The Welfare State’s Damaging Impact on Europe, Part I

by Dan Mitchell | Jul 18, 2023 | Big Government, Blogs, Welfare and Entitlements

At the risk of being repetitive, I’ve been arguing (and arguing, and arguing) that the United States should not turn its medium-sized welfare state into a European-style, large-sized welfare state. Simply stated, that’s a route...

This Is What Happens When People Think Government Solves Problems

by Dan Mitchell | Jul 10, 2023 | Big Government, Blogs, Welfare and Entitlements

Ronald Reagan has many famous quotes, including “government is the problem” and “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are ‘I’m from the government and I’m here to help.’” Channeling Reagan’s wisdom, I have repeatedly shared examples...

It Makes No Sense to Copy European Fiscal Policy

by Dan Mitchell | Jun 22, 2023 | Big Government, Blogs, Welfare and Entitlements

The big fiscal debate in the United States is whether the United States should become a European-style welfare state, which is something that automatically will happen over the next few decades in the absence of genuine entitlement reform. Some...

Will Biden Make Poverty Hucksterism Official Policy?

by Dan Mitchell | May 23, 2023 | Big Government, Blogs, Welfare and Entitlements

There are three troubling things about the politics of poverty. First, I frequently grouse and complain that some folks on the left don’t actually care about helping poor people. Instead, as explained in my Eighth Theorem of...

Another Honest Leftist Admits that Middle-Class Taxpayers Are in the Crosshairs

by Dan Mitchell | Apr 16, 2023 | Big Government, Blogs, Taxation, Welfare and Entitlements

I have repeatedly pointed out that opponents of entitlement reform support big tax increases. And, as I explain in this segment from a recent presentation, they specifically support tax increases on lower-income and middle-class households. Why do I assert that they...