Dan Mitchell
Washington, D.C.
I fight for more freedom and less government (sorry to be redundant).
Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Dan Mitchell
Statism in Five Images
Building on what I shared three months ago, let’s again mock statism. We’ll start with this conversation between a normal person and a leftist lady. Next we have a good depiction of how lobbying works. At least with Trump in office. Though it also applied when Biden was in the White House. Here’s another conversation with a leftist. In the interest of balance, it’s a man in this instance.
The United States vs. Europe, Part VI – Dan Mitchell
What’s the best public policy: A small-sized welfare state such as Singapore? A medium-sized welfare state such as the United States? A large-sized welfare state such as those in Europe? I prefer Option #1. Sadly, almost nobody in Washington is pushing for that choice. The debate in D.C. is about whether the U.S. should expand the burden of government (per-child handouts, Medicare-for-all, green new deal, etc) and become more like Europe (option #3).
The Most Depressing Chart about Germany
The Most Depressing Chart about Germany July 30, 2026 by Dan Mitchell I’ve used the “most depressing chart” approach when writing about the United States, about Europe, about Japan, and about the western world. Today, let’s focus on Germany. And I’ll start with a caveat. I wrote about Germany earlier this month and that column included several charts that might qualify. Especially the last visual which showed that government dependency can be more lucrative that private employment.
Part V: Will California Commit Economic Suicide? – Dan Mitchell
For the fifth column in this series (earlier editions available here, here, here, and here), let’s start with this video of Professor Joseph Rauh explaining why the proposed wealth tax in California is economic lunacy. This is a first-rate indictment of the proposed class-warfare initiative, and Rauh makes some excellent points. Here are five arguments that resonated with me. The levy would represent an additional layer of tax. Rich people are voting with their feet against the levy.
Choose a Goal: Reducing Inequality or Boosting Prosperity – Dan Mitchell
In both 2017 and 2024, I wrote columns documenting that partial economic liberalization in China led to two big results. Inequality rose. Poverty dropped. My message was very simple. It’s foolish to worry about inequality. The goal should be poverty reduction. As such, China deserves praise for its shift away from dogmatic socialism (though there is still a long way to go if it wants to become a rich nation). For today’s column, let’s look at the flip side of this issue.
Poland, Japan, and Iran: A Story of Convergence and Divergence – Dan Mitchell
I’ve written columns about Iran’s awful economic policy. I’ve written columns about Japanese economic challenges. And I’ve written columns about Poland’s recovery from communism. So let’s look at a chart comparing changes in per-capita GDP in all three nations over the past 30-plus years. What you’re seeing in a story of both convergence (Poland catching up to Japan) and divergence (Poland leaving Iran far behind). Convergence is normal. Poor countries should grow faster than rich countries.
Trump’s Most Impressive Accomplishment? – Dan Mitchell
Regular readers know I like some of Trump’s policies, such as regulation and tax reduction (unfortunately accompanied by goofy gimmicks). It’s also well known that I don’t like some of Trump’s other policies (protectionism and wasteful spending). Today’s column is going to highlight what may be his biggest positive accomplishment. But we are not going to look at a change in policy. Instead, we’re going to highlight a change in perspective.
Nine Tweets Ripping Mamdani’s Economically Illiterate Expansion of Rent Control – Dan Mitchell
I’ve written several columns (here, here, here, here, and here) detailing the folly of rent control. And now that New York City’s dilettante socialist mayor has proposed to expand rent control, I thought about doing the same thing. But I noticed so many clever comments on Twitter/X that I decided on a different approach. Here are nine tweets that expose the stupidity of rent control. 1.
The All-Time Leftist Hypocrisy Award? – Dan Mitchell
I’ve generally thought the world’s biggest hypocrites are the bureaucrats at the International Monetary Fund and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. They relentlessly push for higher taxes on everyone else while they get tax-free incomes. Though they do face competition. For instance, I’ve written about American politicians who fight school choice while sending their own kids to private schools.
Trump’s Energy Socialism, Part II – Dan Mitchell
Nearly 10 years ago, before he first got elected, I shared a cartoon that captured my concern about Trump being a big-government Republican. Sort of like Nixon. I was right to be concerned. Not only was he a big spender in his first term (increasing domestic spending faster than Obama!), but he conducted his version of industrial policy by giving handouts to the coal industry.
