Tax cut advocates favor lower taxes and smaller government, but so far they've gotten lower taxes and bigger government. In this Marketplace commentary, Len Burman argues that the resulting deficits will translate into much higher taxes in the future, especially on those with high...

The President was in North Carolina and Pennsylvania today. He's been stumping like a candidate to win support for his changes to Social Security and cuts in the budget. In Detroit, Mr. Bush said it's time to eliminate the programs that don't deliver on their promises. Commentator and tax expert...

Social Security's original mission was to protect society's most vulnerable from poverty. Figuring out who needs protection and how much, however, is not so simple. There are many sources of redistribution in Social Security, from rich to poor, from shorter lived to longer lived, and across...

In this commentary, Len Burman argues that if Congress can't reform the tax system, the next best thing would be to just leave it alone. Constant tinkering just adds to complexity.

In this commentary for public radio's Marketplace program, Len Burman, director of the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center, explains why automatically adjusting the minimum wage for inflation benefits more than just low-wage workers.

Looking only at standard macroeconomic statistics, you would think the economy was in very good shape. Gross domestic product has grown at a 4.4 percent annual rate in the last six months, well above the historical average. But these statistics are like looking through a rearview mirror. Jason...

Institute fellow Rudy Penner questions the costs and after-effects of heavy economic stimulus. There is a path out of our misery, he says, but it is surrounded by big and little mines, some of which have been planted by public policy.

The Washington Post. The economy's expansion last quarter, for the first time in more than a year, has prompted much speculation that the recession is over. This turning point, however, simply marks an end to the decline in activity.

The House of Representatives passed a marriage penalty relief provision that would, ironically, subject three million married couples to the complex and costly alternative minimum tax (AMT). This Marketplace commentary recommends that Congress deal with the real problems in the tax code--...

The White House says lowering taxes on capital gains and dividends will create jobs and opportunity. Tax analyst and commentator Len Burman thinks not.