Lives Ruined for Petty Crimes
A new book explores how America's criminal justice system heaps debts on those who can't possibly pay.
Debt
Mick Mulvaney Turns His Back on Fiscal Responsibility
"Show me the majority for cutting spending," he says.
Bipartisan Senate Effort Predictably Kills Rand Paul's Plan to Balance the Federal Budget
Paul's proposal to cut 2 percent from the federal budget for the next five years was predictably opposed by both Democrats and most Republicans
GAO: Current Federal Fiscal Situation Is 'Unsustainable'
America will face "serious economic, security, and social challenges" if the national debt keeps growing at this rate.
February's Budget Deficit Was the Largest in American History
The feds are $234 billion in the red. Looking for hope? Sen. Mike Enzi has some ideas.
National Debt Hits a New Record High: $22 Trillion
A new record, but one that won't stand for long.
When it Comes To Debt, Politicians and Academics Are All Like, 'What, Me Worry?'
From OMB head Mick Mulvaney to former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, nobody cares about spending money we don't have on things we don't need. Big mistake.
What Was Missing From Trump's State of the Union? America's $1 Trillion Deficit
Or the $22 trillion (and counting) national debt. Or the entitlement programs that will continue adding to them.
New Chinese App Lets Users ID Debtors Lurking Nearby
How would you like it if nearby strangers could instantly access your credit score on their phones?
Increasing Top Tax Brackets Is Easier Than Increasing Revenue Over Time
Proponents of jacking top marginal income tax rates such as AOC ignore how hard it is to actually boost revenue over the long haul.
Most Americans Want Congress to Fix Budget Crisis, Increase Spending. Huh?
You can't have it both ways.
The National Debt Hit $22 Trillion at the End of 2018
Growth alone won't get us out of this mess.
The National Debt Is Coming Due, Just Like We Told You
By 2020, interest on the debt will cost more than Medicaid. By 2025, it will cost more than defense spending. And that's just the start.
A National Debt 6 Times the Size of the Economy? That's Where America is Heading.
At this rate we'll get there before the end of the century.
'We've Never Had Deficits Like This During Peace and Prosperity Before'
Brian Riedl has a plan to stabilize the national debt at 95 percent of GDP. He says trying it might be political suicide, but the alternative is much worse.
Federal Student Loan Forgiveness Programs Are Useless. A Juvie Teacher's Story Shows Why.
"We consistently allow the government to develop…programs like this that sound really great on paper but have no practical benefit," Keith Bradford says.
Trump Has Always Been the 'King of Debt,' but Now He's Sticking Taxpayers With the Tab
Trump planned to borrow heavily to fund his still unreleased infrastructure plan, even while the Republicans in Congress were making the deficit worse.
Congress Just Passed a $150 Billion Spending Package Without Any Consideration for Looming Trillion-Dollar Deficit
Just days after the latest CBO projections showed the deficit getting worse, Congress signs off on another bi-partisan spending increase.
#MAGA: Federal Deficit Jumps 32 Percent, Hits $895 Billion for Fiscal 2018!
The economy might be humming but when are we going to have to, you know, pay for the party already?
Extending Last Year's Tax Cuts Without Massive Spending Reductions Would Be a Fiscal Disaster
New CBO analysis shows debt could exceed 200 percent (!!!) of GDP by mid-century without changes.
House Republicans Want Permanent Tax Cuts They Can't Pay For
GOP legislators released their "Tax Reform 2.0" proposal, which aims to make last year's tax cuts permanent, adding trillions to the $21 trillion debt.
More and More of What We Do Depends on Government Permission
The granting or withholding of that approval is a powerful lever over our lives.
Here's What You Could Buy With June's Federal Budget Deficit
Of course, June's deficit represents just a small fraction of our overall national debt.
Could Puerto Rico Be the Solution to Our Latest Immigration Fight?
The island's population has fallen dramatically even as Spanish speakers from other nations are desperate for a new home.
CBO: National Debt Projected to Surpass 150 Percent of GDP in Next 30 Years
Entitlement spending, health care costs, and the GOP tax legislation will drive up the debt.
Social Security Will Be Insolvent In 16 Years. Maybe Congress Should Do Something About That.
Medicare will run dry even sooner. Do you trust anyone in Washington to solve this problem?
Today's 'Balanced Budget Amendment' Is a Month Late and $1 Trillion Short
Thursday's vote is an empty gesture. Worse, it's a hypocritical one.
Your Friday Cliffhanger: Will Trump Sign or Veto the Omnibus? (UPDATE: Trump Signs)
The president wants his border wall funding.
Congress Is Still Ignoring Its Spending Problem as Deadline Looms for $1.3 Trillion Spending Bill
Four out of five voters agree that Washington has a spending problem, but a new omnibus spending bill will add yet more to the national debt.
The Senate Budget Deal Proves Republicans Love Government Spending
The GOP leadership cheers on a bipartisan spending spree.
Wait: The Government Is Incompetent, So We Want it To Do *More*?
The feds can't pass a budget or do much very well, yet a record level of Americans want it more involved in our lives. That's not as crazy as it seems.
What About the Debt? Trump's SOTU Ignores a $20 Trillion Time Bomb
If a Republican president can't address a Republican-controlled Congress without paying lip service to the idea of cutting spending, what good are Republicans?
Treasury's Tax Reform Analysis Confirms Republicans Don't Give a Damn About the Deficit
Republicans will regret this the next time a budget-busting Democratic proposal comes along.
The Trump Tax Plan Is Government as Usual
Despite big promises, it fails in its primary mission: paying for the actual cost of government
Republicans Officially Give Up Trying to Cut Spending
After all that fuss from 2009 onward, Rand Paul is the last Republican left objecting to the continued growth of government.
Why We Need To Shrink the National Debt, And Fast!
Too much debt slows economic growth and reduces living standards.
$20,000,000,000,000 in Debt and Rising
Now that Trump's made a deal with Democrats, our national debt is higher than ever.
Our Amazing Debt (Cosmos Parody)
Join us as we explore the enormity of our fiscal black hole, which now surpasses $20 trillion.
Remy: $20 Trillion Reasons (Lady Gaga Parody)
There are 20 trillion reasons we should rein in government spending.
Steve Bannon vs. the Tea Party Libertarians [Reason podcast]
Nick Gillespie, Katherine Mangu-Ward, and Matt Welch talk Trump, Ryan, gender-neutral pronouns, DJ Khaled, and more.
The Cost of Carrying Debt
Low interest rates ease the pain of carrying so much debt. But in the long run, somehow, the U.S. will end up paying for it.
Trump's Over-Praised State of the Union: The New Fifth Column
Why Paul Ryan was clapping at policies he's long opposed, how POTUS could be a strong de-regulator, and why the media cares 100x more about presidential theatrics than the war in Yemen
Trump's Economic Illiteracy on Display in Address to Congress
The president takes a reckless stance on free trade, entitlements, and debt reduction.
5 Things Libertarians Should Be Nervous About in 2017
Say goodbye to 2016. But don't let your guard down.
Challenge Grant Time in the Reason Webathon! Because We Still Treat Presidential Politics as if (Bad) Ideas Matter
From Bernie to Hillary, from Trump to the chumps in Congress, we used the spectacle of politics to argue about the substance of policy.