A State Suicide Pact, Part IV – Dan Mitchell
There have been dramatic changes in state tax policy over the past five years and they’ve mostly been positive. To be more specific, 23 states have cut their top income tax rates compared to five states that have moved in the other direction (documented in two maps at the end of this column). In a competitive environment (especially when it’s so easy for upper-income people to move), the states raising taxes are conducting a very strange experiment.
Absurdity Alert: Writing About Germany’s Economic Decline Without Mentioning Green Energy Policies – Dan Mitchell
I was astounded in 2020 when I read an article in the New York Times about the economic catastrophe in Venezuela and there was not a single mention of socialism. And I was even more astounded in 2024 when the NYT published another article about Venezuela’s economic misery and once again didn’t mention socialism. Today’s column will be about another amazing example of blindness in the same newspaper.
Don’t Exaggerate China’s Economy – Dan Mitchell
I’m a cheerleader for Chinese economic success. In part, that’s because I want all people to enjoy more prosperity. But it’s also because I believe China will be peaceful if it becomes more capitalist. I worry, however, whether China intends to engage in the additional reforms that are needed for it to become a rich nation. And here are two charts to illustrate why further reform is needed.
Economic Freedom, GDP, and Happiness – Dan Mitchell
When I write about GDP, it’s generally to highlight the relationship between economic liberty and national prosperity. If I’m feeling wonky, I sometimes write columns arguing that we should be more interested in gross domestic income rather than gross domestic product. Today, let’s look at GDP and happiness. Here’s a tweet showing that happiness and national income are correlated. So why is GDP correlated with happiness?
The High Cost of “Free” Health Care – Dan Mitchell
I unveiled my 13th Theorem of Government about 10 years ago to explain that the supposed popularity of government goodies is a mirage. Once people find out that they would have to surrender more of their income, they suddenly morph into libertarians. This is even true for leftists.
Should the United Nations Have Global Taxing Powers? – Dan Mitchell
When I write about bad tax policy from international bureaucracies, that usually means I’m complaining about the International Monetary Fund or the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. And for good reason. Those bureaucracies are infamous for their reflexive advocacy of higher fiscal burdens. By contrast, I generally ignore the United Nations. Yes, it’s wasteful. Yes, it pushes awful ideas. But it’s also spectacularly incompetent, so its ability to do damage is trivial.
The (Amusingly) Destructive Economics of Wealth Taxation – Dan Mitchell
I’ve shared several columns (here, here, here, here, and here) reviewing scholarly research on the harmful economic impact of wealth taxation. From now on, however, I think I’ll simply share this clever video from the folks at Reason. The video uses humor to make very important points about how a wealth tax would diminish incentives to save and invest. And it correctly explains that this would rebound negatively on workers because of the strong link between capital formation and wages.
The Rise and Fall (and Rise) of Sweden, Part IV – Dan Mitchell
I don’t often claim to be ahead of the curve, but I’m going to pat myself on the back in today’s column about Swedish economic policy. More than 16 years ago, I started writing about Sweden’s shift from statism to markets. More than 14 years ago, I praised Swedish policy makers for significantly reducing the burden of government spending. And I echoed that analysis in 2014.
Iceland’s Superb Private Retirement System – Dan Mitchell
Over the years, I’ve written about the successful private retirement systems in jurisdictions such as Australia, Chile, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Netherlands, the Faroe Islands, Denmark, Israel, and Sweden. Today’s column will add to the collection because we’re going to look at Iceland’s remarkable system of personal retirement accounts. We’ll start with two charts. Here’s a look at private retirement assets as a share of GDP. As you can see, OECD data shows Iceland leads the world.
What China and Brazil Teach Us About Inequality – Dan Mitchell
I have a four-part series (see here, here, here, and here) explaining why all good and decent people should focus on reducing poverty rather than fighting inequality. Those four columns are, for all intents and purposes, data-driven examples of why I unveiled my Eighth Theorem of Government back in 2020. Today, let’s review some more evidence supporting that Theorem. We’ll start with this chart that was shared by Prof. Branko Milanović.
The Need for Tax Reform and Reduction in Argentina – Dan Mitchell
Last year, as part of a series of short videos on what is needed to complete Argentina’s economic rejuvenation, I shared this video on the nation’s anti-growth tax system. Since the videos were kept deliberately short, I didn’t have an opportunity explain the political obstacles to better tax policy. So I want to expand on what I wrote nearly three months ago about remaining challenges in Argentina, motivated in part by the fact that I’m in Amsterdam to speak later today about the Milei Miracle.
