What’s the Better Role Model, France or Switzerland?

by Dan Mitchell | Jun 18, 2013 | Blogs, Economics, Government Spending, Taxation

At the European Resource Bank conference earlier this month, Pierre Bessard from Switzerland’s Institut Liberal spoke on a panel investigating “The Link between the Weight of the State and Economic prosperity.” His presentation included two slides that definitely are...

Siding with the Heritage Foundation in the “Austerity” Fight with Paul Krugman and the Washington Post

by Dan Mitchell | Jun 17, 2013 | Big Government, Blogs, Economics, Government Spending, Taxation

I’m not reluctant to criticize my friends at the Heritage Foundation. In some cases, it is good-natured ribbing because of the Cato-Heritage softball rivalry, but there are also real policy disagreements. For instance, even though it is much better than current...

Other than Obama and Krugman, Is there Anybody Who Still Thinks Bigger Government Is Good for Growth?

by Dan Mitchell | Jun 16, 2013 | Big Government, Blogs, Bureaucracy, Economics, Government Spending

I’ve repeatedly explained that Keynesian economics doesn’t work because any money the government spends must first be diverted from the productive sector of the economy, which means either higher taxes or more red ink. So unless one actually thinks that politicians...

I Made a $16 Trillion Mistake, but Still Had a Stronger Position in this Debate

by Dan Mitchell | Jun 14, 2013 | Big Government, Blogs, Government Spending, Welfare and Entitlements

I’ve done a handful of TV debates on Social Security, including the time I said that I wished Republicans had a secret plan for personal retirement accounts. So I thought I was well prepared for this duel with a defender of the status quo on Fox Business Network. I...

With the Nation Facing a Fiscal Crisis, Why Are Greek Taxpayers Subsidizing a Big Bird-Type State-Run Media Network?!?

by Dan Mitchell | Jun 12, 2013 | Big Government, Blogs, Government Spending

couple of years ago, I shared a chart that powerfully demonstrated why Greece was in fiscal crisis. The chart, which showed the explosive growth of the government bureaucracy, also provided some indication of why reform would be so difficult. Once a majority of a...