From the Editor May/June
When I was an economics undergraduate back in the 1990s, central bankers at the Federal Reserve were more or less above criticism. Those were the days when Alan Greenspan was acclaimed as “the maestro” and it was simply assumed central
3 Things to Remember on Independence Day
It's difficult to say what most Americans commemorate or celebrate on Independence Day nowadays. Many appear to focus on some vague notion of "America." Others even take to jingoism equating the United States government with the very notion of "freedom." Lost
Do Boycotts Really Work? Another Look at the Bud Light Situation
Some conservatives are upset because the new best-selling beer is owned by the same company that owns the beleaguered Bud Lite. Actually, they should have no problem with that. Original Article: "Do Boycotts Really Work? Another Look at the Bud Light
Trade in Real Life: How the FDA Burns Consumers with Sunscreen Regulations
Gabriella Beaumont-Smith On July 4th, many Americans will take to the outdoors to celebrate the Declaration of Independence from my home nation, Great Britain. These days, most people know to lather on sunscreen when spending time outside in the summer (though
Why Regimes Want to Rule Over Big States with More Land and More People
When the Soviet Union began its collapse in 1989, the world witnessed decentralization and secession on a broad scale. Over the next several years, puppet regimes and states that were independent in name only broke away from Soviet domination and formed
Comparing California and Florida FY 2023–24 Budgets
Marc Joffe California and Florida now have approved budgets for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2023, giving us the opportunity to compare spending across two large states with different governing philosophies. Both overall and per capita, Florida spends far less than
Independence in 1776; Dependence in 2023
Chris Edwards Federal government spending is soaring and debt will soon reach record highs compared to the size of the economy. Rising spending and debt are undermining growth and may push the nation into a financial crisis. As the federal government’s size has
Social Media “Blockings” Send Two Cases to the Supreme Court
Thomas A. Berry Next term, the Supreme Court will decide two cases raising questions unique to the social media age. Many public officeholders have social media accounts that are not formally run by the government, but which the officeholders nonetheless use
Student Loan Forgiveness and Standing
Clark Neily Last Thursday, the Supreme Court struck down President Biden’s student loan forgiveness program, finding that it was not plausibly authorized by statute and that the State of Missouri had standing to challenge the program via a state‐created loan‐servicing entity that
Maine Legalizes the Sale of Prostitution Services
Jeffrey Miron This article appeared on SubStack on July 3, 2023. Last week Maine legalized the sale—but not the purchase—of prostitution services, becoming the first state to enact such a law. (Nevada allows legal prostitution in counties with fewer than 700,000 residents; Rhode