How to Cut $42 Billion in Spending in the FY 2014 Continuing Resolution
Congress is in the midst of debating spending levels in a fiscal year (FY) 2014 continuing resolution. It’s no surprise that the two chambers disagree… Read More
Are 14 Percent of Americans Chronically Hungry?
Earlier this week, a New York Times editorial claimed that 14.5 percent of U.S. households are experiencing “pangs of chronic hunger.” This figure is based… Read More
Public Warns Congress: Force an Internet Sales Tax at Your Own Risk
While movement on a bill to extend the reach of state sales tax laws to out-of-state retailers has been quiet lately, that doesn’t mean the… Read More
U.S. Should Support Full Integration of Taiwan into Regional Economy
A growing economic relationship between Taiwan and India would be a very positive development in Taiwan’s effort to become fully integrated into the regional economy…. Read More
Lowering Loan Limits: An Overdue Step to Bringing Private Capital Back to Housing
As legislation moves through Congress to address the fate of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) has indicated it will… Read More
No Punishment for Bankruptcy?
As Congress continues to deal with the “too big to fail” issue, it would do well to recognize that bankruptcy does not automatically equate with… Read More
The U.S. Gets It Right on Smithfield
The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) is charged with screening foreign investments to ensure they pose no risk to national security…. Read More
Are These Senators Regretting Their Export-Import Bank Votes?
For some lawmakers, corporate welfare is okay, unless it hurts someone in their district. Four lawmakers from Minnesota and Michigan are up in arms over… Read More
Don’t Ignore Costs of “Stimulus”
Shocking new economic research has shown that receiving large gifts from the federal government is actually beneficial to states. That is not such a… Read More
Tales of the Red Tape #41: The FDA’s Latest Mission Creep(iness)
Federal regulations already dictate the shape, color, size, and content of the nutrition panel on food labels. Not good enough, apparently. The diet squad at… Read More
Does Your Religion Define How You Think About Economics?
The authors of a new Brookings Institution survey believe the American Dream is dead—or at least in trouble. And who’s to blame? Religious conservatives. Progressives,… Read More
Are Americans Better Off Today Than They Were Four Decades Ago?
Many pundits and politicians argue that middle-class incomes have stagnated over the past generation. But more accurate data show that the typical household’s income has… Read More
Social Security Turns 78: What Was It Meant to Do?
When President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Social Security into law on August 14, 1935, he referred to it as “a law which will give some… Read More
Apple vs. Samsung: Why Is the Obama Administration Involved?
Apple and Samsung have been fighting over cell phone patents for a while. Samsung won a round in June when the U.S. International Trade Commission… Read More
Americans Don’t Need More of Obama’s Stimulus Spending
In a series of campaign-style speeches, President Obama has laid out recycled economic proposals, which include yet another tax increase to pay for $50 billion… Read More
Family-Run Retailer: Internet Sales Tax Would Put Me Out of Business
Rick Smith’s 14-year-old, family-run gourmet kitchen utensil business has a lot to lose if the Internet sales tax becomes law. And he’s not alone. While… Read More
America Needs a New Balanced Tariff Structure
Where does America get its shoes? Today, 99 percent of shoes sold in America come from overseas. Imported shoes are taxed at an average rate… Read More
China Makes Life More Difficult for Foreign Companies
It is widely hoped—in the U.S., China, and elsewhere—that the new Chinese government headed by Xi Jinping and Li Keqiang will restart economic reform. While… Read More
Parents, Not Government, Know How to Feed Their Children
Some Members of Congress think they are better parents than you are. Under the tax code, companies are able to take deductions for business expenses,… Read More
Two Years After Downgrade, U.S. Credit Rating Hasn’t Recovered—and Debt Is Worse
Two years ago today, Standard & Poor’s downgraded the U.S. credit rating—and it hasn’t recovered since. Then, the downgrade came because the President and Congress… Read More
EconomyNews
“Buy American” Laws: An Illusion of Patriotism
Who could oppose “Buy American” measures that appear to support American manufacturing and create jobs? On the surface, that’s what the All-American Flag Act seems… Read More
As Detroit Goes, So Goes the Nation
Detroit is the poster child for economic decline. The city’s policies and politics over the past half-century should serve as a “do not” guide for… Read More
A Constructive First Step to Reform Social Security
Dave Camp (R–MI), chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, has announced a series of hearings on bipartisan entitlement reform proposals, the first of… Read More
Expiration of Trade Preference Program Means Higher Prices
On July 31, the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) expired. GSP is a program that waives tariffs on thousands of products that Americans import from… Read More
Milton Friedman at 101: We Need His Ideas Now More Than Ever
Today, on what would have been Milton Friedman’s 101st birthday, we celebrate the enduring insights of an economist and thinker whose ideas have served as… Read More
Detroit Today, Illinois Tomorrow
Detroit’s bankruptcy petition last week was far from a surprise, but what should be noted is that it is the first of what will likely… Read More
Treasury Secretary Lew Ignores Real Debt Problem, Looming Crisis
U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew suggested yesterday on NBC that “we have already done a lot of deficit reduction.” In reality, government spending and debt… Read More
EconomyNews
Sequestration Helps Force Needed Spending Cuts and Enables Private-Sector Jobs
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released a letter this week describing how canceling sequestration in 2014 would affect the economy. The CBO dutifully plugged the… Read More
Reckless Government Spending Isn’t Funny, But This New Sitcom Is
Do you think the federal government spends too much money? The answer is pretty obvious — and not a laughing matter. But the group Bankrupting… Read More
Occupy Wall Street Occupies the White House
The Occupy Wall Street Movement may be dead as a doornail, but its spirit is alive and well in the White House. Only a few… Read More
