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IF DONALD TRUMP has his way in November's presidential election, he'll coast to victory on the strength of the economy. The U.S. job market, President Trump tweeted in September, currently [...]

YOU DON'T HAVE to be an avid consumer of news about the federal government to know that Uncle Sam's annual budgeting process is a mess. The budget is rarely completed [...]

THE $1.9 TRILLION COVID-19 relief plan that President Joe Biden outlined in a televised speech before his inauguration includes a national vaccine investment; $1,400 checks for individuals; more aid to [...]

REGAL CINEMAS ANNOUNCED in early October that it will temporarily close all 536 of its U.S. locations as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to keep customers away. This move affects about [...]

THANKS TO THE overspending of Congress and successive presidential administrations, America's debt totals $22 trillion, and it is projected to grow faster and larger in the years to come. Legislators [...]

In a weird blast from the 1930s, the presidential campaign trail this year has become a hotbed of anti-free trade sentiment, with candidates on both sides of the aisle promising [...]

THE SINGLE LARGEST government program in the United States will soon have an annual budget of $1 trillion a year. Yet even that amount isn't sufficient to fulfill the promises [...]

THE UNITED STATES' corporate income tax needs a makeover. It's not just that Uncle Sam tries to take a piece of all corporate income, including money earned (and therefore taxed) [...]

WE ALL INTUITIVELY understand that if your friend loses his house in a hurricane, the right thing to do is to invite him to stay with you. But what if [...]

As JEB BUSH vies for the spotlight in a crowded presidential primary field, the former Florida governor is hoping his tax plan will help set him apart. Bush's proposal would [...]

For many libertarians, it's a recurring frustration: Why do candidates who seem attractive before the race begins suddenly sound so much squishier once they hit the campaign trail? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [...]

BARACK OBAMA says his 'unprecedented' economic stimulus package will not merely be 'a short-term program to boost employment.' No, it 'will invest in our most important priorities like energy and [...]

The article focuses on social security and Medicare of the U.S. It states that payment for both are done through taxes paid by meager salaries of young Americans, who would never be able to enjoy such benefits and so both should be ended. It mentions that they are killing safety net and so should be replaced by social welfare programs which cover all citizens and not just aged. It highlights that today's old generation is better off financially than previous generations.

The article presents a discussion on whether the federal government in the U.S. will be able to make a balanced budget without increasing taxes. Public spending for the fiscal year 2010 which ended on September 30, was 3.6 trillion dollars, 25% of gross domestic product (GDP). The budget deficit for the year was 1.5 trillion dollars as the tax revenue was only 2.1 trillion dollars and it resulted in a huge public debt, that is 63% of GDP.

The article reports that the U.S. government is trying to downplay the national debt crisis. The Congressional Budget Office's (CBO's) previous estimate of the federal government's 2013 deficit downward by 24 percent was revised by CBO in mid-May 2013. President Barack Obama declared that they don't have an immediate crisis in terms of debt.

The article presents the author's views on various loopholes in the way lawmakers frame the U.S. national budget. She states that while responding to voters' demands for budget cuts lawmakers resort to budget tricks that disguise the cost of government. Politicians keep spending items off the official budgets and federal employee retirement funds are among the largest off-budget accounts. The use of delayed payments and advance appropriations are common timing tricks used by them.

The article discusses lack of affordability for summer vacations due to large amount of government expenses. Topic include paying of taxes on gasoline accounting to almost 19 percent of the price of refilling tank, rising costs of air tickets which includes additional charges such as a passenger facility charge and federal excise tax; and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) making harder to adjust plans due to delays such as long security lines and air traffic control system.

The article offers information on the U.S. income tax whose tax code is a 76,000-page monstrosity and the current top marginal rate of 39.6 percent will hit all married filers with taxable income of 466,95550 dollar and higher. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the federal government collected 3,249 trillion dollar in taxes in 2015.

The article talks about the fast-food industry in USA and their display on nutrition and calories in fast-food joints like Taco Bell, Dairy Queen, and McDonald's as a result of 2011 Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rule. The article also talks about arguments against food-labeling regulations since recent food science suggests that all calories are not created equal and government policies have been ineffective mostly because they are designed to remedy a market failure.

The article presents the author's views on the U.S. government failure in handling health issues with reference to the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) mishandling of dangerous strains of anthrax and bird flu. He opines that persistent failure is created due to twin problems of poor incentives and limited knowledge. He comments that to promote safety and quality, occupational licensing is sold to the public as common-sense regulation.

