By Frank Shostak The government's releases of various economic indicators such as GDP, CPI and unemployment receive wide coverage in the media. In a measured and authoritative voice, various economists and other experts who are interviewed discuss their views regarding the health of the economy. A rise in an indicator such as GDP is interpreted as good news while a decline … [Read more...] about Economic Models vs. The Real World
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A History of Anarchist Thought w/Per Bylund
Pete welcomes Per Bylund back to the show. Per is a Fellow of the Mises Institute and Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship & Records-Johnston Professor of Free Enterprise in the School of Entrepreneurship in the Spears School of Business at Oklahoma State University, and an Associate Fellow of the Ratio Institute in Stockholm. Per recently did a presentation on … [Read more...] about A History of Anarchist Thought w/Per Bylund
California’s High-Speed Train Makes Solyndra Look Like a Bargain
By David Boaz The ongoing saga of California’s high-speed bullet train may end up being as classic a story of Democratic politicians’ hubris as the Solyndra debacle. The difference is that the bullet train is still going—well, not the train itself, but the taxpayer spending on the planning—despite some optimism earlier this year that Gov. Gavin Newsom was going to put the … [Read more...] about California’s High-Speed Train Makes Solyndra Look Like a Bargain
What 19th-Century Foreign Writers Said about American Freedom and Prosperity
By Richard M. Ebeling If you look at the results of relatively open and competitive market economies over the years, the decades, and especially the last two centuries, the only conclusion that can reasonably be reached is that free market liberal-oriented societies provide the conditions and opportunities for constant and continuous material and social betterment for the … [Read more...] about What 19th-Century Foreign Writers Said about American Freedom and Prosperity
In Praise of an Ideology of Freedom
By Daniel J. Boudreaux In a recent EconLog blog post, Alberto Mingardi justly praised Tyler Cowen’s latest book, Big Business. In that post, Mingardi favorably quotes, directly from Cowen’s volume, this passage: “So many of the problems with business are in fact problems with us, and they reflect the underlying and fairly universal imperfections of human nature. Yet we … [Read more...] about In Praise of an Ideology of Freedom
Electric Cars Aren’t Nearly as Green as People Think
By Catherine Alles For years, I’ve imagined how great it would be to own an electric car. Instead of spending almost 40 bucks every week or so on gas, I could just drop by my local outpost and charge my car while I buy organic vegetables. Wouldn’t that be great? Not only for myself but also for the environment? Maybe not. Although electric cars are a step in the right … [Read more...] about Electric Cars Aren’t Nearly as Green as People Think
With Gun Ban, Pittsburgh Lawmakers Virtue Signal on Taxpayers’ Dime
By Antony Davies and James R. Harrigan Most people know that politicians of all stripes are rarely sincere. Case in point: the Pittsburgh City Council’s recent industrial-strength gun-control nonsense. This law was so tempting to those who posture for a living that even Mayor Bill Peduto and Gov. Tom Wolf had to get in on the act. In the wake of the Tree of Life shooting, … [Read more...] about With Gun Ban, Pittsburgh Lawmakers Virtue Signal on Taxpayers’ Dime
No One Is Coming to Rescue You—Especially Not a Presidential Candidate
By Brittany Hunter We are only a few months into 2019, and already the 2020 presidential election season is well underway. Each week, it seems that more candidates are entering the race, especially in the Democratic field. And as the country cycles through its political flavors of the week, social media has become overrun by passionate posts that read more like stump … [Read more...] about No One Is Coming to Rescue You—Especially Not a Presidential Candidate
Minimum Wage Hikes Are Killing Jobs in California’s Poorest Communities, Study Says
By Tim Pearce California’s minimum wage increase has cost the state thousands of jobs worth of growth in the state’s booming restaurant industry, according to a recent study by the University of California Riverside. Delayed Effects California passed a bill in 2016 to bring the state’s minimum wage up to $15 an hour. For businesses with more than 25 employees, the state’s … [Read more...] about Minimum Wage Hikes Are Killing Jobs in California’s Poorest Communities, Study Says
A Horrible Future Awaits for Anyone who Depends on Government
By Joe Jarvis Lice, cockroaches, and root canals all have better approval ratings than Congress. Congress controls government spending. And nine out of every ten people say the government doesn’t spend tax dollars wisely. 57% say tax rates are too high. (But only 13% want to cut right to the heart of the issue and abolish the IRS.) And whatever side of the aisle … [Read more...] about A Horrible Future Awaits for Anyone who Depends on Government
Central Banking Is Central Planning
By Richard M. Ebeling At a time when the appeal of and demands for a new “democratic” socialism seem to have caught the imagination of many among the young and are reflected in the promises of a good number of political candidates running for high office, there is one already-existing socialist institution in America with few opponents: the Federal Reserve System. The … [Read more...] about Central Banking Is Central Planning
The Value of a Self-Directed Summer for Kids
By Kerry McDonald It’s all over the news these days. Kids are stressed-out, not playing, and, most worrisome, experiencing sharp increases in depression and suicide. Last month, a new paper published in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology revealed that adolescent mental health has deteriorated over the last decade, with soaring depression rates for young people ages 14 to … [Read more...] about The Value of a Self-Directed Summer for Kids