Bold Policy Reforms for the 2016 Election
Challenging times require bold reforms, but very few political candidates have proposed any. With this paper we try to fill that gap by identifying five reforms that would solve current problems, spur economic growth and return power and money to the states and the people.
Conservatives Who Defy the Rule-of-Law on Taxation
Conservative legislators should not defy rule-of-law in their greed for more tax revenue.
When Will Republican Candidates Start Identifying Proposed Spending Cuts?
Tax cuts are nice but they are not enough. The government doesn’t just take too much money, it also spends too much.
We Can Have Both Freedom and Security, but Freedom is Harder
The law enforcement function is vital to a safe and secure society, but keeping law enforcement within constitutional limits is vital to a free society. We can have both.
Civil Asset Forfeiture and the Constitution
Virtually everyone agrees with criminal asset forfeiture. But civil asset forfeiture, in which government can seize property without charging the property's owner with a crime, is widespread and troubling because it denies citizens several constitutional rights.
When Democrats Supported Free Trade--100 Years Ago
Democrats were once the principled voices in support of free trade; now they support protectionism and trade barriers that only lead to trade wars.
Tax Succor or Sucker Punch
For years, big-government pro-taxers have often deployed parliamentary tricks to thwart the vote on a permanent Internet tax fix. This time, however, there may be nowhere to hide.
Comparing the Major Candidates' Tax Plans
Most of the major presidential candidates have released tax reform plans with enough specifics to run them through an economic model. On tax policy, Republicans tend to focus on economic growth, while Democrats tend to focus on distributional effects.
Why Losing Welfare Benefits Helps Welfare Recipients
As an Oregon welfare reform pilot program demonstrated in the 1990s, when people looking for welfare benefits were told they would have to work for their benefits, about a third walked out saying if they had to work they’d find their own job.
Economics in Action: Wal-Mart Raises Wages Then Closes Stores
Higher wages are nice, but not when it costs you your job.