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Daniel J. Mitchell is a top expert on tax reform and supply-side tax policy at
the Cato Institute. Mitchell is a strong advocate of a flat tax and international tax competition. Prior to joining Cato, Mitchell was a senior fellow with The Heritage Foundation, and an economist for Senator Bob Packwood and the Senate Finance Committee. He also served on the 1988 Bush/Quayle transition team and was Director of Tax and Budget Policy for Citizens for a Sound Economy. His articles can be found in such publications as the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Investor's Business Daily, and Washington Times. He is a frequent guest on radio and television and a popular speaker on the lecture circuit. Mitchell holds bachelor's and master's degrees in economics from the University of Georgia and a Ph.D. in economics from George Mason University.
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Daniel J. Mitchell (Dec 31, 2011)
Last year, I came up with a saying that “Bad Government Policy Begets More Bad Government Policy” and labeled it “Mitchell’s Law” during a bout of narcissism.
There are lots... more
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Daniel J. Mitchell (Dec 30, 2011)
Because of his semi-frontrunner status in Iowa, Ron Paul is now attracting some negative attention, including the fact that he received a $500 campaign contribution from an... more
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Daniel J. Mitchell (Dec 29, 2011)
The statists are making a big issue out of income inequality, hoping to convince ordinary Americans that redistribution is their only hope for a better life.
I’ve explained... more
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Daniel J. Mitchell (Dec 28, 2011)
I’ve written before about whether California is the Greece of America, in part because of crazy policies such as overpaid bureaucrats and expensive forms of political... more
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Daniel J. Mitchell (Dec 27, 2011)
There’s been a lot of discussion about Mitt Romney’s appeal – or lack thereof – among supporters of limited government.
To put it mildly, many libertarians and conservatives... more
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Daniel J. Mitchell (Dec 26, 2011)
Overseas Americans are not exactly happy that federal law is making their lives so miserable, so I’m not surprised that they seem to be the ones who put together this great... more
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Daniel J. Mitchell (Dec 25, 2011)
I’ve written before about Christmas and political correctness, but I think a humorous approach would be good today.
Here’s Larry the Cable Guy reading a modernized version... more
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Daniel J. Mitchell (Dec 24, 2011)
The tax code is punitive and corrupt, but the economic damage caused by a bad revenue system is just part of the problem.
Thanks to a punitive “worldwide” approach to... more
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Daniel J. Mitchell (Dec 23, 2011)
I’ve posted some serious videos about the Second Amendment (here, here, and here), and I even got to appear on NRA News to talk about the importance of firearms... more
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Daniel J. Mitchell (Dec 22, 2011)
I have many frustrations in my life, and near the top of the list is the conservative fixation about balancing the budget.
This view is very misguided. Red ink... more
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Daniel J. Mitchell (Dec 21, 2011)
I’ve written several times about the foolish War on Drugs, which has been about as misguided and ineffective as the government’s War on Poverty.
So when I saw a news... more
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Daniel J. Mitchell (Dec 19, 2011)
I’ve written a couple of serious posts about the European fiscal crisis, including an explanation of how the problem could be solved and one about the importance of gun... more
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Daniel J. Mitchell (Dec 18, 2011)
I wrote last week about how the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, a Paris-based international bureaucracy, has launched a new campaign to promote... more
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Daniel J. Mitchell (Dec 17, 2011)
Every so often (about 362 days per year), I come to the conclusion that government is a racket for the benefit of special interests.
Greece would be an example. And if... more
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Daniel J. Mitchell (Dec 16, 2011)
Earlier this year, I wrote about how the person Obama put in charge of Medicare made some very interesting observations about prices, competition, and markets, but... more
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Daniel J. Mitchell (Dec 15, 2011)
I’m not a big fan of Senator Schumer of New York. As I’ve noted before, he’s a doctrinaire statist who wants the government to have control over just about every aspect of... more
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Daniel J. Mitchell (Dec 14, 2011)
I’ve written before about the perverse impact of the unemployment insurance program, and I’ve even cited how left-wing economists such as Paul Krugman and Larry Summers admit... more
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Daniel J. Mitchell (Dec 13, 2011)
I’ve commented many times about the misguided big-government policies of both Hoover and FDR, so I can say with considerable admiration that this new video from the Center... more
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Daniel J. Mitchell (Dec 12, 2011)
December 11, 2011 by Dan Mitchell
Since the Clinton Administration turned out to be much more market-oriented than either his GOP predecessor or successor, this isn’t... more
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Daniel J. Mitchell (Dec 11, 2011)
There’s always been a simple and desirable solution to Europe’s fiscal crisis, but nobody in Europe wants to do the right thing because it means admitting the failure of big... more
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Daniel J. Mitchell (Dec 10, 2011)
Much of the “stimulus” debate has revolved around macroeconomic issues. Obama squandered about $800 billion, supposedly to “jolt” the economy, but growth has been anemic... more
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Daniel J. Mitchell (Dec 09, 2011)
To be blunt, I’m not a big fan of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. But my animosity isn’t because OECD bureaucrats threatened to have me arrested... more
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Daniel J. Mitchell (Dec 08, 2011)
Last month, I shared a video about bloated bureaucracy from a group called Government Gone Wild.
