Trump's Inauguration Won't Change the Fact That People Dislike High Gas Prices
The incoming administration is grappling with uncomfortable political consequences of the tariffs Trump wants to impose.
Economics
California's Insurance Regulation Fixes Came Too Little, Too Late
Decades-old, voter-approved restrictions on insurers raising premiums have created a regulatory disaster to match the natural one.
When New Jersey Hiked Minimum Wages, Fast Food Prices Rose
If politicians want stuff to be more affordable, they should stop implementing policies that have the opposite effect.
Athletes Find New Way To Avoid Taxes
Restructured contracts may help franchises who have a certain competitive disadvantage.
Tyler Cowen: Why Do We Refuse To Learn From History?
Economist Tyler Cowen on historical lessons, populism today, and the philosophical debates within libertarianism.
Janet Yellen's Short-Term Thinking Could Cost the U.S. Big
The Treasury Secretary’s debt decisions during the pandemic locked in low rates—but only for two years. Now, taxpayers are paying the price.
Thank Jimmy Carter for Cheap Airfare
And also smartphones and FedEx, all of which were made possible by his push to abolish bad regulations.
Regulations Are Driving Up Ride-Sharing Prices in Washington, D.C.
City code protects incumbent transportation services by outlawing independent drivers.
Will 2025 Be the Year of U.S. Fiscal Sanity?
With inflation risks persisting and entitlement spending surging, the situation cannot be ignored. But we never should have gotten to this point to begin with.
Douglas Irwin: Why Trump's Tariff Plans Are Dangerous
The trade economist details the most alarming protectionist policies proposed by the incoming Trump administration.
With U.S. Steel Decision, Biden Turned His Back on Opposing Monopolies
Blocking Nippon Steel from acquiring U.S. Steel lays the groundwork for a major consolidation of American steelmaking that will harm consumers and the economy.
Why the Race and Gender Politics of White Dudes for Harris Failed
It's still the economy, stupid.
Seattle's Minimum Wage Hike Hurts Workers
Increasing the cost of labor decreases the quantity of labor demanded.
Blocking the U.S. Steel Sale Is a Perfectly Disgraceful End to Biden's Political Career
It's a disgraceful decision that serves as a perfect epitaph for Biden's political career.
Corpse President Says Companies Can't Do What They Want
Plus: Subway system crime by the numbers, Bernie Sanders' H-1B visa hate, surgeon general still stupid, and more...
Restaurant Reservation Markets Are Good. Outlawing Them Is Not.
Reselling restaurant reservations helps allocate seats to those who most want them.
The U.S. Tax Code Is Way Too Complex. Here's How To Fix It.
The high cost of complying with our tax code encourages wasteful tax avoidance strategies and distorts work and investment decisions.
Photo: The Disappearing Satoshi Nakamoto Statue
An Italian bitcoin enthusiast pays homage to the person or people who started the cryptocurrency revolution.
Supreme Court Can Protect Property Owners From Eminent Domain Abuse
A Utica, New York, land grab offers the justices an opportunity to revisit a widely criticized precedent.
The Best of Reason: Bidenomics Goes Out With a Whimper
There's a good reason Biden eventually stopped saying Bidenomics. Americans didn't like the results of his economic policies.
Bootleggers and Baptists in the U.S. Steel Deal
Progressives and environmental groups have teamed up with a rival steelmaker to lobby against the U.S. Steel deal.
2024's Most Undercovered Stories
Surely 2025 will be a freewheeling romp, right?…Right? Happy New Year!
New York's Climate 'Superfund' Is Costly, Arbitrary, and Unconstitutional
Increasing energy costs in New York will not significantly address climate change.
Jimmy Carter, 'The Great Deregulator,' 1924–2024
Nobel-winning economist Vernon Smith says the 39th president radically improved air travel, freight rail, and trucking in ways that still benefit us immensely.
RIP Jimmy Carter, the 'Passionless' President
The libertarian case for the late Jimmy Carter.
Everybody Hates Prices
How much should a Wendy's Baconator cost? Elizabeth Warren thinks the government should help decide.
Liverpool Lost Its U.N. World Heritage Status. Now It's Thriving.
The English city protects its historical sites while embracing growth and redevelopment.
The Government Took a Developer's Land and Gave It to a Competitor. In New York, That's Business As Usual.
The case gives the Supreme Court an opportunity to revisit a widely reviled decision that invited such eminent domain abuses.
Can Nativists and Dynamists Coexist Within Trump's MAGA Coalition?
An ongoing online debate over visas for highly skilled foreign workers is revealing a fissure that might define Trump's second term.
Make Cars (and Everything Else) Cheap Again
Plus: Superfund is back, Biden signs a lot of laws, MAGA vs. tech Christmas, and more...
Byrne Hobart: What happened to progress?
Finance and tech writer Byrne Hobart discusses how bubbles are a good thing, overcoming stagnation, and the religiosity of space exploration.
Privatize the Postal Service, Amtrak, Airports, and More
Privatization isn't about cutting corners; it's about unleashing and leveraging the ingenuity and competitiveness of the private sector to deliver better services at lower costs.
Nippon Steel-U.S. Steel Merger Poses No National Security Threat
The Committee on Foreign Investment doesn't recommend blocking the merger, and neither should President Joe Biden.
Shooting the Messenger and Blaming the Victim
How cops, politicians, and bureaucrats tried to dodge responsibility in 2024
Mark Calabria on Mortgages, Interest Rates, and Debt
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac distort the housing market, explains Mike Pence's former chief economist.
Trump's Tariffs Will Shrink the Economy and Reduce Investment, CBO Says
Bonus: They're unpopular too, according to a new poll.
Cancerous Politics
Plus: Taking gerontocracy to new heights, a real life Arc Reactor, Happy Festivus, and more...
Joe Biden Once Understood Why Tariffs Are Bad. Then He Got Trade Policy Amnesia.
Despite campaigning against Donald Trump's tariff hikes, Biden left many of them in place.
Influencers Are Here To Stay—Now It's Time To Modernize Labor Laws
A TikTok ban could devastate thousands of independent workers, but the real challenge lies in modernizing labor laws to support the new economy.
Joe Biden Tried To Use the Regulatory State To Micromanage Everything
The Biden administration's war on "junk fees" is emblematic of its nanny state instincts.
Celebrating Brian Thompson's Killing Is Ghoulish
Vigilante murder of corporate bosses is not going to fix any of the problems with America's health care system.
Third Time's the Charm?
Plus: House Speaker Elon Musk, the value of the debt ceiling, and D.C.'s shut down specials.
No, California's $20 Minimum Wage for Fast-Food Workers Did Not Create Jobs
A University of California, Berkeley, study trumpeted in the media doesn't say what the press release claims.
You Don't Beat China by Copying China
Xi Jinping’s neo-mercantilist policies are destructive, not productive.
IMF Offers a Glimpse at the Perils of Central Bank Digital Currencies
Government-controlled digital money could mean the end of financial privacy and independence.
Amazon Warehouses Benefit Local Economies, Study Finds
The newly published paper found that Amazon's entry in a metro area led to increases in wages, jobs, and home values.
The Death and Life of New York Outdoor Dining
What began as a vibrant, organic solution to a crisis has been stifled by overregulation.
