Daniel J. Smith
Contributor
Dr. Daniel J. Smith is the Director of the Political Economy Research Institute and Associate Professor of Economics in the Jones College of Business at Middle Tennessee State University.
His academic research and policy work uses Austrian and public choice economics to analyze private and public governance institutions.
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The Bitter Lessons of Sugar Control in World War I
Herbert Hoover’s wartime sugar program generated shortages that led to expanding rationing systems and increasingly centralized control over the allocation of sugar.
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‘The Wealth of Nations’ and 250 Years of Economists Missing the Point
From trade policy to public debt, today’s economic debates echo those of 1776. The problem isn’t a lack of knowledge — it’s a failure to teach and apply enduring principles.
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Greece’s 19th Century Currant Crisis: A Warning Against ‘Temporary’ Government Support
Greek intervention to “protect” farmers rendered a temporary crisis permanent.
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Don’t Push the Policy Button!
Economists design “optimal” interventions with caveats and disclaimers. Politicians treat them like irresistible big red buttons.
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We Learned Leadership Flipping Burgers: Don’t Close America’s On-Ramp
Inflating entry-level pay risks shutting young workers out of the most reliable path to skill development and long-term earnings.
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Why Modern Socialists Dodge Definition
When every failure is reclassified as “not real socialism,” the ideology slips beyond empirical scrutiny and standards of evidence.
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The Big Chill: Mamdani’s Rent-Freeze Fantasy
Reduced rents for some tenants aren’t worth reducing the supply and quality of housing for everyone else in the city.
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The Constitutional Wisdom of Presidential Term Limits
Like an alarm clock, an institutional constraint is set in advance keep us from acting rashly when temptation strikes.
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Stadium Subsidies Reveal Tensions in Democratic Priorities
“Despite being a well-known mirage, the promises of economic and job growth prove too attractive for local policymakers to resist. This tells us something about their priorities.” ~ Daniel J. Smith
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The Academy Doesn’t Mind Harassment When It Targets the Right
“The AAUP’s panel claims there is no leftward bias in the academy, but with AAUP officials and members condoning and supporting the harassment of faculty on the right, it’s clear that’s not true. The leftward bias in the academy is real and only appears to be getting worse.” ~ Daniel J. Smith
-
•
The Bitter Lessons of Sugar Control in World War I
Herbert Hoover’s wartime sugar program generated shortages that led to expanding rationing systems and increasingly centralized control over the allocation of sugar.
-
•
‘The Wealth of Nations’ and 250 Years of Economists Missing the Point
From trade policy to public debt, today’s economic debates echo those of 1776. The problem isn’t a lack of knowledge — it’s a failure to teach and apply enduring principles.
-
•
Greece’s 19th Century Currant Crisis: A Warning Against ‘Temporary’ Government Support
Greek intervention to “protect” farmers rendered a temporary crisis permanent.
-
•
Don’t Push the Policy Button!
Economists design “optimal” interventions with caveats and disclaimers. Politicians treat them like irresistible big red buttons.
-
•
We Learned Leadership Flipping Burgers: Don’t Close America’s On-Ramp
Inflating entry-level pay risks shutting young workers out of the most reliable path to skill development and long-term earnings.
-
•
Why Modern Socialists Dodge Definition
When every failure is reclassified as “not real socialism,” the ideology slips beyond empirical scrutiny and standards of evidence.
-
•
The Big Chill: Mamdani’s Rent-Freeze Fantasy
Reduced rents for some tenants aren’t worth reducing the supply and quality of housing for everyone else in the city.
-
•
The Constitutional Wisdom of Presidential Term Limits
Like an alarm clock, an institutional constraint is set in advance keep us from acting rashly when temptation strikes.
-
•
Stadium Subsidies Reveal Tensions in Democratic Priorities
“Despite being a well-known mirage, the promises of economic and job growth prove too attractive for local policymakers to resist. This tells us something about their priorities.” ~ Daniel J. Smith
-
•
The Academy Doesn’t Mind Harassment When It Targets the Right
“The AAUP’s panel claims there is no leftward bias in the academy, but with AAUP officials and members condoning and supporting the harassment of faculty on the right, it’s clear that’s not true. The leftward bias in the academy is real and only appears to be getting worse.” ~ Daniel J. Smith