Frequent commenter and part time contributor to Outside the Beltway Bernard Finel is disputing claims that there are serious fiscal imbalances facing the United States. Yesterday I posted an analysis that refuted the notion, common among conservatives, that the federal budget is out of control and growing a rapid rate. Instead, I demonstrated that government [...]

Over at The New Republic Josh Patashnik writes, Isn’t that second sentence sort of an odd interpretation of this chart? Clearly, the projected growth rate of health care costs is unsustainable, and finding ways to change that ought to be, far and away, the country’s top fiscal priority. But it’s not as though the chunk [...]

In the post where I described out things could get really bad I suggested that the federal deficits for the next two years could hit $1 trillion or more for both years. A new paper by Alan Auerbach and William Gale suggests that is too optmistic. In 2009, the federal deficit will be larger as [...]

I have been asked on a number of occasions “what I would do” regarding the recession. I have replied here and there with ideas, but putting all of them in one place will be helpful, at least to me as it will give me someplace to point people. So here are some things I think [...]

Jeffery Miron, Harvard Senior Lecturer in economics at Harvard University, on the stimulus package, CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts (CNN) — When libertarians question the merit of President Obama’s stimulus package, a frequent rejoinder is, “Well, we have to do something.” This is hardly a persuasive response. If the cure is worse than the disease, it is better [...]

The Tax Policy Center, a joint effort by the Brookings Institute and the Urban Institute, has looked at both candidates tax proposals and…well it isn’t pretty. Basically both candidates do not believe in fiscal responsibility, both are pandering, and neither of them are willing to make the hard decisions. Which is somewhat to be expected [...]