Economics and Economic Freedom

A free and prosperous society requires a functioning market economy at its foundation. Using a broad array of tools drawn from price theory, public choice analysis, Austrian theory, and classical empiricism, our study of economics and economic freedom explores the underpinnings of the market system, the roots of economic prosperity, and emerging threats to the same in the public policy sphere. Our work includes the measurement of freedom and providing practical economic information for people to make better decisions.

Articles

The Moralization of Covid-19

“Ethan Yang interviews Dr. Maja Graso, a senior lecturer at the University of Otago. Dr. Graso was the lead researcher on a study published in the Journal of Experimental Social Physiology titled, “Moralization of Covid-19 health response: Asymmetry in tolerance for human costs” outlining how people’s perceptions of Covid-19 could alter their ability to make an objective cost-benefit analysis.” ~ AIER

Are Tax Increases Popular?

“Voters seem to be on the right side on the big-picture question of ‘Should taxes be higher?’, but if they think tax increases are going to happen, it’s quite likely that they will support the most economically damaging types of class-warfare levies.” ~ Daniel J. Mitchell

Pandemic Pressures Unwinding in Housing

“Home construction activity was mixed in April. While fundamentals remain solid for the housing market, reverting housing preferences and rising single-family prices are likely to restrain future activity.” – Robert Hughes

Lift Your Gaze, Please: the April Inflation Overshoot is Not the Problem

“A betting man, if he wants to remain a betting man, updates his priors. So, I side with Jason Bloom at the asset manager Invesco: ‘There is so much dislocation in the economy from the reopening and base effects from a year ago that it will take at least six to 12 months before we get a clear view of the underlying inflation trend.’ I will make a different sort of prediction, though: no matter what the future holds, the Chickens will be there to squawk about it.” ~ Joakim Book

A Conversation on the Importance of Entrepreneurship

“AIER Authors Corner, Ethan Yang interviews Dr. Eammon Butler, joining us from Cambridge, UK. Dr. Butler co-founded the Adam Smith Institute, which was credited with advising the Thatcher government in its radical market-oriented reforms of British society.” ~ AIER

Lumber, Labor, and Gas Markets Tell SAD Stories

“As economists emphasize whenever price gouging rules kick in, ignoring what supply and demand analysis has to teach us usually means making the problem worse rather than better.” ~ Art Carden