Jack Salmon
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Gibbs Scholar and Research Fellow
Jack Salmon is a Gibbs Scholar and Research Fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, where he focuses on economic and fiscal policy, with an emphasis on federal budgets, taxation, economic growth, and institutional analysis. His research and commentary have been featured in a variety of outlets, including The Hill, Business Insider, RealClearPolicy, National Review, the American Institute for Economic Research, and Reason Magazine. Salmon has provided expert analysis on fiscal and economic issues in various policy forums, including testimony before Congress on the risks of debt accumulation, deficit spending, and inflation.
Prior to rejoining Mercatus, he served as Director of Policy Research at Philanthropy Roundtable, where he provided research, commentary, and analysis on issues impacting the charitable sector and philanthropic freedom. Salmon is also a Visiting Fellow at Philanthropy Roundtable. He has previously held research roles at the Competitive Enterprise Institute and Cato Institute, supporting work on financial and monetary policy. Originally from the U.K., Salmon earned his Master of Arts in Political Economy from King’s College London in 2015.
Latest Work
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- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
Interstate Migration Series
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- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
The Saez-Zucman California Billionaire Tax Proposal Ignores One Important Question | The Unseen and The Unsaid
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- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Did High Taxes Build the Middle Class? | The Unseen and The Unsaid
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- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | TV Appearance TV Appearance
Utah AG Deregulation | The Rod and Greg Show
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- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Opinion: When Washington cuts back, Utah will be in a stronger position than most | Deseret News
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- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Effects of tariffs through the lens of empirical research | The Unseen and The Unsaid
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- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Podcast Appearance Podcast Appearance
Taxing Success Won’t Fix Broken Budgets with Jack Salmon | LPP 198 | Let People Prosper Podcast
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- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
SNAP Enrollment Is Finally Falling: Partly Reform Driven, Partly Normalization | The Unseen and The Unsaid
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- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
State Fiscal Resilience Rankings | The Unseen and The Unsaid
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- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Do 68,000 People Die Every Year From Lack of Health Insurance? Probably Not | The Unseen and The Unsaid
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- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Working Papers Working Papers
The Government Spending Multiplier: A Survey of Empirical Literature
What do empirical studies tell us about the effect of government spending on economic output? -
- | Research Papers Research Papers
Fiscal Sustainability: High Stakes and Low Interest
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- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Research Papers Research Papers
Flattening the Debt Curve: Empirical Lessons for Fiscal Consolidation
-
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Research Papers Research Papers
Higher Education and the School-Work Mismatch in an Evolving Labor Market
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- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Data Visualizations Data Visualizations
A More Comprehensive View of Unemployment
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- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Data Visualizations Data Visualizations
CBO Projections Reveal the Extent of the United States’ Mandatory Spending Problem
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- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Data Visualizations Data Visualizations
Small Differences in Rates of GDP Growth Have Huge Impacts on Living Standards
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- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
Interstate Migration Series
-
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
Simplifying the Tax Code Is a Pro-Growth Policy
Tax reform that broadens the base and removes distortions could significantly increase investment and GDP -
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
The Impact of Public Debt on Economic Growth: What the Empirical Literature Tells Us
This is a living document that will be updated approximately twice per year, as new empirical studies are published on the relationship between public debt and economic growth -
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
Tilting the Playing Field: Tax Preferences for Cooperatives and Government-Owned Enterprises
Tax exemptions distort competition and fairness -
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
Who Really Pays? Reevaluating the Corporate Tax Burden
Contrary to government scoring models, the true corporate tax burden falls heavily on workers and consumers. -
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
The Impact of Public Debt on Interest Rates
Rising US debt is driving interest rates higher than CBO forecasts predict -
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
Introduction: A Principled Approach to Tax Expenditures
A roadmap for a more efficient, fair, and growth-oriented tax code -
-
- | Labor Markets Labor Markets
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
Reforming Optional Practical Training (OPT) to Enhance Technological Progress and Innovation
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- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
Inflation in Times of High Debt
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- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Policy Spotlights Policy Spotlights
Public Debt and Economic Growth: What the Evidence Says
High and rising public debt is consistently associated with slower economic growth -
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Policy Spotlights Policy Spotlights
Medicaid Financing Reform After the OBBBA
Closing loopholes to restore honesty in Medicaid’s state–federal partnership -
- | Policy Spotlights Policy Spotlights
Wealth Taxes: Theoretical Promises vs. Real-World Performance
-
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | TV Appearance TV Appearance
Utah AG Deregulation | The Rod and Greg Show
-
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Podcast Appearance Podcast Appearance
Taxing Success Won’t Fix Broken Budgets with Jack Salmon | LPP 198 | Let People Prosper Podcast
-
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Podcast Appearance Podcast Appearance
Talking Taxes in a Truck Episode 48: What Are They Thinking Out There? - The S Corporation Association | Talking Taxes In a Truck
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- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Podcast Appearance Podcast Appearance
Episode 957: Wealth Taxes in Blue States | Newt’s World
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- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Podcast Appearance Podcast Appearance
Strings Attached: How Government Funding Compromises Nonprofit Independence | 'The Giving Review' Podcast
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- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
The Saez-Zucman California Billionaire Tax Proposal Ignores One Important Question | The Unseen and The Unsaid
-
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Did High Taxes Build the Middle Class? | The Unseen and The Unsaid
-
