AEI.Org: Scholar: Lawrence B. Lindsey

Unfortunately, Failure Is an Option

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Option B defines a problem as being too serious to ignore and thereby requiring resources, yet commits fewer resources than would guarantee success.

America's Lesson for the NHS

Sun, 23 Aug 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Both America and Britain are going to have to change the way they provide health care--but through evolution, not sudden or drastic reform.

Moving toward a Unified Credit for Low-Income Workers

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 00:00:00 +0100

The maze of tax credits that are typically available to low-income individuals under the tax code needs simplifying.

A Good Thing Obama Could Do

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 00:00:00 +0100

The Pickens Plan to convert the nation's truck fleet to natural gas contains a clear justification for government involvement--standard setting that the private market cannot do by itself.

Geithner Lays an Egg

Mon, 23 Feb 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Lack of a plan is only one of the problems with President Obama's economic strategy.

How About a Payroll Tax Stimulus?

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 00:00:00 +0100

For a similar amount of money to the $800 stimulus package billion being discussed, we could give every worker $1,500.

Not All Stimuli Are Created Equal

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 00:00:00 +0100

The best stimulus plan is a cut in the payroll tax.

Building a Better Bailout

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Business ethics can help get the economy back on track.

Delegating to the Center

Sun, 30 Nov 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Barack Obama faces the most difficult job transition anyone will ever face: moving from campaigning to governing as president of the United States.

Leaders without Followers

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

The government-bailout plan will receive little support until the public finds the benefits in it for them.

The Conservative Case for Unlimited Deposit Insurance

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

The FDIC provides a function that conservatives should embrace.

High Anxiety

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Are we headed for a depression?

Why We're Floundering

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Last Thursday night Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson and Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke announced that a consensus had emerged that drastic action was needed to save our financial system--what happened?

America's Economy Will Recover Faster Than Britain

Sun, 21 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +0100

If we are headed for a depression, it will not be like the memories or pictures from history books we have of the 1930s.

Loosen Deposit Insurance Rules to Prevent a Bank Run

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Accounting standards need to be rethought.

The Public, the Press, and Palin

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +0100

The poll numbers show a modestly positive initial response to Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin.

It Isn't a Zero-Sum Game

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0100

A Newsweek business roundtable looks at the two faces of globalization and whether the United States can stay ahead.

Hank Paulson's Fannie Gamble

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0100

The world would dump the currency of any other country that announced an open-ended bank bailout.

The Fannie and Freddie Follies

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +0100

The government's backing of Freddie Macand Fannie Maeputs them in a box.

Obama Turns FDR Upside Down

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0100

As president, Senator Barack Obama would make Social Security a welfare program.

It's Only Going to Get Worse

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Everything you always wanted to know about the housing crash, but were afraid to ask.

What to Expect When You're Expecting

Mon, 19 May 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Both John McCain and Barack Obama need to lay the groundwork for governing during their campaigns.

The KISS Rule for Markets

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 01:00:00 +0100

Financial regulators need to remember KISS--Keep It Simple, Stupid--in order to resolve the current financial crisis.

Hillary's Last Hope

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 01:00:00 +0100

The contest for the Democratic presidential nomination is a game of numbers that will rely on the results of Florida and Michigan's primaries, if they decide to count the votes.

Card Check Caveat

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Hillary Clinton may have lost a few votes in Nevada because of union intimidation, but the Clintons should keep in mind that workers have a lot more to lose from a bill she is supporting.

The State of the Stimulus Debate

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 00:00:00 +0100

We need an economic stimulus focused on the long run, not Keynesian short-term political spending.

What We Want in a President

Wed, 02 Jan 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Presidential candidates' character traits are more important than the issue papers or debate sound bites that get so much attention in the primaries.

What We Want in a President

Wed, 02 Jan 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Presidential candidates' character traits are more important than the issue papers or debate sound bites that get so much attention in the primaries.

Mortgage Madness

Fri, 03 Aug 2007 00:00:00 +0100

SenatorSchumer wants to loose the trial lawyers and the regulators on the mortgage market. That's the surest way to turn our housing weakness to bust.

Fear and Greed

Sun, 01 Apr 2007 01:00:00 +0100

Abrogating Workers’ Rights

Fri, 02 Feb 2007 00:00:00 +0100

The shortcomings of the Employee Free Choice Act; is Congress eliminating workers' right to vote?

