by Dan Mitchell | Feb 20, 2012 | Blogs, Economics
I’ve written periodically about the perverse incentives of the unemployment insurance system. Simply stated, there will be fewer jobs if the government subsidizes joblessness, and I even showed that this is a consensus position by citing the academic writings of...
by Dan Mitchell | Jan 6, 2012 | Blogs, Economics
The White House doubtlessly is happy that the unemployment rate has dropped to 8.5 percent, in part because the President is much more likely to get reelected if voters think the economy is heading in the right direction. My political predictions have a mixed track...
by Dan Mitchell | Dec 13, 2011 | Blogs, Economics
I’ve written before about the perverse impact of the unemployment insurance program, and I’ve even cited how left-wing economists such as Paul Krugman and Larry Summers admit that you get more joblessness when you pay people for not working. I’ve even shared a very...
by Dan Mitchell | Dec 6, 2011 | Big Government, Blogs, Economics, Regulations
Even though leftist economists such as Paul Krugman and Larry Summers have admitted that unemployment insurance benefits are a recipe for more joblessness, the White House is arguing that Congress should enact legislation to further subsidize unemployment. It’s...
by Dan Mitchell | Sep 9, 2011 | Big Government, Blogs
Herman Cain probably had the best reaction to the President’s speech: “We waited 30 months for this?” My reaction yesterday was mixed. In some sense, I was almost embarrassed for the President. He demanded a speech to a joint session of Congress and then produced a...