Daily economy news from the American Institute for Economic Research: data, stories, research, and articles touching on economics, politics, culture, education, policy, opinion, technology, markets, healthcare, regulation, trends, and much more.
Is it a LOLR? No, It’s a Trap
“The reason this is infuriating is that we are being told that taxpayers should be willing to double down, to reimburse even-more-careless depositors for their negligent inattention to risk.” ~ Michael C. Munger
Some Buttons That I’d Not Push, and Some That I Would Push
“There are, undoubtedly, still other unwise government interventions that I would wish to eliminate, but that I would also not willingly push a button to eliminate immediately. But there are buttons I would push.” ~ Donald J. Boudreaux
Minimum Wage Hurts Whom It Claims to Help
“Being able to work, and feel productive, is an important part of the social aspect of our economy. Service jobs are disappearing fast enough, without having the process accelerated by misguided support for increasing the minimum wage.” ~ Michael C. Munger
FDIC: No Savior Then or Now
“It is not clear that some sort of enhanced stockholder liability has yet returned to the Overton Window, but it is possible that Americans will point out the hypocrisy of the Biden administration’s raising taxes on the rich with one hand while bailing them out with the other.” ~ Robert E. Wright
How Ethical Consumption Emboldens Certification Systems and Rent Seeking Agencies
“What is most worrisome about Fair Trade is that it normalizes producer practices according to what is approved by certifiers, and takes away producer choice in terms of business conduct.” ~ Kimberlee Josephson
Pulse Checking Healthcare Choice
“Improved transparency would help free both patients and providers from the current warped incentives and political jockeying that leave Americans holding a hefty bill over which they have little choice.” ~ David Gillette & Lauren Frazier
The Dark Magic of Promotio Competitio
“There is no point in struggling if there is no end to be achieved. Promotio Competitio should be relegated to the corner of forbidden, dark magic. Instead, I suggest we embrace Freedom Protecto and Celebratio Successio.” ~ Robertas Bakula
Bottle Rockets and Falling Skies: How SVB Crashed and Why It’s Not the End of the World
“Their failure to take steps to hedge against imminent deflationary policy was grossly negligent, and ultimately unlikely to be repeated by bank managers whose responsibilities extend beyond a specific boutique market.” ~ Tarnell Brown
What the US Can Learn From Taiwan’s Success in Chip Manufacturing
“Taiwan’s semiconductor companies succeeded not because of grants and subsidies, but from their ability to innovate and respond to the pressures of a competitive market.” ~ Larisa Jacono
Through the Eyes of Greed
“Politicians don’t care whether oil companies are greedy, or altruistic, or neither. Politicians care about using oil companies as a smokescreen to hide from the voters’ wrath.” ~ Antony Davies
The Biden Budget: Smoke, Mirrors, and Class Warfare
“Beyond tired class warfare rhetoric and anti-competitive measures, the Biden administration is attempting to increase not only the size of the state (through more taxing and spending), but also the scope of the state, through misguided commercial and industrial policy.” ~ Nikolai G. Wenzel
What To Do About Deficits, Debt
“When it comes to fiscal follies, this time is different. Let’s not pass the buck. Instead, let’s make the necessary sacrifices to ensure the long-run integrity of the United States. Let’s plant the trees.” ~ Alexander William Salter
AIER’s Everyday Price Index rises 0.67% in February 2023
“As was the case in January 2023, AIER’s Everyday Price Index shows a larger month-over-month increase in household costs than either the headline or core Consumer Price Index readings indicate.” ~ Peter C. Earle
What Reich Gets Wrong about the Kroger-Albertsons Merger and What He Misses Completely
“The Kroger-Albertson deals should be defended, not debated, and assertions by academics on industry matters should be met with serious skepticism.” ~ Kimberlee Josephson
The Amazing Cargo Ship
“Like the trade that’s carried out using cargo ships, all trade – from the simplest to the most complex – works wonders. Trade allows each of us to turn our unique talents into the fruits of the talents of everyone with whom we trade.” ~ Donald J. Boudreaux
The Unconstitutional Tax on “Unrealized Capital Gains”
“Much like the contrived economic arguments behind the wealth tax, its legal arguments are a result of politically motivated reasoning to bring about a new tax system that the Constitution prohibits.” ~ Phillip W. Magness
Silicon Valley Bank: Bespoke, Woke, and Restoked?