Compromised

Mon, 20 Nov 2006 00:00:00 +0100

Tax policies punishing entrepreneurship may be dangerous.

A Program That Works

Mon, 06 Nov 2006 00:00:00 +0100

There are three parts to solving our immigration problems: security, economic participation, and civic integration.

Every Reason to Be Proud

Fri, 13 Oct 2006 00:00:00 +0100

It has been five years since the first of the Bush tax cuts, so it is a natural time to look back and evaluate their economic and budgetary effectiveness.

Can Immigration Reform Work?

Mon, 22 May 2006 00:00:00 +0100

If Washington fails to provide a comprehensive system that actually engenders respect for the rules, the rule of law will be damaged to such an extent that it may not recover.

Yuan Compromise?

Thu, 06 Apr 2006 00:00:00 +0100

By resisting revaluation, Mr. Hu is making China poorer in order to maintain the principle of communist control of the economy and so understands that leaders often must act on principle.

Not for Sale to Foreigners

Fri, 10 Mar 2006 00:00:00 +0100

How does the rest of the world view the dissolution of the Dubai Ports deal?

Milton and Rose Friedman--Liberty's Couple

Mon, 19 Dec 2005 00:00:00 +0100

In 1980, the ideas the Friedmans advocated were considered radical. Today they are in the mainstream of the conservative agenda and many on the left have taken ownership of them.

Confronting China's Bureaucracy on Its Own Terms

Fri, 12 Aug 2005 00:00:00 +0100

The Chinese government's recent decision to change its currency regime left markets and government officials scratching their heads.

Assuring U.S. Competitiveness

Fri, 03 Jun 2005 00:00:00 +0100

One vital position waiting to be filled is assistant attorney general for antitrust--a position exceedingly important for the economic competitiveness of a variety of American industries.

Private Pensions Need Fixing Too

Tue, 12 Apr 2005 00:00:00 +0100

The Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation offers at least as great a short-term challenge as Social Security. Both are in urgent need of fixing. Delay only makes matters worse.

Saving Private Accounts

Mon, 28 Mar 2005 00:00:00 +0100

Given the critical importance of saving to our nation's economic future, it is important to make the most of theopportunity to promote national saving offered by Social Security reform.

Life after Greenspan

Mon, 06 Dec 2004 00:00:00 +0100

Whoever is chosen to succeed Alan Greenspan will inherit an independent Federal Reserve thanks to Greenspan's navigation of turbulent economic waters over the last two decades.

An Acid Test of Monti's Motives

Wed, 22 Sep 2004 00:00:00 +0100

Antitrust policy is one area in which European motives are becoming increasingly hard to defend, even for committed Atlanticists.

Simplify, Simplify, Simplify

Thu, 16 Sep 2004 00:00:00 +0100

President George W. Bush's bold convention promise to propose fundamental tax reform in his second term creates a real opportunity to modernize a tax code that is a half-century old.

Bush the Better Economic Steward

Thu, 19 Aug 2004 00:00:00 +0100

This year's economy and the strong 1996 economy that President Bill Clinton ran on in seeking a second term show remarkable similarities.

Bubble Act Redux

Mon, 21 Jun 2004 00:00:00 +0100

The Financial Accounting Standards Board is about to change the way employee stock options are treated for accounting purposes.

Losing on a Sure Thing

Fri, 14 May 2004 00:00:00 +0100

We need more experience and real data on loan performance before any expansion of the direct lending system is even considered.

Kerry Is Not Bush--and It Shows

Wed, 18 Feb 2004 00:00:00 +0100

The positioning challenge for the Kerry campaign is not horizontal--moving left, right or centre. It is vertical. Its current policy positions lack depth.

How to Sink the Tech Comeback

Mon, 09 Feb 2004 00:00:00 +0100

It is ironic that, after all the high-technology equity market has been through, one of the greater threats to its overall valuation is not technological or even competitive, it is public policy.

The Value of Loyalty

Wed, 14 Jan 2004 00:00:00 +0100

Former treasury secretary Paul O'Neill's bitterness isunderstandable, but his reported views regarding the conduct of economic policy do not comport with the public record.

Let's See Your Tax Plan, Mr. Gore

Thu, 31 Aug 2000 00:00:00 +0100

AlGore has said that he wants to make sure that only the "right people" get a tax cut.

Would Al Gore's Social Security Reform Be Good for Taxpayers?

