Economic Trends
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The Mixed Economy Is a Mess
Election years tend to polarize people’s views about political parties, proposed social and economic policies, and the candidates running for high governmental office. This presidential election cycle is not only no different, it is far more so. This shows itself especially in how many younger Americans view the political, economic and social system under which…
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The US Economy Urgently Needs Repression Easing
Let’s fight the next recession today by ridding ourselves of the collected policy detritus of the past and allow human, financial, and physical capital to flow freely to their most highly valued uses.
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US vs. Denmark: Which Country Wins?
Measured by GDP per capita, Danish-American living standards are 55% higher than their counterparts in Denmark.
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Maybe It Will Be the Battle of the Billionaires
After many decades of trying to get payola out of politics, there is still no stopping the reality that a big state creates big stakes for which people are willing to pay.
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How Trumpism Swallowed Conservatism
In the summer of 2015, Donald Trump came to FreedomFest in Las Vegas – an event for conservatives and libertarians – as an eccentric outsider. Almost a gate crasher. People wondered why he was there. He presented his message of protectionism and immigration restrictionism, while railing against Iran and China. Only a strong leader can…
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The Academic Truce Has Crumbled
In the late 1960s academia, and particularly the humanities, began to embrace a variety of political causes and incorporate them more overtly into their scholarship. This shift coincided with curricular and intellectual developments that re-envisioned the educator as an activist and tasked him with the pursuit of normative scholarship, typically in service of progressive causes…
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The Adverse Impact of Government Bureaucracy on Private Employment
When I did this video about public-sector compensation almost 10 years ago, I focused on why it is unfair that bureaucrats get much higher levels of compensation than people working in the private sector. Today, let’s consider the economic consequences of excessive bureaucracy. And what will make this column particularly interesting is that I’ll be citing some research from economists at the International…
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Why Impeachment Has Fallen Flat (Video)
The puzzling issue of why so few are very interested in the impeachment issue that has roiled Washington.
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Does Your Family Need a Brand?
Investing in brands, or what economists call reputational capital, is critically important for organizations that hope to be successful in the marketplace. A firm’s brand can give life and meaning to its products and services, and when consumer experiences with the brand are consistent with expectations, a brand can engender trust and respect. What about…
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Not Losing Sight of the Classical Liberal Ideal
We should be concerned with truth and validity, not the expediency of to what democratic public opinion seems to confine discussion of a free society at a moment in time.
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•
The Mixed Economy Is a Mess
Election years tend to polarize people’s views about political parties, proposed social and economic policies, and the candidates running for high governmental office. This presidential election cycle is not only no different, it is far more so. This shows itself especially in how many younger Americans view the political, economic and social system under which…
-
•
The US Economy Urgently Needs Repression Easing
Let’s fight the next recession today by ridding ourselves of the collected policy detritus of the past and allow human, financial, and physical capital to flow freely to their most highly valued uses.
-
•
US vs. Denmark: Which Country Wins?
Measured by GDP per capita, Danish-American living standards are 55% higher than their counterparts in Denmark.
-
•
Maybe It Will Be the Battle of the Billionaires
After many decades of trying to get payola out of politics, there is still no stopping the reality that a big state creates big stakes for which people are willing to pay.
-
•
How Trumpism Swallowed Conservatism
In the summer of 2015, Donald Trump came to FreedomFest in Las Vegas – an event for conservatives and libertarians – as an eccentric outsider. Almost a gate crasher. People wondered why he was there. He presented his message of protectionism and immigration restrictionism, while railing against Iran and China. Only a strong leader can…
-
•
The Academic Truce Has Crumbled
In the late 1960s academia, and particularly the humanities, began to embrace a variety of political causes and incorporate them more overtly into their scholarship. This shift coincided with curricular and intellectual developments that re-envisioned the educator as an activist and tasked him with the pursuit of normative scholarship, typically in service of progressive causes…
-
•
The Adverse Impact of Government Bureaucracy on Private Employment
When I did this video about public-sector compensation almost 10 years ago, I focused on why it is unfair that bureaucrats get much higher levels of compensation than people working in the private sector. Today, let’s consider the economic consequences of excessive bureaucracy. And what will make this column particularly interesting is that I’ll be citing some research from economists at the International…
-
•
Why Impeachment Has Fallen Flat (Video)
The puzzling issue of why so few are very interested in the impeachment issue that has roiled Washington.
-
•
Does Your Family Need a Brand?
Investing in brands, or what economists call reputational capital, is critically important for organizations that hope to be successful in the marketplace. A firm’s brand can give life and meaning to its products and services, and when consumer experiences with the brand are consistent with expectations, a brand can engender trust and respect. What about…
-
•
Not Losing Sight of the Classical Liberal Ideal
We should be concerned with truth and validity, not the expediency of to what democratic public opinion seems to confine discussion of a free society at a moment in time.