The National Debt Is a National Security Issue
The growing debt will "slow economic growth, drive up interest payments," and "heighten the risk of a fiscal crisis," the CBO warns.
Government Spending
'Emergency' Spending Is Out of Control
Congress has authorized over $12 trillion in emergency spending over the past three decades.
'15 Days To Slow the Spread': On the Fourth Anniversary, a Reminder to Never Give Politicians That Power Again
In the name of safety, politicians did many things that diminished our lives—without making us safer.
The CCP Sucks. So Does Banning TikTok.
Plus: A listener asks about Republicans and Democrats monopolizing political power in the United States.
Milei Gave Himself a Huge Pay Raise, Then Took It Back
The president who vowed to cut government spending rescinds the 48 percent pay raise he gave himself.
California's High-Speed Rail Needs Another $100 Billion. That's a Great Reason Not To Build It.
The whole project was supposed to cost $33 billion when it was initially proposed.
Biden's Proposed Corporate Tax Hike Will Punish the Average American
The president wants to raise the rate from 21 percent to 28 percent, despite it being well-established that this is the most economically-destructive method to raise government funds.
New Inflation Numbers Keep Economic Concerns Front and Center
The eroding value of the dollar inflicts pain, and Americans resent politicians who cause it.
The White House Claims Borrowing $16 Trillion Over the Next Decade Is Fiscally Responsible
If you can't even get close to balancing the budget when unemployment is low, tax revenues are near record highs, and the economy is booming, when can you do it?
The State of the Union Is Shouty
Plus: A listener asks the editors a question about progressive taxation in the United States.
Biden Says He'll Make the Wealthy Pay More To Fix Social Security. Here's Why That Won't Work.
Raising the payroll tax cap could generate up to $1 trillion over 10 years, but Social Security faces a $2.8 trillion deficit.
A Bipartisan Tax Hike Won't Fix This Deficit
The government needs to cut back on spending—and on the promises to special interests that fuel the spending.
Republicans Use Fuzzy Math To Claim Large FBI, ATF Cuts in Budget Bill
The total appropriations package would cut $200 billion over 10 years, as the national debt expands by $20 trillion.
The Budget Deal Is Overflowing With $12 Billion of Earmarks
Why are federal taxpayers paying for upgrades at tiny rural airports, Thanksgiving Day parades, and enhancements for Alaskan king crabs?
3 Unsettled Questions Regarding the Constitutionality of Public Funding of Religious Schools
The charter school movement has seen many recent Supreme Court victories widening their scope to faith-based education, but some ambiguities remain.
Here's Why Government Should Stop Throwing Money at Green Energy
In California, which has a slew of renewable energy regulations, the cost of electricity increased three times faster than in the rest of the U.S.—and the state still doesn't even get reliable energy.
New Budget Deal Includes $12 Billion 'Cut' That Doesn't Actually Cut Anything
Anatomy of a budget gimmick.
Congress Wastes Billions With Bogus Emergency Declaration
And it isn't the first time.
'Super' Week
Plus: A partial budget deal, Super Tuesday, the State of the Union, Harris calls for a cease-fire, and more...
Thomas Massie Is Railing Against the 'Virtue Signal Vote'
"I have a history of being the only vote that was a 'no,'" the Kentucky Republican tells Reason.
Airdropping Aid to Gaza Is an Expensive Gimmick
The airlift avoids the real problems causing starvation.
The Economy Is Doing Way Better Than Many Believe
Despite the popular narrative, Millennials have dramatically more wealth than Gen Xers had at the same age, and incomes continue to grow with each new generation.
The Air Force's New Nuclear Missile System Will Now Cost $131.5 Billion
It's just one reason the program should likely be terminated altogether.
Doug Ducey on Budget Cuts, School Choice, and Arizona's Weird Politics
"Governors don't get to print money," the former Arizona governor tells Reason.
If Semiconductor Chip Demand Is High, Why Do We Need More Subsidies?
Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo says more chip subsidies are needed, even before the Biden administration has distributed $52 billion or measured how effective that spending was.
Looming Deadline
Plus: Nuclear reactors, space firsts, Fani Willis' love life, Trump sneakers, and more...
Is Another Government Shutdown Coming?
Next week, Congress will have to choose between a rushed omnibus bill or a long-term continuing resolution that comes with a possible 1 percent spending cut.
Expanding the Child Tax Credit Would Perpetuate Systemic Poverty
The policy is a true budget buster and is ineffective in the long term.
The Biden Administration Has Forgiven Another $1.2 Billion in Federal Student Loans
This new wave of forgiveness shows how Biden can keep canceling student loans, even after his defeat at the Supreme Court last year.
The Best of Reason: The Real Student Loan Crisis Isn't From Undergraduate Degrees
Misled by a bad law, graduate students are drowning in debt.
Biden Announces New Plan To Forgive Student Debt in Cases of Financial 'Hardship'
The plan is the Biden administration's latest effort to enact large-scale student loan forgiveness.
The U.S. Shouldn't Give Israel or Ukraine Any More Money
The Senate's $95 billion aid bill would only throw more good money after bad.
Shrinkflation Is Real—and It's Largely Biden's Fault
The president criticized companies for selling "smaller-than-usual products" whose "price stays the same." But it was his and his predecessor's spending policies that caused the underlying issue.
Trump Had a Point About NATO Free-Riding Off American Defense
It’s true that the U.S. pays too much of the continent’s defense bills even as it’s going broke.
The Best of Reason: The Bankruptcy of Bidenomics
Biden's economic policies gave us three years of excessive, wasteful, and poorly targeted federal spending.
Michigan Is Spending Millions Trying To Refurbish a Ski-Flying Hill. It's Not Working.
Copper Peak revitalization was pitched as an economic development project for the Upper Peninsula, which already has two working ski jumps.
Surging Immigration Will Reduce Deficits by $1 Trillion
New Congressional Budget Office data shows how higher-than-expected immigration is a win for the economy and the federal budget.
Federal Government Will Borrow Another $20 Trillion in the Next Decade
Three things to know about the new Congressional Budget Office report on the growing federal deficit.
Elizabeth Warren's 'Shrinkflation' Rant Is an Incredible Exercise in Blame-Shifting
The Massachusetts senator blames corporate greed for price increases that were caused by inflationary federal spending she supported.
The Real Student Loan Crisis Isn't From Undergraduate Degrees
Misled by a bad law, graduate students are drowning in debt.
The Bankruptcy of Bidenomics
Biden's economic policies gave us three years of excessive, wasteful, and poorly targeted federal spending.
University Budget Cuts Were Overdue
Several large public universities are getting multimillion dollar budget cuts.
How Increasing Immigration Can Reduce the Deficit
And why the Congressional Budget Office does a poor job of making those estimates.
Must Government Fund Science?
AEI's Tony Mills and British biochemist Terence Kealey debate whether science needs government funding.
Politicians Need To Stop Pretending the National Debt Is Sustainable
The reality raises questions about the kind of future we want to leave for the next generation.
David Stockman on Why Trump Can't Fix the Debt: 'This Guy Is Part of the Swamp'
Reagan's former budget director says pro-inflation policies destroyed prosperity—and that the only solution is a new, anti-statist political party.
Argentina, Once One of the Richest Countries, Is Now One of the Poorest. Javier Milei Could Help Fix That.
The new libertarian president believes in free markets and the rule of law. When people have those things, prosperity happens.
Should Government Fund Science? A Soho Forum Debate
AEI's Tony Mills and British biochemist Terence Kealey debate whether science needs government funding.