In this commentary for Marketplace, Len Burman argues that the government's faith in free-market solutions to public policy issues is contradicted by its position against private testing of cattle for Mad Cow disease.
Recent and proposed fiscal policies--the tax cuts, proposals to make them permanent, and the Medicare prescription drug bill--will hurt economic prospects for most of today's children and all future generations. The programs will leave economic growth largely unchanged, but will redistribute...
The saver's credit, enacted in 2001 as part of the Bush administration's tax cut legislation, provides a government matching contribution for voluntary individual contributions to 401(k) plans, individual retirement accounts (IRAs), and similar retirement savings arrangements. It is the first...
Tax cut advocates favor lower taxes and smaller government, but so far they've gotten lower taxes and bigger government. In this Marketplace commentary, Len Burman argues that the resulting deficits will translate into much higher taxes in the future, especially on those with high...
Management theory holds that the major goals for an organization need to be clearly specified and few in number. When workers are given multiple goals, it is often hard to distinguish among them. Failure to achieve primary goals also becomes easier when one has the excuse that he was working on...
Over a permanent horizon, the fiscal gap now exceeds 7 percent of GDP under the CBO baseline and 10 percent of GDP under an adjusted baseline, substantially higher than a year ago. Allocating the fiscal gap to different programs is not straightforward, though. Most government programs are...
Almost no one who has served at the Treasury can help but feel pride at the integrity, vitality, and importance of the institution. With a heritage going back to Alexander Hamilton, time after time it has had to grapple with the economic and financial problems facing the nation--and come up with...
In a satirical piece for Public Radio International's Marketplace, Len Burman announces his presidential candidacy built upon one issue: abolishing all taxes. The piece is a humorous attempt to highlight the problems raised by unrestrained deficit spending.
Before 1984, Social Security benefits were exempt from income tax. As part of the Greenspan Commission reforms intended to bolster Social Security's finances, up to 50 percent of Social Security benefits became subject to tax in that year, with proceeds from the income tax allocated to the...
Social Security was designed to redistribute income from those with higher lifetime earnings to those with lower lifetime earnings. The reason is obvious: the system was created to ensure an adequate retirement income for the elderly. Less obvious is how Social Security's many provisions...
USDA Not Allowing Free Markets to Decide about Mad Cow Disease Testing
In this commentary for Marketplace, Len Burman argues that the government's faith in free-market solutions to public policy issues is contradicted by its position against private testing of cattle for Mad Cow disease.
Effects of Recent Fiscal Policies on Today's Children and Future Generations
Recent and proposed fiscal policies--the tax cuts, proposals to make them permanent, and the Medicare prescription drug bill--will hurt economic prospects for most of today's children and all future generations. The programs will leave economic growth largely unchanged, but will redistribute...
Improving the Saver's Credit
The saver's credit, enacted in 2001 as part of the Bush administration's tax cut legislation, provides a government matching contribution for voluntary individual contributions to 401(k) plans, individual retirement accounts (IRAs), and similar retirement savings arrangements. It is the first...
Be Careful What You Wish For
Tax cut advocates favor lower taxes and smaller government, but so far they've gotten lower taxes and bigger government. In this Marketplace commentary, Len Burman argues that the resulting deficits will translate into much higher taxes in the future, especially on those with high...
Let It Snow: Opportunity Time For the Treasury Secretary
Management theory holds that the major goals for an organization need to be clearly specified and few in number. When workers are given multiple goals, it is often hard to distinguish among them. Failure to achieve primary goals also becomes easier when one has the excuse that he was working on...
Sources of the Long-Term Fiscal Gap
Over a permanent horizon, the fiscal gap now exceeds 7 percent of GDP under the CBO baseline and 10 percent of GDP under an adjusted baseline, substantially higher than a year ago. Allocating the fiscal gap to different programs is not straightforward, though. Most government programs are...
Let It Snow: Opportunity Time For the Treasury
Almost no one who has served at the Treasury can help but feel pride at the integrity, vitality, and importance of the institution. With a heritage going back to Alexander Hamilton, time after time it has had to grapple with the economic and financial problems facing the nation--and come up with...
Vote for Me!
In a satirical piece for Public Radio International's Marketplace, Len Burman announces his presidential candidacy built upon one issue: abolishing all taxes. The piece is a humorous attempt to highlight the problems raised by unrestrained deficit spending.
Taxable Social Security Benefits
Before 1984, Social Security benefits were exempt from income tax. As part of the Greenspan Commission reforms intended to bolster Social Security's finances, up to 50 percent of Social Security benefits became subject to tax in that year, with proceeds from the income tax allocated to the...
How Progressive Is Social Security and Why?
Social Security was designed to redistribute income from those with higher lifetime earnings to those with lower lifetime earnings. The reason is obvious: the system was created to ensure an adequate retirement income for the elderly. Less obvious is how Social Security's many provisions...