Economic Liberty
"Spam Private Eye" Can't Constitutionally Be Required to Get Real Private Eye License,
at least when the license requires 6000 hours of training on matters far removed from his expertise.
On Taxes and Economic Freedom, Canadians Have It Worse Than Americans
Liberty to engage in voluntary transactions and keep our wealth varies across North America.
Surging Immigration Will Reduce Deficits by $1 Trillion
New Congressional Budget Office data shows how higher-than-expected immigration is a win for the economy and the federal budget.
The Modern Miracle of Cheap Aluminum Foil
These are the best of times, so let's all stop complaining.
American Distillers Brace for Huge E.U. Tariff Hike
More than five years after it began, former President Donald Trump's trade war is still spiraling out of control.
Is Economic Freedom Good for Public Health?
New research on how the growth of government may affect public health, even if only indirectly.
Think Like an Austrian: Puzzle #18
Enjoyed this week's puzzle? Consider a donation to Reason during our annual webathon.
New Edition of "Freedom in the Fifty States"
The Cato Institute recently published the latest edition of its ranking of personal, economic, and overall freedom in the states.
Cato Institute Call for Papers on Constitutional Protection for Economic Liberties
Winning submissions will be included in a symposium, and get a $2000 honorarium.
IRS Targeting More Supposedly 'High-Income' Americans Than Advertised
Don’t count on that promise to not hike taxes on “people making less than $400,000.”
Despite the Doomsday Narrative, Global Inequality Has Significantly Declined
This progress has been widely shared, to the great benefit of the people at the bottom of the distribution.
Barbie Girls Now Live in a Much Wealthier Barbie World
The average working woman in 2023 earns enough money to buy a Barbie doll every 33 minutes. In 1959, it took nearly two hours.
The Democratic Governor Who Wants Drug Legalization and Free Markets
"Government in general does a lot of things that aren't necessary," says Jared Polis.
Two Cheers for the "Freedom Conservatism" Statement of Principles
It has many good points. But I have some reservations and questions.
Indiana Constitution Protects Long-Established Unenumerated Rights, Including Personal and Economic Rights
So the Indiana Supreme Court held yesterday, though it concluded that, as to abortion, this is limited to situations where the abortion is necessary to protect the woman's life or health.
Georgia S. Ct.: Right to Pursue Lawful Occupation Invalidates License Requirement for Lactation Consultants
The court so holds applying the Georgia Constitution's Due Process Clause, which the court had long interpreted as securing a right to pursue a lawful occupation.
Ron DeSantis Dangerously Blurs the Line Between State and Private Action
Whether the putative target is the "biomedical security state," wokeness, "Big Tech censors," or Chinese Communists, the presidential candidate’s grandstanding poses a clear threat to individual rights.
Conservatives Pushing 'Common Good Capitalism' Sound a Lot Like Progressives
The ideology champions the same tired policies that big government types predictably propose whenever they see something they don't like.
This California Bill Would Mandate Punishment of Marijuana Debtors Without a Hearing
To address an "unpaid debt bubble," the proposed law would dictate contract terms and require regulators to intervene in commercial disputes.
Ian Vásquez: COVID Accelerated the Global Decline in Human Freedom
Overall human freedom peaked in 2007, according to the Cato Institute, and governments' COVID response merely exacerbated the trend toward a radically less-free planet.
SEC to Coinbase: Nice Crypto Exchange You Got There, It'd Be a Shame if Something Happened to It
Coinbase says the agency's assault will "only drive innovation, jobs, and the entire industry overseas."
New Regulations Won't Stop the Next Bank Collapse
Plus: Another campus free speech debacle, foreign cheese groups lose Gruyere trademark case, and more...
Federal Employees Don't Like Paying Taxes Either
Uncle Sam's own workers owe $1.5 billion, and growing, in unpaid taxes.
Meet the Students Pushing Back Against Socialism
"It's very easy for politicians to legislate freedom away," says Northwood University's Kristin Tokarev. "But it's incredibly hard to get back."
Do Young Conservatives Still Care About the Free Market?
"It's not about money or jobs or fiscal conservatism," one CPAC attendee told Reason.
FTC Commissioner Resigns To Protest Agency's 'Disregard for the Rule of Law'
Chair Lina Khan has flouted the rule of law and due process, Commissioner Christine Wilson wrote.
End the Fed? A Soho Forum Debate
Economists Lawrence H. White and Frederic Mishkin debate whether the Federal Reserve should be replaced with free market institutions.
Andrew Koppelman Responds to Critics of His Book on Libertarianism [Updated]
The response is part of the Balkinization blog symposium on his book " Burning Down the House: How Libertarian Philosophy Was Corrupted by Delusion and Greed," in which I was among the participants.
Free Trade Would Boost the Economy, But It's Not on the Ballot
Joe Biden adopted his predecessor’s protectionism, threatening our peace and prosperity.
The Press Idolizes Politicians. Instead, It Needs To Hold Them Accountable.
Newspapers deserve a great deal of credit for the expansion of freedom over the past 200 years. But the media have lost credibility.
Don't Hold Your Breath Waiting for a Post-Pandemic 'Return to Normal'
We’re likely to be poorer, distrustful, and less free for years to come.
Federal Court Upholds Washington, DC Regulation Requiring Child Care Workers to Have College Degrees
The decision may be in accordance with Supreme Court precedent. But if so, it underscores that precedent's flaws.
Gavin Newsom Thinks California Is Freer Than Florida. Is He Crazy?
If Newsom wants to pick a fight with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, he should try a different topic.
Economic Liberalization on Israeli Kibbutzim Increases Support for Markets
Even socialist kibbutzniks can come to appreciate the benefits of markets when given a chance to directly compare them to socialism.
Revised Version of My New Article on "Immigration and the Economic Liberty of Natives"
The article is now up on SSRN. It explains how migration restrictions have massive negative effects on both "negative" and "positive" economic liberty of residents of destination countries.
Globalization Is Alive, Well, and Changing
America can join with more free trade or it can miss out.
Fed Report Shows Who's Actually Using Crypto and How
Millions of lower-income or unbanked people are more likely to use cryptocurrency as a payment method.
Getting Paid in Bitcoin
Unfortunately, an automatic crypto purchase made with after-tax earnings won't lower your taxable income.
Why Are the Feds So Mad About Bitcoin Retirement Investing?
The Department of Labor and Sen. Elizabeth Warren have strong opinions about Fidelity’s new 401K option
Cities Force Businesses to Oversupply Parking Spaces. A Lawsuit Says That's Unconstitutional.
Azael Sepulveda is suing the city of Pasadena, Texas over its requirement that his autobody shop add 23 parking spaces he insists he doesn't need and can't afford.
My New Article on "Immigration and the Economic Freedom of Natives"
It explains how immigration restrictions massively diminish both the "negative" and "positive" economic liberty of natives of receiving countries.
Rand Paul, Thomas Massie Dine at Restaurant Shut Down for Ignoring COVID-19 Mandates
"My servers are not lesser people," said owner Eric Flannery. "They don't need to be masked. They don't carry disease."
