PolicyBytes

President Obama's Trans Pacific Partnership agreement and Trade Promotion Authority legislation are in trouble, but it's less because of the merits of TPP and TPA and more because he can't be trusted to live by his promises.

History has seen a long list of political demagogues who talk about the evils of capitalism and helping the poor while living in the lap of luxury—and picking taxpayers’ pockets to stuff their own.

Some big-spending Republicans want to break the agreed-to spending limits and their campaign promises to be fiscally prudent by increasing government spending. If they do, voters could boot them out of office, just like they did in 2006.

The U.S. Export-Import Bank is one of the best examples of cronyism: we fund other countries to buy our products. Well, that's similar to what we do with the farm bill and the food stamp program.

In Washington, nothing fails like success and nothing succeeds like failure. Just look at how some elected officials defend the worst health care law and criticize the best. 

President Obama's proposal to make community college tuition free (i.e., taxpayer funded) could have a huge, negative financial impact on four-year colleges and universities.

The US has the fourth highest estate tax in the world, and Obama would like to expand it. You might try to avoid it by retiring in another country, or by backing a presidential who will eliminate—this time for good.

If we are going to reform the Social Security disability insurance program, let's be bold and privatize it.

President Obama is actively trying to get college students hooked on thousands of dollars in taxpayer-funded loans, only to forgive much of that debt later. That's how you create government dependency, not fiscally responsible citizens.

As President Obama trolls for ever more spending, it is more important than ever for Republicans to keep the sequester spending caps if they want to control government spending.