Alexander W. Salter
Senior Fellow, Sound Money Project
Alexander William Salter is the Georgie G. Snyder Associate Professor of Economics in the Rawls College of Business and the Comparative Economics Research Fellow with the Free Market Institute, both at Texas Tech University. He is a co-author of Money and the Rule of Law: Generality and Predictability in Monetary Institutions, published by Cambridge University Press. In addition to his numerous scholarly articles, he has published nearly 300 opinion pieces in leading national outlets such as the Wall Street Journal, National Review, Fox News Opinion, and The Hill.
Salter earned his M.A. and Ph.D. in Economics at George Mason University and his B.A. in Economics at Occidental College. He was an AIER Summer Fellowship Program participant in 2011.
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Searching for Good Governance
“Applications of constitutional political economy include constitutional design and assessment. Finding the right mixture of voice and exit is one of the most important parts. Let’s get started.” ~ Alexander William Salter
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Central Banking and the Heavy Hand of the State
“The ‘need’ for a central bank is due to economists inaccurately projecting onto historical banking systems their contemporary monetary-macroeconomic paradigms, not any fatal flaw in these systems. Neither theory nor history show we need a central bank to guarantee optimal economic performance.” ~ Alexander W. Salter
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NASA is Paying for Moon Rocks. The Implications for Space Commerce are Huge
“In ancient times, mankind extended the division of labor across tribes, turning enemies into friends. Later came trade across national boundaries, with similar largely peaceful effects. Now, humans are prepared to extend it still further: into the final frontier. Doux commerce is coming to the stars. NASA just made a ‘giant leap for mankind.’ Everyone…
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For-Profit Companies Must be the Backbone of the New Space Age
“Space remains the final frontier. Just as with the terrestrial frontier, private enterprise should be the driving force for exploration, development, and settlement.” ~ David R. Henderson & Alexander W. Salter
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Doux Commerce Amidst the Stars
“States will be the primary actors in space for the foreseeable future, if for no other reason than the existing legal framework requires it. But commerce will be the driving force behind the new space age. Production and trade will enable human flourishing in orbit and beyond, just as they have on earth.” ~ Alexander…
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The Fed Wants to Become a Financial Central Planner
To everyone as outraged by this process as I am: it’s time we shouted far and wide what the Fed is up to. If we let them get away with it, politicians and macroeconomic policy experts will be able to control financial markets, and hence our lives, to a degree never before obtained in a…
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Incompetent Experts and Bad Government
Ignorance and malfeasance: this is what the American people have been forced to endure from those who govern them. We have no reason to expect things will be different in the future, unless we unequivocally demand it otherwise.
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Can Medical Supply Autarky Save Us from Pandemics?
When proposing expansions of government power we must recognize the powers in question will not be wielded by philosopher-kings. They will be wielded by actually existing politicians and bureaucrats, with all their biases and imperfections.
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Sanctuary Cities, Illegal Immigration, and Crime
Sanctuary cities, and by extension immigration, are once again a locus of national controversy. There may be good arguments against sanctuary cities. But we haven’t heard any yet.
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The Stakes of Politics are Far Too High
Despite the comedy of errors that was the Iowa Democratic Caucus, not to mention the ambiguity of New Hampshire, the national fervor grows. Bernie Sanders’ strong performance makes him the Democratic frontrunner: his odds of winning the nomination stand at 33%, with Michael Bloomberg at a surprising 27%. Sanders’ campaign is notable because he is…
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•
Searching for Good Governance
“Applications of constitutional political economy include constitutional design and assessment. Finding the right mixture of voice and exit is one of the most important parts. Let’s get started.” ~ Alexander William Salter
-
•
Central Banking and the Heavy Hand of the State
“The ‘need’ for a central bank is due to economists inaccurately projecting onto historical banking systems their contemporary monetary-macroeconomic paradigms, not any fatal flaw in these systems. Neither theory nor history show we need a central bank to guarantee optimal economic performance.” ~ Alexander W. Salter
-
•
NASA is Paying for Moon Rocks. The Implications for Space Commerce are Huge
“In ancient times, mankind extended the division of labor across tribes, turning enemies into friends. Later came trade across national boundaries, with similar largely peaceful effects. Now, humans are prepared to extend it still further: into the final frontier. Doux commerce is coming to the stars. NASA just made a ‘giant leap for mankind.’ Everyone…
-
•
For-Profit Companies Must be the Backbone of the New Space Age
“Space remains the final frontier. Just as with the terrestrial frontier, private enterprise should be the driving force for exploration, development, and settlement.” ~ David R. Henderson & Alexander W. Salter
-
•
Doux Commerce Amidst the Stars
“States will be the primary actors in space for the foreseeable future, if for no other reason than the existing legal framework requires it. But commerce will be the driving force behind the new space age. Production and trade will enable human flourishing in orbit and beyond, just as they have on earth.” ~ Alexander…
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•
The Fed Wants to Become a Financial Central Planner
To everyone as outraged by this process as I am: it’s time we shouted far and wide what the Fed is up to. If we let them get away with it, politicians and macroeconomic policy experts will be able to control financial markets, and hence our lives, to a degree never before obtained in a…
-
•
Incompetent Experts and Bad Government
Ignorance and malfeasance: this is what the American people have been forced to endure from those who govern them. We have no reason to expect things will be different in the future, unless we unequivocally demand it otherwise.
-
•
Can Medical Supply Autarky Save Us from Pandemics?
When proposing expansions of government power we must recognize the powers in question will not be wielded by philosopher-kings. They will be wielded by actually existing politicians and bureaucrats, with all their biases and imperfections.
-
•
Sanctuary Cities, Illegal Immigration, and Crime
Sanctuary cities, and by extension immigration, are once again a locus of national controversy. There may be good arguments against sanctuary cities. But we haven’t heard any yet.
-
•
The Stakes of Politics are Far Too High
Despite the comedy of errors that was the Iowa Democratic Caucus, not to mention the ambiguity of New Hampshire, the national fervor grows. Bernie Sanders’ strong performance makes him the Democratic frontrunner: his odds of winning the nomination stand at 33%, with Michael Bloomberg at a surprising 27%. Sanders’ campaign is notable because he is…