OECD Urges Bigger Burden of Government in Romania – Dan Mitchell
Sixteen years ago, I wrote a celebratory column because Romanian lawmakers opted to keep their flat tax, notwithstanding pressure from international bureaucracies. Unfortunately, something bad has occurred since that time. Here’s a chart, based on the IMF’s database, showing what has happened to the the fiscal burden of government in Romania in recent years. As you can see, both taxes (red) and spending (green) are now consuming much larger shares of Romania’s economic output.
Malta: A Free-Market Success Story – Dan Mitchell
I’m in Malta for a bit of research before speeches in Amsterdam and Reykjavik as part of the Free Market Road Show. So today is a good opportunity for a column on Malta’s rather-successful economy (something I’ve done for other countries, such as Poland, Chile, Botswana, Singapore, and Estonia). Let’s start by looking at Malta’s score from the latest edition of Economic Freedom of the World. Malta is ranked #18, putting it easily in the top quartile.
Europe’s War on Wealth – Dan Mitchell
Given the relative economic weakness that plagues most European nations (documented here, here, here, here, and here), a top priority for policy makers should be to improve incentives for wealth creation. But that assumes politicians care about the prosperity of citizens. Based on a new report from the European Commission, the answer is no.
The Costly Impact of French Statism – Dan Mitchell
France is not a socialist country, at least based on the technical definition. Business largely are not owned and run by the government. Prices generally are determined by competition rather than by bureaucrats. And private investment mostly guides the economy rather than central planning. That being said, France suffers from an enormous fiscal burden. Indeed, it is one of the world’s most-unfree nations when looking at fiscal policy.
Shame on You, Good Riddance, or Please Come Back – Dan Mitchell
I applaud when people migrate to escape punitive taxes. I like when they move from high-tax states to low-tax states, and I like when they move from high-tax nations to low-tax nations. This tax competition is a necessary (though perhaps not sufficient) method of imposing discipline of spendthrift politicians. Hopefully it can protect us from “Goldfish Government.” For purposes to today’s column, let’s look at how our friends on the left react to tax-motivated migration.
A Key Difference Between Trump and Milei – Dan Mitchell
The presidents of the United States and Argentina are political allies, but that does not mean they share the same views on all issues. The biggest difference is probably that Javier Milei is an ardent supporter of free trade and Donald Trump is an irredeemable protectionist. But let’s not overlook their differences on fiscal policy. While they both favor lower taxes, there’s a big gap in their approaches to government spending. Javier Milei is very serious about shrinking the public sector.
Part III: Will California Commit Economic Suicide? – Dan Mitchell
Maybe this makes me a bad person, but I sometimes root for bad things to happen. In my defense, I don’t like bad things, but in some cases I think bad outcomes will generate powerful evidence against bad policies. And this can result in a net increase in economic liberty if it means fewer bad policies are imposed in the future. This is why, in the words of Dirty Harry, I sort of want California voters to approve a wealth tax this November.
Trade Deficit Illiteracy, Part III – Dan Mitchell
Looking at Part I and Part II, and considering the focus of today’s column, this series should actually be entitled “Trade Deficit Literacy.” That’s because the material I cite explains that a trade deficit is merely the flip side of an investment surplus. And it is good that the United States is a magnet for global capital.* In other words, we should not worry about a so-called trade deficit between nations any more than we should worry about trade balances between American states.
Part VI: Yes, Taxes Change Behavior – Dan Mitchell
I wrote last year to support “…the notion that taxes change behavior. I even have a five-part series (here, here, here, here, and here) emphasizing the point.” Simply stated, people respond to incentives. Economists often use supply and demand curves to explain how this works, but you can also rely on common sense. And that’s why today’s column will be part VI in our series about taxes and behavior. Our case study involves a proposed tax increase in New York City.
Blame Washington for the Great Depression, Part III – Dan Mitchell
To follow up on Part I and Part II in this series, let’s start with this Stossel video featuring Professor Don Boudreaux of George Mason University. The message is simple and accurate. Starting nearly 100 years ago, we got terrible statist policy from Herbert Hoover, followed by terrible statist policy from Franklin Roosevelt. No wonder the U.S. suffered the worst 11-year period in U.S. economic history.
