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
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.
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?
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.
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.
#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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Will Trump Supporters Like What They Get?
Trade wars and debt increases loom on the horizon.
Gary Johnson Calls "Horseshit" On Reports That He Doubled Debt As N.M. Governor
During PBS debate with Green Party candidate Jill Stein, the Libertarian candidate shows his fangs.
Nightmare In Deep Ellum: How Pension Obligation Bonds Ruined Dallas Employees' Retirement Dreams
Dallas' pension crisis is another example of why cities and states shouldn't use pension obligation bonds.
'We Have Two Parties Right Now That Have Abandoned All Pretenses at Realism About Our $20 Trillion National Debt and About Our Entitlements'
Matt Welch assesses Hillary Clinton's absurd "I do not add a penny to the national debt" claim on Stossel
Lawsuit Challenges Arkansas City and County Practice of Arresting People Over Court Fines Associated with Bad Checks
An effective policy of debtors prison said to violate the federal constitution and various parts of Arkansas' state constitution.
Hillary Clinton's Free College Promise Won't Be Free—and Won't Help College Students
Political concession to the Sanders crowd that you'll pay $35 billion for
Puerto Rico Has Become America's Version of Greece
Debt relief and privatization are the only ways to fix its fiscal mess.
Who Would Bankrupt America First, Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump?
Lessons from Puerto Rico.
Yet Another Tale of Death in Jail Over a Debt, in a Nation Officially Without Debtors Prisons
Taken from a hospital suffering from gastroenteritis straight to jail, Joyce Curnell died there of likely dehydration. All over an unpaid court debt.
$19 Trillion and Counting: The Dangers of Unlimited Debt
"If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging."
Econopocalypse Looming Again?
Stock market and debt troubles could mean bad news for this presidential election year, giving Trump and Sanders both more traction for their respective bad ideas.
Students Say They Want Cheap (or Free) College, Then Make Demands That Drive Up Costs
Somebody should picket for mandatory economics classes.
Is There Really Any Way to Stop College Students From Wasting Money on Their Edumications?
You can go to college for $60,000 total or $160,000. Is that really a tough decision? And what school should accept you if you pick the latter?
Generational Swindle: How DC is Screwing over Millennials
Jared Meyer on "Disinherited: How Washington Is Betraying America's Young"
Where Are the Republicans on College Costs?
Democrats have plans that obscure the real problems, but speak to the outrage.
Government Debt on the Road to Ruin
Nearly every state has followed the same basic policy of making promises today and letting someone figure out how to pay for them years from now.
Obama Announces Executive Order Extending Student Loan Cap, Other "Action"
Wants to extend a 2010 law to older borrowers.
