A growing economy creates jobs, raises living standards, maintains global competitiveness, and thus engenders positive attitudes and optimism about the future.
While many policymakers seem intent on focusing on either economic stimulus or austerity, IPI believes that the economy can grow consistently and at higher rates than we’ve experienced in the last decade, and we reject the idea that economic growth contains within itself the seeds of its own demise through inflation, the business cycle, and erroneous Phillips Curve assumptions. Therefore, economic growth should be elected officials’ primary policy goal at the federal, state and local levels, and it’s the organizing principle of our policy work at IPI.
Whatever limitations may exist on economic growth, they should not be self-imposed through counterproductive tax policy, overbearing regulations, ill-conceived monetary policy, trade protectionism, or hostility toward skilled and ambitious immigration.
The Madness of Minimum Wage Mania
The minimum wage mania has gotten out of hand. Politicians are trying to outbid each other—only they’re doing it with employers’ money, not their own. And they are getting a lot of support from low-paid workers who may soon find themselves unemployed.
With Bernie Sanders Running, Can We All Agree That The Democratic Party Is the Socialist Party?
Democrats used to get annoyed when critics accused President Obama of being a socialist. Not so with Vermont senator and presidential candidate Bernie Sanders.
Section 179 Reinstatement Good, But Clarity Is Better
A federal policy think-tank this week released a new document detailing the impacts of tax uncertainty on the ag sector, including the "will they or won't they" nature of Section 179 reinstatement. In commentary on Section 179 and ag tax issues, IPI President Tom Giovanetti says Congress' latest move on the 2014 expensing provision was essentially too little too late.
Tax Uncertainty Hurts: Congress Should Not Delay on Section 179
Congress must avoid the mistakes of 2014, when tax uncertainty delivered a harmful blow to the economy thanks to tax policies which were never clarified until the very end of the year, says IPI president Tom Giovanetti in “How Tax Uncertainty Harms Economic Growth.”
How Tax Uncertainty Harms Economic Growth: Agricultural Investment and Section 179
Frantic end-of-year passage of tax extenders does not encourage investment as intended. In 2014, investment in agricultural equipment was hampered by tax uncertainty over Section 179. Congress must recognize the need for certainty in tax policy by passing temporary measures earlier in the year, and by implementing overall tax reform that results in a simpler, more stable tax system.
Scammers are Swindling Taxpayers Out of $1,000 Per Household
President Obama believes redistributing money is the way to create jobs and spur economic growth, and thieves are helping him do just that.
Fact-checking Obama's Claim That Middle Class Wages Have Stagnated
Middle class wages have been rising, though not by much more than the rate of inflation—and that's a good thing.
Obama Doesn't Care About the Keystone Pipeline Facts, Just the Politics
The House and Senate have now passed bipartisan legislation approving the Keystone XL pipeline. Seems like the only one who doesn’t support it is President Obama. And yet opposition to the pipeline is inexplicable if you know the facts behind the issue.
If Obama Wants Reagan's Capital Gains Tax Rate, He Should Take Reagan's Income Tax Rates
The White House has sent conservatives what it apparently thinks is a very clever message: You say the economy boomed under President Ronald Reagan’s tax reforms. Well, Reagan’s top capital gains tax rate was 28 percent, so let’s go back to that.
Total Records: 627