State Tax Divergence – Dan Mitchell
Something remarkable has been happening with state tax policy. Red states have been slashing tax rates in recent years, making themselves more competitive. Blue states, meanwhile, did nothing, which you might call a sin of omission. But in the last year or two, they’ve decided to focus on class-warfare tax policy (something I’ve referred to as a “suicide pact”). For instance, compare this table, which shows top tax rates for 2026. Now compare that table to the one I prepared in 2018.
Republican Socialism – Dan Mitchell
As I wrote last month, the key defining definition of socialism is government ownership of the means of production. In other words, a country is socialist when government is the full or part owner of companies. This policy is a failure when implemented by out-of-the-closet socialists like Mayor Mamdani in New York City. But it’s also a failure when implemented by politicians like Donald Trump. Sadly, it seems like Trump is doubling down on socialist failure.
When Does Paternalism Become Totalitarianism? – Dan Mitchell
Part of being a libertarian is that you believe all people have a right to life, liberty, and property, and that you support their right to make their own choices – even choices you don’t like – so long as they are not violating the life, liberty and property of others. When discussing this “non-aggression principle,” an example I often use is drugs. I think it is foolish for people to spend their days smoking pot or snorting coke, but people should be free to take personal risks.
Eight Charts to Understand the Federal Budget Mess – Dan Mitchell
Fiscal policy is fairly straightforward if you’re a libertarian. In almost all cases, you want lower taxes and smaller government. It’s also simple if you’re a constitutionalist. You just look a Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution and anything not listed is impermissible. Fiscal policy is especially uncomplicated if you’re an anarcho-capitalist since your goal is getting rid of all government. But what if you’re a budget wonk who wants a nuts-and-bolts understanding of the federal blob?
Mandatory Economics Classes for College Kids? – Dan Mitchell
I’ve written a four-part series (here, here, here, and here) warning people not to trust economists, and I even wrote a semi-satirical column asking whether economists are “loathsome” people. Moreover, I wrote that taxpayers should not subsidize economists. Notwithstanding all those columns, I’m a huge fan of economics. People who study economics hopefully are well-positioned to understand incentives, trade-offs, opportunity costs, and other important concepts.
The Costly Impact of Perónism – Dan Mitchell
Today’s column is about Argentina, but it’s not going to be about Javier Milei or the libertarian changes (here, here, and here) he has made since becoming president in December 2023. Instead, we’re going to focus on how Argentina became an economic basket case in the seven-plus decades before Milei. We’ll start with a chart comparing per-capita GDP in Argentina and Spain. It’s in Spanish, but should be self-explanatory.
New Hampshire vs. Vermont – Dan Mitchell
I have multiple columns comparing Florida and New York, as well as a set of columns comparing Texas and California. Today, let’s do our first column comparing low-tax New Hampshire (no income tax and frequently is in first place in rankings of state economic liberty) and high-tax Vermont (8.75 percent top income tax rate). I decided to write on this topic after a reader sent me this report ranking state tax burdens.
Debunking Elizabeth Warren’s Corporate Tax Demagoguery – Dan Mitchell
People sometimes will get excited about big-picture tax fights – whether politicians should raise taxes, whether they should add a VAT, or whether they should scrap the IRS for a flat tax. On the other had, there are a handful of tax issues that induce drowsiness but are nonetheless very important for purposes of tax policy. Here are five of them. Depreciation vs. expensing for new business investment. International tax rules and the choice of worldwide taxation vs territorial taxation.
Red Tape and Unintended Consequences, Part II – Dan Mitchell
What’s the best way to explain the burden of red tape? I’ve periodically share aggregate cost estimates of regulation. And I sometimes highlight how red tapes causes sectoral damage. I even came up with a new word for describing red tape. For some columns, I share specific case studies. For what it’s worth, making a compelling argument presumably involves all these approaches. But there’s also a common theme. Compelling visuals matter.
Good Riddance, Viktor Orbán – Dan Mitchell
Last year, I wrote “good riddance” columns for Joe Biden and Justin Trudeau. Today, let’s bid a not-so-fond farewell to Viktor Orbán, the long-serving (2010-2026) but just-rejected Prime Minister of Hungary. My main gripe with Orbán is that he moved his country in the wrong direction. Economic Freedom declined during his time in office. Indeed, I wrote last year that Hungary had the lowest living standards among all members of the European Union.
