Welfare
The Minnesota Fraud Scandal Is Just the Tip of the Iceberg
Medicaid fraud has been endemic at the state and federal levels for decades. Focusing on a single official or state misses a deeper lesson.
Minnesota Daycare Fraud, Mamdani's Takeover, and the X-Men Movies
Robby Soave and Christian Britschgi discuss Nick Shirley's viral video about Minnesota day care fraud, then dig deeper into how Tim Walz has little respect for American taxpayers.
Why America's Inequality Story Doesn't Add Up
Taxes, benefits, and household data make America look more unequal than it is.
The Minnesota Welfare Fraud Story Is Really About a Broken Medicaid Bureaucracy
Federal Medicaid policy creates little incentive for states to stop potential fraudsters. Fixing that should be the priority, not demonizing Somali immigrants.
Can J.D. Vance Stop a MAGA Civil War?
Plus: Debating marijuana at Turning Point USA, Massie and Khanna threaten Bondi with contempt over Epstein files, and Minnesota’s welfare fraud case.
Tim Walz Called Out After Rampant Welfare Fraud
Robby Soave and Christian Britschgi bring you the debut episode of Freed Up—technically not the first they’ve recorded, just the first our editors would let us publish.
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.
Keep the Federal Government Closed
Americans need to go cold turkey from Uncle Sugar.
Will a Mamdani Victory Push the Democrats Further Left?
Plus: Virginia and New Jersey governor’s races, a court ruling extending SNAP funding during the shutdown, and Trump’s tariff fight reaches the Supreme Court
About 1 in 5 Kids Are at Risk of Losing SNAP. Centralized Control Keeps Failing Low-Income Families.
The best way to ensure healthy outcomes and protect children from the partisan crossfire of D.C. politicking is to break the federal grip on nutrition programs.
3 Reasons Why Zohran Mamdani's City-Run Grocery Stores Will Fail
Zohran Mamdani’s plan to open government-run grocery stores would waste taxpayer money solving a problem NYC doesn’t have.
Reason Versus National Review: Is Mass Immigration Good for America?
Katherine Mangu-Ward and Alex Nowrasteh squared off against Rich Lowry and Steven Camarota to debate immigration.
Before Trump Had Elon Musk, Nixon Had Howard Phillips
Nixon's director of the Office of Economic Opportunity set out to shrink government, mostly failed, and was gone in less than a year. Sound familiar?
25 Percent of Working Age Brits Are Out of Work. Why Is the U.K. Government Paying Millions To Stay Home?
Britain’s invisible people are caught in a welfare trap.
Why I Distrust Social Trust Rationales for Immigration Restrictions
Evidence indicates immigration doesn't actually undermine social trust, and that reductions in social trust aren't necessarily bad, anyway.
The Tax Bill Rewards States for Higher Rates of Food Stamp Fraud
Telling states to pay for a share of the food stamp program makes a lot of sense and would likely reduce fraud.
Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill' Would Boost Subsidies for Rich Farmers
Subsidies inherently skew the market, and farm subsidies are no different.
"David Boaz on Immigration" - My Contribution to the Liberty Fund Symposium on "The Legacy of David Boaz"
My contribution considers his views on immigration and its role as a vital front in the broader struggle for liberty.
Farmers Need Free Markets, Not Tariffs and Welfare
The more important the product—and food certainly ranks high on any list—the better it is to allow markets to work.
The Government's Wars on Poverty and Drugs Had Good Intentions—but Bad Results
"All these government programs that regulate and control, they institutionalize mediocrity at best," argues Yaron Brook, head of the Ayn Rand Institute.
Immigrants Are a Boon to the U.S. Economy
Studies have continuously shown that migrants create more jobs than they destroy.
This Holiday Season, Remember That Charity Is More Effective Than Government
Charities can focus resources on those who genuinely need a hand while saying no to those who just need "a kick in the butt."
Social Security Approaches Its Day of Reckoning
Americans should plan for their futures rather than relying on a nonexistent Social Security “trust fund.”
Americans Grow Increasingly Dependent on Government Payments
Many citizens of the land of the free are hooked on government checks.
My New Dispatch Article on Updating Libertarianism
Libertarian ideology remains generally sound. But I argue it could use a few updates.
My New Schweizer Monat Article on "Open Borders" Immigration
A Swiss publication invited me to write this article making the case for open borders.
Idaho Child Care Program Faces $16 Million Deficit as Bureaucrats Overextend Benefits
As conservatives push for cuts, lasting reform will require closing accountability gaps and restructuring entitlements.
What Milton Friedman Got Wrong About Immigration and the Welfare State
He was wrong to think "You cannot simultaneously have a welfare state and free immigration."
Bad News for Universal Basic Income
Researchers found that giving people $1,000 every month for three years resulted in decreased productivity and earnings, and more leisure time.
'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.
Social Security and Medicare Are Going Insolvent. Neither Biden nor Trump Has a Plan for It.
Social Security is expected to hit insolvency in 2035, while the portion of Medicare that pays for hospital visits and other medical care will be insolvent by 2036.
This Tax Week, Remember That the Federal Income Tax Is Relatively New
There are many pervasive myths about the U.S. tax code. Here are a few.
Supreme Court Unpersuaded
Plus: Vanderbilt activists' 911 call, Kevorkianniversary, MAID problems, and more...
Biden's Antitrust Case Against Apple Is Truly Stupid
Plus: A listener asks about the absurdity of Social Security entitlements.
A GOP Plan To Raise the Retirement Age Reveals How Unserious Washington Is About Social Security
An obvious, tepid reform was greeted with shrill partisan screeching.
Expanding the Child Tax Credit Would Perpetuate Systemic Poverty
The policy is a true budget buster and is ineffective in the long term.
Immigration Could Reduce the Deficit by at Least $1 Trillion Over the Next Ten Years
But the Congressional Budget Office projection assumes we will not cut immigration levels, as is likely to happen if Trump returns to power.
Don't Shun Controversial Ideas and People. Debate Them.
They should be heard, not shouted down.
20 Percent of Welfare Spending Goes to the Households Taxed To Fund It
It's not robbing Peter to pay Paul. It's more like robbing Peter to pay Peter.
Welfare Is Great—for the Welfare Bureaucrats
The clients get a confusing maze and a lot of incentives to stay on welfare.
3 Economic Myths That Need To Die
As we step into 2024, it's crucial to adopt a more informed perspective on these dubious claims.
Here's Why Charity Is Better at Solving Problems Than Government
Big government has been ruinous for millions of people. Charities aren't perfect, but they are much more efficient and effective.
Yes, Heavy Regulation Hurts the Economy. Just Look at France.
We're often told European countries are better off thanks to big-government policies. So why is the U.S. beating France in many important ways?
