by Dan Mitchell | Jan 28, 2013 | Big Government, Blogs, Government Spending
Much to the horror of various interest groups, it appears that there will be a “sequester” on March 1. This means an automatic reduction in spending authority for selected programs (interest payments are exempt, as are most entitlement outlays). Just about everybody...
by Dan Mitchell | Jan 23, 2013 | Big Government, Blogs, Economics, Government Spending
Just like in the United States, politicians in the United Kingdom use the deceptive practice of “baseline budgeting” as part of fiscal policy. This means the politicians can increase spending, but simultaneously claim they are cutting spending because the budget could...
by Dan Mitchell | Jan 22, 2013 | Blogs, Economics, Laffer Curve, Taxation
I’ve already condemned the foolish people of California for approving a referendum to raise the state’s top tax rate to 13.3 percent. This impulsive and misguided exercise in class warfare surely will backfire as more and more productive people flee to other states –...
by Dan Mitchell | Jan 20, 2013 | Big Government, Blogs, Government Spending, Welfare and Entitlements
This is a tough question. I obviously want comprehensive reform of all entitlement programs, so selecting just one is a bit of a challenge. Sort of like being asked to pick your favorite kid. Would I reform Social Security? That’s a logical choice. It’s the biggest...
by Dan Mitchell | Jan 16, 2013 | Big Government, Blogs, Economics, Government Spending, Keynesian, Taxation
Good fiscal policy doesn’t require heavy lifting. Governments simply need to limit the burden of government spending. The key variable is making sure spending doesn’t consume ever-larger shares of economic output. In other words, follow Mitchell’s Golden Rule. It’s...
