C. Eugene Steuerle's Blog: The Government We Deserve, page 12

Nelson Mandela and the Formation of a Nation

A person like Nelson Mandela takes his country onto a higher plane. He serves as a beacon and inspiration for new generations. When the South African government falters, as it will over time, Mandela’s legend will continually call the people back to a time when hope for progress drove the nation. Continue reading →

What Should We Require From Large Businesses?

If we want successful companies to contribute to the economy fairly, what should we be asking them for? Continue reading →

2013 Update on Lifetime Social Security and Medicare Benefits and Taxes

Our updated numbers for lifetime Social Security and Medicare benefits and taxes are now available, based on the latest projections from the Social Security and CMS actuaries for the 2013 trustees’ reports for OASDI and Medicare. Continue reading →

Has Social Security Redistributed to Whites from People of Color?

In a new brief, my colleagues and I examine how many features of Social Security combine to redistribute money among racial and ethnic groups over long periods of time, combining together generations. We find that the program as a whole, and especially its retirement portion, has likely redistributed from blacks, Hispanics, and other racial minorities to whites. Continue reading →

Sixteen Days in January: A Story of the Next Shutdown

Dateline: January 2014. Federal government shuts down completely. Continue reading →

Is it Unfair to Exclude the Poor from Government Subsidies?

True, many incentives apply disproportionately and inappropriately to higher-income individuals. However, extending these incentives to those with lower incomes does not, by itself, create better policy or even increase fairness. Continue reading →

Civil Rights and Economic Mobility

What if the dominant liberal and conservative agendas over the past 50 years, at least when it came to social policy and taxes, never really had much to with mobility? What if the data compel us to adopt more dynamic, yet realistic, policies that put mobility and opportunity more at the forefront of policy in the 21st century? Continue reading →

How Much Should the Young Pay for Yesterday’s Underfunded Pension Plans?

While there’s often no easy or right answer for who should pay for these uncovered burdens, as a society we’ve pretty much decided that in this arena, as in so many others, the young should get the shaft. Continue reading →

You Can Limit Our Deductibles, but it Won’t Reduce Our Health Care Bills

When the Obama administration recently delayed its mandate on out-of-pocket health costs, experts and politicians started debating whether this delay affects our longer-term ability to implement Obamacare. I don’t think it does, but I also think we’re missing the bigger point. Once again, the United States is facing the total disconnect between our nation’s health care policies (whether Obamacare, Ryancare, or “your favored politician’s name here”-care) and the simple, unavoidable arithmetic...