That generated a big response, so here’s another video from the same group,... more
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Daniel J. Mitchell (Dec 07, 2011)
While I’m usually a pessimist about public policy, there are a handful of issues where I think there’s positive momentum. School choice is one example and another is putting... more
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Daniel J. Mitchell (Dec 06, 2011)
Even though Paul Krugman has told us that horror stories about government-run healthcare in Britain “are false,” we keep getting reports about substandard care and needless... more
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Daniel J. Mitchell (Dec 05, 2011)
I’ve explained on many occasions how the financial crisis was largely the result of government-imposed mistakes, and I’ve paid considerable attention to the role of easy... more
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Daniel J. Mitchell (Dec 04, 2011)
I’ve had some fun mocking the bureaucrats from the Transportation Security Administration, including stories such as:
o Confiscating a plastic hammer from a mentally... more
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Daniel J. Mitchell (Dec 03, 2011)
I periodically write posts about “Great Moments” in government. These usually feature some absurd example of stupidity and incompetence that only is possible when the world’s... more
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Daniel J. Mitchell (Dec 02, 2011)
I’m glad that China has taken some steps away from communism. According to Economic Freedom of the World, China was one of 10-worst nations for economic liberty back in 1980... more
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Daniel J. Mitchell (Dec 01, 2011)
I have a new article for National Review about the fallout from the Supercommittee.
Among the points I make are:
o We were lucky to dodge a tax hike.
o There’s still a... more
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Daniel J. Mitchell (Nov 30, 2011)
When I think about taxes, my first instinct is to rip up the corrupt internal revenue code and implement a simple and fair flat tax.
When I think about Social Security, my... more
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Daniel J. Mitchell (Nov 29, 2011)
Most people have a vague understanding that America has a huge long-run fiscal problem.
They’re right, though they probably don’t realize the seriousness of that looming... more
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Daniel J. Mitchell (Nov 28, 2011)
About a year ago, I spoke at a conference in Europe that attracted a lot of very rich people from all over the continent, as well as a lot of people who manage money for... more
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Daniel J. Mitchell (Nov 26, 2011)
I’m thankful for the usual things, such as my kids and being an American.
But I’m also thankful I’m not a blithering idiot like the bureaucrats at a Florida school.... more
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Daniel J. Mitchell (Nov 25, 2011)
One of my frustrating missions in life is to educate policy makers on the Laffer Curve.
This means teaching folks on the left that tax policy affects incentives to earn and... more
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Daniel J. Mitchell (Nov 22, 2011)
Since I’ve written before about Canada’s remarkable period of fiscal restraint during the 1990s, I am very pleased to see that the establishment press is finally giving some... more
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Daniel J. Mitchell (Nov 21, 2011)
Even though I’ve expressed a small bit of sympathy for their motives, I’m not a fan of the OWS protesters. But other than sharing some jokes about the movement... more
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Daniel J. Mitchell (Nov 20, 2011)
Some people have asked why I’m so agitated about the possibility that Republicans may acquiesce to tax increases as part of the Supercommittee negotiations.
Rather than get... more
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Daniel J. Mitchell (Nov 19, 2011)
Yesterday, I unloaded on supposed conservatives who are toying with a tax increase to enable more government spending.
Why would they take that route in the “Supercommittee”... more
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Daniel J. Mitchell (Nov 18, 2011)
What would you do if you saw somebody standing at the top of a skyscraper, about to jump? Would you avert your eyes in horror? Would you watch in dismay as they plummeted to... more
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Daniel J. Mitchell (Nov 16, 2011)
I’ve already commented on some of the sleazy behavior that infects Chicago politics.
Now we have a jaw-dropping example of what’s wrong with the state of Illinois, as... more