Mon, 28 Aug 2000 00:00:00 +0100

The root of good government is stewardship: the wise and prudent handling of the money entrusted to the state by the people who earned it in order to finance necessary public projects.

Clinton's Last Stand Puts Fed under Pressure

Sun, 27 Aug 2000 00:00:00 +0100

Bill Clinton may be a lame duck, but he is a lame duck in search of a legacy.

Gore's Risky Social Security Scheme

Thu, 13 Jul 2000 00:00:00 +0100

Al Gore's plan would do nothing to help save or strengthen the Social Security system.

Even Prosperity Requires a Little Prudence

Tue, 11 Jul 2000 00:00:00 +0100

America must undertake sensible reforms to increase the likelihood that its next twenty years will be as prosperous as the last twenty.

Higher Rates Are Needed to Cool America's Boom

Sun, 29 Aug 1999 00:00:00 +0100

The markets believe that last week's rise in interest rates will probably be the last this year but three pieces of evidence suggest otherwise.

Japan

Mon, 23 Aug 1999 00:00:00 +0100

The recent boomin the Japanese stock market has set off much speculation about an imminent Japanese economic recovery and much interest among U.S. investors.

Reappoint Greenspan Now

Wed, 07 Jul 1999 00:00:00 +0100

The duration of the current economic expansionand the prospect thatAlan Greenspanmight depart from the Fedare creating uncertainty about the future course of monetary policy.

Clinton's Cynical War on Banking Reform

Tue, 11 May 1999 00:00:00 +0100

Regulators should insist that CRA-type payments made by bank management go for services rendered and are not de facto political contributions or extortion payments.

Arranged Marriage

Mon, 08 Mar 1999 00:00:00 +0100

After the briefest of honeymoons, the euro soon began sinking against the U.S. dollar in world currency markets.

Time to Cut Taxes

Wed, 09 Dec 1998 00:00:00 +0100

A simple look at the budget math shows that taxes are taking an unprecedented share of income growth.

Clinton's Japan Policy

Thu, 09 Jul 1998 00:00:00 +0100

It's a sad comment on Bill Clinton administration policy toward Asia that everyone interprets its intervention to prop up the yen as appeasing adversaries and bribing allies.

Clinton to Japan

Wed, 06 May 1998 00:00:00 +0100

The Clinton administration's lectures on how the Japanese should behave in their fiscal affairs contrasts with the same administration's rhetoric and behavior in its own fiscal conduct.

This Banking Deregulation Plan Is Dangerous

Thu, 05 Mar 1998 00:00:00 +0100

That's Gratitude for You

Mon, 08 Sep 1997 00:00:00 +0100

Only one type of tax produced more than the expected amount of revenue this year, and that is the personal income tax.

Unwilling to Inherit the Wind

Mon, 09 Jun 1997 00:00:00 +0100

What a President Should Know . . . but Most Learn Too Late

Thu, 03 Jan 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Lindsey and Sumerlin offer a series of memos to get the next president up to speed before Inauguration Day.

Economic Puppetmasters

Fri, 01 Jan 1999 00:00:00 +0100

An insider’s perspective on the bureaucratic structure of governmental institutions that shape economic policy, and the incentives and limitations of the individuals who head them.

The Growth Experiment

Mon, 01 Jan 1990 00:00:00 +0100

This book analyzes the effect of the Reagan tax cuts on tax revenues, the budget deficit, inflation, and the economy.

How to Simplify the Code for Low-Income Taxpayers

Tue, 12 May 2009 09:00:00 +0100

The 2009 State of the Union: Change and Continuity

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 14:00:00 +0100

The 2007 State of the Union

Tue, 23 Jan 2007 09:30:00 +0100

Economy Watch

Thu, 13 Oct 2005 08:30:00 +0100

A Briefing on the Economic State of the Union

Wed, 02 Feb 2005 10:00:00 +0100

The Future of American Taxation

Tue, 10 Dec 2002 09:45:00 +0100

The Tax Policy Outlook

Mon, 15 Apr 2002 08:45:00 +0100

How Would President Bush's Tax Plan Affect the Economy?

Mon, 05 Mar 2001 10:00:00 +0100

Japan Policy Challenges for the New Administration

Fri, 01 Dec 2000 09:00:00 +0100

A Briefing on the State of the Union

Thu, 27 Jan 2000 08:30:00 +0100

Tax Policies of the Presidential Candidates

Fri, 21 Jan 2000 09:15:00 +0100

Fixing the Mortgage Market

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 00:00:00 +0100

The collapse of the home mortgage market and its effect on real estate values and the overall economy is one of the most important problems facing the United States.

