Economic History
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Regime Uncertainty and Market Uncertainty
When political rhetoric or fiscal policies threaten property rights or increase instability, private investors tend to withdraw.
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When Pol Pot Read a Book on Marx
Pol Pot was a well-meaning monster, an idealistic revolutionary who studied in Paris and believed he could purify Cambodia. He wanted to build a better world for the poor — even if millions had to die.
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Nixon to Now: How the Kitchen Debate Came Home
The recent wave of protectionism is not about efficiency or economic growth. It’s about national control — about engineering particular outcomes.
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My $100 Tomato: Is Self-Sufficiency Overrated?
Should you buy, or DIY? A prudent householder should buy that which they cannot make for the same price. The lesson is the same for nations.
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Was Reagan a Protectionist?
To head off the slippery slope of protectionist interventions, Reagan convinced Japan to voluntarily limit auto imports.
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Busting the NAFTA Myth: US Exports Soared After the Trade Agreement
Free trade has allowed us to purchase low-cost products from overseas, focusing employment in high-paying sectors where we enjoy a comparative advantage.
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High-Stakes Gamble: Is College Still Worth It?
The market needs skills, but universities are teaching ideology. Tuition keeps rising, but the pay differential doesn’t. What gives?
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Science and Liberty: Social Physics from Comte to Samuelson
Gaining success in unlocking the secrets of science, many have sought to engineer human ethics to produce a preferred outcome. The actual outcome of such human manipulation is, inevitably, disaster.
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Dirty Hands vs. Decentralized Producerism: The Populist Logic Behind Trump’s Tariffs
The costs associated with “industry jobs” are high and tangible — and never paid by the elites who want to “bring them back.”
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How the Post-WWII Boom Proved Keynesians Wrong
Expect fans of federal spending to lament every dollar that isn’t laundered through government. But leaving them in the economy works even better.
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•
Regime Uncertainty and Market Uncertainty
When political rhetoric or fiscal policies threaten property rights or increase instability, private investors tend to withdraw.
-
•
When Pol Pot Read a Book on Marx
Pol Pot was a well-meaning monster, an idealistic revolutionary who studied in Paris and believed he could purify Cambodia. He wanted to build a better world for the poor — even if millions had to die.
-
•
Nixon to Now: How the Kitchen Debate Came Home
The recent wave of protectionism is not about efficiency or economic growth. It’s about national control — about engineering particular outcomes.
-
•
My $100 Tomato: Is Self-Sufficiency Overrated?
Should you buy, or DIY? A prudent householder should buy that which they cannot make for the same price. The lesson is the same for nations.
-
•
Was Reagan a Protectionist?
To head off the slippery slope of protectionist interventions, Reagan convinced Japan to voluntarily limit auto imports.
-
•
Busting the NAFTA Myth: US Exports Soared After the Trade Agreement
Free trade has allowed us to purchase low-cost products from overseas, focusing employment in high-paying sectors where we enjoy a comparative advantage.
-
•
High-Stakes Gamble: Is College Still Worth It?
The market needs skills, but universities are teaching ideology. Tuition keeps rising, but the pay differential doesn’t. What gives?
-
•
Science and Liberty: Social Physics from Comte to Samuelson
Gaining success in unlocking the secrets of science, many have sought to engineer human ethics to produce a preferred outcome. The actual outcome of such human manipulation is, inevitably, disaster.
-
•
Dirty Hands vs. Decentralized Producerism: The Populist Logic Behind Trump’s Tariffs
The costs associated with “industry jobs” are high and tangible — and never paid by the elites who want to “bring them back.”
-
•
How the Post-WWII Boom Proved Keynesians Wrong
Expect fans of federal spending to lament every dollar that isn’t laundered through government. But leaving them in the economy works even better.