by Dan Mitchell | Jul 22, 2019 | Blogs, Government Spending, Government Waste
Way back in early 2016, I asked whether Donald Trump believed in smaller government. A few months later, I concluded that the answer was no. Trump – like Bush and Nixon – was a big-government Republican. I wish that I was wrong. But if you look at the budget deal he...
by Dan Mitchell | Jul 18, 2019 | Blogs, Economics, Health Care, Taxation
When I followed public policy in my younger days, I periodically would see stories about legislation that was approved by the House of Representatives with only one dissenting vote. My memory isn’t perfect, I’m sure, but it seems that Ron Paul was always that lonely...
by Dan Mitchell | Jul 16, 2019 | Blogs, Economics
One of the few theoretical constraints on Washington is that politicians periodically have to raise a “debt ceiling” or “debt limit” in order to finance additional spending with additional red ink. I have mixed feelings about this requirement. I like that there is...
by Dan Mitchell | Jul 14, 2019 | Blogs, Taxation
I’ve labeled the International Monetary Fund as the “dumpster fire” of the world economy. I’ve also called the bureaucracy the “Dr. Kevorkian” of international economic policy, though that reference many not mean anything to younger readers. My main complaint is that...
by Dan Mitchell | Jul 8, 2019 | Blogs, Taxation
Every so often, I share very weird stories about government regulations, from both America and around the world. And when I say weird, I’m not exaggerating. But we also have some strange examples of tax loopholes. I’m not talking about corporate jets, which should be...