McCain-style campaign finance regulation is the new campaign reality. But what exactly will this ... more McCain-style campaign finance regulation is the new campaign reality. But what exactly will this reformist utopia look like? Assessing the "reformed" campaign of the future against the stated desires and expectations of the principal campaign finance regulators and their media supporters, this paper predicts the most important changes in political campaigning, changes that will be experienced for the first time during the 2003-04 electoral cycle. Those changes include the following: The ban on soft money fundraising by the national parties will make our elections significantly less competitive.The federal soft money ban will reduce voter turnout by approximately 2 percentAs a result of the soft money ban, both the parties and their candidates will lose influence over their own campaigns.The prescribed channeling of third-party advertising through political action committees (PACs), paid for only in hard money donations, will increase the number of PACs and the proliferatio...
The regulation and history of home schooling............................. 4 The growth of home sc... more The regulation and history of home schooling............................. 4 The growth of home schooling......................................... 6 How do home schooled children perform academically?...................... 11
In total, a review of the facts about the prevalence of obesity, the risks associated with obesit... more In total, a review of the facts about the prevalence of obesity, the risks associated with obesity, and the efficacy of commonly proposed policy interventions suggests a very different truth about obesity. While there still may be too many expanded Canadian waist lines, the number appears to have stabilized and may even be turning a corner. Further, health concerns associated with obesity may impact fewer of those with excess weight than is sometimes suggested by advocates of government intervention. Finally, commonly proposed government interventions would not be likely to change behaviours in ways that systematically lead to a lower prevalence of obesity. fraserinstitute.org / 1 5. This can also be stated as plus or minus 0.4 percent 19 times out of 20.
The movement to implement a “fat tax” can be traced all the way back to a 1994 New York Times Op-... more The movement to implement a “fat tax” can be traced all the way back to a 1994 New York Times Op-Ed by Yale University’s Kelly Brownell. Professor Brownell has continued his advocacy for such taxes, both alone and along with now-former New York City health commissioner Thomas Frieden. Other activists, such as Center for Science in the Public Interest’s (CSPI) Michael Jacobson, have over time joined their crusade. These advocates and other sin tax proponents have urged Congress to fund government health care services with a fat tax, an effort which proved unsuccessful. However, states and cities in search of new sources of revenue, and eager to be seen as “doing something” to oppose obesity, have now stepped into the fray. Twenty state and local legislatures are reportedly pursuing taxes on soft drinks.
Flat tax versus single-rate tax / 8 Outline of the study / 8 1 Average taxes, marginal taxes and ... more Flat tax versus single-rate tax / 8 Outline of the study / 8 1 Average taxes, marginal taxes and progressivity / 10 Marginal and average taxes / 10 Progressivity / 12 Conclusion / 14 2 Hall-Rabushka flat-tax reform / 15 Differentiating the flat tax from the single-rate tax / 15 Conclusion / 17
American representative government suffers from the handicap of a largely uncompetitive political... more American representative government suffers from the handicap of a largely uncompetitive political system. American politics has fewer and fewer competitive elections. In arguing that political competition matters a great deal, this paper traces the increasing trend toward uncompetitiveness and details the role and nature of incumbency advantage in fostering an uncompetitive political system. Current redistricting practices and campaign finance regulations, in tandem with publicly financed careerism, have significantly negative consequences for the health of the political system. This study analyzes several of the major instruments of campaign finance regulation, such as contribution limits, public financing, and the ban on soft money, in terms of their relationship to political competition. Simply put, campaign finance regulation and public financing have not improved political competition. In the past, campaign finance restrictions and taxpayer-subsidized elections have generated u...
tatorship to democracy? This paper contends that the White House will be gravely disappointed wit... more tatorship to democracy? This paper contends that the White House will be gravely disappointed with the result of its effort to establish a stable liberal democracy in Iraq, or any other nation home to a large population of Muslims or Arabs, at least in the short to medium term. Why are Islamic (and especially Arab) countries’ democratic prospects so poor? After all, in most Muslim countries a high level of popular support exists for the concept of democracy. In practice, popular support for democracy is a necessary, but is not a sufficient, condition for democratic institutions to emerge. Other factors are necessary. Hypothetical support for representative government, absent tangible support for liberal political norms and values and without the foundation of a pluralistic civil society, provides neither sufficient stimulus nor staying power for democracy to take root. That reality was borne out over the past generation in numerous countries where authoritarian regimes were displace...
Nota del Editor: A continuacion presentamos 2 articulos que abordan el tema de una posible democr... more Nota del Editor: A continuacion presentamos 2 articulos que abordan el tema de una posible democracia en Irak despues de anos de tiran ia y que finaliz o con una guerra que destrono al regimen totalitario. El primer art iculo fue escrito por Patrick Basham, Academico Titular del Centro para el Gobierno Representativo del Cato Institute y publicado en www.elcato.org. Traducido por Juan Carlos Hidalgo. El segundo articulo fue escrito por D.W. MacKenzie, estudiante de post-grado en economia en la Universidad George Mason. Originalmente publicado en el sitio web del Mises Institute www.mises.org. Traducido por Nicolas Lopez. Reproducido con autorizacion.
