Economics
Will Robots Lead to Widespread Joblessness and Economic Inequality?
Martin Ford and Antony Sammeroff debate the future of robotics and its potential economic impacts at the Soho Forum.
Will Robots Cause Mass Unemployment? A Soho Forum Debate
Martin Ford and Antony Sammeroff debate the impact of robotics on the economy
Trump's Trade Deal With China Is Better Than a Trade War With China. But a $200 Billion Question Remains.
Unless the tariffs are lifted, the "Phase One" trade deal might not accomplish much beyond empowering China's communist regime to tighten its grip on free markets.
Elizabeth Warren Has a Fake Plan To Pay for Medicare for All
Warren claims total costs for middle-class families would go down under her plan, but there are reasons to doubt this.
Social Engineering Run Amok in the Department of Labor
Government control is not the answer.
Will Any 2020 Candidate Offer an Alternative to Trump's Trade Protectionism?
The Trump administration's "phase one" deal with China will keep many tariffs in place, but Democrats don't seem to have the guts to stand up for freer trade.
Occupational Licensing Hurts the Little Guy
People who want to work should be allowed to work.
Arizona Governor Wants To Put the Public in Charge of Licensing Boards
Right now, most licensing boards require that the majority of members be from the same licensed profession. It's not difficult to see how that leads to anti-competitive rules.
Should Wall Street Be Worried by Potential Sanders, Warren Presidencies?
The Sanders-Warren agenda of higher taxes, increased regulation, and more government control worries Wall Street
Uber's Lawsuit Against California's Anti-Freelancer Law Is Missing a Key Constitutional Element
It's crucial to get the constitutional text and history straight.
Adding Jobs but Not Housing Is a Recipe for Urban Unrest
New York City has failed to zone for enough housing to keep pace with growth.
![featurespace | Shutterstock [detail]](https://d2eehagpk5cl65.cloudfront.net/img/c331x186-w331-q60/uploads/2019/12/featurespace-331x186.jpg)
In a Win for the Gig Economy, California Judge Exempts Truckers From Problematic Assembly Bill 5
The new law seeks to reclassify contractors as employees.
The 2020s Will Be the Decade of Deficit Doomsday
America will have to pay for its spending spree and its wars.
A $15 Federal Minimum Wage Would Destroy Jobs and Hurt America's Poorest Workers
Last week, The New York Times Editorial Board dismissed those concerns and called for a $15 national wage standard.
Trump's Proposed European Tariffs Would Be Terrible for People Who Like Good Wine and American Jobs
A 100 percent tariff on European wines could all but wipe out the industry.
Steel Company CEO Says Everyone Else Should Have To Pay for Trump's Tariffs, but Not Him
Robert Wetherbee says steel tariffs might force his business to shutter. But instead of asking for the tariffs to be lifted, he wants special treatment.
Congress Repealed Major Elements of Obamacare and Almost No One Noticed
The elimination of three health care taxes will increase the deficit by $373 billion.
New Studies Show Trump's Tariffs Have Been Costly For U.S. Consumers and Businesses
"These U.S. tariffs have been completely passed on to U.S. firms and consumers," report economists from Princeton, Columbia, and the Federal Reserve.
The 'Negativity Effect' Leads to Bad Journalism, Big Government, and Busted Relationships
John Tierney and Roy F. Baumeister want to defeat The Power of Bad.
California Law Unconstitutionally Discriminates Against Certain Workers, Argue Uber and Postmates
Gig workers and companies are suing over a California law, AB 5, that criminalizes their continued employment.
What Did Reason Get Wrong in 2019?
And what predictions will we shank in 2020 and beyond?
Meet the Grandmothers Who Rule Kenya's Legal Drug Markets
The East African khat trade is thriving, even as global prohibition creeps in around the edges.
An Incomplete Map of Uberland
In its eagerness to make the case against Uber, a new book makes a pretty good case for Uber.
To Reduce Vaping Illness, Legalize Marijuana
Creating a sensible legal market would drive black market vape makers out of business.
Trump's Trade War Has Hurt American Manufacturers More Than It Helped Them
That should be fairly obvious to anyone who has been following the news, but a new report from the Federal Reserve provides the empirical evidence.
The Wall Street Journal Blames Marijuana Legalization for Vaping-Related Lung Injuries, a Black-Market Hazard
The main danger to vapers is illicit cannabis extracts of unknown provenance and composition.
Poll: Federal Budget Deficit Is a Bigger Problem Than Climate Change, Racism, and Terrorism
The problem, as always, is that voters are likely to say they want Congress to balance the budget, but are less likely to back any specific ideas for doing so.
How To Fight the 'Power of Bad' and the 'Negativity Effect'
Human beings are designed to remember trauma more than joy, bad times more than good ones. But John Tierney and Roy F. Baumeister have good news on the despair front.
A Special Festivus Airing of Grievances from the Reason Roundtable Podcast
We've got a lot of problems with you people.
Gov. Cuomo's Plan To Attack Cigarette Retailers Will Fuel New York's Black Market
More than half of cigarettes consumed in the state are smuggled from elsewhere, thanks to high taxes.
Trump Will Sign Federal 'Ban the Box' Bill Into Law as Part of Massive Spending Bill
The law will bar the federal government and its contractors from asking about criminal history in job applications.
Don't Trade Stock Tips or Obsess About the Fed, Read Moby Dick Instead
You need to be inoculated from some strange but popular notions about the economy.
Politicians Are Addicted to Price Controls
Instead of repealing tariffs that are raising aluminum prices, politicians are instead trying to lower aluminum prices by legislative fiat.
Standing-Only Metro Escalators Are Central Planners' Dream, but Riders' Nightmare
The argument for getting rid of walking on metro station escalators demonstrates the flaws of central planning logic.
California Freelancers Suffer From Totally Predictable 'Unintended Consequences' of Gig Worker Protection Bill
Plus: Is there anything the upcoming spending bill doesn't contain? And more...
Thanks to Late-Stage Capitalism, You No Longer Need To Leave Your House
It's the end of the decade, and groceries, birth control, and weed can all be delivered straight to your door.
Choose Your Own Impeachment Adventure: Rand Paul, Justin Amash, or Philip K. Dick?
A range of libertarian-world approaches to the impending trial of Donald Trump
Kevin O'Leary Puts His Money Where the Profits Are
"There was a time when the majority of people on Earth were illiterate and starving, and capitalism changed all of that."
U.S., China Agree to 'Phase One' Trade Deal, but Most Tariffs Will Remain in Effect
This deal offers minimal relief for Americans, and it doesn't seem to address the thorniest issues between the two countries.
Forgotten Workers
The National Museum of American History display recognizes the throngs who helped enable America's westward expansion.
Even in Impeachment-Crazed D.C., It's Always a Good Time To Borrow and Spend!
Donald Trump, Democrats, and Republicans agree on trillion-dollar deficits for as far as the eye can see.
Will the Fed Edge Out the Competition With Real-Time Payments?
The Federal Reserve's impact on the real-time payments market all hinges on its willingness to play by the rules.
The Decade Populism Went Mainstream
Roughly five times as many people live under populist governments now compared to 10 years ago.
