Donald J. Boudreaux
Associate Senior Research Fellow
Donald J. Boudreaux is a Associate Senior Research Fellow with the American Institute for Economic Research and affiliated with the F.A. Hayek Program for Advanced Study in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University; a Mercatus Center Board Member; and a professor of economics and former economics-department chair at George Mason University. He is the author of the books The Essential Hayek, Globalization, Hypocrites and Half-Wits, and his articles appear in such publications as the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, US News & World Report as well as numerous scholarly journals. He writes a blog called Cafe Hayek and a regular column on economics for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Boudreaux earned a PhD in economics from Auburn University and a law degree from the University of Virginia.
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“No, Sarah, Our Prosperity Wasn’t Extracted from Slaves”
“A key purpose of my intro econ course is to help my students understand how peaceful, commercial cooperation emerges to create and maintain our astonishing material prosperity.” ~ Donald J. Boudreaux
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LOL!
“Among the full set of arguments offered for government intervention into the economy, those that are serious and credible are the exception rather than the rule. Most arguments for intervention are simply not credible, with more than a few being downright silly.” ~ Donald J. Boudreaux
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The Myopia of Antitrust
“Intellectuals and officials arrogantly suppose that any contractual term or organizational arrangement that they cannot immediately understand as serving competition must therefore be devious exercises of monopoly power or attempts to secure such power.” ~ Donald J. Boudreaux
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Some Pictures Are Indeed Worth a Thousand Words
“No data or sets of graphs, regardless of how carefully constructed and intelligently interpreted, can convey a complete picture of an economy. Yet, such data can convey important information, which is often the opposite of popular narratives about the economy, generally, and about trade in particular.” ~ Donald J. Boudreaux
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A Reflection on Bastiat’s “What Is Seen and What Is Not Seen”
“Why does human reason so readily reveal even to people untutored in economics some unseen but real consequences, while it routinely fails to reveal others?” ~ Donald. J. Boudreaux
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Climate and COVID ‘Science’
“The belief that science is a source of complete and godlike knowledge is not merely mistaken, it’s a toxic fuel of authoritarianism when it’s combined with the false understanding of social problems as being a science project to be ‘solved’ by persons in power.” ~ Donald J. Boudreaux
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Then a Miracle Occurs…
“It is inexcusably unscientific for economists (or any one, for that matter) to merely assume that government will perform miracles. But this is exactly what they assume.” ~ Donald J. Boudreaux
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On Some Differences Separating Choices in Private Settings from Choices in Political Settings
“The institutional implications of individuals choosing within markets and other private spheres differ categorically from the institutional implications of individuals voting to make major changes to the economy or society.” ~ Donald J. Boudreaux
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Reflections Sparked by A New Jersey Turnpike Rest Area
“I’m confident that everyone at the New Jersey Turnpike rest area, if pressed to think seriously about this feature of the liberal market order as he or she surveyed fellow rest-area visitors, would heartily applaud.” ~ Donald J. Boudreaux
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Price Ceilings of $0
“Whatever particular objections might be raised to legalization of the likes of prostitution or the selling of transplantable body organs, clarity of thought is enhanced by recognizing that the prohibitions in question are really price ceilings of $0.” ~ Donald J. Boudreaux
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•
“No, Sarah, Our Prosperity Wasn’t Extracted from Slaves”
“A key purpose of my intro econ course is to help my students understand how peaceful, commercial cooperation emerges to create and maintain our astonishing material prosperity.” ~ Donald J. Boudreaux
-
•
LOL!
“Among the full set of arguments offered for government intervention into the economy, those that are serious and credible are the exception rather than the rule. Most arguments for intervention are simply not credible, with more than a few being downright silly.” ~ Donald J. Boudreaux
-
•
The Myopia of Antitrust
“Intellectuals and officials arrogantly suppose that any contractual term or organizational arrangement that they cannot immediately understand as serving competition must therefore be devious exercises of monopoly power or attempts to secure such power.” ~ Donald J. Boudreaux
-
•
Some Pictures Are Indeed Worth a Thousand Words
“No data or sets of graphs, regardless of how carefully constructed and intelligently interpreted, can convey a complete picture of an economy. Yet, such data can convey important information, which is often the opposite of popular narratives about the economy, generally, and about trade in particular.” ~ Donald J. Boudreaux
-
•
A Reflection on Bastiat’s “What Is Seen and What Is Not Seen”
“Why does human reason so readily reveal even to people untutored in economics some unseen but real consequences, while it routinely fails to reveal others?” ~ Donald. J. Boudreaux
-
•
Climate and COVID ‘Science’
“The belief that science is a source of complete and godlike knowledge is not merely mistaken, it’s a toxic fuel of authoritarianism when it’s combined with the false understanding of social problems as being a science project to be ‘solved’ by persons in power.” ~ Donald J. Boudreaux
-
•
Then a Miracle Occurs…
“It is inexcusably unscientific for economists (or any one, for that matter) to merely assume that government will perform miracles. But this is exactly what they assume.” ~ Donald J. Boudreaux
-
•
On Some Differences Separating Choices in Private Settings from Choices in Political Settings
“The institutional implications of individuals choosing within markets and other private spheres differ categorically from the institutional implications of individuals voting to make major changes to the economy or society.” ~ Donald J. Boudreaux
-
•
Reflections Sparked by A New Jersey Turnpike Rest Area
“I’m confident that everyone at the New Jersey Turnpike rest area, if pressed to think seriously about this feature of the liberal market order as he or she surveyed fellow rest-area visitors, would heartily applaud.” ~ Donald J. Boudreaux
-
•
Price Ceilings of $0
“Whatever particular objections might be raised to legalization of the likes of prostitution or the selling of transplantable body organs, clarity of thought is enhanced by recognizing that the prohibitions in question are really price ceilings of $0.” ~ Donald J. Boudreaux