Lessons for the U.S. from Japan's Lost Decade
Facing an economic downturn in the 1990s, Japan racked up debt. America should not repeat that mistake.
Deficits
The Real Economic Catastrophe Will Be Caused by the U.S. Debt
Should we blame Biden and the politicians applauding him for their unwillingness to address our looming fiscal disaster?
RFK Jr. Pays Lip Service to the Debt While Pushing Policies That Would Increase It
It's good to hear a candidate actually talk about our spending problem. But his campaign promises would exacerbate it.
'The Problem Is Spending': Libertarian Presidential Nominee Chase Oliver's Vision for the Future
The candidate supports gun rights, wants to privatize government programs, and would radically reduce the number of federal employees.
Have Republicans Abandoned Free Markets?
Reason's Emma Camp attended the Republican National Convention to ask attendees if they still believe in the power of free markets.
Republicans Don't Even Pretend To Want To Cut Government Anymore
This week left no doubt that the GOP's current leadership wants the government to do more, spend more, and meddle more.
We Showed Trump Voters the National Debt
We asked delegates at the Republican National Convention whether a second Trump term would address America's debt problem.
Here's How To Pay for Trump's Tax Cuts
There seems to be general bipartisan agreement on keeping a majority of the cuts, which are set to expire. They can be financed by cleaning out the tax code of unfair breaks.
The Best of Reason: Why Did Americans Stop Caring About the National Debt?
Both parties—and the voters—are to blame for the national debt fiasco.
Republicans Hammer Biden on Inflation. But Do They Have a Better Plan?
Opening night of the Republican National Convention programmed a central issue with a Trumpian twist: "Make America Wealthy Again."
Why Did Americans Stop Caring About the National Debt?
Both parties—and the voters—are to blame for the national debt fiasco.
IRS Crackdown Nets Enough Revenue To Fund the Government for 90 Minutes
The Biden administration's $60 billion expansion of the IRS has netted $1 billion in new revenue so far.
The 2024 GOP Platform Promises To 'Make America Affordable Again.' So Why Are They Embracing Fiscal Insanity?
Although former President Donald Trump's deregulatory agenda would make some positive changes, it's simply not enough.
The National Debt Is Crossing an Ominous Line
The U.S. has successfully navigated past debt challenges, notably in the 1990s. Policymakers can fix this if they find the will to do so.
Biden, Trump, and RFK Jr. Are All Anti-Freedom
Those three presidential candidates are making promises that would have bewildered and horrified the Founding Fathers.
Numb to the Numbers
The national debt has become an alarm bell ringing in the distance that people are pretending not to hear, especially in the city that caused the problem.
At the Presidential Debate, Biden Says He 'Beat Medicare'
Biden's incoherence and Trump's comparatively cogent lies demonstrate just how poorly the two-party system serves supporters of small government.
America Is in a Debt Crisis. Will Trump or Biden Address It at the Debate?
The candidate who grasps the gravity of this situation and proposes concrete steps to address it will demonstrate the leadership our nation now desperately needs. The stakes couldn't be higher.
Eating Doritos While Drowning in Debt
Plus: A listener asks if there are any libertarian solutions to rising obesity rates.
Federal Budget Deficit Forecast Jumps $400 Billion, Fueled by Student Debt Forgiveness
The Congressional Budget Office reports the 2024 budget deficit will near $2 trillion.
The National Debt Is Now So High That Every American Essentially Owes $100,000
We could grow our way out of our debt burden if politicians would limit spending increases to just below America's average yearly economic growth. But they won't even do that.
Biden Keeps Blaming Others for His Economic Mistakes
The president has tried to shift blame for inflation, interest rate hikes, and an overall decimation of consumers' purchasing power.
The GOP Once Claimed To Be the Party of 'Fiscal Responsibility.' So Why Not Reform Social Security?
Reasonable options include gradually raising the minimum retirement age, adjusting benefits to reflect longer life expectancies, and implementing fair means-testing to ensure benefits flow where they're actually needed.
