Introduction The age of the internet has ushered in a new level of government transparency. Committee hearings are livestreamed, laws are uploaded to websites, and other documents are available to the public in their own homes. Gone is the hassle of paper stacks and public record requests. Or so one might think. As Congress jumps … Continue reading
Category Archives: Fiscal policy
America / Economy / Fiscal policy / Politics / Presidency
President Biden and the State of Inflation
Executive Summary Last week, President Biden outlined his plan to counter inflation as the rate rises to around 7% The President placed the blame of inflation on rising prices in a myriad of sectors including motor vehicles, prescription drugs, energy, and childcare His solutions include programs to cut costs as well as protect wages by … Continue reading
What Would Adam Smith Do About Public School Funding?
Public education seems to never die out from the political economic discourse, as it never should. Investing in the education of new generations has been rightly revered as the best method for ensuring a prosperous society. But the question remains, who should invest in it and to what level? Influential political economist Adam Smith’s work … Continue reading
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act May Help Families Address Education Costs
The Trump administration embraced a decidedly pro-school choice stance with the selection of Devos for Secretary of Education, but Donald Trump originally voiced his personal support for the issue in the 2016 election season. He claimed that were he to become president, states would have the chance to put up to $20 billion in federal … Continue reading
Economy / Fiscal policy / Tax / Taxes
Tax Cut-Implications for Behavioral Economics
Richard H. Thaler, professor of behavioral science and economics at the University of Chicago, won the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences this year “for his contributions to behavioral economics.” This is a relatively new field that combines the idea of psychology and economics. Standard economic models assume that humans are rational actors. However, behavioral economists … Continue reading
Clinton’s Financial Transaction Tax – A Solution Seeking a Problem
Should she win in November, Hillary Clinton’s platform on financial services will likely serve as the financial policy roadmap for the next four years. Notable within Clinton’s Wall Street plan, released last October, is a call for a financial transaction tax (FTT) on high-frequency trading (HFT). A financial transaction tax is an excise tax on trades … Continue reading
Bluffing in the House: Reforming the Budget Process
On June 15, the House Budget Committee gathered to discuss the need for fiscal goals to “drive discipline and accountability”, in the words of Chairman Tom Price. The hearing comes at a time of a skyrocketing Public Debt of $19 trillion, a sluggish economic recovery and another recession looming around the corner. The U.S. has sustained … Continue reading
Why the Founding Fathers Would Dislike “Obamacare”
Among the many popular topics of the 2016 presidential campaigns, healthcare remains a timeless defining issue sparking vivid debate on both sides of the political spectrum. In the 2016 presidential campaign, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) – commonly referred to as “Obamacare” – has become the privileged scapegoat. However, beyond the political contention, an aspect … Continue reading
Economic Freedom Series: Why Economic Freedom is Important
Economic freedom gives individuals the ability to pursue self-wants in the most efficient way possible—via the market. Many laws and regulations, in the name of consumer protections or marketplace fairness, take away our fundamental right of economic freedom. Continue reading
Economy / Fiscal policy / Tax / Taxes
Zig-Zug: Fixing America’s Crooked Tax System
If you ask the mayor of Zug, a tiny Swiss suburb, what his town’s population is, he would likely give you the official estimate of 27,000. But a quick dive into Switzerland’s most recent census report reveals that Zug is also home to over 30,000 businesses. This means one of two things. Either each of … Continue reading
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