Greg Ip writes in the Wall Street Journal, “Two independent analyses conclude that by raising taxes so dramatically on the wealthy, her program will crimp investment and economic growth, though they disagree on how much.”
Ip also makes a point that, while elementary, is often missed.
Moody’s Analytics studied Mrs. Clinton’s entire plan and concluded that after 10 years, it would leave GDP 2.8% larger. Most of this is because Mrs. Clinton plans to legalize millions of illegal immigrants and expand legal, particularly skilled, immigration. That adds to the labor force, which is unambiguously positive for GDP. More skilled workers also raise productivity.
But there’s an important caveat. The lion’s share of the added GDP goes to the new immigrants themselves, as wages or as profits to firms that they own. The benefits to the host population — the ones who must decide whether Mrs. Clinton’s policies are right — are much smaller.






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