The article focuses on the situation of labor market in the U.S. as of September 2014. It is noted that job searches for the first time is being done by some 1.2 million unemployed millennials with little or no job experience. It is mentioned that more abysmal prospects are being faced by teenagers with 21% unemployment rate for 16- to 19-year-olds.

The article reports that the fate of the U.S. Export-Import Bank (Ex-Im), an outfit that gives money to favored corporations and foreign governments, would be soon decided by the U.S. Congress. It provides information on the efforts of the politicians to abolish the bank, but the advocates of the bank argue that the bank helps the foreign customers of U.S. exporters and therefore boosts American companies.

The article offers information on the need of occupational licensing in the U.S. It mentions that unlicensed hairdresser, barbers, and hair braiders are penalized in Washington, Utah and District of Columbia. It states that veterinarians and bureaucrats in Arizona are fined 3,500 dollars for unlicensed occupation.

The article focuses on the economic condition of France. Across all available indexes of national economic freedom, France scores very poorly for a developed nation. The French government's response to anemic growth and higher unemployment has been to tack toward less economic freedom. France's tax haul stands at more than 45 percent of gross domestic product (GDP).

The author comments on the concept of guaranteed minimum income for American adults. It cites a nationwide referendum in 2014 that will be held in Switzerland to determine whether to grant a monthly income of 2,800 U.S. dollars for each Swiss adult in 2014. She explains that libertarians lose interest in the concept because of its cost to the government and its disincentive effect on people to work. She proposes that libertarians support more research on how the concept can benefit the poor.

The article focuses on the fiscal gap faced by the U.S. In 2012, former U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission chairman Chris Cox and Bill Archer, ex-chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee estimated that the country faced an 86.8 trillion dollar fiscal gap over the next 75 years. Economist Larry Kotlikoff estimates the current fiscal gap at 200 trillion dollars.

The article discusses the aspects of Social Security system in the U.S. It says that then President George W. Bush has promoted personal accounts in the system which aims to offer better return for younger workers by investing some of their Social Security taxes in the accounts. Social Security privatization advocate Peter Ferrara argues that the proposition has failed due to lack of knowledge of in-charged staff to personal accounts.

The article reports that the U.S. Senate Banking Committee voted to back Fred Hochberg's second term as president of the U.S. Export-Import Bank. The bank offers taxpayer-backed loans, loan guarantees, and insurance to foreign companies. According to the U.S. Census Bureau data, U.S. exports supported by the Ex-Im Bank represent less than 3 percent of total exports.

The author reflects on government spendings in the U.S. It states that public spendings determine the size of a government, not the amount paid in taxes. It mentions about the spending policies of administrators between 1945 and 2013, and reveals that spendings have increased with every new president.

The article offers information on the U.S. immigration reforms for low-skilled people. It states that according to the Census Bureau, in 2010 the average income for Mexican immigrants was significantly lower than for native born and other immigrants. It mentions that it is also believed that low-skilled immigration is that it reduces the wages of native-born high school dropouts.

The article discusses agriculture subsidies in the U.S. It mentions President Barack Obama's signing of a bill for averting the fiscal cliff in the country on January 2, 2013. It notes his extension of the 2008 farm bill by nine months and prevented the revival of a 1949 regulation which requires the federal government to purchase dairy products that effectively set a price of milk. It also points out insurance policies bought by farms for protection from possible losses.

The article discusses the issue on increased marginal tax rates on rich people as part of a deal to avert the fiscal problem in the U.S. The Congress is banking on the notion that tax increases will deliver much-needed revenue for the government without unduly damaging the economy. University of South Wales economist Michael Keane and Princeton University economist Richard Rogerson mentions the importance of investments in education, occupational choice, and business creation and development.

The author discusses the importance for states and local communities to reassert their responsibilities for most of their preparedness efforts in the U.S. She outlines how several local public officials tend to depend on bailouts from the federal government for the costs of their repair and recovery particularly when affected with natural disasters. However, the author contends the implications of the issue since it will sacrifice the bills for regular and predicable expenditures.

In this article the author reflects upon the importance of implementing sequestration in public finance in the U.S. to manage its rising public debt. The author stresses on the need for the federal government to introduce spending cuts and comments upon the lack of support from the Democratic and the Republican parties towards sequestration.

In this article the author reflects upon challenges that will be faced by the U.S. government in taking measures to reduce its federal defense budget. She states that the Department of Defense (DoD) being the biggest employer in the U.S., will make it hard for the government to reduce its military spending and mentions about the high salaries that are given to federal employees. She also comments upon the wrong military spending policies of the Congress.

