by Dan Mitchell | Apr 13, 2020 | Blogs, Europe
Libertarians and other supporters of limited government historically have mixed feelings about the European Union (and its various governmental manifestations). On the plus side, there are no trade barriers between nations that belong to the EU, and membership also...
by Dan Mitchell | Mar 28, 2020 | Big Government, Blogs, Europe
Motivated in part by a sensible desire for free trade, six nations from Western Europe signed the Treaty of Rome in 1957, thus creating the European Economic Community (EEC). Sort of a European version of the North American Free Trade Agreement (now known as USMCA)....
by Dan Mitchell | Mar 26, 2020 | Bailouts, Big Government, Blogs, Europe
I’m not an optimist about Europe’s economic future. Most nations have excessive welfare states and punitive taxes, which is hardly good news. You then have to consider demographic trends such as aging populations (i.e., more people relying on government) and falling...
by Dan Mitchell | Mar 15, 2020 | Blogs, Europe, Health Care
I wrote recently how government regulation and bureaucratic inefficiency are hindering an effective response to coronavirus in the United States. And I also wrote yesterday about one foolish response from Washington to the crisis. But what about developments in other...
by Dan Mitchell | Jan 24, 2020 | Blogs, Europe, Tax Competition, Tax Harmonization, Taxation
There are many boring topics in tax policy, such as the debate between expensing and depreciation for business investment. International tax rules also put most people to sleep, but they’re nonetheless important. Indeed, the United States government is currently...