Byron Carson
Contributor/Visiting Scholar – December-February 2021, July 2021
Byron Carson is an Assistant Professor of Economics and Business at Hampden-Sydney College, in Hampden-Sydney, Virginia. He teaches courses on introductory economics, money and banking, development economics, health economics, and urban economics.
Byron earned a Ph.D. in Economics in 2017 from George Mason University and a B.A. in Economics from Rhodes College in 2011. His research interests include economic epidemiology, public choice, and Austrian economics.
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Fungi Bombs and Food Markets
“That people make choices and can substitute towards cheaper items is an underappreciated point for those concerned about fungal pathogens. While fungi might increase prices of some goods, people can purchase relatively cheaper ones. This suggests they might be less likely to suffer from food shortages.” ~ Byron Carson
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Will AI Eat Our Lunch or Make It?
“Chefs, servers, and hosts often have a wide set of skills that cannot be easily replicated by AI technologies, which suggests fears of AI’s unemployment effects are overblown.” ~ Byron Carson & Katie Pitcher
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The Economics of Mending Wall
“Robert Frost’s masterful poem gives economists and students many opportunities to learn about property rights, self-governance, and peaceful cooperation.” ~ Byron B. Carson
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Diabetic Complications and Economic Fundamentals
“Basic economics, both in theory and practice, warn us that these latest efforts to subsidize insulin production are much more likely to cause further harm to an already dire situation.” ~ Byron Carson and Raymond J. March
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Incentives, Not Courts, Improve Health
“In competitive labor markets, workers and employers cooperate to produce valuable goods, such as healthcare. Workers and employers who fail to produce such goods will tend to earn lower wages and/or lower profits.” ~ Byron B. Carson III
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Raving for Monkeypox
“We should expect more outbreaks in areas with a greater appreciation for economic freedom. Indeed, reports indicate the kindling wood has been there for some time. But don’t worry; be thankful that people live in societies that allow such diseases to spread.” ~ Byron B. Carson III
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Obi-Wan Kenobi, Public Choice Economist
“Public choice logic remains relevant in the real world, even for our more pressing political controversies. Perhaps we should pay more attention to Obi-Wan, his public choice logic, and the larger political economy issues the Star Wars franchise ingeniously portrays.” ~ Byron B. Carson III
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A Market for Mosquito Control?
“In addition to the standard factors of mosquito control, perhaps we should consider the role economic freedom plays. Such institutions enhance competition, encourage innovation, and lead to more opportunities to kill mosquitoes.” ~ Byron B. Carson III
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Social Capital Mediates COVID-19 Vaccinations
“In Tocqueville’s visit to America, he is struck by an ‘equality of conditions’—his approach to social capital. Perhaps we should pay more attention to the equality of values people hold dear. Public health is important, but so is personal freedom.” ~ Byron B. Carson III
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What Can Hayek Say About Public Health?
“Public health as art, following Hayek, becomes a social science, or the study of how people make choices based on their values and tacit knowledge, how they interact with others, and how those behaviors and interactions influence health.” ~ Byron B. Carson III
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Fungi Bombs and Food Markets
“That people make choices and can substitute towards cheaper items is an underappreciated point for those concerned about fungal pathogens. While fungi might increase prices of some goods, people can purchase relatively cheaper ones. This suggests they might be less likely to suffer from food shortages.” ~ Byron Carson
-
•
Will AI Eat Our Lunch or Make It?
“Chefs, servers, and hosts often have a wide set of skills that cannot be easily replicated by AI technologies, which suggests fears of AI’s unemployment effects are overblown.” ~ Byron Carson & Katie Pitcher
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•
The Economics of Mending Wall
“Robert Frost’s masterful poem gives economists and students many opportunities to learn about property rights, self-governance, and peaceful cooperation.” ~ Byron B. Carson
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•
Diabetic Complications and Economic Fundamentals
“Basic economics, both in theory and practice, warn us that these latest efforts to subsidize insulin production are much more likely to cause further harm to an already dire situation.” ~ Byron Carson and Raymond J. March
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•
Incentives, Not Courts, Improve Health
“In competitive labor markets, workers and employers cooperate to produce valuable goods, such as healthcare. Workers and employers who fail to produce such goods will tend to earn lower wages and/or lower profits.” ~ Byron B. Carson III
-
•
Raving for Monkeypox
“We should expect more outbreaks in areas with a greater appreciation for economic freedom. Indeed, reports indicate the kindling wood has been there for some time. But don’t worry; be thankful that people live in societies that allow such diseases to spread.” ~ Byron B. Carson III
-
•
Obi-Wan Kenobi, Public Choice Economist
“Public choice logic remains relevant in the real world, even for our more pressing political controversies. Perhaps we should pay more attention to Obi-Wan, his public choice logic, and the larger political economy issues the Star Wars franchise ingeniously portrays.” ~ Byron B. Carson III
-
•
A Market for Mosquito Control?
“In addition to the standard factors of mosquito control, perhaps we should consider the role economic freedom plays. Such institutions enhance competition, encourage innovation, and lead to more opportunities to kill mosquitoes.” ~ Byron B. Carson III
-
•
Social Capital Mediates COVID-19 Vaccinations
“In Tocqueville’s visit to America, he is struck by an ‘equality of conditions’—his approach to social capital. Perhaps we should pay more attention to the equality of values people hold dear. Public health is important, but so is personal freedom.” ~ Byron B. Carson III
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•
What Can Hayek Say About Public Health?
“Public health as art, following Hayek, becomes a social science, or the study of how people make choices based on their values and tacit knowledge, how they interact with others, and how those behaviors and interactions influence health.” ~ Byron B. Carson III