The article focuses on the practice of cronyism in the U.S. It notes that cronyism is the practice by public officers wherein the provide preferential treatment to specific companies or industries in exchange of votes or election funds. It mentions that the preferred firms get financial rewards, lessen risk exposure, and gain an advantage against their competitors who do not receive similar government help.

The article reports that another budget battle on U.S. national debt is on cards as it is set to cross the legal limit of 16.4 trillion dollars by January 2013. Though both sides of the aisle hope to avoid a repeat of the showdown that rocked the Congress in the summer of 2011, it seems that no party is serious to cut spending. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has pleaded that members of the Congress should avoid another debate about offsetting the inevitable hike with cuts in spending.

The article focuses on keeping student loan interest rates low in the U.S. It states that by keeping interest rates low, the government is contributing to increase in tuition fees. It mentions that one should not forget that today's students will be earning well in the future and so repaying loans should not be a problem. It highlights that there are many ways through which students can repay loans like working through college and that one should understand costs and risks before taking them.

The article reports that nuclear plants are too expensive to build and will never justify their operating costs, according to a study. It criticizes U.S. President Barack Obama's nuclear power policy, which supports nuclear energy despite the public opinion being opposed to it since the 1979's Three Mile Island accident in Pennsylvania and the recent Fukushima disaster in Japan.

The article discusses the role of small businesses in job creation in the U.S. A report by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) in 2005 showed that small businesses created more than 100 percent of new jobs. However, a 2010 National Bureau of Economic Research paper by University of Maryland economist John Haltiwanger and researchers at the U.S. Census Bureau found there was no link between net job growth rates and the size of a business.

The article offers information on the progressive nature of the U.S. tax system. It states that the U.S. tax system is more progressive than those of most industrialized democracies. It mentions that the U.S. federal government relies much more heavily on the income tax, rather than the regressive consumption taxes such as the value-added tax (VAT), retail sales taxes and gasoline and tobacco taxes.

In this article the author discusses on the struggle of women for the achievement of their rights. She states that women fought for the right to own property, vote, and control their own bodies and how state treated them differently from men. She also informs about the impact of incarceration on women and lower marginal income tax rates for women.

The article reports on the unprecedented growth of the military industry and spending in the U.S. in recent years. The military baseline budget has grown by about 50 percent during the last decade, even excluding war costs. The Congressional Budget Office projected in August 2011 that discretionary national defense spending excluding the wars, would cost 5.3 trillion dollars between 2013 and 2021.

The article discusses reducing income gap in the U.S. post the financial crisis of 2009. According to data, the wealthiest 1% took a huge hit after the financial crisis, decreasing their share of Adjusted Gross Income to 17% in 2009. Economist Steven Kaplan of the University of Chicago explains that in 2009, the rich had a smaller share of income than they did during former U.S. President Bill Clinton's second term, which is cited as a period of significantly higher income equality.

The article reports that the U.S. Congress failed to pass the budget in 2011. The budget process is designed with a bias toward higher spending. About a dozen different committees in each body of the Congress have the power to propose mandatory spending programs. While lawmakers may want to control spending, they are unwilling to cut the spending they care about.

The article reports that the ratings agency Standard & Poor Corp. has reduced the U.S. long-term debt rating from AAA to AA+. It states about the debt problem in U.S. which results from the spending on Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid and this increases the debt-to-GDP ratio in the coming years. It informs that progresses should be needed for meeting the upcoming deficit-reduction to reduce the debt-to-GDP ratio.

The article discusses Amazon.com Inc.'s expected deal regarding no sales tax collection during the next four and a half years in exchange for 5,000 jobs and a 300 million dollars investment with Texas. It is stated that Amazon's "Affiliates" program, which pays a commission to websites that link to Amazon in the state was closed by California recently. It is mentioned that the fact that the Internet is not really a tax-free zone and is ignored by the no-taxes side.

The article focuses on the political aspects of the difference between federal spendings of the red and blue states in the U.S. It states that red states are for limited government and blue states are for heavy spending. It tells that red states, on average, are lower-income states. It further tells that due to the progressive federal income tax, states with higher incomes pay vastly higher federal taxes.

The article reports on U.S. prisons with specific reference to high incarceration rate in the country. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, there were 1,524,513 prisoners in state and federal prisons in 2009. According to a 2010 report from the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR), U.S. incarceration rates between 1880 and 1970 ranged from about 100 to 200 prisoners per 100,000 people.