Can the US Pay Back Its Debt by Growing the Economy?Sometimes you hear the following line of thought about the growing U.S. national debt: “We don’t need to raise taxes or cut spending. We…2d ago2d ago
Why authoritarian countries lie: a persuasive theoretical perspectiveI recently came across a fascinating working paper by Konstantin Sonin, “The Reverse Cargo Cult: Why Authoritarian Governments Lie to Their…4d ago4d ago
What Happens If the US Just Keeps Borrowing?Today I’ll cover a topic that seems to be on a lot of people’s minds: What is going to happen if the US government keeps borrowing more and…5d ago5d ago
Who Pays for Social Services? Comparing US and European Tax SystemsWhen people talk about life in Europe, they often highlight the generous public services-universal health care, generous paid family leave…Jun 5Jun 5
Why Fiscal Responsibility Will Require Both Higher Taxes and Lower SpendingWhen it comes to solving the U.S. fiscal problem, most people suggest either raising taxes-often just on the rich- or cutting spending…Jun 2Jun 2
Markets vs. Government: Who Should Provide What?The role of government in society often sparks political debate. But economists have thought about this question from a more objective…May 29A response icon1May 29A response icon1
Why Markets Undersupply KnowledgeToday’s post is about knowledge-how it’s created, why it’s so valuable, and why markets alone don’t produce enough of it.May 27May 27
When do “free” markets work well?Today’s post is about free markets and when they work well. There’s a lot of debate about when we should let markets operate freely and…May 22May 22
Can Tax Cuts Really Pay for Themselves?Sometimes you hear the claim “These tax cuts will pay for themselves.” The idea behind is that taxes suppress economic activity, which is…May 19May 19
What to expect if the US falls into a recessionToday’s blog post is about what we should expect if the US economy officially falls into a recession, which is looking increasingly likely.May 15May 15
