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Showing posts from December, 2017

Trump, Tax Cuts, and the Decline of US Welfare

Although the most common narrative in the major press focuses on its immediate effects on income, what do I think is likely to happen, outside of the common narrative: A return to faux fiscal hawkishness to justify cuts to social welfare spending Additional cuts to federal worker wages and benefits Additional reductions in oversight justified as an effort to restrain waste and expenditures Tax collection efforts will falter, as the IRS suffers resource constraints and people game the system for maximum benefit Even more disingenuous and corrupt behavior from politicians, since they've finally ruined the ACA... Reductions in longevity, employee safety, environmental health, maternal welfare, and educational outcomes - There are multiple factors at play, and some aspects like longevity might improve if the country can get a handle on opioid addiction - although rather than outright reversion, one might see even slower improvements than in previous years