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Recent Research and Commentary

Durbin Swipe Fee Watch V: Gas Retailers

April 23, 2012, 12:20pm

Victor Nava, Anthony Randazzo

It is time for another edition of the Durbin Swipe Fee Watch. This time we look at a $1 billion subsidy for gas retailers that the Durbin Amendment has created. Consumers are still getting the shaft with this regulation.

Get the Government Out of Solar

March 29, 2012

Adam Peshek

Japan Reports Huge Current Account Deficit. Should the U.S. be Worried?

March 9, 2012, 3:46am

James Groth

Japan is in a precarious situation. We detailed all of these elements about Japan last January in a blogpost and warned that if sustained current account deficits were to persist in Japan, the United States could find itself in a precarious situation of its own.

Why is Europe So Delusional on Greece?

February 24, 2012, 2:32pm

Anthony Randazzo

This isn't really about the country. The Greeks are being held hostage by the banks and financial institutions on Wall Street, in London and Paris who want to make sure that money keeps on flowing from government bailout packages -- not to Greece, but into their coffers.

The Concise Case for a Consumption Tax

February 24, 2012, 10:43am

Anthony Randazzo

It's time to look for modes of taxation most stimulative to economic effort, but that don't stimulate government growth through heavy revenue collection. A consumption tax would remove the existing penalty on work, would encourage savings and investment, but at the same time would make taxation a voluntary event, thus limiting not just government revenues, but also the government's ability to deficit spend given the limits imposed.

The Coming Greek Default

February 22, 2012, 5:00pm

Anthony Randazzo

Over at Reason.com I have a new column on the Greek debt crisis. Last year we looked at the numbers on the blog and came to the conclusion that no matter what happens, Greece is going to default. With a new Greek bailout on the table, we update the numbers but come to the same conclusion.

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