Why DOGE Mattered
It didn't meaningfully cut spending or reduce the size of government, but the DOGE project proved that politicians shouldn't be scared of doing those things.
Medicare
America Is in a Golden Age. Are We Headed Toward a Roman Ending?
"Once you have an ever-expanding system of entitlements that you can't afford, that's often the beginning of the decline and fall," says historian Johan Norberg.
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.
Rep. Chip Roy on Spending, Immigration, and the American Dream
"I think members of Congress believe that they get more popularity in votes by spending money. I actually disagree with that," the Texas Republican tells Reason.
Sixth Circuit Rejects Associational Standing in Medicare Drug Pricing Challenge
An easy way to avoid the merits in the latest high-stake health care litigation.
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.
Social Security and Medicare Are Racing Toward Drastic Cuts—Yet Lawmakers Refuse To Act
Other countries have taken meaningful steps to address similar challenges. The U.S. has done nothing.
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.
Trump's New Budget Is Another Blueprint for Big Spending
We don't need more of the same. We need evidence of a serious turnaround.
John Arnold: Government Can't Be Trusted To Fix Any Problems
John Arnold argues that private markets solve problems better than government or philanthropy, and that real reform comes from decentralization, incentives, and evidence—not top-down control.
Why Gen Z Is Embracing Trump
Perhaps young people have become resentful of the government's massive transfer of wealth from kids to the elderly.
Immigrants Are a Boon to the U.S. Economy
Studies have continuously shown that migrants create more jobs than they destroy.
Medicare Deserves Attention From DOGE and Congress
Reform could replace an unsustainable boondoggle with lower costs, more freedom, and better care.
Yes, Cutting Government Waste Is Important
Entitlements are a much bigger expense, but that doesn't mean the waste doesn't matter.
DOGE Is Good. It's Not Enough.
Even if the Department of Government Efficiency eliminates all improper payments and fraud, we'll still be facing a debt explosion—which requires structural reform.
The DOGE Bait and Switch
The pretend department’s downgraded mission reflects the gap between Trump’s promise of "smaller government" and the reality of what can be achieved without new legislation.
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.
Will 2025 Be the Year of U.S. Fiscal Sanity?
With inflation risks persisting and entitlement spending surging, the situation cannot be ignored. But we never should have gotten to this point to begin with.
Musk's Department of Government Efficiency Can—and Should—Tackle Medicare and Social Security
Doing nothing will lead to Medicare benefits being cut by 11 percent and Social Security Benefits being cut by 23 percent in less than a decade.
DOGE Can Succeed by Scaling Back Its Ambitions
The new advisory group promises bold savings and massive spending cuts, but without any expertise in the federal budget, it’s likely to be all bark and no bite.
Trump's First Term Wasn't Fiscally Responsible. Will His Second Be Different?
Even before the pandemic spending increase, the budget deficit was approaching $1 trillion. The GOP has the chance to embrace fiscal sanity this time if they can find the political will.
To Succeed at Cutting Government, Musk and Ramaswamy Must Take on Entitlements
When it comes to cutting waste, fraud, and abuse, what's lacking is not ideas but the political will to act on them.
Trump Has No Discernible Interest in Fiscal Responsibility
The president-elect’s record and campaign positions belie Elon Musk’s talk of spending cuts.
This Election Has Been Defined by Presidential Policy Pandering
From taxes to special loans to price gouging, the Trump and Harris campaigns have engaged in a race to see who can pander hardest.
Harris' 'Medicare at Home' Plan Would Fail To Make At-Home Care Affordable
Harris' plan to extend at-home care to Medicare recipients is yet another example of wasteful spending.
Kamalacare Is Just Bidencare
As with Biden, you can count on Harris to expand government programs.
Medicare-Covered Ozempic and Long-Term Care Would Be Very Pricey
Healthcare promises always come with high costs.
Reform Social Security for Those Who Need It Most
As it stands, the program effectively redistributes money from younger and poorer people to richer people.
Donald Trump and Kamala Harris Keep Making Economically Illiterate Promises
These policies may sound good on paper—but they would be disastrous in reality.
Chase Oliver on Budget Cuts, War, and Immigration
"Right now, we need to get ourselves at least to a balanced budget, and that involves cutting a lot of the third rails of American politics," the Libertarian presidential nominee tells Reason.
Don't Expect a Return to the Trump Economy
If the former president wins the 2024 race, the circumstances he would inherit are far more challenging, and several of his policy ideas are destructive.
Medicare and Medicaid Spend More on Native-Born Americans Than Immigrants
Despite anti-immigrant rhetoric, the foreign-born account for nearly 20 percent less public health spending than those born in America.
Trump and Harris' Economic Plans Are Depressingly Similar
Both campaigns represent variations on a theme of big, fiscally irresponsible, hyper-interventionist government.
The U.S. Can't Afford To Cut Taxes on Social Security Benefits
The campaign promise from Donald Trump sounds nice, but it would be disastrous when considering the program is already racing toward insolvency.
Chase Oliver: Q&A With the Controversial Libertarian Party Candidate
The 2024 Libertarian Party presidential candidate speaks out about the Israel-Hamas war, the authoritarian impulses of both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, and homophobia within his own party.
Lessons for the U.S. from Japan's Lost Decade
Facing an economic downturn in the 1990s, Japan racked up debt. America should not repeat that mistake.
The Real Economic Catastrophe Will Be Caused by the U.S. Debt
Should we blame Biden and the politicians applauding him for their unwillingness to address our looming fiscal disaster?
We Showed Trump Voters the National Debt
We asked delegates at the Republican National Convention whether a second Trump term would address America's debt problem.
Republicans Hammer Biden on Inflation. But Do They Have a Better Plan?
Opening night of the Republican National Convention programmed a central issue with a Trumpian twist: "Make America Wealthy Again."
The 2024 GOP Platform Promises To 'Make America Affordable Again.' So Why Are They Embracing Fiscal Insanity?
Although former President Donald Trump's deregulatory agenda would make some positive changes, it's simply not enough.
The National Debt Is Crossing an Ominous Line
The U.S. has successfully navigated past debt challenges, notably in the 1990s. Policymakers can fix this if they find the will to do so.
America Is in a Debt Crisis. Will Trump or Biden Address It at the Debate?
The candidate who grasps the gravity of this situation and proposes concrete steps to address it will demonstrate the leadership our nation now desperately needs. The stakes couldn't be higher.
'I Don't Support Mandates From Government': John Stossel Interviews Libertarian Presidential Nominee Chase Oliver
The candidate makes the case against the two-party system.
Eating Doritos While Drowning in Debt
Plus: A listener asks if there are any libertarian solutions to rising obesity rates.
The National Debt Is Now So High That Every American Essentially Owes $100,000
We could grow our way out of our debt burden if politicians would limit spending increases to just below America's average yearly economic growth. But they won't even do that.
Feds Arrest Telehealth Execs for Overprescribing Adderall
But will the government ever face repercussions for its role in the Adderall shortage?
The GOP Once Claimed To Be the Party of 'Fiscal Responsibility.' So Why Not Reform Social Security?
Reasonable options include gradually raising the minimum retirement age, adjusting benefits to reflect longer life expectancies, and implementing fair means-testing to ensure benefits flow where they're actually needed.
The Congressional Budget Office's Alternative Scenarios Forecast a Dire Economic Picture
Why aren't politicians on both sides more worried than they seem to be?
