Congress is, or at least should be, busy. Over the next few months it is supposed to tackle reforms to our health care system and tax code and produce a new budget. Even if not enacted in their present forms (or outlines) – as I hope not – they are bound reshape our economic lives toward a more conservative vision. That prospect got me wondering, What would an America driven by conservative economic policy actually look like? While liberals are quick to look to Scandinavian countries as exemplars of societies driven by liberal economic (and social) policies, it might be natural for conservatives to look to Switzerland. In many respects, Switzerland is a conservative’s dream country. It has a weak federal government with much state power given to the cantons (equivalent to our states) and municipalities within them; low taxes; high tariffs on foreign goods; and a consumer driven health-care system. And the results of these policies are remarkable. Unemployment is typically low (about 3.3% now and forecast to drop). Its GDP per capita is $63,616, one of the highest in the world and beating the U.S. ($57,325). With an average family tax rate of 9.1% (compared to the U.S.’s […]
↧