The one number we can be sure of for the Cassidy-Graham Healthcare Plan is 141. Its length is 141 pages. With no “score” from the Congressional Budget Office, lawmakers have no shared esti…
Debating Kenya’s Plastic Bag Ban
To hear a single-use plastic bag regulation debate, you could go to Kenya or NYC while Rwandans might be discussing their plastic bag black market.…
Worrying About the Treasury’s “X” Date
Concerned about the “X” date, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has written a letter to House Speaker Ryan about the debt ceiling.…
How an Economic Statistic Created a Crime
When Greek deficit totals were revised by the head of their statistical office, the Greek government said a crime had been committed.…
Why the Philadelphia Soda Tax is Fizzling
Like all sin taxes, the Philadelphia sugary drinks tax has had an unpredictable impact on revenue and the alternatives that people select.…
How Marijuana Taxes Affect Our Behavior
The state of Washington created new marijuana tax incentives when it switched how it taxed pot growers, processors and retailers.…
Connecting Medicaid Expansion to the Divorce Rate
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) Medicaid expansion and subsequent Supreme Court decision had a surprising impact the divorce rate.…
How the Post Office Makes No Cents
Thinking of postal service finances, you might picture Meyer Chuck, Alaska’s 25 residents receiving a weekly mail delivery.…
The Surprising Consequences of Taxing Bagels and Windows
By changing our homes and our cream cheese purchases, taxes on bagels and windows can have unintended consequences when they distort our behavior.…
How Japan’s Shrinking Population Creates Growing Problems
The fiscal challenges that Japan’s shrinking population has created come from a shrinking birth rate and an aging population.…