by Dan Mitchell | Aug 27, 2013 | Blogs, Europe, Taxation
I’m not a big fan of the European Commission. For those not familiar with this entity, it’s sort of the European version of the executive-branch bureaucracy we have in Washington. And like their counterparts in Washington, the Brussels-based bureaucracy enjoys a very...
by Dan Mitchell | Jul 23, 2013 | Blogs, Economics, Tax Competition, Taxation
What’s the biggest fiscal problem facing the developed world? To an objective observer, the answer is a rising burden of government spending, caused by poorly designed entitlement programs, growing levels of dependency, and unfavorable demographics. The combination of...
by Dan Mitchell | Jul 21, 2013 | Big Government, Blogs, Economics, Government Spending, Laffer Curve, Taxation
The budget deficit this year is projected to be significantly smaller than it has been in recent years and some of our statist friends claim that this shows the desirability and effectiveness of higher taxes. I’m not persuaded, mostly because our big long-run fiscal...
by Dan Mitchell | Jul 5, 2013 | Blogs, Economics, Taxation
I periodically cite new academic research about tax policy and economic activity. I sometimes even publicize research from international bureaucracies showing the link between taxes and growth. I’m not naive enough to think that any particular study will change minds,...
by Dan Mitchell | Jul 1, 2013 | Blogs, Taxation
Milton Friedman famously noted that, “Nothing is so permanent as a temporary government program”and Ronald Reagan sagely observed that “a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we’ll ever see on this earth.” They’re both right, but they should have...
