Economic Policy News
The Daily Signal provides economic policy news with reporting, analysis, and commentary on markets, growth, and fiscal responsibility.
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- Opinion
$3.5T Spending Bill Would Lavish Hundreds of Billions on Nanny State Education
The massive, unprecedented $3.5 trillion spending bill making its way through Congress includes education spending on an equally unprecedented scale. In all, the plan would spend some $761 billion on education and workforce programs, on par with total annual education spending from all sources—federal, state, and local. The bulk of the proposed education spending in…Lindsey Burke -
- Opinion
Federal Handouts Hamper Job Market, Economic Recovery
One thing we know for sure from the COVID-19 pandemic is that it has had and continues to have a lasting impact globally, as well as on the U.S. economy and job market. Despite more than 18 months of hardship, the stock markets have miraculously continued to move upward, indicating a renewed confidence in our…Armstrong Williams -
- News
9 Things You Need to Know About the Budget Resolution’s Reckless Tax and Spending Spree
After passing a $1.1 trillion infrastructure spending bill on a bipartisan basis—which is filled with liberal spending priorities—the Senate will now consider a budget resolution that, if enacted, will clear a path to implement a massive progressive agenda. This resolution would reshape the American economy and permanently expand government control over many aspects of peoples’…Matthew Dickerson -
- Opinion
Infrastructure or Democratic Wish List? What to Know About Those $1.1 Trillion and $3.5 Trillion Spending Bills
Congress is forging ahead with a $1.1 trillion infrastructure bill. The measure has received bipartisan support, but many conservatives warn that now is not the time to put America in even more debt. The government has increased America’s national debt by $5.2 trillion just since the start of 2020, but “adding to that with two…Virginia Allen -
- Opinion
How Lebanon Can Attain Economic and Political Freedom
The Lebanese people are suffering. A protest in the city of Tripoli turned violent mid-July when a hand grenade exploded, injuring five soldiers. Protests like this have become common in Lebanon due to the dire economic and political situation plaguing the country. Lebanon’s economic hardships were foreshadowed by heightened levels of public sector debt, illiquidity…Anthony B. Kim -
- Opinion
How Giving Promotes Economic Freedom for All Americans
Giving to good causes is key to maintaining America’s free market system, the head of Philanthropy Roundtable says. It’s not the job of government to meet the needs of all Americans, Elise Westhoff, the organization’s president and CEO, says. So “if we have a strong philanthropic sector,” Westhoff says, “I think that allows us to…Virginia Allen -
- Opinion
Why Massive Informal Economy Is Problematic for the Country
People around the world are hungry for economic freedom. They want the ability to choose how to make a living instead of having the government tell them how to do so. As a result of this desire, a shocking number of people have taken matters into their own hands. A recent International Monetary Fund report…Alexander Jelloian -
- Opinion
What ‘The Bachelor’ Franchise Teaches Us About Economics
It’s no wonder why America’s youth are so enamored with the idea of socialism and big government while being vehemently opposed to free market capitalism. In a a survey of teenagers conducted by Junior Achievement USA and the Charles Koch Foundation in 2019, 93% of teens view economics as important, but struggle with grasping the…Allison Williams -
- Opinion
Economic Freedom Best Path to Women’s Equality, Empowerment
Women’s battle for equal rights under the law has progressed significantly in a number of countries, but many other nations still have much room for improvement to establish societies that uphold women’s equality and dignity. So, what’s the solution to decreasing this gender gap worldwide? There’s considerable evidence that the best environment to promote equality…Anthony B. Kim -
- Opinion
America’s Aim in Indo-Pacific Should Be to Advance Economic Freedom
The Indo-Pacific has become an increasingly more dynamic and critical part of the world’s foreign policy chess board. It’s home to at least five of the world’s trillion-dollar economies and hosts more than half of the world’s population in just two of its countries, India and China. Pre-pandemic, the Indo-Pacific was boasting an average economic…Anthony B. Kim -
- Opinion
Democrats’ Spending Could Cost Taxpayers $5.5 Trillion, Sen. Cynthia Lummis Says
Democrats are trying to push both a $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill and another $3.5 trillion spending package through Congress. Although the former provides funding for traditional infrastructure, such as roads and bridges, the other and larger package provides trillions of dollars for a laundry list of left-wing priorities, Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., says. “They have…Virginia Allen -
- Opinion
Declining US Birthrate Another Reason to Rein in Federal Spending
Initially, COVID-19 lockdowns were projected to produce a baby boom, but what ensued instead was a baby bust. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020 marked a record-low fertility rate of 1.64 children per woman and the sixth straight year with an outright decline in the number of births. A fertility rate…Rachel Greszler -
- Opinion
Democrats’ Budget Agreement Would Burn Economy
July is normally the time of year for vacations and barbecues. Yet instead of grilling steaks or hot dogs, Congress is preparing to send America’s economic recovery up in flames. This week, the Senate will begin a series of votes on a $1.2 trillion infrastructure package that includes highways, mass transit, airports, intercity rail, and…David Ditch -
- Opinion
Long-Suffering Cuban People Yearn for Economic Freedom
Thousands of Cubans have taken to the streets, demanding greater economic freedom and an end to the country’s socialist dictatorship. The rallies, quite notable for a country that limits and suppresses dissent, unambiguously stem from a deepening economic crisis, particularly worsened by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. It’s not surprising that after decades of suffering from…Anthony B. Kim -
- Opinion
Understanding How Much the Government Is Spending
Let’s imagine you’re on a road trip. You’ve been planning for a while and you’re well prepared. You’ve got snacks, great company, navigation, your car has been serviced recently, and you have one very important thing: a full gas tank. It’s more than enough to get you to the next gas station. Except, instead of…Sen. Rick Scott -
- Opinion
US Relationship With Vietnam Blossoms as Former Foe Opens Up Economically
It’s been almost half a century since the end of the Vietnam War, and the relationship between the United States and Vietnam, particularly in terms of trade and investment, has been steadily improving since the normalization of relations in 1995. According to a 2021 report by the Congressional Research Service, bilateral trade between the two…Anthony B. Kim -
- Opinion
We Hear You: Securing Elections, Cutting Spending, and Countering Wokeism
Editor's note: Clean elections, lower taxes and spending, and back to the basics in education. All three are on the minds of The Daily Signal's audience, judging from the mailbag at [email protected]. Take a look.—Ken McIntyre Dear Daily Signal: The last thing we need is federal laws governing elections, the subject of Hans von Spakovsky's…Ken McIntyre -
- Opinion
Republican Study Committee Budget Would Reclaim America’s Fiscal Future
Even before the outbreak of COVID-19 and the spending binge that followed, the federal budget was on an unsustainable trajectory. The Republican Study Committee, the caucus of conservative GOP members of the House of Representatives, has put forward a comprehensive policy proposal to address the fiscal challenges the country faces in its recently released “Reclaiming…Matthew Dickerson -
- Opinion
Bernie Sanders’ Attack on US Defense Spending Gets the Facts Wrong
The Senate Committee on the Budget held a hearing on “Waste, Fraud, Cost Overruns, and Auditing at the Pentagon” on May 12. By the title you might think the conclusion of the hearing was preordained: The Department of Defense is the greatest example of fraud and mismanagement in the federal government. You would have been…Frederico Bartels -
- Opinion
6 Charts Highlight Troubling Trends Driven by Growing Nondefense Spending
If you listen to the narrative being promoted by President Joe Biden and his allies on the left, it would be easy to think that the federal government spends more than enough on the military and little on nondefense social programs. Yet the reality is exactly the opposite. The federal government has become home to…David Ditch