The past generation of welfare statism saw the unduly protective Nanny State bleed into every asp... more The past generation of welfare statism saw the unduly protective Nanny State bleed into every aspect of our daily lives by reducing self-reliance and handing responsibility over to external bodies. The case for state interventions to change the health environment and individual behavior, is, an unassailable one.
The North American discussion of the flat tax could be characterized as "nice theory, but not pra... more The North American discussion of the flat tax could be characterized as "nice theory, but not practical. " Some doubters think a flat tax would not work if it were implemented. Others think that ideological objections are too formidable or that beneficiaries of current tax preferences are too powerful to overcome, meaning a flat tax will never get enacted. In truth, the flat tax is anything but a policy experiment. There are now more than 20 jurisdictions using the flat tax and this number is expected to continue growing. Most of the flat-tax nations are transition economies in Eastern and Central Europe but there are a handful of wealthy economies that use this simple and fair tax system. In other words, the flat tax is a proven instrument of sound fiscal policy. The international evidence, combined with traditional research on tax policy, shows clearly that Canada would benefit greatly from adopting the flat tax. The modern flat tax has a record of accomplishment that is six decades long. The Southeast Asian territory of Hong Kong built itself into an economic giant upon the fiscal anchor of the flat tax, a system that has been so successful that it survived the jurisdiction's transition from a British colony to a special administrative region of China (Littlewood, 2007). It is almost a half-century since the island of Guernsey, a British territory located in the English Channel off the 4FlatTaxCh4pre-release.indd 103
there exists the real possibility of change in the partisan control of either or both houses of C... more there exists the real possibility of change in the partisan control of either or both houses of Congress, which makes each potentially competitive race important to national policy and politics. This situation lends itself to looking at the election as a series of horse races and the overall outcome as the Triple Crown of politics. As a result, respective partisan fortunes are expected to dominate political discussion during the next 60 days. This is unfortunate. Our analysis offers a different perspective. Although the horse race aspect of this year’s electoral contest is interesting, the preoccupation with partisan details obscures broader, more important aspects of the national policy mood and the health of our political system. In this study, we examine the attitude of Americans toward big government, the declining competitiveness of our elections, and some mistaken conventional wisdom about American democracy. Contrary to conventional wisdom, across America there exists a measu...
McCain-style campaign finance regulation is the new campaign reality. But what exactly will this ... more McCain-style campaign finance regulation is the new campaign reality. But what exactly will this reformist utopia look like? Assessing the "reformed" campaign of the future against the stated desires and expectations of the principal campaign finance regulators and their media supporters, this paper predicts the most important changes in political campaigning, changes that will be experienced for the first time during the 2003-04 electoral cycle. Those changes include the following: The ban on soft money fundraising by the national parties will make our elections significantly less competitive.The federal soft money ban will reduce voter turnout by approximately 2 percentAs a result of the soft money ban, both the parties and their candidates will lose influence over their own campaigns.The prescribed channeling of third-party advertising through political action committees (PACs), paid for only in hard money donations, will increase the number of PACs and the proliferatio...
The regulation and history of home schooling............................. 4 The growth of home sc... more The regulation and history of home schooling............................. 4 The growth of home schooling......................................... 6 How do home schooled children perform academically?...................... 11
In total, a review of the facts about the prevalence of obesity, the risks associated with obesit... more In total, a review of the facts about the prevalence of obesity, the risks associated with obesity, and the efficacy of commonly proposed policy interventions suggests a very different truth about obesity. While there still may be too many expanded Canadian waist lines, the number appears to have stabilized and may even be turning a corner. Further, health concerns associated with obesity may impact fewer of those with excess weight than is sometimes suggested by advocates of government intervention. Finally, commonly proposed government interventions would not be likely to change behaviours in ways that systematically lead to a lower prevalence of obesity. fraserinstitute.org / 1 5. This can also be stated as plus or minus 0.4 percent 19 times out of 20.
The movement to implement a “fat tax” can be traced all the way back to a 1994 New York Times Op-... more The movement to implement a “fat tax” can be traced all the way back to a 1994 New York Times Op-Ed by Yale University’s Kelly Brownell. Professor Brownell has continued his advocacy for such taxes, both alone and along with now-former New York City health commissioner Thomas Frieden. Other activists, such as Center for Science in the Public Interest’s (CSPI) Michael Jacobson, have over time joined their crusade. These advocates and other sin tax proponents have urged Congress to fund government health care services with a fat tax, an effort which proved unsuccessful. However, states and cities in search of new sources of revenue, and eager to be seen as “doing something” to oppose obesity, have now stepped into the fray. Twenty state and local legislatures are reportedly pursuing taxes on soft drinks.
