Joe Biden’s Plan to Build the United States of Italia
With his policy announcement about another COVID-19 relief bill, President Joe Biden declares loud and clear that he will not shy away from spending blowouts and fiscal irresponsibility. ...
About: Veronique de Rugy
Posts by Veronique de Rugy
Don’t Hate the Political Players; Hate the Political Game
The chief driver of government expansion doesn’t come from the identities of the officeholders but, rather, the incentive structures within politics. Personalities and party affiliations matter less than people believe. ...
Fool Us Once, Shame on You; Fool Us Forever, Shame on Us All
Why people continue to trust government officials is a mystery. ...
$75 Billion in Band-Aids Won’t Cure Ailing Airlines
While there is talk of bailouts for airlines, Regal Cinemas will not be getting one. Airlines should be allowed to go bankrupt ...
Once Again, the Export-Import Bank Dogs Taxpayers with Pemex
As the saying goes, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” Nowhere is this truth more evident than in the recent behavior of the allegedly “reformed” Export-Import Bank of the...
New CBO Report Projects Delusional Spending Levels
America’s national debt now stands at close to $27 trillion. Yet nobody in Washington seems to care about this disease of chronic profligacy, and COVID-19 has only made things worse. ...
Airlines Once Again Approach Congress With Captain’s Hat in Hand
The federal government should refuse another airline-industry bailout. ...
There’s No Such Thing as a Free Tax Holiday
A few weeks ago, President Donald Trump proposed a payroll tax holiday to Americans earning less than $100,000 per year. The gesture is better described as a deferral of the payroll...
Want To Boost Economic Growth? Tell Government To Spend Less
While flawed arguments for more government spending and more debt are reemerging, some economists offer a blueprint for us to regain control of our spiraling debt in a way that will...
New Research Confirms Wealth Tax’s Deleterious Effects
A wealth tax has many problems. While it makes for great “soak the rich” soundbites, in reality, it’s ineffective at reducing inequality. What wealth taxes do best is to disrupt the...
When Mob Mentality and Moral Suasion Meet the Markets
What is the proper role of moral suasion on commerce? It’s easy to see the benefits for all involved if firms start waiting a little before dismissing employees under public pressure....
State and Local Governments Could Learn From Crises
There's no doubt that this pandemic-induced recession is hitting states hard. But that's no reason to bail them out, especially when many failed to prepare for emergencies, which are inevitable. ...
A Legal Challenge to the Big Apple’s Newest Rent-Control Laws
There are reasons to celebrate when someone steps in and challenges bad rules. Case in point: a legal challenge to New York City’s Rent Stabilization Law. ...
As Bastiat Would Say, Peer Past the Obvious With Pandemic Policies
Oh, how I wish we would have remembered to earnestly account for the unseen effects of policies put into place during this pandemic that will pop up in its aftermath. ...
Is a Universal Basic Income Program Worth the Costs?
A guaranteed income may or may not be an improvement over the current state of affairs, but either way, a massive wealth transfer and regulatory state harms the poor. ...