by Dan Mitchell | Jul 21, 2018 | Big Government, Blogs, Taxation
When I argue against tax increases, I generally rely on two compelling points. Higher taxes will undermine prosperity by penalizing productive behavior. More money for politicians will trigger more spending, so red ink will increase. When I argue against...
by Dan Mitchell | Jun 29, 2018 | Big Government, Blogs, Government Spending, Welfare and Entitlements
Last week, I shared a graph showing that there are more guns than people in the United States, and I wrote that it was the “most enjoyable” chart of the year, mostly because it gets my leftist friends so agitated. But I’m more likely to share gloomy visuals. The “most...
by Dan Mitchell | Jun 17, 2018 | Blogs, Economics, Socialism
I’m a big believer that some images do a great job of capturing an issue. The essential insight of supply-side economics. The Washington welfare morass. America’s inescapable demographic challenge. The ever-more-confusing tax code. How the swamp beat Trump on the...
by Dan Mitchell | May 9, 2018 | Big Government, Blogs, Welfare and Entitlements
According to research from the Bank for International Settlements, the long-term fiscal outlook for the United Kingdom is very grim. The data generated by the International Monetary Fund and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development isn’t quite as...
by Dan Mitchell | Apr 25, 2018 | Big Government, Blogs, Economics, Government Spending, Welfare and Entitlements
I’m conflicted. I’ve repeatedly expressed skepticism about the idea of governments providing a “basic income” because I fear the work ethic will (further) erode if people automatically receive a substantial chunk of money. Moreover, I also fear that a basic income...