A new proposal from a center-left fiscal policy organization highlights a path to strengthen Social Security without imposing large tax increases on workers and small businesses. Rather than raising payroll taxes, the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB) has proposed slowing future benefit growth for the highest-income retirees while preserving full inflation protection for low- and middle-income seniors. If a center-left fiscal policy organization is proposing t

For the first time, half of the world's billionaire wealth was created by self-made entrepreneurs in competitive industries rather than inherited fortunes or politically connected businesses. That milestone, identified in a new Economist analysis of roughly 7,000 billionaires and highlighted by economist Edward Conard, undercuts one of the central arguments for imposing wealth taxes. The argument for taxing billionaire wealth often rests on the assumption that extreme wealth

Higher education has long been promoted as the surest path to economic opportunity. New voting data suggests that promise has fallen short for a growing segment of Americans, with political consequences that extend well beyond college campuses. Analysis from the Cooperative Election Study, highlighted by Nate Silver's Silver Bulletin, found that educational attainment has become one of the strongest predictors of presidential voting behavior. The most Democratic-leaning group

Tariffs were promoted as a way to rebuild American manufacturing, strengthen the economy, and create more factory jobs. More than a year after the largest tariff increases took effect, the results tell a different story. Americans continue to face higher prices, manufacturers are struggling to fill existing jobs, and the economic burden of higher import taxes has offset much of the tax relief Congress enacted through H.R. 1, the "Working Families Tax Cuts." Public opinion has

The Trump administration continues implementing the Medicaid provisions of H.R. 1, the "Working Families Tax Cuts," through a proposed rule that would place new limits on state directed payments (SDPs). The proposal addresses financing arrangements that have allowed some states to draw significantly more federal Medicaid funding through payment mechanisms rather than direct improvements in patient care. Public comments submitted by the Paragon Health Institute support the rul

The United States is often described as a nation where roughly two-thirds of households own their homes. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the national homeownership rate currently stands at 65.3%. New research from the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis shows that the 65.3% figure does not accurately represent the share of American adults who own homes. The Minneapolis Fed has introduced a new measurement called the Homeowners-to-Population Ratio (HPOP), which measures t

Many families assume older children have already missed their chance to benefit from Trump Accounts. That misconception stems largely from the federal government's $1,000 seed contribution, which is limited to children born during the program's eligibility window. The opportunity, however, extends well beyond the federal deposit. Private organizations, employers, and families are increasingly using Trump Accounts to help older children begin building long-term savings, even i

Patients should not have to guess what medical care will cost before receiving treatment. Yet many of the nation's largest tax exempt hospitals continue to resist a basic principle of a competitive marketplace: price transparency. That resistance is difficult to justify given the substantial public benefits these institutions receive. Tax exempt hospitals receive billions of dollars each year in federal, state, and local tax advantages in exchange for fulfilling charitable mi

Center for a Free Economy President Ryan Ellis has published a new op-ed in National Review Online examining how aggressive state escheatment laws are putting long-term investors at risk. In "The Backdoor Property Tax You've Never Heard Of," Ellis explains how some states have transformed unclaimed property laws from a consumer protection into a growing source of government revenue, creating incentives to seize and liquidate investment accounts that were never truly abandoned