obamacare wasn’t a dramatic change. Instead, it was...
by Dan Mitchell | Sep 5, 2017 | Big Government, Blogs, Economics, Regulations
I like France, in part because it’s a nice place to visit, but also because I’ve been able to use the country as an example of bad public policy. Its tax system is a nightmare, leading entrepreneurs to escape to other nations (hardly a surprise when tax rates can...
by Dan Mitchell | Sep 4, 2017 | Blogs, Economics, Free Market
In prior years, I’ve shared some videos with powerful messages with a common message. Grinding poverty used to be the normal human condition, but then rule of law and limited government enabled a dramatic increase in prosperity. A video from Marginal Revolution on the...
by Dan Mitchell | Sep 3, 2017 | Blogs, Economics
Government subsidies have an unfortunate habit of causing widespread economic damage and often result in huge burdens for taxpayers (though sometimes consumers are the ones getting pillaged). Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac subsidies contributed to a massive housing...