One of the most contentious but also consequential debates in economic policy is on whether or not to raise, maintain, or lower the minimum wage, and by how much. There are a great many arguments that circulate about the minimum wage and its effects on the economy, but few that are backed by meaningful data … Continue reading American Economy, Meet Minimum Wage
When I last wrote about Medicare For All, I had some critical things to say about its feasibility and affordability. I wrote that in order to finance the system the government would need to greatly raise taxes on middle income, such as through regressive payroll taxes. Here I will demonstrate what I consider to be … Continue reading The Least Unforgiving M4A Fiscal Scenario
It was predicted early in the year that COVID-19 could kill as many as 2.2 million Americans. A variety of other models showed between 1 and 2 million fatalities, and they received frontpage news coverage for days and weeks. But 9 months into this pandemic, we haven't witnessed it. Is the answer to this question, … Continue reading How 2 Million American Lives Were Saved
In early January 2003, a interesting bill was referred to the House Ways and Means Committee: H.R.269 Simplified USA Tax Act of 2003. This bill, sponsored by then-Representative of Pennsylvania Phil English, would, among other things, replace the federal income, estate, and gift taxes with a "progressive consumption tax." In the other words, a tax … Continue reading Discussing the Progressive Consumption Tax
