Why Government Pollution Control Fails
In over twenty-five years of teaching undergraduate students, I have heard the same refrain countless times: free markets have many problems that government has to step in to solve. Indeed, students expect government to “step in” so much that markets
Tenth Circuit Denies Qualified Immunity for First Amendment Violation
Joshua A. Katz A civil society might require police, but a free society requires they be accountable for wrongdoing while on the job. Too often, though, the doctrine of qualified immunity protects officers who exceed their authority, such as by arresting citizens
Fifth Circuit Rejects Immunity for Pasadena Police Who Tasered Man Undergoing Epileptic Seizure
James Craven On Tuesday, the Fifth Circuit issued its decision in Austin v. City of Pasadena, which correctly reversed a grant of qualified immunity to police officers who responded to a detainee’s epileptic seizure by repeatedly tasing him, thereby allowing a case where a man
How East Germany’s Stasi Perfected Mass Surveillance
The state has a monopoly on violence. However, abusive repression harms government credibility and alienates public support in the long run. A more subtle and effective way to exercise power is to surveil the population and to prevent open manifestations
“Suppression” or No, Most Voting‐Law Changes Don’t Alter Partisan Outcomes
Walter Olson A widely noted new draft paper by two political scientists, Justin Grimmer of Stanford and Eitan Hersh of Tufts, surveys existing research and reaches a conclusion consistent with what I’ve argued for some time: for all the talk of democracy
How the Fed Could Bring in a CBDC Through the Back Door
George Gammon, host of the popular Rebel Capitalist show, warns that the Fed won't have to force the public to adopt a central bank digital currency (CBDC). Instead, the public might clamor for it, being promised safe, high-interest checking accounts
Friday Feature: Institute for Catholic Liberal Education
Colleen Hroncich In the United States today, the word “liberal” is often linked to Democrats and others on the political left who favor using government to implement social change. But the word actually comes from the Latin root liber, which means
Mises and Nationalism
Nationalism is a potent force in the modern world, and it is not surprising that some libertarians have been attracted to it. Indeed, in some circles the slogan “Blood and Soil” has come into to use to denote a people’s
Great Moments in “Buy America”
Scott Lincicome We often discuss how “Buy America” laws increase federal project costs by requiring pricier American‐made materials, but from tiny Brookport, Illinois comes a humorous/sad reminder that the protectionist law costs time and taxpayer money even when it’s waived: Brookport City Council
The War in Ukraine Is Far From Over
Ryan McMaken and Zachary Yost look at the many factors behind Ukraine's failure to defeat Russia or move closer to NATO membership. Ukraine is sadly caught between a cynical NATO and a Russia that is in it for the long