The United States of America was built on debt. The first reported national public debt, declared on Jan. 1, 1791, totaled $75,463,476.52, or about $19 per person, most of which was run up during the Revolutionary War. Both of those... (more)

It’s no secret that state governments have been having budget problems in the last several years. Some — more than others. When you look at the big picture, the total amount of budgetary shortfalls nationwide, you’ll see the situation has... (more)

Does the expiration date on a bottle of a medication mean anything? If a bottle of Tylenol, for example, says something like “Do not use after June 1998,” and it is August 2002, should you take the Tylenol? Should you... (more)

With the government’s healthcare plan looming above us, there has perhaps never been a better time for Americans to understand the excessive costs of health care, and the origins of these vast increases. While many commentators have been quick to... (more)

10. Marijuana Decriminalization. A 2007 poll conducted by Zogby International indicates that a slight majority of Americans favor the abolishment of criminal penalties for minor marijuana offenses: “Forty-nine percent of respondents, including 57 percent of men, said they would support... (more)

Smoking bans in public places have become increasingly more prevalent in recent years as a result of studies that have demonstrated the dangers of cigarette smoke, not just to smokers, but to bystanders. Advocates for the rights of smokers have... (more)

The enormous cost of the of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, $440 billion, is enough money to transform the United States into a dramatically different place. Imagine America as a nation without any homeless, hungry or uninsured citizens. As... (more)

The Big Money Chart is new! A fantastic new chart depicts 26 different huge amounts of money, from the cost of rebuilding New Orleans, to the GDP of Nicaragua, to General Electric’s gross earnings, and compares them all side by... (more)