
The folks at the Center for Freedom and Prosperity have been on a roll in the past few months, putting out an excellent series of videos on Obama’s economic policies. A look at the President’s failure to control government spending.
by Dan Mitchell30 Oct 2012, 6:55 AM PST0

What Do Greece, the United States, and the Cayman Islands Have in Common? At first, this seems like a trick question. After all, the Cayman Islands are a fiscal paradise, with no personal income tax, no corporate income tax, no
by Dan Mitchell31 Jul 2012, 9:59 AM PST0

President Obama recently got himself in a bit of hot water with his “you didn’t build that” remark, which trivialized the hard work of entrepreneurs. But he is right — in a perverse way — about government playing a big
by Dan Mitchell26 Jul 2012, 6:11 PM PST0

Thanks largely to the Laffer Curve, there are some impressive examples of failed tax increases in countries such as the United States, France, and the United Kingdom. But if there was a prize for the people who most vociferously resist
by Dan Mitchell18 Jul 2012, 11:02 AM PST0

I’m not a big fan of government conspiracy theories, largely because the people in Washington are too bloody incompetent to do anything effectively. Heck, sometimes they can’t even waste money properly even though they have lots of practice. But it recently crossed my
by Dan Mitchell9 Jul 2012, 12:44 PM PST0

Back in 2010, I excoriated the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, noting that David Cameron was increasing tax rates and expanding the burden of government spending (including an increase in the capital gains tax). I also criticized Cameron
by Dan Mitchell2 Jul 2012, 1:35 PM PST0

I have great fondness for Estonia, in part because it was the first post-communist nation to adopt the flat tax, but also because of the country’s remarkable scenery. Most recently, though, I’ve been bragging about Estonia (along with Latvia and Lithuania, the
by Dan Mitchell7 Jun 2012, 6:51 AM PST0

Over the years, I’ve strenuously objected to schemes that would enable international bureaucracies to levy taxes. That’s why I’ve criticized “direct funding” proposals, most of which seem to emanate from the United Nations. A scheme to let the United Nations tax
by Dan Mitchell22 May 2012, 9:38 AM PST0

It is very sad that America’s tax system is so onerous that some rich people feel they have no choice but to give up U.S. citizenship in order to protect their family finances. I’ve written about this issue before, particularly in the context
by Dan Mitchell11 May 2012, 1:14 PM PST0

President Obama imposed a big-spending faux stimulus program on the economy back in 2009, claiming that the government needed to squander about $800 billion to keep the unemployment rate from rising above 8 percent. How did that work out? One possible
by Dan Mitchell24 Apr 2012, 8:24 AM PST0

A problem in Washington is that people who specialize in particular fields are tempted to exaggerate the importance of their issues. To cite a couple of examples: People who work on monetary policy think their issue is most important, and
by Dan Mitchell15 Apr 2012, 8:52 AM PST0

Actually, Bill Clinton must be something even worse than a social Darwinist. That’s because the title of this post is wrong. Obama said that Paul Ryan’s plan (which allows spending to grow by an average of 3.1 percent per year over
by Dan Mitchell4 Apr 2012, 6:42 AM PST0

Last year, I expressed skepticism that the White House was serious about reducing the corporate tax rate. And, sure enough, when the Obama Administration produced a plan earlier this year, it was a disappointing mix of a few good provisions and several unpalatable
by Dan Mitchell2 Apr 2012, 10:19 AM PST0

I’m not a big fan of welfare programs, in part because I sympathize with taxpayers (check out these outrageous examples of waste), but mostly because redistribution programs subsidize poverty and trap people in lives of despair. But as I wrote in 2010, the most
by Dan Mitchell25 Mar 2012, 8:26 AM PST0
I’ve written before about how big government is enriching people in the Washington metropolitan area. This is for two reasons. First, bureaucrats are paid too much, getting twice as much compensation, on average, as people in the productive sector of the economy.
by Dan Mitchell24 Feb 2012, 2:43 PM PST0
Early last year, the Center for Freedom and Prosperity released this video, narrated by yours truly, making the case that the United States and other nations should shift from a tax-and-transfer entitlement scheme to a system of personal retirement accounts. [youtube
by Dan Mitchell16 Feb 2012, 8:20 AM PST0
As discussed earlier this week, the most important number in Obama’s budget is that the burden of government spending will be at least $2 trillion higher in 10 years if the President’s plan is enacted. But there are also some very unsightly
by Dan Mitchell15 Feb 2012, 6:20 AM PST0
President Obama’s budget proposal was unveiled today, generating all sorts of conflicting statements from both parties. Some of the assertions wrongly focus on red ink rather than the size of government. Others rely on dishonest Washington budget math, which means spending increases magically become budget
by Dan Mitchell13 Feb 2012, 10:07 AM PST0
When Ronald Reagan said that big government undermined the economy, some people dismissed his comments because of his philosophical belief in liberty. And when I discuss my work on the economic impact of government spending, I often get the same reaction. This
by Dan Mitchell10 Feb 2012, 9:14 PM PST0
Is it April Fool’s Day? Has somebody in Paris hacked the website at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development? Have we been transported to a parallel dimension where up is down and black is white? Please forgive all these
by Dan Mitchell7 Feb 2012, 7:37 AM PST0
What’s the worst policy idea that would cause the most damage to society? I’m tempted to say the value-added tax since our hopes of restraining the federal government will be greatly undermined if we give the buffoons in Washington a
by Dan Mitchell5 Feb 2012, 7:38 AM PST0
What’s the worst policy idea that would cause the most damage to society? I’m tempted to say the value-added tax since our hopes of restraining the federal government will be greatly undermined if we give the buffoons in Washington a
by Dan Mitchell5 Feb 2012, 5:06 AM PST0
What’s the worst policy idea that would cause the most damage to society? I’m tempted to say the value-added tax since our hopes of restraining the federal government will be greatly undermined if we give the buffoons in Washington a
by Dan Mitchell4 Feb 2012, 1:07 PM PST0
On this day last year, I posted two charts that I developed using the Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank’s interactive website. Those two charts showed that the current recovery was very weak compared to the boom of the early 1980s. But
by Dan Mitchell2 Feb 2012, 10:37 AM PST0
Back in 2010, I crunched the numbers from the Congressional Budget Office and reported that the budget could be balanced in just 10 years if politicians exercised a modicum of fiscal discipline and limited annual spending increases to about 2
by Dan Mitchell31 Jan 2012, 12:52 PM PST0