Michigan Spent $1.8 Billion and Only Created 602 Jobs
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer promised "generational" investments in her state, but as she leaves office, there's little to show for it.
Subsidies
Adam Schiff Wants Federal Tax Credits for Movie and TV Production
Studies repeatedly show the credits aren't worth the cost.
Trump Cut Nuclear Red Tape. Now His Administration Is Picking Winners.
The Trump administration can build on its success in the nuclear industry by getting out of the way.
Illinois Plans Tax Break for Billionaires and the Chicago Bears. Everyone Else Could End Up Paying More.
A new Bears stadium and Gov. J.B. Pritzker himself stand to gain if the legislation passes.
Sabastian Sawe's Sub-2 Marathon Is What Human Progress Looks Like—and Capitalism Helped Build It
Plus: governments get deeper and deeper into horse racing, fiscally conservative Republicans keep subsidizing stadiums, and Full Swing is in a doom spiral
Republicans Fumble Away Fiscal Conservatism in Stadium Subsidy Projects
Small-government conservatives are tripping over themselves to give millions of taxpayer dollars to billionaires.
Welfare on Wheels: The Truth About the Supposed Truck Driver Shortage
Is there really a truck driver shortage? Or are companies just using that story to pull off an outrageous corporate welfare scam?
Blame Overregulation for High Child Care Costs
Politicians like New York’s Mayor Mamdani promise to solve a problem that they created.
There Are No Good Reasons To Subsidize Sports Stadiums. Governments Keep Doing It Anyway.
“If we stop funding all sports stadiums tomorrow, then the world wouldn't change hardly at all," says one economist.
South Carolina Gave $1.3 Billion to Scout Motors. It's Already $150 Million Over Budget.
The company is backed by Volkswagen but still received considerable funding from state taxpayers.
From Georgia's Film Subsidies to Intel's Collapse, Industrial Policy Keeps Failing
Such attempts try to engineer outcomes while acting like political favors can substitute for market incentives.
The Real Reason You Pay for NFL Stadiums
Economist J.C. Bradbury breaks down why taxpayer-funded stadiums are a bad idea, how team owners market them to politicians, and why another stadium building boom may be coming.
Yes, the Middle Class Is Shrinking—Because It's Moving Up
The real squeeze comes from government-distorted markets, not economic decline.
Obamacare Subsidies Can't Fix a Broken System. Rand Paul's Bill Could.
The Senate failed to pass a three-year extension on tax credits for the Affordable Care Act. But the only thing keeping it at all "affordable" was a flood of taxpayer money to conceal its true expense.
There Is No Such Thing as Good Industrial Policy. But Republicans And Democrats Keep Trying.
Real industrial policy has been tried—in many countries, by governments of every ideology. It fails every time for the same reason.
America's $30 Trillion Publicly Held Debt Is 42 Times Larger Than It Was in 1980
Democrats defend every entitlement and dream up new benefits. Republicans demand more defense spending and still more tax cuts.
Don't Extend Obamacare Subsidies To End the Government Shutdown
Government interference in health care should be reduced, not expanded.
What the Democrats Are Doing Right Now Won't Lower Health Care Costs—but Here's What Actually Would
Four ideas that are better than extending Obamacare subsidies and a government shutdown.
Donald Trump Is the Coal President
Just as Biden’s preference for renewables distorted markets and harmed consumers, so too does Trump’s bias toward coal.
The Government Shutdown Is a Distraction—From Our $37 Trillion Debt
This time, Democrats turned the most basic government housekeeping into hostage drama.
The NFL's Fight for Stadium Subsidies Is Heating Up
Will city and state governments get swindled by sports teams?
Uncle Sam Is Investing Now. What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
Some policymakers now say the federal government's stake in Intel should be a "down payment" on a U.S. sovereign wealth fund. The idea is terrible.
Film Subsidies Weren't Enough To Keep Marvel in Georgia
Studios certainly appreciate free money, but lower fixed costs on labor are a much better incentive than tax credits they don't use.