“In a chorus which has become familiar, the S&P 500 futures just leapt upward, as the dollar fell with equal fervor. Relief for equities, a snub to the greenback. At 7:45pm EDT on an otherwise quiet Sunday night in March, this is what that kicking the can down the road looks like.” ~ Peter C. Earle
How Did We Get Here: The Coming Standardization for Policy Implementation of ESG
“The ESG industry shows no signs of slowing down, and initiatives seem to be ramping up on a global scale. As such, it is worth considering how we got here, who is in charge, and what lies ahead.” ~ Kimberlee Josephson
Is it a LOLR? No, It’s a Trap
“The reason this is infuriating is that we are being told that taxpayers should be willing to double down, to reimburse even-more-careless depositors for their negligent inattention to risk.” ~ Michael C. Munger
Some Buttons That I’d Not Push, and Some That I Would Push
“There are, undoubtedly, still other unwise government interventions that I would wish to eliminate, but that I would also not willingly push a button to eliminate immediately. But there are buttons I would push.” ~ Donald J. Boudreaux
Minimum Wage Hurts Whom It Claims to Help
“Being able to work, and feel productive, is an important part of the social aspect of our economy. Service jobs are disappearing fast enough, without having the process accelerated by misguided support for increasing the minimum wage.” ~ Michael C. Munger
FDIC: No Savior Then or Now
“It is not clear that some sort of enhanced stockholder liability has yet returned to the Overton Window, but it is possible that Americans will point out the hypocrisy of the Biden administration’s raising taxes on the rich with one hand while bailing them out with the other.” ~ Robert E. Wright
How Ethical Consumption Emboldens Certification Systems and Rent Seeking Agencies
“What is most worrisome about Fair Trade is that it normalizes producer practices according to what is approved by certifiers, and takes away producer choice in terms of business conduct.” ~ Kimberlee Josephson
Pulse Checking Healthcare Choice
“Improved transparency would help free both patients and providers from the current warped incentives and political jockeying that leave Americans holding a hefty bill over which they have little choice.” ~ David Gillette & Lauren Frazier
The Dark Magic of Promotio Competitio
“There is no point in struggling if there is no end to be achieved. Promotio Competitio should be relegated to the corner of forbidden, dark magic. Instead, I suggest we embrace Freedom Protecto and Celebratio Successio.” ~ Robertas Bakula
Bottle Rockets and Falling Skies: How SVB Crashed and Why It’s Not the End of the World
“Their failure to take steps to hedge against imminent deflationary policy was grossly negligent, and ultimately unlikely to be repeated by bank managers whose responsibilities extend beyond a specific boutique market.” ~ Tarnell Brown
What the US Can Learn From Taiwan’s Success in Chip Manufacturing
“Taiwan’s semiconductor companies succeeded not because of grants and subsidies, but from their ability to innovate and respond to the pressures of a competitive market.” ~ Larisa Jacono
Through the Eyes of Greed
“Politicians don’t care whether oil companies are greedy, or altruistic, or neither. Politicians care about using oil companies as a smokescreen to hide from the voters’ wrath.” ~ Antony Davies
The Biden Budget: Smoke, Mirrors, and Class Warfare
“Beyond tired class warfare rhetoric and anti-competitive measures, the Biden administration is attempting to increase not only the size of the state (through more taxing and spending), but also the scope of the state, through misguided commercial and industrial policy.” ~ Nikolai G. Wenzel
What To Do About Deficits, Debt
“When it comes to fiscal follies, this time is different. Let’s not pass the buck. Instead, let’s make the necessary sacrifices to ensure the long-run integrity of the United States. Let’s plant the trees.” ~ Alexander William Salter
AIER’s Everyday Price Index rises 0.67% in February 2023
“As was the case in January 2023, AIER’s Everyday Price Index shows a larger month-over-month increase in household costs than either the headline or core Consumer Price Index readings indicate.” ~ Peter C. Earle
What Reich Gets Wrong about the Kroger-Albertsons Merger and What He Misses Completely
“The Kroger-Albertson deals should be defended, not debated, and assertions by academics on industry matters should be met with serious skepticism.” ~ Kimberlee Josephson
The Amazing Cargo Ship
“Like the trade that’s carried out using cargo ships, all trade – from the simplest to the most complex – works wonders. Trade allows each of us to turn our unique talents into the fruits of the talents of everyone with whom we trade.” ~ Donald J. Boudreaux
The Unconstitutional Tax on “Unrealized Capital Gains”
“Much like the contrived economic arguments behind the wealth tax, its legal arguments are a result of politically motivated reasoning to bring about a new tax system that the Constitution prohibits.” ~ Phillip W. Magness
Silicon Valley Bank: Bespoke, Woke, and Restoked?
“In a chorus which has become familiar, the S&P 500 futures just leapt upward, as the dollar fell with equal fervor. Relief for equities, a snub to the greenback. At 7:45pm EDT on an otherwise quiet Sunday night in March, this is what that kicking the can down the road looks like.” ~ Peter C. Earle
How Did We Get Here: The Coming Standardization for Policy Implementation of ESG
“The ESG industry shows no signs of slowing down, and initiatives seem to be ramping up on a global scale. As such, it is worth considering how we got here, who is in charge, and what lies ahead.” ~ Kimberlee Josephson
