Due Process on Campus Keeps Justice on the Streets
Politics moves from campus to Main Street. The next political attack is likely to be on due process—the foundation of Western justice itself. Much depends on which side of the current debate on campus sexual misconduct hearings wins. Does a
The Fed Embraces Its Inner Zimbabwean
May is on its way, and the old investment saw, “Sell in May and go away,” will be tested once again. Jared Blikre, writing for Yahoo Finance, provides the history behind what may or may not be good advice. “The full axiom was
Three Reasons Why the Biden Tax Increase Makes No Sense
Anyone who believes the “rich” and large corporations will pay for $28 trillion in debt or the $2 trillion in new deficit has a real problem with math. Biden’s announcement of a massive tax increase on businesses and wealthier segments of the population simply makes
Decentralization, Absolutism, and the Papal States
[The Pope Who Would Be King: The Exile of Pius IX and the Emergence of Modern Europe by David Kertzer Random House, 2018 xxx + 474 pages] Historian David Kertzer made a name for himself with his 1997 book The Kidnapping
What Happens When Governments Force Corporate Boards to Appoint More Women
A controversial new law in California requires publicly traded companies headquartered in the state to include at least one woman on their board of directors. Supporters of those types of laws even contend that gender quotas could boost firm profitability. However, the
The New Deal and Recovery, Part 14: Fear Itself (Conclusion)
(This post completes my three-part discussion of the "regime uncertainty" hypothesis, according to which the New Deal hampered recovery by causing businessmen to fear policy changes that might render their investments unprofitable. Links to the previous posts about regime uncertainty,
Monetary Pumping and Idle Resources
As a result of the recent stimulus policies employed by the US government and the Fed, most commentators are of the view that the risk of a deepening slump in the US economy on account of the covid-19 pandemic has now
Political Competition vs. Market Competition
[Editor's note: In this selection from The Society of Tomorrow, Gustave de Molinari (1819-1912) discusses how competition in the political and natural worlds differ greatly from competition in the marketplace. We find Molinari makes some observations similar to those of Ludwig von Mises
The Ruling Class Only Cares about Democracy When It Helps Them
Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan once remarked that ''[d]emocracy is like a streetcar. When you come to your stop, you get off.'' Say what you want about the Turkish president and his extravagant political ambitions, but Erdogan’s statement reveals an
Alan Payne on a Fascinating History of Competing Business Models
We can gain useful insights by winding business models back in time to see how they emerged and evolved. In the case of competing business models, we can analyze the different outcomes and perhaps assign some cause and effect analysis