Economics
DOGE's Newly Listed 'Regulatory Savings' for Businesses Have Nothing to Do With Cutting Federal Spending
DOGE says regulatory changes will save $29.4 billion, but that does not amount to a reduction in government outlays, the initiative's ostensible target.
Two Courts Have Ruled Against Trump's Tariffs—but Not for the Same Reasons
Both are wins for free trade, but only one vindicates the separation of powers.
Congress Must Vote on Tariffs
For both practical and constitutional reasons, this is the obvious way out of the chaos Trump's tariffs have created.
My New Atlantic Article on the Tariff Case and its Significance
It explains how the ruling is a win for separation of powers and the rule of law.
Trump's Syrian Outreach Turns an Enemy Into a Friend
Hawks in Washington often make it sound hard to end conflicts with other countries, but the United States and Syria are fixing relations overnight.
How Our Tariff Case Came About
The Wall Street Journal, CBC, and Time published good articles on the story behind the case filed by the Liberty Justice Center and myself.
Tariff Legal Battle Plays Out
Plus: Javier Milei puts state-run TV to good use, Texas' THC antagonism, rent control lunacy, and more...
Some Interviews About Our Tariff Case
Some of the more informative interviews I have done about our win in the case against Trump's tariffs, in lawsuit filed by the Liberty Justice Center and myself.
Federal District Court Issues Another Ruling Against Trump's IEEPA Tariffs
The decision by Judge Rudolph Contreras of the US District Court for the District Columbia holds IEEPA doesn't authorize the president to impose tariffs at all.
Federal Circuit Issues Brief Administrative Stay in Our Tariff Case
This is a standard order imposing a brief stay of the trial court ruling, while the parties litigate the issue of whether a longer stay should be imposed.
David Stockman: Trump Is a 'Faker' on the Debt
Reagan's budget chief warns that the One Big Beautiful Bill Act could balloon the national debt to $60 trillion, risking a catastrophic bond market crisis.
Did 'Activist Judges' Derail Trump's Tariffs?
No. One of the judges in Wednesday's unanimous ruling was a Trump appointee, and the ruling rested on important legal and constitutional principles.
Are We Headed for Another Disaster With Fannie and Freddie?
If the Trump administration fails to implement real reform, Main Street taxpayers could once again be conscripted into subsidizing lucrative Wall Street deals.
We Won Our Tariff Case!
The Court of International Trade just issued a decision striking down Trump's "Liberation Day" tariffs and other IEEPA tariffs.
A Federal Court Just Blocked Trump's Tariffs
The Court of International Trade ruled that Trump's emergency economic powers do not include the authority to impose tariffs on nearly all imports.
Elon Musk Is Right. The 'Big Beautiful Bill' Is a Bad Deal.
Musk's opinion about the bill matters, since he is one of the few people in conservative politics who can get away with defying Trump.
Video of Cato Institute Virtual Event on "Tariffs, Emergencies, and Presidential Power"
I spoke along with my Cato colleague Walter Olson.
More Government Intervention Won't Make Concert Tickets Cheaper
There's only one way to eliminate the scalping market: Charge more for tickets.
The Pentagon Is Getting $150 Billion From the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Giving the Defense Department even more taxpayer money is a recipe for waste, not security.
The Trade War Is Eroding America's Soft Power
The debate over free trade should include more than the costs of Trump's tariffs versus the value of cheaper stuff.
Mitchell Berman on Conditional Federal Grants and the Constitution
While there is no constitutional right to receive grants, the Constitution does bar grant conditions that undermine constitutional rights.
Thoughts on the Oral Argument in the Oregon Case Against Trump's IEEPA Tariffs
Like that in the similar case filed by Liberty Justice Center and myself, this one indicated judicial skepticism of Trump's claims to virtually unlimited power to impose tariffs.
C. Bradley Thompson and Jeremiah Johnson: Rise of the 'MAGA Manosphere'
Did mainstream conservatives and libertarians lose a generation of young men to the reactionary right?
Trump Declares That iPhones Should Be More Expensive
Whether due to tariffs or because they are made in America, the result would be much higher prices.
Farmers Need Free Markets, Not Tariffs and Welfare
The more important the product—and food certainly ranks high on any list—the better it is to allow markets to work.
Review: The Free Market Comes to The Sims 4
Even simulated entrepreneurs aren't free from the burdens of business registration fees.
How Does the National Debt Affect You? A Budget Expert Explains.
Higher debt means lower wages, higher interest rates, and fewer opportunities, says Romina Boccia of the Cato Institute.
Gary Winslett: The American Dream Has Migrated South
Middlebury professor Gary Winslett argues the South—not China—poached the Rust Belt’s manufacturing base by out-competing it on policy.
Trump's Prescription Price Controls Would Lead to Fewer New Drugs
The executive order is likely unconstitutional, but if implemented as written, it would be detrimental to the American health care market.
Trump's FTC Chair Is Continuing To Push Lina Khan's Antitrust Ideology
The Federal Trade Commission was established to protect consumers. Under Biden and Trump, its focus has shifted.
America's Credit Is Falling—and the Government Is Still Digging Deeper Into Debt
The lesson from the Moody's credit downgrade is that the U.S. cannot borrow its way to prosperity.
Forbes Interview on Developments in Our Case and Other Litigation Against Trump's "Liberation Day" Tariffs
I was interviewed by Brittany Lewis of Forbes.
The GOP Tax Bill Will Add $2.3 Trillion to the Deficit, CBO Says
That total could double if temporary provisions in the bill become permanent, as is likely to happen.
Upcoming Cato Institute Virtual Event on "Tariffs, Emergencies, and Presidential Power"
I will be speaking, along with Cato Institute scholar Walter Olson.
Competition Improves Services. So Why Not Apply That to Schools?
Government schools now spend about $20,000 per student.
By Trump's Logic, Biden Deserves Credit for a Dramatic Drop in Overdose Deaths
That logic implausibly assumes presidents have the power to curtail substance abuse by attacking the drug supply.
Subaru Is the Latest Carmaker To Hike Prices in Response to Tariffs
Subaru says it has "adjusted its pricing in response to current market conditions," but we all know what that means.
Will Trump's Order To Lift U.S. Sanctions on Syria Be Followed?
Reason heard from a minister in the new Syrian government about the Trump administration's outreach.
Judge Rules in Favor of New Hampshire Bakery in Fight Over Donut Mural
Conway, New Hampshire's attempt to force a local bakery to take down the mural "does not withstand any level of constitutional scrutiny," a judge ruled this week.
3 Terrible Companies To Lose $5 Billion in Federal Green Energy Loans
One of the recipients has filed for bankruptcy after allegedly scamming elderly clients.
Berating the Businesses
Plus: Tim Dillon takes on the establishment, Chicago's racist hiring strategies, train fetishes, and more...
The GOP Budget Is Big, Bloated, B.S.
Plus: A listener asks if the economic inequality data is bad.
Not Even the Moody's Downgrade Can Make Republicans Take the National Debt Seriously
Friday's announcement by Moody's and the House Budget Committee vote could have been a turning point.