U.S.-Japan Relations in the Next Administration

Fri, 01 Dec 2000 00:00:00 +0100

Whatarethe challenges to be faced by the next administration in U.S.-Japan relations?

Federal Tax Policy in the New Millennium

Wed, 20 Jan 1999 00:00:00 +0100

Statement Before the Budget Committee, by Lawrence B. Lindsey on January 20, 1999.

Congress and the International Monetary Fund

Tue, 21 Apr 1998 00:00:00 +0100

The appropriate role of Congress in affecting the policies of the International Monetary Fund.

The Asian Crisis and the IMF

Fri, 30 Jan 1998 00:00:00 +0100

The sooner we make clear that we are not interested in bailing out crony capitalists and the banks which lend to them, the less likely it is that we will ever face an economic crisis like the present one again.

Moving Towards a Unified Credit for Low Income Workers

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Replacing all of the seven different tax credits allowed under the current tax code with a simple policy holds significant promise.

Obama Turns FDR Upside Down

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Senator Obama's plans for Social Security could turn the program froma contributory pension scheme into just another welfare program.

It's Only Going to Get Worse

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0100

With the housing market slump far from over, a dose of modesty would aid policymakers in this situation.

Milton and Rose Friedman

Thu, 22 Dec 2005 00:00:00 +0100

Todaythe revolutionary public policy ideas of Milton and Rose Friedman in 1980are in the mainstream of the conservative agenda, and many on the Left have taken ownership of them.

Public Policy Bears on the Markets

Fri, 21 Apr 2000 00:00:00 +0100

The influence of economic policy on stock prices is evident in both the recent correction in the high technology sector and the broader bull market that started in the early 1980s.

The McCain Tax Plan

Thu, 10 Feb 2000 00:00:00 +0100

Three AEI economists debate the merits of Senator JohnMcCain's (Ariz.)tax reform proposals.

The Seventeen-Year Boom

Thu, 27 Jan 2000 00:00:00 +0100

The seventeen-year boom was triggered by a series of policy decisions that let markets do their work of tying risk to reward throughout the economy.

Alan Greenspan

Tue, 14 Sep 1999 00:00:00 +0100

The Federal Reserve Board and its chairman are being criticized for wanting to rein in the current economic expansion--when the Fed’s implicit forecast for the U.S. economy is rosy.

What to Do with $1 Trillion More in Taxes

Wed, 04 Aug 1999 00:00:00 +0100

The real surplus, which excludes receipts for the Social Security and Medicare trust funds, should be returned to the taxpayers.

Clinton’s Cynical War on Banking Reform

Sat, 01 May 1999 00:00:00 +0100

The White House is using the community-development industry as a pawn in a power struggle with the Federal Reserve.

The Best Insurance against Global Recession

Wed, 09 Dec 1998 00:00:00 +0100

With the U.S. economy slowing at a time when its continued strength is critical for avoiding a world recession, the most appropriate stimuluswould be a 10 percent cut in income taxes.

Control Freaks

Mon, 09 Nov 1998 00:00:00 +0100

To avoid a global depression, the first priority should be to keep the U.S. economy growing—which means keeping it out of the hands of politicians.

Global Risk

Mon, 28 Sep 1998 00:00:00 +0100

Avoiding a global depression and restoring faith in free markets will require U.S. leadership, which is nowhere in evidence at the moment.

The Benefits of Bankruptcy

Mon, 12 Jan 1998 00:00:00 +0100

The best approach to the Asian financial crisis is to let failed enterprises confront bankruptcy and get a fresh start with new owners and managers.

Will We Ever Get Tax Reform?

Thu, 01 Jan 1998 00:00:00 +0100

Depending on the will of the voters, a broad based flat rate income tax with a rate in the low 20s, and a generous exemption amount, may well be on the table after the next Presidential election.

Fiscal Policy Discovers Irrational Exuberance

Mon, 14 Jul 1997 00:00:00 +0100

Surge in federal tax revenues that made the balanced budget agreement possible was generated primarily by the high-flying stock market and an increase in very high incomes.

What America Can Teach the World--and Itself

Fri, 11 Apr 1997 00:00:00 +0100

The American example should be instructive to other nations but should also inspire Americans to undertake the largely unfinished work of opening the public sector to market forces.