Taxes & Economy

With All Due Respect, Mr. Specter

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 9, 2009

“The country cannot afford not to take action,” Senator Arlen Specter writes in the Washington Post justifying support for the “stimulus” package, mimicking the statement by President Obama “There…

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Taxes & Economy

Stimulus: Good For Government, Bad For the Economy

  • Nathan Benefield
  • January 27, 2009

This video by Dan Mitchell on the stimulus offers a quick primer on the “stimulus” package, and why government spending will fail – and why previous expansions of government…

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Taxes & Economy

Economists against a “stimulus”

  • Nathan Benefield
  • January 7, 2009

Even though the Obama administration claims all economists recognize the inherent brilliance of a proposed economic stimulus (which includes a bailout of the states, “infrastructure” spend, and “rebate” checks…

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Taxes & Economy

Corporatism vs. Socialism vs. Free Markets

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 19, 2008

As President Bush announces a revised bailout for automakers, David Boaz examines the policies of Bush and proposals of Obama and concludes neither is a “socialist”, but neither…

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Taxes & Economy

Do you support limited government?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • November 18, 2008

Jay P. Greene explains why anyone who believes in limited government and free markets should support the Commonwealth Foundation. Not directly, of course, but his conclusion is that…

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Taxes & Economy

Bush defends Free Market (and Big Government)

  • Nathan Benefield
  • November 17, 2008

In a speech to the Manhattan Institute, President Bush defends the free market.  Let me parse what I consider to be the key paragraph: History has…

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Taxes & Economy

Free markets are under attack again

  • Nathan Benefield
  • November 12, 2008

Matt Welch has an excellent article on Reason Magazine on the financial bailout and the debate over the role of government and the free market: President George…

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Taxes & Economy

The Age of Prosperity Is Over

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 27, 2008

Art Laffer in today’s Wall Street Journal on how the bailout mentality is bad news for our economy: Whenever the government bails someone out of trouble, they always…

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Government Accountability

Campaign Finance Reform: Fool’s Gold

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 21, 2008

Imagine if George W. Bush would declare that, as part of the war on terrorism, he proposed the Patriot Act II, which would grant the federal government power to collect…

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Read More: Campaign Finance Reform: Fool’s Gold