Joe Biden Paid $89 Million To Boost Electric Motorcycle Production. It's Failing.
LiveWire, an electric motorcycle company, sold just 55 motorcycles in Q2 2025 despite receiving millions of dollars in federal backing.
We're Lying to Ourselves About Taxes, Spending, and the Debt
It's time to ask what level of spending Americans truly want with the money we actually have.
Trump Should Kill Commanders Stadium Deal, but Not Because of the Team's Name
If Trump kills the deal over the team changing its name, he'd be doing the right thing but in perhaps the most corrupt possible way.
Trump Says Coke Will Be Made With Real Sugar. His Policies Make That More Difficult.
Government policy bears much of the blame for the use of high-fructose corn syrup, and Trump's policies will not change that.
Congress Cut $500 Billion in Energy Subsidies. That's Good—and Proof Reform Is Possible.
Green energy is promising. But subsidies distort the tax code, misallocate capital, and favor companies already in the game.
There's No Good Reason for Cities and States To Build or Subsidize Sports Stadiums
“There's no such thing as a free stadium,” says J.C. Bradbury. “You can't just pull revenue out of thin air.”
The $4 Trillion 'Big, Beautiful Bill' Breaks the Bank and Violates Congress' Own Budget Rules
This is what Washington calls compromise: The House proposes $1, the Senate proposes $2, and somehow, the government ends up spending $3.
Pennsylvania Gives Amazon Potentially Unlimited Sales Tax Exemption
The tech and online retail giant will build at least two data centers in the Keystone State but pay no sales taxes on equipment.
The New Stadium Scam Is a Server Farm
Local governments love giving sweetheart deals to billion-dollar companies—now data centers instead of football stadiums.
Stop Subsidizing the 'Sport of Kings'
Plus: A ridiculous tax carveout, Trump backs D.C. stadium, and Shedeur Sanders
America Is Going Broke. Will the Department of Government Efficiency Help?
Eliminating the deficit requires cutting the biggest spending—defense, Medicare, Social Security. So far, Trump says he won't touch those.
Trump's Pick for Commerce Secretary Wants More Industrial Policy for Chipmakers
Howard Lutnick told senators that CHIPS Act subsidies were "an excellent down payment."
Jimmy Carter's Gift to Hollywood Was No Gift to Georgia Taxpayers
He set a process in motion that led to the state's wasteful and expensive film tax credits.
Amazon Warehouses Benefit Local Economies, Study Finds
The newly published paper found that Amazon's entry in a metro area led to increases in wages, jobs, and home values.
Donald Trump Wants To End E.V. Subsidies. Gavin Newsom Is Trying To Save Them.
California's governor is considering revamping wasteful state rebate programs for low-emitting vehicles.
Biden Rushes To Dole Out CHIPS Act Funds Before Leaving Office
The law's biggest beneficiary is Intel, which lost more than half its market value this year as competitors soared.
Tampa Bay Rays Cancel New Stadium Plans After Local Government Stalls Funding
If funding were approved, St. Petersburg residents would have been on the hook for a new stadium for one of baseball’s least attended teams.
Abolish Obamacare
The Affordable Care Act has become a broken welfare program for people who don't need it.
Elon Musk Spent $118 Million To Elect Trump. What Will He Get in Return?
Will the mercurial tech mogul put his thumb on the scale to help his own companies, or will he push for a broader deregulatory agenda?
The Empty Promises of Industrial Policy
Despite decades of bipartisan attempts, industrial policy keeps failing to deliver on promises from both the left and the right.
How Donald Trump and Elon Musk Could Cut $2 Trillion in Government Spending
If Musk is truly serious about fiscal discipline, he'll advise the president-elect to eschew many of the policies he promised on the campaign trail.
Central Planning Won Big on Election Night
The bipartisan embrace of industrial policy represents one of the most dangerous economic illusions of our time.
Will the City of Cleveland Sue to Keep the Browns from Moving to the Suburbs?
City officials are threatening to invoke the "Modell Law" to prevent a potential move to a new facility in Brook Park.
