“Prioritization” and Debt Limit Nonsense

by Dan Mitchell | Jan 22, 2023 | Big Government, Blogs, Government Spending

Back in 2016, here’s what I said about the debt limit during some congressional testimony (and I made very similar points in some 2013 testimony). Near the end of my testimony (about 4:55) I discuss “prioritization,” which is what would happen if the debt limit is not...

America’s Looming Entitlement Crisis

by Dan Mitchell | Nov 28, 2022 | Big Government, Blogs, Welfare and Entitlements

Back in July, I made the case for the right kind of entitlement reform in a discussion with the folks at Live and Let Live. Today, I want to underscore why it is important to focus on “the right kind” of reform. On paper, you can save money with “means...

European Fiscal Policy Week, Part III: A Continent-Wide Spending Problem

by Dan Mitchell | Oct 26, 2022 | Big Government, Blogs, Europe, Government Spending, Taxation

I discussed Italy’s looming fiscal crisis on Monday and then argued against a potential bailout on Tuesday. Today, let’s focus on the rest of Europe. I gave a presentation yesterday in Brussels about “Public Finances in the Eurozone” and used the...

European Fiscal Policy Week, Part II: The Right Response to Italy’s Fiscal Crisis

by Dan Mitchell | Oct 25, 2022 | Big Government, Blogs, Europe, Government Spending

I wrote yesterday to speculate about a possible fiscal crisis in Italy. Today, here are my thoughts on why there should not be a bailout if/when a crisis occurs. I have moral objections to bailouts, but let’s focus in this column on the practical impact. And let’s...

European Fiscal Policy Week, Part I: Italy’s Looming Fiscal Crisis

by Dan Mitchell | Oct 24, 2022 | Blogs, Europe

I’m in Europe to give a couple of speeches about fiscal policy, so I’m going to spend all week commenting on the continent’s (mostly miserable) fiscal policy. Let’s start with comments about Italy, the nation most likely to suffer a crisis. Normally, I tell...