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The Trolley Problem of Taxation: Should DOGE Savings Go to Taxpayers?

The Trolley Problem of Taxation: Should DOGE Savings Go to Taxpayers?
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David Hebert
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Commentary
Lately, Donald Trump (and Elon Musk) have agreed to consider returning at least some of the money that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) saves to the American people. Estimates vary on how big of a check could be going to Americans and there is, of course, debate as to which Americans should get the money and, if so, how much money. Some reports indicate that it could be as much as $5,000. Giving this to all 340 million people would cost $1.7 trillion. Restricting it to the 258 million adults in the United States would cost $1.29 trillion. If instead we gave these dividends only to the 153.8 million taxpayers, it would cost $769 billion. All of these represent a great chunk of the $2 trillion that DOGE originally promised to save and that Musk is now walking back.
David Hebert
David Hebert
Author
Dave Hebert, Ph.D., is a senior research fellow at the American Institute for Economic Research (AIER). He was formerly a professor at Aquinas College, Troy University, and Ferris State University. He has also been a fellow with the U.S. Senate Committee on the Budget and has worked for the U.S. Joint Economic Committee. Dr. Hebert’s research has been published in academic journals such as Public Choice, Constitutional Political Economy, and The Journal of Public Finance and Public Choice and popular outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, Investor’s Business Daily, RealClearPolicy, RealClearMarkets, The Hill, and The Daily Caller. He also serves as an associate director of The Entangled Political Economy Research Network.