Over the last 10 years spending has gone up dramatically at both the federal and state level. The progression of spending as a percentage of GDP over the last decade has risen from 18% to over 26%. This trend is not only true for the federal government, but also in many states. In this episode, Dr. Veronique de Rugy, a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center, joins us to discuss the dangers of the spending addiction, fiscal federalism, unfunded mandates to the states, and provides recommendations to state policy makers on unique ways to gain revenue.

Dr. de Rugy’s research interests include tax competition, financial privacy, spending, and fiscal sovereignty issues. She holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Paris-Sorbonne.