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.

AIER’s Editorial Policy.

What Are We For? A Challenge for Classical Liberals in the Academy

“The solution, the way to navigate the rapids downstream of where we are now, is clear, but not easy. It is to refocus on making the moral case for capitalism, on providing a positive, optimistic vision of the world that can be remade.” ~ Michael C. Munger

Yes, the Fed Is a Failure

“DeSantis is right to call out the Fed. And honesty compels one to acknowledge the Fed’s failures, even if those failures are pointed out by politicians of whom one disapproves. Anything less subjects responsible policy analysis to rank partisanship.” ~ Alexander William Salter

There is Cosmic Wisdom in this Simple Question

“Despite too many flaws to count, my dad had a strong sense of dignity and fundamental equality. He greeted those who overstepped with a simple question that is woefully under-appreciated today: Who do you think you are?” ~ Max Borders

Earth Day, Waste and Productive Complements

“The analysis of productive complements opens the door to understanding the incentives that private property rights and markets provide to reduce waste and pollution, which is so at odds with one of the most common defamations made against them.” ~ Gary M. Galles

Small Change: Let’s Put Pennies and Nickels to Rest

“If we don’t have the vision and political will to do something as unambiguously beneficial as to stop minting pennies and nickels, then perhaps ‘vision and political will’ aren’t going to give us the better future we want.” ~ Art Carden

The Screen of Gyges

“Lousy information will continue contaminating the noosphere until we figure out how to incentivize truth-tracking. So it’s not just that we must set up systems that better track the truth (innovation). We must set ourselves up to better track the truth (wisdom).” ~ Max Borders

Why Did The Redcoats Wear Red Coats?

“Students are often amazed and delighted by what the economic way of thinking can help us understand, and it is why instructors must look for every opportunity to instill the wonder of economics in their students.” ~ Anthony Gill

Patrick Henry’s Stamp Act Resolutions

“After Henry left town, the House of Burgesses expunged the fifth Resolve on the 31st. It only remains with us because it was found in an envelope alongside Henry’s will.” ~ James R. Harrigan

Tax Day: Inverting the Experience

“Tax season’s sophisticated sleight-of-hand will have most Americans wondering what they’ll buy with their refund, instead of questioning whether they saw results for all the dollars they won’t get back.” ~ Laura Williams

The Tax Code: A Playground for the Few, A Labyrinth for the Many

“The tax code’s complexity has created an environment in which tax-preparation services, lobbyists, favored industries, and politicians thrive, while taxpayers struggle to make sense of ever-changing rules and regulations.” ~ Antony Davies

Industrial Policy Does Indeed Fall Victim to the Knowledge Problem

“Prices, asset values, and profits and losses determined in open markets in which people spend and invest their own (and only their own) money are the only sources of information in a modern economy about which resource uses are worthwhile and which resource uses aren’t worthwhile.” ~ Donald J. Boudreaux

Hayek and Bitcoin

“By seemingly enormous coincidence, Satoshi (assuming he was unaware at the time), would have probably been delighted to learn that in Hayek’s same ‘sly roundabout way’ video interview, he held up a copy of The Times newspaper and declared: ‘I read this everyday.’ Great minds think alike.” ~ Emile Phaneuf

What Are We For? A Challenge for Classical Liberals in the Academy

“The solution, the way to navigate the rapids downstream of where we are now, is clear, but not easy. It is to refocus on making the moral case for capitalism, on providing a positive, optimistic vision of the world that can be remade.” ~ Michael C. Munger

Yes, the Fed Is a Failure

“DeSantis is right to call out the Fed. And honesty compels one to acknowledge the Fed’s failures, even if those failures are pointed out by politicians of whom one disapproves. Anything less subjects responsible policy analysis to rank partisanship.” ~ Alexander William Salter

There is Cosmic Wisdom in this Simple Question

“Despite too many flaws to count, my dad had a strong sense of dignity and fundamental equality. He greeted those who overstepped with a simple question that is woefully under-appreciated today: Who do you think you are?” ~ Max Borders

Earth Day, Waste and Productive Complements

“The analysis of productive complements opens the door to understanding the incentives that private property rights and markets provide to reduce waste and pollution, which is so at odds with one of the most common defamations made against them.” ~ Gary M. Galles

Small Change: Let’s Put Pennies and Nickels to Rest

“If we don’t have the vision and political will to do something as unambiguously beneficial as to stop minting pennies and nickels, then perhaps ‘vision and political will’ aren’t going to give us the better future we want.” ~ Art Carden

The Screen of Gyges

“Lousy information will continue contaminating the noosphere until we figure out how to incentivize truth-tracking. So it’s not just that we must set up systems that better track the truth (innovation). We must set ourselves up to better track the truth (wisdom).” ~ Max Borders

Why Did The Redcoats Wear Red Coats?

“Students are often amazed and delighted by what the economic way of thinking can help us understand, and it is why instructors must look for every opportunity to instill the wonder of economics in their students.” ~ Anthony Gill

Patrick Henry’s Stamp Act Resolutions

“After Henry left town, the House of Burgesses expunged the fifth Resolve on the 31st. It only remains with us because it was found in an envelope alongside Henry’s will.” ~ James R. Harrigan

Tax Day: Inverting the Experience

“Tax season’s sophisticated sleight-of-hand will have most Americans wondering what they’ll buy with their refund, instead of questioning whether they saw results for all the dollars they won’t get back.” ~ Laura Williams

The Tax Code: A Playground for the Few, A Labyrinth for the Many

“The tax code’s complexity has created an environment in which tax-preparation services, lobbyists, favored industries, and politicians thrive, while taxpayers struggle to make sense of ever-changing rules and regulations.” ~ Antony Davies

Industrial Policy Does Indeed Fall Victim to the Knowledge Problem

“Prices, asset values, and profits and losses determined in open markets in which people spend and invest their own (and only their own) money are the only sources of information in a modern economy about which resource uses are worthwhile and which resource uses aren’t worthwhile.” ~ Donald J. Boudreaux

Hayek and Bitcoin

“By seemingly enormous coincidence, Satoshi (assuming he was unaware at the time), would have probably been delighted to learn that in Hayek’s same ‘sly roundabout way’ video interview, he held up a copy of The Times newspaper and declared: ‘I read this everyday.’ Great minds think alike.” ~ Emile Phaneuf