David Hebert
Tariffs are Pushing Our Neighbors – and Prosperity – Away
Imagine that a longtime friend complains that you’ve repeatedly tracked mud into his house and threatens to trash your house in return. You endeavor to wipe your feet, perhaps even […]
DOGE Can Cut Spending, But Real Reform Must Curb Government’s Scope
Examples of government waste are a dime a dozen these days. From the debacles over the $640 toilet seats in the Pentagon and the Air Force’s $1,300 coffee mugs and […]
Understanding Trade Balances and What to Do About Them
Part 1: What is a Trade Balance? The balance of trade, often described under the heading of a “trade deficit” or a “trade surplus,” is the difference between the dollar […]
An External Revenue Service?
President-elect Donald Trump has floated the idea of creating an External Revenue Service, which he claims will be used to “collect our Tariffs, Duties, and all Revenue that come from […]
Why the US Grows While the EU Slows: Adam Smith’s Recipe
What explains the curious lack of economic progress in the EU over the past 16 years? In 2008, the economies of the European Union and the United States were roughly […]
Why Are There No Trillion-Dollar Companies in Europe?
Europe is a wonderfully diverse continent, with 44 countries, each with its own rich (and long) history and unique constellation of policies. Despite this, though, there are no trillion-dollar companies […]
Resource Allocation: Why You Can’t ‘Just Ignore the Economists’
“Rather than paying with money, those in search of scarce goods people will pay with their time and effort.” ~David Hebert
Minimum Wages Wreak Labor Havoc
“They arrogantly believe that this time will be different; that their version of a minimum wage will work where every other has failed. Unfortunately, this is what every previous lawmaker believed, too.” ~David Hebert
Want to Pay More Tax? You Can
“Congress has also budgeted for $1.7 trillion of deficit spending for the current fiscal year; over 26,000 times as much money as has been donated to the Gifts to Reduce the Public Debt account over the past 29 years combined.” ~David Hebert
Trump, Tariffs, and Income Taxes
“Perhaps Trump’s goal is simply to eliminate the federal income tax. If so, then he should advocate for doing that and only that. Eliminating the income tax would, in fact, make Americans richer in after-tax dollars.” ~David Hebert
