by Dan Mitchell | Jul 22, 2016 | Blogs, Uncategorized
Since I’m not a fan of either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton, I think that puts me in a good position to fairly assess whether the candidates are being dishonest. And since several media outlets just produced their “fact-checks” on Donald Trump’s acceptance speech to...
by Dan Mitchell | Jul 16, 2016 | Big Government, Blogs, Economics, Government Spending
If you asked a bunch of Republican politicians for their favorite fiscal policy goals, a balanced budget amendment almost certainly would be high on their list. This is very unfortunate. Not because a balanced budget amendment is bad, per se, but mostly because it is...
by Dan Mitchell | Jul 12, 2016 | Big Government, Blogs, Economics, Government Spending, Taxation
The Congressional Budget Office has just released the 2016 version of its Long-Term Budget Outlook. It’s filled with all sorts of interesting data if you’re a budget wonk (and a bit of sloppy analysis if you’re an economist). If you’re a normal person and don’t want...
by Dan Mitchell | Jul 8, 2016 | Big Government, Blogs, Government Spending, Welfare and Entitlements
I’m like a broken record when it comes to entitlement spending. I’ve explained, ad nauseam, that programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, Obamacare, and Social Security must be reformed. In part, genuine entitlement reform is a good idea because you get better economic...
by Dan Mitchell | Jun 26, 2016 | Big Government, Blogs, Welfare and Entitlements
The Social Security Administration has released the 2016 Trustees Report, which shines a spotlight on the overall fiscal condition of the program. In previous years (2012, 2013, 2014), I’ve used this opportunity to play Paul Revere. But instead of warning that the...