Daily Economy
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Markets and Prosperity, Not Police, Will Fix the Crime Problem
We need more markets, not more government, to discourage and prevent crime. One need not assume that unionized, militarized, and unpopular policemen are the only option for keeping the peace and keeping Americans safe.
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Sales of New and Existing Homes Are Slowing as Supply Rises
Sales of new and existing single-family homes fell in June as inventories rose, boosting the supply of homes on the market, measured in months. Still, the economy overall remains very healthy.
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Online Taxes Could Suffocate Small Retailers
State and local governments don’t need any more of our money to feed their budgets through taxes, whether they’re taken from online sales or not. We should be free to drop whatever we want into our virtual (or real) shopping carts in peace without government sweeping in to get a cut.
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Some Confusions of Language in Economic Thought
Fifty years ago, in 1968, Austrian (and Austrian school) economist Friedrich A. Hayek published a monograph called The Confusion of Language in Political Thought. Hayek argued that the words we use and the meanings we give to them greatly influence how we think about the political system and the wider social order in which we…
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Merchant Opposition to Protectionism Grows
The cause of free trade is fortunate this time to have the support of the merchant class.
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Trade Retaliation Hurts Everyone
Whenever our government “retaliates” with trade restrictions of its own, it unfairly tilts the playing field here at home in favor of politically potent producer groups and against the rest of us.
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Government Is Not What Makes a Country Great
Since November 2016 several Duke University colleagues have come into my office, closed the door, and said, “Okay. You were right. Are you happy now?”
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Socialism and the Battle Cry of Social Justice
The modern social justice movement works towards the disintegration of society. It is not a movement to achieve its declared aims, which is impossible, but to destroy.
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Initial Claims for Unemployment Insurance Fall Again, and Leading Indicators Rise
Initial claims for unemployment insurance fell to 207,000 for the latest week, the lowest reading since 1969, while the Leading Economic Index from The Conference Board posted a 0.5 percent increase in June. Overall, the preponderance of data support an upbeat outlook for the U.S. economy.
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New Housing Starts and Permits Fall in June as Activity Plateaus
Housing construction fell in June as single-family and multifamily starts declined. Housing permits, an indicator of future activity, also fell in the latest month. Overall, housing construction and permits appear to be plateauing after rebounding from the housing boom-bust cycle in the early 2000s.
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•
Markets and Prosperity, Not Police, Will Fix the Crime Problem
We need more markets, not more government, to discourage and prevent crime. One need not assume that unionized, militarized, and unpopular policemen are the only option for keeping the peace and keeping Americans safe.
-
•
Sales of New and Existing Homes Are Slowing as Supply Rises
Sales of new and existing single-family homes fell in June as inventories rose, boosting the supply of homes on the market, measured in months. Still, the economy overall remains very healthy.
-
•
Online Taxes Could Suffocate Small Retailers
State and local governments don’t need any more of our money to feed their budgets through taxes, whether they’re taken from online sales or not. We should be free to drop whatever we want into our virtual (or real) shopping carts in peace without government sweeping in to get a cut.
-
•
Some Confusions of Language in Economic Thought
Fifty years ago, in 1968, Austrian (and Austrian school) economist Friedrich A. Hayek published a monograph called The Confusion of Language in Political Thought. Hayek argued that the words we use and the meanings we give to them greatly influence how we think about the political system and the wider social order in which we…
-
•
Merchant Opposition to Protectionism Grows
The cause of free trade is fortunate this time to have the support of the merchant class.
-
•
Trade Retaliation Hurts Everyone
Whenever our government “retaliates” with trade restrictions of its own, it unfairly tilts the playing field here at home in favor of politically potent producer groups and against the rest of us.
-
•
Government Is Not What Makes a Country Great
Since November 2016 several Duke University colleagues have come into my office, closed the door, and said, “Okay. You were right. Are you happy now?”
-
•
Socialism and the Battle Cry of Social Justice
The modern social justice movement works towards the disintegration of society. It is not a movement to achieve its declared aims, which is impossible, but to destroy.
-
•
Initial Claims for Unemployment Insurance Fall Again, and Leading Indicators Rise
Initial claims for unemployment insurance fell to 207,000 for the latest week, the lowest reading since 1969, while the Leading Economic Index from The Conference Board posted a 0.5 percent increase in June. Overall, the preponderance of data support an upbeat outlook for the U.S. economy.
-
•
New Housing Starts and Permits Fall in June as Activity Plateaus
Housing construction fell in June as single-family and multifamily starts declined. Housing permits, an indicator of future activity, also fell in the latest month. Overall, housing construction and permits appear to be plateauing after rebounding from the housing boom-bust cycle in the early 2000s.