Abolish the Department of Transportation
When money comes down from the DOT, it has copious strings attached to it—strings that make infrastructure more expensive and less useful.
Federal government
Abolish the Army
"Standing armies are dangerous to liberty," Alexander Hamilton wrote in Federalist No. 29.
Abolish the IRS—and the Income Tax Too
Americans spent an estimated $133 billion and 6.5 billion hours filing their tax returns in 2024.
Abolish FEMA
FEMA has given Americans every reason to believe it is highly politicized, a poor steward of federal resources, bad at establishing priorities, and often unable to communicate clearly to people in distress.
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.
Feds Approve $80 Million Budget for 'Private' Horse Racing Regulator
The government should exit the multi-million-dollar business of preventing horse doping.
FEMA's Targeting of Trump Supporters Makes the Case for Less Government
Government agencies and officials can’t be trusted, so we should give them less to do.
Workplace Raids
Plus: Land acknowledgements, New York's migrant expenditures, and more...
Feds Use 'Border Security' To Justify Social Media Surveillance
Supposedly targeted at immigrants and travelers, the program endangers everybody’s liberty.
Want To Lower the Political Temperature? Make the Presidency Less Important
Congress needs to reassert its powers and bring the imperial presidency back down to earth.
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.
Good Riddance, Lina Khan
Under Khan's leadership, the Federal Trade Commission has been bad for business and bad for consumers.
The Next President Should Abolish Everything
In the Abolish Everything issue, Reason writers make the case for ending the Fed, the Army, Social Security, and everything else.
The FBI Wrongly Raided This Family's Home. A Bipartisan Group of Lawmakers Wants the Supreme Court To Step In.
A federal court denied them the right to sue—despite Congress enacting a law five decades ago specifically for situations like this one.
Abolish Everything: December 2024 Puzzle
"Phrase a dishonest politician rarely says out loud"
After 100 Years, End the Open Fields Doctrine
Federal agents are allowed to search private property without a warrant under this Prohibition-era Supreme Court precedent.
The Perils of Trump's Proposed Bitcoin Strategic Reserve
In 2021 Trump called bitcoin a "scam" but he seems to have realized his political coalition includes cryptocurrency enthusiasts.
Smaller Government Can Protect Against a Vengeful President
Whether through policy or prosecution, the president's ability to punish his political enemies should be sharply constrained.
Faisal Saeed Al Mutar: Peace In The Middle East Through Capitalism
The co-founder of Ideas Beyond Borders argues that there is "no better independence than economic independence."
Archaic Federal Law Keeps Alaskans From Using Abundant Natural Gas Reserves
The Jones Act makes the North Slope’s resources inaccessible to the state’s energy-starved residents.
The Justice Department's Proposals for Breaking Up Google's Dominance Won't Work
But consumers will pay a price.
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.
What Happens When FEMA Buys Your House?
As hurricane damage mounts, the government is buying—and sometimes seizing—homes in flood-prone areas, sparking concerns over property rights and accusations of discrimination.
FEMA Should Stick to Disaster Recovery and Quit Social Engineering
Goal 1 of FEMA's strategic plan is to "instill equity as a foundation of emergency management."
Biden and Harris' Record on Spending and Debt Is a Tragedy of Epic Proportion
When they entered the White House, the budget deficit was a pandemic-influenced $2.3 trillion, and it was set to fall to $905 billion by 2024. It's now twice what it was supposed to be.
Budget Deficit Hit $1.8 Trillion After Huge Increase in Borrowing Costs
Spending increased by 10 percent last year, while tax revenue increased by 11 percent. Interest payments on the debt shot up by 34 percent.
How Milton Friedman Can Help Us Get Through Hurricane Milton
To give storm victims the best chance at recovery, let local knowledge and markets guide decisions.
Trump's Deportation Plan Would Cost Nearly $1 Trillion
And it would wreck the economy.
New USDA Organic Rules Put Wine Importers in a Bind
Government incompetence strikes again, turning the wine industry upside down with red tape and confusion.
Federal 'Buy American' Rules Cost Over $100,000 Per Job Created
Eliminate the domestic content requirements of the Buy American Act, don't expand them.
Review: Neil Gorsuch Says There Are Too Many Laws
No one knows how many federal crimes there are, the Supreme Court justice notes in Over Ruled.
The Government Monopoly on Donated Kidneys Is Killing Americans
Organ donations in the U.S. are controlled by a network of federally sanctioned nonprofits, and many of them are failing.
In a Victory for the Free Market, FDA Approves New Schizophrenia Drug
Despite billions of taxpayer dollars spent on mental illness research, Cobenfy was developed by a private biopharmaceutical company.
Students Called the Ed Department for FAFSA Help. Most Were Ignored.
The financial aid form's rollout was disastrous, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office.
Congress Fails the Budget Test, Again
Despite promises to pass orderly budgets, the House GOP is poised to approve yet another stopgap spending measure.
Second Trump Assassination Attempt Raises Questions About Secret Service Competence
Plus: cat rumors, TikTok in court, and an earthquake
Cherries Are 'Unhealthy,' Says the Same Government That Once Pushed Low-Fat Pop-Tarts
The FDA’s latest nutrition rules target dried cherries and cranberries, putting small farmers at risk while offering zero benefits to consumers.
Should We Blame Fauci for the COVID Pandemic?
America's COVID celebrity is facing scrutiny for funding risky research that may have sparked the pandemic—and for allegedly covering it up.
10 Years and $3 Billion for a New Mail Truck?
Oshkosh Defense’s USPS van is thousands of dollars more expensive than the industry standard.
An Efficiency Commission Led by Elon Musk Would Be Good for the Government
The idea, proposed by former President Donald Trump, could curb waste and step in where our delinquent legislators are asleep on the job.
The Supreme Court Reined in Federal Regulators. What Happens Now?
The Court this year reversed Chevron, a decades-old precedent giving bureaucrats deference over judges when the law is ambiguous.
The Government's Permitting Regime Is Choking the Economy
Housing costs, job availability, energy prices, and technological advancement all hinge on a web of red tape that is leaving Americans poorer and less free.
Mark Zuckerberg Blames Biden for 'Government Pressure' To Censor Facebook
The Meta CEO says his platforms will not blindly obey the bureaucrats again.
U.S. Officials Tried To Block Baby Formula Imports—During a Shortage
One official was concerned that lifting tariffs would lead to "lots of questions from domestic dairy producers."
'Transparency' Mandate Would Burden Small Brewers and Distilleries
Government pre-approval for every label could crush craft breweries. And do you really want to force the Carthusian monks who make Green Chartreuse to reveal their ingredients?
Code Games
Plus: An appeals court sides with property owners seeking compensation for the CDC's eviction ban, a Michigan court backs the would-be builders of a "green cemetery," and Kamala Harris' spotty supply-side credentials.