Measuring the Impact of Milei-ism in Argentina – Dan Mitchell
I wrote yesterday about the Hayek Socialism Index, which showed Hong Kong getting the best score, followed by Liechtenstein and Monaco (with North Korea getting the worst score). Today, let’s focus specifically on Argentina since the Index gives us another opportunity to quantify the impact of what is being called “the Milei Miracle.” The authors have a special section that summarizes Argentina’s improvement. Most notably, Argentina has jumped from #83 to #62.
Measuring the Impact of Milei-ism in Argentina
I wrote yesterday about the Hayek Socialism Index, which showed Hong Kong getting the best score, followed by Liechtenstein and Monaco (with North Korea getting the worst score). Today, let’s focus specifically on Argentina since the Index gives us another opportunity to quantify the impact of what is being called “the Milei Miracle.” The authors have a special section that summarizes Argentina’s improvement. Most notably, Argentina has jumped from #83 to #62.
The Best and the Worst in the Hayek Socialism Index
When writing about which jurisdictions have the most economic freedom or best tax regimes, I’ve sometimes groused that it would be very interesting if small micro-states were included. Lo and behold, some group called Factum Research has produced the Hayek Socialism Index and answered my wishes. It turns out that Liechtenstein and Monaco are ranked second and third in the world for having the most economic liberty/least socialism. And Andorra (#6) and San Marino (#11) also get very good scores.
The Best and the Worst in the Hayek Socialism Index – Dan Mitchell
When writing about which jurisdictions have the most economic freedom or best tax regimes, I’ve sometimes groused that it would be very interesting if small micro-states were included. Lo and behold, some group called Factum Research has produced the Hayek Socialism Index and answered my wishes. It turns out that Liechtenstein and Monaco are ranked second and third in the world for having the most economic liberty/least socialism. And Andorra (#6) and San Marino (#11) also get very good scores.
Trump Delivering a Quality-of-Life Improvement – Dan Mitchell
It’s easy to identify President Trump’s worst issue. It’s trade, of course, where his protectionist views and policies are economically illiterate. It’s also easy to identify his best issue. Trump has been very good about lowering the burden of red tape in the United States. Today we’re going to look at an example of Trump’s deregulatory success. But it’s not going to be an example with big dollar savings for the economy. Instead, it belongs in better-quality-of-life category.
Trump Delivering a Quality-of-Life Improvement
Trump Delivering a Quality-of-Life Improvement April 9, 2026 by Dan Mitchell It’s easy to identify President Trump’s worst issue. It’s trade, of course, where his protectionist views and policies are economically illiterate. It’s also easy to identify his best issue. Trump has been very good about lowering the burden of red tape in the United States. Today we’re going to look at an example of Trump’s deregulatory success. But it’s not going to be an example with big dollar savings for the economy.
The Simple Explanation for How China Went from Starvation-Level Poverty to Middle-Income Status – Dan Mitchell
There’s some amateur foreign-policy analysis in this video clip, but notice what I say about trends in Chinese economic policy. Today’s column is going to show that China’s economic improvement – indeed, its entire post World War II history – has a very simple explanation. And it can be summed up in four sentences. China was miserably poor under Maoist communism. China partially liberalized its economy starting about 40 years ago. China then started growing rapidly after those pro-market reforms.
The Laffer Curve and Limits to Class Warfare Tax Policy, Part II – Dan Mitchell
In Part I of this series back in 2014, we looked at some academic research from Canada showing that the revenue-maximizing tax rate on the richest taxpayers was 27.5 percent. A key insight from that research is that high-income taxpayers have considerable control over the timing, level, and composition of their income (just like in the United States), which makes it relatively simple for them to protect their money when government gets too greedy.
The One-Year Anniversary of Protectionist Failure – Dan Mitchell
Trump’s best issue is regulation. His worst issue is trade. Sadly, we’re going to look the latter topic today’s column. It’s the one-year anniversary of his disastrous “Liberation Day” trade taxes, so let’s investigate what’s happened since that grim day. The Tax Foundation has a great summary. We’ll start with this chart, which shows the massive increase in trade taxes in early April. That’s the bad news.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Dan
Contact Dan, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack