by Dan Mitchell | Nov 9, 2014 | Big Government, Blogs, Society
When discussing how to boost growth, economists often discuss the importance of human capital and physical capital. Those are key factors driving economic performance. After all, improvements in human capital mean a more productive workforce. And improvements in...
by Dan Mitchell | Oct 22, 2014 | Big Government, Blogs, Education
It’s time for an updated version of the U.S. vs U.K. government stupidity contest. This ongoing series has featured amazing feats of inane government, including the world’s most pointless road markings, photo-ID requirements for drain cleaner purchases, and a...
by Dan Mitchell | Sep 6, 2014 | Big Government, Blogs, Bureaucracy, Europe, Health Care
It’s time to add to our collection of horror stories from the U.K.’s government-run healthcare system (previous examples can be found here,here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here,here, here, here, here, here, and here). What makes today’s story different,...
by Dan Mitchell | Aug 16, 2014 | Blogs, Europe, Taxation
The polling data I shared last month about confused young people was a bit of a downer, so let’s look at three different polls that are a bit more encouraging. First, I’m glad to see that many Americans feel that government and politicians are their leading cause of...
by Dan Mitchell | Aug 6, 2014 | Blogs, Taxation
Since I’m an economist, I generally support competition. But it’s time to admit that competition isn’t always a good idea. Particularly when international bureaucracies compete to see which one can promote the most-destructive pro-tax policies. For instance, I noted...