Cowen has repeatedly argued in various forums that the US is spending and borrowing too much.

True: before June 2012, Cowen argued on multiple occasions and in more than one forum (for example Marginal Revolution, NYT columns, books, talks) that the US government spends and borrows too much. Mostly true: he made the argument repeatedly but mostly in a single forum. Mixed: there are some statements, but they are equivocal or few. Mostly false: there is only one or two passing remarks, or his writing mainly argued the opposite. False: his record shows he did not make this argument.

Set before the research began.

1. E1 Introduction to Symposium on U.S. Sovereign Debt Crisis: Tipping-Point Scenarios and Crash Dynamics Mercatus Center · 23 January 2012 Own record

   “Right now we are borrowing about forty cents of every dollar the federal government spends, and the imbalance has no end in sight.”

2. E2 Democracy in Deficit - Marginal REVOLUTION Marginal Revolution · 6 March 2011 Own record

   “That means both tax hikes and spending cuts, though I prefer to concentrate on the latter.”

3. E3 A few thoughts on the debt ceiling - Marginal REVOLUTION Marginal Revolution · 16 May 2011 Own record

   “There is plenty in the federal budget which can be cut and should be cut, starting with farm subsidies but extending considerably further.”

4. E4 Marginal REVOLUTION Marginal Revolution · 2 August 2011 Own record

   “The tendency is for promised spending slowdowns to be ignored or reversed.”

Marginal Revolution posts from 2011 argue for cutting federal spending [E2][E3] and doubt that promised spending slowdowns happen [E4]. E2 says the writer prefers to concentrate on spending cuts, E3 says there is "plenty in the federal budget which can be cut and should be cut," and E4 warns that promised spending slowdowns tend to be ignored or reversed. A January 2012 Mercatus symposium introduction (E1) says the government is borrowing about forty cents of every dollar it spends with "no end in sight," but its quote does not show that Cowen wrote it. So the repeated argument is documented mainly in a single forum, Marginal Revolution. That fits "mostly true" rather than "true" under the criteria.