Individualism in the US Has Helped Make It an Economic Success
Immigration has raised concerns in some about America’s demographic future. Some propose that an influx of migrants with foreign worldviews will fracture American society. This argument is based on the finding that the diversity generated by immigration deters social trust. Trust
The Continuing Effort to Deny that Libertarian‐ish Voters Exist
David Boaz Here we go again. David Leonhardt of the New York Times dredges up a poorly designed chart from 2017 that purported to show that there are very few “fiscally conservative, socially liberal” American voters. At the time Karl Smith pointed
Affirmative Action in College Admissions
Jeffrey Miron and Jacob Winter This article appeared on Substack on May 30, 2023, and an earlier version appeared under Jacob Winter’s byline in the Harvard Undergraduate Law Review. In a few weeks, the Supreme Court will announce its decision in two cases
More Evidence That Opioid Policymakers Keep Aiming at the Wrong Target
Jeffrey A. Singer A new study released earlier this year adds more evidence to the mountains of evidence that policymakers trying to solve the overdose crisis have been aiming at the wrong target. Researchers from the Dartmouth University School of Medicine recently
How the World Trade Organization Can Get Its Groove Back
James Bacchus In this, the third year of his presidential term, President Joe Biden is clearly not making trade—much less trade liberalization—a priority. For the most part, his trade policy is a less strident echo of that of his predecessor, Donald Trump,
The Failure of Public Works and Public Funding
Shoddy service, regular breakdowns, and overbudget to boot. There is a reason why government-funded projects always waste resources. Original Article: "The Failure of Public Works and Public Funding"
Maritime Protectionism Continues to Plague Offshore Wind Development
Colin Grabow After years of planning and preparation, the Vineyard Wind project is swinging into high gear. Wind turbine monopiles recently arrived from Spain have been loaded onto a specialized vessel that is now installing them off the coast of Massachusetts. When that job
Higher Corporate Profit Margins Aren’t Causing Inflation
It is hard to ignore the headlines about US corporate profit margins stabilizing at their highest level in decades. This information has provided plenty of ammunition for populist commentators and politicians who blame corporate greed for the sharp increase in
Fast Facts about Discretionary Spending
Romina Boccia and Dominik Lett The federal government will spend $6.3 trillion in 2023, 27 percent is discretionary and 73 percent is mandatory. Discretionary spending refers to federal programs that receive funding through annual appropriations. Less than half of discretionary spending
$9.3 Billion San Jose Subway Project Would Reduce Local Car Trips Less Than 0.4%
Marc Joffe A six‐mile extension to the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system would have a minimal impact on personal vehicle emissions according to data in a federal travel forecast. Further, because the federal analysis is based on pre‐pandemic socioeconomic forecasts and travel