Governors Running for President
Chris Edwards The next president will face a huge federal budget mess. Spending is driving up debt to unprecedented levels and is pushing federal intrusion ever deeper into state, local, and private affairs. The most important question we should ask of 2024 presidential
Why Do We Act against Our Self-Interest?
Rational choice theory claims that people in the political realm act in their own self-interest. However, in today's political climate, many people act against their own interests to avoid being attacked by others. Original Article: "Why Do We Act against Our
Why Is Federal Spending Expanding as a Share of the Economy?
Romina Boccia U.S. government spending is growing at a faster pace than the ability of taxpayers to pay for it. As government spending outpaces economic growth, more resources are redirected from productivity‐enhancing functions toward government‐fueled consumption without commensurate increases in the ability
Taking Back the Meaning of “Inflation”
Words matter and definitions often become imprecise and “slippery.” There is a natural evolution of language wherein words gradually change over time, but often a key meaning gets lost and there no longer remains a single word to describe a
Unlikely Senate Alliance Proposes Cryptocurrency Surveillance
Nicholas Anthony Senators Cynthia Lummis (R‑WY) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D‑NY) introduced an updated version of their Responsible Financial Innovation Act. The bulk of the bill addresses issues around market structure and cryptocurrency exchanges—issues my colleagues Jack Solowey and Jennifer Schulp have
American Compass Dystopia: Americans’ “Stagnant” Income
Norbert Michel and Jai Kedia A few weeks ago, American Compass released Rebuilding American Capitalism, A Handbook for Conservative Policymakers. This Forbes column (American Compass Points To Myths Not Facts) provided a very brief critique of the handbook’s Financialization chapter, and Oren Cass,
Why Mises’s Theory of Economic Calculation Still Is Relevant Today
Whether political elites promote outright socialism or interventionism, thanks to the reality of economic calculation, they are advocating a failed economy. Original Article: "Why Mises’s Theory of Economic Calculation Still Is Relevant Today"
The Financial Implications of the Death Penalty
Jeffrey Miron This article appeared on SubStack on July 20, 2023. One argument for the death penalty is that the usual alternative—life in prison without possibility of parole—imposes a financial burden on taxpayers (about $60,000-$70,000 per death row inmate per year, according to
Is Boycotting Target a Legitimate Protest or an Act of Terrorism?
n discussing the recent boycott of Target, University of Michigan economics professor Justin Wolfers recently told MSNBC: [If] Target caves into this, then it says that the moment you threaten the employees of even a very large corporation, you get to
Out of the Woods?
Michael talks with Tom Woods about RFK, Jr., whether the elites are evil or just incompetent, and the secret of Tom's success.