The National Debt Is Making Us Poorer
The average American will lose between $5,000 and $14,000 annually by 2054 due to the burden of the growing national debt.
The Congressional Budget Office's Alternative Scenarios Forecast a Dire Economic Picture
Why aren't politicians on both sides more worried than they seem to be?
Congress' Budget Process Is Broken. Here's One Idea for Fixing It.
Lawmakers should be freed from "the dead hand of some guy from 1974," says former Congressional Budget Office director.
Don't Give Biden a Pass on Inflation. Don't Give Trump a Pass on COVID.
Will the real president of the United States during the years 2020 through 2022 please stand up?
No One Can Make Government Work
If businesses don't serve customers well, they go out of business. Government, on the other hand, is a monopoly.
This Tax Week, Remember That the Federal Income Tax Is Relatively New
There are many pervasive myths about the U.S. tax code. Here are a few.
U.S. Defense Spending Continues To Spiral Out of Control
Increased spending does not automatically equate to higher quality—something that is often lost in this debate.
Poll: Americans Don't Think All This Government Is Worth What We Pay for It
The situation is more dire when you consider how much federal spending is financed by debt.
Say No to This: America's Fiscal Norms Are in Decline
Despite their informal nature, those norms have historically constrained U.S. fiscal policy. But they're eroding.
Biden Announces Second Attempt at Widespread Student Loan Forgiveness
The new plan is much less ambitious than the president's 2022 blanket forgiveness effort, mostly relying on an expansion of previous smaller-scale debt cancelation schemes.
With Rising Debt, the U.S. Federal Government Is in Bad Company
Governments around the world have been on a borrowing spree, and prosperity has suffered.
Trump and Biden Both Get Globalization Wrong
Free trade brings us more stuff at lower prices.
Most Americans Aren't Buying Biden's Misleading Narrative That the Economy Is Getting Better
The question of how best to measure inflation has no single and straightforward answer, but most people know that the president's economic claims aren't true.
Biden's Antitrust Case Against Apple Is Truly Stupid
Plus: A listener asks about the absurdity of Social Security entitlements.
A GOP Plan To Raise the Retirement Age Reveals How Unserious Washington Is About Social Security
An obvious, tepid reform was greeted with shrill partisan screeching.
The National Debt Is a National Security Issue
The growing debt will "slow economic growth, drive up interest payments," and "heighten the risk of a fiscal crisis," the CBO warns.
Biden's Proposed Corporate Tax Hike Will Punish the Average American
The president wants to raise the rate from 21 percent to 28 percent, despite it being well-established that this is the most economically-destructive method to raise government funds.
The White House Claims Borrowing $16 Trillion Over the Next Decade Is Fiscally Responsible
If you can't even get close to balancing the budget when unemployment is low, tax revenues are near record highs, and the economy is booming, when can you do it?
A Bipartisan Tax Hike Won't Fix This Deficit
The government needs to cut back on spending—and on the promises to special interests that fuel the spending.
The Economy Is Doing Way Better Than Many Believe
Despite the popular narrative, Millennials have dramatically more wealth than Gen Xers had at the same age, and incomes continue to grow with each new generation.
Brian Riedl: Who Bankrupted Us More—Trump or Biden?
"I'm concerned about a Trump-Biden rematch," argues Riedl. "You have two presidents with two of the worst fiscal records of the past 100 years."
The Best of Reason: The Real Student Loan Crisis Isn't From Undergraduate Degrees
Misled by a bad law, graduate students are drowning in debt.
Shrinkflation Is Real—and It's Largely Biden's Fault
The president criticized companies for selling "smaller-than-usual products" whose "price stays the same." But it was his and his predecessor's spending policies that caused the underlying issue.
The Best of Reason: The Bankruptcy of Bidenomics
Biden's economic policies gave us three years of excessive, wasteful, and poorly targeted federal spending.