Flat tax versus single-rate tax / 8 Outline of the study / 8 1 Average taxes, marginal taxes and ... more Flat tax versus single-rate tax / 8 Outline of the study / 8 1 Average taxes, marginal taxes and progressivity / 10 Marginal and average taxes / 10 Progressivity / 12 Conclusion / 14 2 Hall-Rabushka flat-tax reform / 15 Differentiating the flat tax from the single-rate tax / 15 Conclusion / 17
American representative government suffers from the handicap of a largely uncompetitive political... more American representative government suffers from the handicap of a largely uncompetitive political system. American politics has fewer and fewer competitive elections. In arguing that political competition matters a great deal, this paper traces the increasing trend toward uncompetitiveness and details the role and nature of incumbency advantage in fostering an uncompetitive political system. Current redistricting practices and campaign finance regulations, in tandem with publicly financed careerism, have significantly negative consequences for the health of the political system. This study analyzes several of the major instruments of campaign finance regulation, such as contribution limits, public financing, and the ban on soft money, in terms of their relationship to political competition. Simply put, campaign finance regulation and public financing have not improved political competition. In the past, campaign finance restrictions and taxpayer-subsidized elections have generated u...
tatorship to democracy? This paper contends that the White House will be gravely disappointed wit... more tatorship to democracy? This paper contends that the White House will be gravely disappointed with the result of its effort to establish a stable liberal democracy in Iraq, or any other nation home to a large population of Muslims or Arabs, at least in the short to medium term. Why are Islamic (and especially Arab) countries’ democratic prospects so poor? After all, in most Muslim countries a high level of popular support exists for the concept of democracy. In practice, popular support for democracy is a necessary, but is not a sufficient, condition for democratic institutions to emerge. Other factors are necessary. Hypothetical support for representative government, absent tangible support for liberal political norms and values and without the foundation of a pluralistic civil society, provides neither sufficient stimulus nor staying power for democracy to take root. That reality was borne out over the past generation in numerous countries where authoritarian regimes were displace...
Nota del Editor: A continuacion presentamos 2 articulos que abordan el tema de una posible democr... more Nota del Editor: A continuacion presentamos 2 articulos que abordan el tema de una posible democracia en Irak despues de anos de tiran ia y que finaliz o con una guerra que destrono al regimen totalitario. El primer art iculo fue escrito por Patrick Basham, Academico Titular del Centro para el Gobierno Representativo del Cato Institute y publicado en www.elcato.org. Traducido por Juan Carlos Hidalgo. El segundo articulo fue escrito por D.W. MacKenzie, estudiante de post-grado en economia en la Universidad George Mason. Originalmente publicado en el sitio web del Mises Institute www.mises.org. Traducido por Nicolas Lopez. Reproducido con autorizacion.
The past generation of welfare statism saw the unduly protective Nanny State bleed into every asp... more The past generation of welfare statism saw the unduly protective Nanny State bleed into every aspect of our daily lives by reducing self-reliance and handing responsibility over to external bodies. The case for state interventions to change the health environment and individual behavior, is, an unassailable one.
The North American discussion of the flat tax could be characterized as "nice theory, but not pra... more The North American discussion of the flat tax could be characterized as "nice theory, but not practical. " Some doubters think a flat tax would not work if it were implemented. Others think that ideological objections are too formidable or that beneficiaries of current tax preferences are too powerful to overcome, meaning a flat tax will never get enacted. In truth, the flat tax is anything but a policy experiment. There are now more than 20 jurisdictions using the flat tax and this number is expected to continue growing. Most of the flat-tax nations are transition economies in Eastern and Central Europe but there are a handful of wealthy economies that use this simple and fair tax system. In other words, the flat tax is a proven instrument of sound fiscal policy. The international evidence, combined with traditional research on tax policy, shows clearly that Canada would benefit greatly from adopting the flat tax. The modern flat tax has a record of accomplishment that is six decades long. The Southeast Asian territory of Hong Kong built itself into an economic giant upon the fiscal anchor of the flat tax, a system that has been so successful that it survived the jurisdiction's transition from a British colony to a special administrative region of China (Littlewood, 2007). It is almost a half-century since the island of Guernsey, a British territory located in the English Channel off the 4FlatTaxCh4pre-release.indd 103
there exists the real possibility of change in the partisan control of either or both houses of C... more there exists the real possibility of change in the partisan control of either or both houses of Congress, which makes each potentially competitive race important to national policy and politics. This situation lends itself to looking at the election as a series of horse races and the overall outcome as the Triple Crown of politics. As a result, respective partisan fortunes are expected to dominate political discussion during the next 60 days. This is unfortunate. Our analysis offers a different perspective. Although the horse race aspect of this year’s electoral contest is interesting, the preoccupation with partisan details obscures broader, more important aspects of the national policy mood and the health of our political system. In this study, we examine the attitude of Americans toward big government, the declining competitiveness of our elections, and some mistaken conventional wisdom about American democracy. Contrary to conventional wisdom, across America there exists a measu...
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