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Opinion: When Washington cuts back, Utah will be in a stronger position than most | Deseret News
-
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Effects of tariffs through the lens of empirical research | The Unseen and The Unsaid
-
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
SNAP Enrollment Is Finally Falling: Partly Reform Driven, Partly Normalization | The Unseen and The Unsaid
-
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
State Fiscal Resilience Rankings | The Unseen and The Unsaid
-
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Do 68,000 People Die Every Year From Lack of Health Insurance? Probably Not | The Unseen and The Unsaid
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- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
The Climate Damage Function Problem No One Wants to Admit | The Unseen and The Unsaid
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- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Have Surtaxes and Tax Increases on High Earners Led to More Income Tax Revenues? | The Unseen and The Unsaid
-
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
The Quarterly Ledger: A Review of the Nation’s Balance Sheet: Q2 FY 2026 | The Unseen and The Unsaid
-
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
Interstate Migration Series
-
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
The Saez-Zucman California Billionaire Tax Proposal Ignores One Important Question | The Unseen and The Unsaid
-
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Did High Taxes Build the Middle Class? | The Unseen and The Unsaid
-
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | TV Appearance TV Appearance
Utah AG Deregulation | The Rod and Greg Show
-
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Opinion: When Washington cuts back, Utah will be in a stronger position than most | Deseret News
-
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Effects of tariffs through the lens of empirical research | The Unseen and The Unsaid
-
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Podcast Appearance Podcast Appearance
Taxing Success Won’t Fix Broken Budgets with Jack Salmon | LPP 198 | Let People Prosper Podcast
-
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
SNAP Enrollment Is Finally Falling: Partly Reform Driven, Partly Normalization | The Unseen and The Unsaid
-
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
State Fiscal Resilience Rankings | The Unseen and The Unsaid
-
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Do 68,000 People Die Every Year From Lack of Health Insurance? Probably Not | The Unseen and The Unsaid
-
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Working Papers Working Papers
The Government Spending Multiplier: A Survey of Empirical Literature
What do empirical studies tell us about the effect of government spending on economic output? -
- | Research Papers Research Papers
Fiscal Sustainability: High Stakes and Low Interest
-
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Research Papers Research Papers
Flattening the Debt Curve: Empirical Lessons for Fiscal Consolidation
-
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Research Papers Research Papers
Higher Education and the School-Work Mismatch in an Evolving Labor Market
-
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Data Visualizations Data Visualizations
A More Comprehensive View of Unemployment
-
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Data Visualizations Data Visualizations
CBO Projections Reveal the Extent of the United States’ Mandatory Spending Problem
-
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Data Visualizations Data Visualizations
Small Differences in Rates of GDP Growth Have Huge Impacts on Living Standards
-
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
Interstate Migration Series
-
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
Simplifying the Tax Code Is a Pro-Growth Policy
Tax reform that broadens the base and removes distortions could significantly increase investment and GDP -
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
The Impact of Public Debt on Economic Growth: What the Empirical Literature Tells Us
This is a living document that will be updated approximately twice per year, as new empirical studies are published on the relationship between public debt and economic growth -
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
Tilting the Playing Field: Tax Preferences for Cooperatives and Government-Owned Enterprises
Tax exemptions distort competition and fairness -
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
Who Really Pays? Reevaluating the Corporate Tax Burden
Contrary to government scoring models, the true corporate tax burden falls heavily on workers and consumers. -
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
The Impact of Public Debt on Interest Rates
Rising US debt is driving interest rates higher than CBO forecasts predict -
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
Introduction: A Principled Approach to Tax Expenditures
A roadmap for a more efficient, fair, and growth-oriented tax code -
-
- | Labor Markets Labor Markets
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
Reforming Optional Practical Training (OPT) to Enhance Technological Progress and Innovation
-
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
Inflation in Times of High Debt
-
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Policy Spotlights Policy Spotlights
Public Debt and Economic Growth: What the Evidence Says
High and rising public debt is consistently associated with slower economic growth -
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Policy Spotlights Policy Spotlights
Medicaid Financing Reform After the OBBBA
Closing loopholes to restore honesty in Medicaid’s state–federal partnership -
- | Policy Spotlights Policy Spotlights
Wealth Taxes: Theoretical Promises vs. Real-World Performance
-
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | TV Appearance TV Appearance
Utah AG Deregulation | The Rod and Greg Show
-
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Podcast Appearance Podcast Appearance
Taxing Success Won’t Fix Broken Budgets with Jack Salmon | LPP 198 | Let People Prosper Podcast
-
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Podcast Appearance Podcast Appearance
Talking Taxes in a Truck Episode 48: What Are They Thinking Out There? - The S Corporation Association | Talking Taxes In a Truck
-
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Podcast Appearance Podcast Appearance
Episode 957: Wealth Taxes in Blue States | Newt’s World
-
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Podcast Appearance Podcast Appearance
Strings Attached: How Government Funding Compromises Nonprofit Independence | 'The Giving Review' Podcast
-
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
The Saez-Zucman California Billionaire Tax Proposal Ignores One Important Question | The Unseen and The Unsaid
-
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Did High Taxes Build the Middle Class? | The Unseen and The Unsaid
-
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Opinion: When Washington cuts back, Utah will be in a stronger position than most | Deseret News
-
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Effects of tariffs through the lens of empirical research | The Unseen and The Unsaid
-
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
SNAP Enrollment Is Finally Falling: Partly Reform Driven, Partly Normalization | The Unseen and The Unsaid
-
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
State Fiscal Resilience Rankings | The Unseen and The Unsaid
-
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Do 68,000 People Die Every Year From Lack of Health Insurance? Probably Not | The Unseen and The Unsaid
-
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
The Climate Damage Function Problem No One Wants to Admit | The Unseen and The Unsaid
-
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Have Surtaxes and Tax Increases on High Earners Led to More Income Tax Revenues? | The Unseen and The Unsaid
-
- | Government Spending Government Spending
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
The Quarterly Ledger: A Review of the Nation’s Balance Sheet: Q2 FY 2026 | The Unseen and The Unsaid