social welfare

The rapidly declining New Zealand economy is pushing more people onto welfare.

I catch up with Miklós Szánthó at CPAC in Washington. He is the chairman of CPAC Hungary and The Center for Fundamental Rights.

The market of now is no ordinary market—it is driven by government demand and fuelled by government’s superior ability to borrow.

In failing to decisively attack Aboriginal dependency on the welfare state, the “No” campaign is missing an the “Yes” campaign

Corporate taxation has always been a vexing concern for both businesses and governments.

The US$12 billion listing of state-owned Japan Post Holdings overnight makes it the largest IPO in the world this year.

Global growth no longer keeps the pace of just a decade ago. Researcher Joergen Oerstroem Moeller points to behaviors that contribute to reduced consumption: Life expectancy has risen, but ages for collecting pensions have remained steady at around age 60, thus stretching out the retirement stage of life. Fearing poverty, combined with increased uncertainty over government regulations and social welfare programs, consumers save more. Governments and corporations have taken on more debt; consumers recognize that tax bills and higher prices are inevitable. Economic recession combined with environmental awareness discourage materialism. The behaviors are contributing to a trend of reduced growth. “Efforts from policymakers to reverse that trend will only further unbalance national economies and aggravate deficits and future burdens,” Moeller warns. He urges governments and individuals to respond with policies adjusting to lower growth and emphasizing qualitative growth including education, health, and activities that promote well-being and happiness.