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e21 Debate Primer: What Should We Really Be Asking Candidates?
In preparation for the first in a series of Presidential and Vice Presidential debates beginning on October 3, e21 contributors and staff offer the following potential debate questions to both...
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ObamaCare's Heavy Toll on Middle Class Americans
President Obama likes to say his campaign is about building up the middle class, but his signature initiative in office — ObamaCare — will pile thousands of dollars in new taxes and higher health costs...
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The Real Stakes in the Medicare Debate
As a public trustee for Medicare I am often asked how the program’s future may be affected by the current political debate. In my opinion, the most salient Medicare policy choice before us has been...
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Medicare Reform After the Election
In the “fiscal cliff” talks, Republicans are demanding serious entitlement reforms in exchange for an agreement to raise revenues. But in the aftermath of the November election, what kinds of reforms...
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Transformation in Progressives’ Outlook May Reduce Long-Run Costs of...
Policymakers should use the “fiscal cliff” and discussions over deficit reduction to fundamentally rethink the nature of U.S. entitlements. Current programs offer unsustainable benefit schedules not...
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Fiscal Cliff Deal Moves Nation Closer to Bankruptcy
The nation’s political establishment has ridiculed the fiscal cliff deal for its failure to make the tough decisions. But what tough decisions are possible when one party to a negotiation doesn’t think...
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The Next Four Years of Fiscal Conservatism: What Must Be Done to Sustain the...
Yesterday the nation paused to celebrate the second inauguration of President Obama and to listen to his second-term plans as laid out in his inaugural address. At the same time, we at e21 believe this...
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Ten Things the Latest CBO Report Tells Us about Federal Finances
Earlier this week the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released its updated outlook for the federal budget. Here are ten lessons it teaches us about the troubled state of federal finances.Federal debt...
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The Incredible Lowering of the Medicare Drug Benefit Baseline
This week, President Obama took credit for the slowdown in health care cost inflation, proclaiming in his State of the Union address that “[a]lready, the Affordable Care Act is helping to slow the...
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Expanding Medicaid: The Conflicting Incentives Facing States
Recent decisions by individual states concerning the Affordable Care Act (ACA)’s now-optional Medicaid expansion have been much in the news of late. Today the Mercatus Center is publishing my...
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How Would Immigration Reform Affect Social Security Finances?
Comprehensive immigration reform legislation has moved through the Senate committee process and is about to be considered on the Senate floor. The legislation has potentially significant effects on how...
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A Guide to the 2013 Social Security Trustees Report
[This is the first of two articles summarizing the findings of the 2013 Social Security and Medicare trustees’ reports. See part 2 here.]The Social Security and Medicare trustees released our annual...
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A Guide to the 2013 Medicare Trustees Report
[This is the second of two articles summarizing the findings of the 2013 Social Security and Medicare trustees’ reports. See part 1 here.]As one of the programs’ two public trustees it has become my...
View ArticleOn Labor Day 2013, Welfare Pays More Than Minimum-Wage Work In 35 States
Since 2009, the Fair Labor Standards Act has dictated that the federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour. Some people think that’s too low; others think it’s too high. But it turns out that, in 35 states,...
View ArticleBuilding A Better Medicare Program: Lessons from the Private Sector
For years, it has been conventional wisdom in health-policy circles that government-run, Fee-for-Service Medicare is more efficient than private insurance. It is said that Medicare, America's...
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When It Pays Not to Work
Despite a decline in the jobless rate to 7.3 percent in August from 7.4 percent in July, the labor force data released Friday were disturbing. The reduction in the unemployment rate was caused by a...
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Get Obamacare, While Supplies Last
With deadline near for buying new policies, little is being said about doctor shortage.On Oct. 1, the uninsured can start signing up for coverage under ObamaCare. But should every policy be sold with...
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Republicans and the Budget: Where to Bargain, where to Resist
Last month, President Obama released his $3.77 trillion budget for fiscal year 2014. Not surprisingly, it doesn’t do nearly enough to put the United States on a sound economic footing, particularly...
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More Good News as the Medicare Drug Benefit Approaches Ten Years
As the political back and forth over Obamacare intensified this summer, it largely went overlooked that the Medicare prescription drug benefit continues to outperform expectations. In July, the...
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How to Grow the Economy and Cut Spending
The good news: America’s deficit is declining, according to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office. The bad news: after reaching 2% of GDP in 2015, deficits will start to rise, eventually...
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