The Social Security Fix That Would Send Tax Rates Soaring
There are only a handful of ways to shore up Social Security. Sens. Bernie Moreno and Elizabeth Warren are backing one of the most expensive.
Deficits
Even an AI-Sparked Economic Miracle Will Not Save the Federal Budget
Congress cannot sit by and hope for AI to fix the deficit.
Republicans Want To Borrow Every Single Dollar of the $72 Billion Bill To Fund ICE and Trump's Ballroom
The party of fiscal responsibility strikes again.
Why Is It So Damn Hard To Find Sympathetic Student Loan 'Victims'?
Less than half of the Class of 2024 took out college loans averaging $30,000—a manageable amount that buys over $1 million in extra lifetime earnings.
Trump's New Budget—Which Proposes $1.5 Trillion for Defense—Is Unserious. You Should Still Take It Seriously.
It would be easy to wave it away and move on. But that's how the U.S. got in such a dire fiscal situation.
Trump's Call for a $1.5 Trillion Military Budget Is Irresponsible, Wasteful, and Unrealistic
The proposal is "an enormous waste of taxpayer dollars and would make Americans less, not more, safe." Thankfully, Congress is unlikely to adopt it.
10 Years Ago Today, Trump Promised To Eliminate the National Debt. Instead, It Has Doubled.
Trump's ridiculous, grandiose promise tells us something about the federal government's fiscal affairs and the president's approach to policy.
The Federal Spending Spree Will Make the Next Economic Shock Even Worse
Growing federal debt hobbles the government’s ability to respond to crises.
The Federal Government Was Told To Make a List of Everything It Funds. 15 Years Later, There Still Isn't One.
A sad commentary on the sprawling size and eye-watering cost of the government.
It's the Spending, Stupid!
The truest measure of government in our lives is the federal budget, which is out of control.
Court Rules Chicago Is Liable for $163 Million in Overcharged Parking and Sticker Fines
A 2018 class action lawsuit argued that Chicago was unlawfully overcharging residents for parking and sticker fines.
U.S. To Spend $24.4 Trillion More Than It Has Over the Next Decade, Report Warns
The cost of paying the interest is now the central story, and it's a grim one.
Politicians Want To Avoid Reforming Social Security and Medicare. You Will Pay the Price.
Inflation is a silent tax—and the most painful way to finance government promises.
Interest on the National Debt Will Cost $16 Trillion Over the Next 10 Years
A new Congressional Budget Office outlook expects entitlement spending and the national debt to explode in the next decade.
Immigration Massively Reduces Budget Deficits
A new Cato Institute study provides the most comprehensive analysis of this issue to date.
'I Think DHS Is Going To Be Shut Down for a While'
Plus: More evidence that immigrants are good for America, Trump's call to "nationalize" elections, and more...
Deploying Troops to U.S. Cities Cost Half a Billion Dollars in 2025
Maintaining a uniformed domestic security force is pricey in terms of life, liberty, and dollars.
Europe's Biggest Advantage in the Showdown Over Greenland? America's Huge Pile of Debt.
America's large and growing national debt is not just a budgetary liability, but increasingly a geopolitical one too.
Is This the End of American Capitalism?
If interest rates stop being market signals and become policy decisions, what survives may look less like capitalism—and more like permanent crisis management.
Almost a Year After It Launched, DOGE's Legacy Is Mixed
Has the Department of Government Efficiency delivered on promises to downsize federal employment, cut regulations, and reduce federal spending?
The Trump Administration Says Nursing Isn't a Professional Degree. Here's Why That's a Good Thing.
The decision isn't a value judgment. It's a recognition that nursing school is usually cheaper than medical school.
Republican Socialism: Trump Is Taking Federal Stakes in Private Companies
The Trump administration's pivot toward socialism did not come without warning.
A 50-Year Mortgage Won't Make Homes Affordable
Ultra-long mortgages create the illusion of affordability but lock borrowers into decades of extra interest because leaders won’t fix the supply crunch.
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.
The Government Shutdown Isn't Stopping Trump From Amassing 'Emergency' Powers
As of mid-2025, there were roughly 50 simultaneous national emergencies in force.
After All Those DOGE Cuts, Federal Spending Still Increased by $300 Billion
For the fiscal year that ended on September 30, the federal government spent more than $7 trillion and ran a $1.8 trillion deficit.
Shutdown Livestream: This Won't Fix Trillion-Dollar Deficits
Reason's Peter Suderman and Eric Boehm discuss the government shutdown live at 3 p.m. Eastern time today.
Mamdani's Fare-Free Buses Wouldn't Be NYC's First Wasteful Public Transit Boondoggle
A previous pilot program found free access slowed down buses in New York City, which already has the slowest buses in the nation.
Here's What Would Happen If We Seized All the Wealth From America's 800 Billionaires
Don't comfort yourself with wishful thinking that millionaires and billionaires could take the entire burden of the deficit off our hands.
The Real Threat to Fed Independence Isn't Trump. It's Congress' Debt Addiction.
The president's clear attempt to interfere in the Federal Reserve is not a one-off crisis.
Brandon Johnson's Chicago Is a Preview of Zohran Mamdani's New York
Big city mayors' progressive ambitions are on a collision course with fiscal reality.
The National Debt Is Becoming Your Local Problem
Federal overspending is squeezing states and cities, forcing them to raise taxes, slash services, or pile on more debt.
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 Doesn't Need To Fire Jerome Powell. He Needs To End America's Spending Addiction.
The executive branch wants to use the Federal Reserve as a tool to accommodate the government's frenzy of reckless borrowing.
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.
Medicaid Work Requirements Are a Short-Term Fix to a Long-Term Problem
A more effective reform is to let the market curb waste and reward innovation.
Big, Beautiful Bill Finds Its Opponents
Plus: The anti-socialist moment, muscle-building drugs counteract Ozempic, arsony gunman in Idaho, and more...
Negating Democratic Consent
How the Colorado Supreme Court has nullified Colorado constitutional limits on taxes, debt, and corporate privilege.
Will He, Won't He
Plus: Iran strikes an Israeli hospital, Social Security and Medicare are still running out of money, Trump erects a giant flagpole, and more…
The 'Big Beautiful Bill' Will Require Even More Borrowing Than Previously Thought
After accounting for the dynamic effects of the Trump-backed tax bill, the CBO concludes it will add $2.8 trillion to the deficit over 10 years.
Trump's 'Big, Beautiful' Military Parade Is a Big, Ugly Waste of Millions of Dollars
Most Americans, it turns out, do not think it is a good use of taxpayer money, according to a recent poll.
Extending the Trump Tax Cuts Is a Good Idea. But It Won't Deliver 'Big, Beautiful' Economic Growth.
The budget legislation is full of other expensive provisions that will add trillions to our sky-high national debt.
Here Are 3 Reasons Why the 'Big Beautiful Bill' Won't Generate 3 Percent Growth
The White House is promising higher growth, but tariffs, borrowing, and rising interest rates will be a drag on those expectations.
Why Can't Elon Musk and Donald Trump Both Win?
In a petty, public war of words, Trump threatens to cut off federal support to Musk's companies after the billionaire attacked his deficit-busting budget bill.
Another Divorce for Trump
Plus: A cynical take on Zohran Mamdani, Florida's drinking water threatened, and more...
How Does the National Debt Affect You? A Budget Expert Explains.
Higher debt means lower wages, higher interest rates, and fewer opportunities, says Romina Boccia of the Cato Institute.
America's Credit Is Falling—and the Government Is Still Digging Deeper Into Debt
The lesson from the Moody's credit downgrade is that the U.S. cannot borrow its way to prosperity.
