Topic: Government

Seek Symmetry

– February 22, 2023

“A better approach is to ensure that employers and employees are on equal footing when it comes to job mobility and competition, by requiring that the terms of the noncompete apply equally to both the company’s and the employee’s competitors.” ~ Antony Davies

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FDR’s Raw Deal for African Americans

– February 21, 2023

“The indictment of the New Deal’s treatment of blacks could go on for many more pages. Suffice it to say here that the New Deal was a raw deal for Americans, especially African Americans.” ~ Robert E. Wright

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The Thin Line Between Tribalism and Human Flourishing

– February 20, 2023

“Current politicians, educators, and others encourage Americans to adopt tribal identities. It ended badly in Cyprus. The outcome of tribalist mindsets dividing Americans may differ only in degree.” ~ Barry Brownstein

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Recessions and Economic Freedom

– February 19, 2023

“This global retreat in economic freedom is worrisome. It means that economic crises are going to be longer and more painful. Thus, they are more likely to result in political backlash. Defenders of economic freedom should bear this in mind when they emphasize how important that freedom is.” ~ Vincent Geloso

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In Defense of “Junk” Fees

– February 18, 2023

“The incremental fees associated with the great plethora of goods and services at our fingertips are an essential prerequisite to satisfying consumer demand. Their abolishment, whether by prohibition or concealment via aggregation, will prove consequential.” ~ Peter C. Earle

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Biden’s “Buy American” Scheme a Bad Deal for America

– February 17, 2023

“Paying more to produce goods domestically that could be acquired cheaper from elsewhere, wastes resources, kills jobs in other industries, and makes us poorer as a result.” ~ Brian Balfour

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The Federal Reserve Accountability Act in Light of 333 Years of American Experiments

– February 17, 2023

“By making the Fed so much more controlled by Washington, and removing even the appearance of private-sector influence, the proposed amendment could fatally weaken the Fed’s political legitimacy.” ~ Dror Goldberg

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A Tale of Two Realities

– February 16, 2023

“The media’s incentive is to tell us the portion of the truth that is entertaining. And what we have demonstrated by our behavior is that bad news entertains us.” ~ Antony Davies

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An Economics Pop Quiz

– February 16, 2023

“Here’s a pop quiz. Some questions are conceptual, others ask about particular facts. The correct answers are supplied at the end. (But don’t cheat by peeking beforehand at the answers!) Good luck!” ~ Donald J. Boudreaux

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What’s Up (and Down) With the Economy?

– February 15, 2023

“I would keep my eye on the LEI (and AIER’s equivalent) but pay special attention to the manufacturing variables. Outside of the LEI, I would also carefully watch real wage trends and its downstream knockoffs (credit card and other debt and defaults, and the personal savings rate).” ~ Robert E. Wright

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Joblessness and the Fed

– February 15, 2023

“Without a symmetric response to deviations from the target, the Fed’s so-called average inflation target will not produce 2 percent inflation on average. Instead, it will tend to produce inflation that exceeds 2 percent. That’s a far cry from price stability.” ~ Alexander William Salter

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Now the Education Department Wants To Make It Even Easier on Students Who Have Borrowed for College

– February 14, 2023

“Student borrowers will pay substantially less than before. The Department justifies this by saying that many are struggling with their loan repayments. Some are, but why should the government shield them from the consequences of bad decisions?” ~ George Leef

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