Economics
It's the End of the Neoliberal Era, and We Still Don't Know What Neoliberalism Is
Politics is filled with words that mean different things in different mouths, but "neoliberalism" is an especially tangled case.
DOJ, FBI Will Investigate Companies for 'Illicit Profits'
Elizabeth Warren's bizarre theories about corporate greed driving inflation have made their way into federal law enforcement, it seems.
How Did the Fed Not Anticipate the Inflation Surge?
We were told it would be "transitory." But inflation continued to rise.
There Are Many Problems With Democrats' Plan for a Federal Gas Tax Holiday
A federal gasoline tax holiday would undermine the user fee system for funding highways and could worsen inflation.
Court Trashes Trump-Era Rules That Prevented Asylum Seekers From Working Legally
But bureaucratic backlogs mean it's still taking far too long for them to get to work.
Biden's Antitrust Crusade Targets Alcohol
The alcohol sector has seen more than 6,000 new entrants, but the Treasury still thinks it has an antitrust problem.
Are Financial Regulators Too Political, or Not Political Enough?
Regulatory agencies were never designed to be political, but the tables have turned.
Congress Wants Taxpayers To Bail Out the Postal Service
The House passed the bill this week with little fanfare and broad bipartisan support.
When 'Pro-Worker' Policies Hurt Workers
Both Republicans and Democrats want to address poverty with big government.
China Brings Out the Hypocrisy in Corporate Social Justice Warriors
"I think the Chinese government actually takes a lot of pleasure knowing that they can actually strong-arm individuals and companies into capitulation to its own political ideology."
Trump's Trade Deal With China Was an Abject Failure, Just Like the Trade War
China ended up buying fewer American goods over the past two years than it did before the trade war started, despite promises from both sides to increase trade.
The Federal Government's Pandemic Jobs Program Was a Resounding Failure
Most of the $800 billion Paycheck Protection Program went to business owners, not preserving jobs, according to a new study.
Dear Olympics Media: Please Spare Us Your Fawning Over China's Digital Surveillance
Regarding the authoritarian country's central bank digital currency, you do not, under any circumstances, “gotta hand it to them.”
Biden's Solar Panel Tariffs Make It Costlier To Meet Biden's Climate Goals
Nothing new under the sun as Biden decides to extend Trump's solar panel tariffs for four more years.
America Added 467,000 Jobs in January Despite Omicron Surge
The pandemic isn't over, but the economy is over the pandemic. Politicians should take note.
Price Controls Were a Disaster in the 1970s. They Would Be a Disaster Today, Too.
The idea would benefit central planners and grow the ranks of bureaucrats while making the poor even poorer.
Don't Blame 'Greedy Corporations' for Inflation. Blame the Government.
"Greed is constant. If it's greed, how do we explain prices falling?"
America's $30 Trillion National Debt Should Be a Wake Up Call
But Washington just keeps hitting the snooze button.
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."
A Hero Is a Movie in Which Everyone Both Is and Isn't a Hero
A new Iranian thriller is both an elaborate social parable and an extended advertisement for the U.S. bankruptcy system.
Trade Talks
A new podcast reminds us that even complicated macroeconomic issues can be fruitfully reduced to the sum of individual action.
Congress' Latest Attempt To Rein In Big Tech Will Hurt Consumers
Those who demand a revival of antitrust regulation to "promote competition" may not realize that they're inciting a revival of cronyism to suppress competition.
Whole Foods Fight Over Black Lives Matter Masks Pits National Labor Relations Board Against Free Speech
Should Whole Foods be allowed to stop staff from wearing Black Lives Matter masks on the job?
If This Is How America COMPETES, We're Going to Lose
Plus: College students and speech, state-funded pre-K fail, and more...
Biden Blames Government's Economic Failures on Big Business
Plus: A free speech win for Florida professors, why Dutch museums are becoming hair salons, and more...
If You Want To Fight Monopolies, Fight Occupational Licensing
Legislators on a crusade against monopolies should tackle occupational licensing boards before they target Big Tech.
The U.S. Export-Import Bank Is a Cesspool of Crony Capitalism. Biden Wants To Expand It.
Boeing may love an additional handout, but such subsidies will be a net negative for the country's economy as a whole.
Florida's COVID Policies Defied the Media's Narrative
Ron DeSantis killed people because Florida didn't impose tougher rules, we're told. But it's not true.
Joe Biden's Presidency Is Failing Just About Everyone
A year in, he hasn’t lived up to his promises made to either the exhausted center or the progressive base.
Claim that "Certificate of Need" Law Lacks a Rational Basis Can Go Forward
“[T]he great deference due state economic regulation does not demand judicial blindness to the history of a challenged rule or the context of its adoption nor does it require courts to accept nonsensical explanations for regulation.”
Hungary To Place Price Ceiling on Groceries
Price controls almost never achieve their goal, but Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has decided to utilize them anyway.
'We' Didn't Increase the Debt. Politicians, Congress, and Bureaucrats Did.
Using "we" implies a collective responsibility, creates the false impression that most people are on board, and hints that we'll share equally in the benefits.
Grocery Shelves Are Empty, but Immigration Waitlists Are Full
There is an obvious solution to America's ongoing workforce woes.
Elizabeth Warren Blames High Food Prices on Grocery Chains' 'Record' 1 Percent Profit Margins
The Massachusetts senator advocated breaking up major grocery retailers with antitrust laws.
Facebook Faces Federal Monopoly Lawsuit Again
Plus: Warren versus grocery stores, Cruz versus the FBI, DOJ's new domestic terror unit, why so many people are quitting their jobs, and more...
Andrew Yang Is Still Trying To Move Forward
"We need to break up the duopoly, and the mechanical way to break up the duopoly is by shifting to open primaries and ranked choice votings so that every perspective has a shot."
How High Will California's Taxes Go Before There's No One Left To Tax?
The new taxes lawmakers are proposing to fund a universal health care system will likely drive even more Californians out of the state.
Inflation Means Interest Rates Could Rise. Higher Interest Rates Will Make the National Debt More Expensive.
The Fed may soon get serious about hitting the monetary brakes to slow the economy.
Closing Schools To Protect Kids Made Them Sick
Children forced to Zoom into school ended up with suboptimal immune systems—the opposite of herd immunity.
Biden's Plan To Address Meat-Price Inflation Ignores That Federal Intervention Caused the Problem
The president can't fix a problem he doesn't understand.
Americans Aren't Buying Biden's Agenda
According to a recent poll, only 22 percent of people believe that the current state of the economy is "good" or "excellent."
New York's Mayor Warned That COVID Shutdowns Hurt Low-Skill Workers. He's Absolutely Right. Twitter Got Mad Anyway.
Phony outrage is used to deflect from bad policy decisions.
The Pandemic's Economic Impact Includes More Americans Starting Their Own Small Businesses
Though the American economy still looks bleak, there are silver linings.
