Both Biden and Trump Plan to Spend Well Beyond the Government's Means
Whether Biden or Trump wins this November, we're in for big, unaffordable government. How much bigger and how unaffordable are the only real questions.
Economics
More Money Does Buy More Happiness
Researchers and economists have been debating this idea for decades, and a new study in the journal Emotion sheds more light on the role money plays in increasing happiness levels.
The Republican Convention's Defense of Trump's Trade War Fell Flat
A Wisconsin business owner who spoke about losing business to China ended up inadvertently undermining the administration's argument for protectionism.
Voters Will Have a Chance To Save Ride-Sharing and Delivery Services From California's Regulators
In November, California voters will decide on Proposition 22, a measure would carve out a contracting exemption for independent drivers.
Trump's Attacks on Free Trade Have Actually Made It More Popular With Voters
Thanks to a paradoxical Trump bump, nearly 90 percent of both Democrats and Republicans now say they support international trade.
Want To Boost Economic Growth? Tell Government To Spend Less
Research suggests reducing spending will boost consumption in the short- and long-run.
In Convention Speech, Mike Pence Said Joe Biden Will Repeal Trump's Tariffs. If Only That Were True.
Unfortunately, Biden has carefully avoided committing to changing much of anything about Trump's trade policies.
Trump's War on Economic Freedom
In the president’s mind, trade is not a right to be respected but a process to be managed by politicians.
Mike Godwin, the Creator of Godwin's Law, Is Suing Trump Over His TikTok Executive Order
"I know what moral panics look like; they look kind of like this."
Trump Promises Manned Moon Base, Mission to Mars During Second Term
The Trump administration has expanded a bipartisan drive to commercialize more of NASA's space operations.
The Fed Sees Lingering Economic Pain From the Pandemic and the Lockdowns
The danger of the virus can’t be considered to the exclusion of the need for jobs and prosperity.
Did Joe Biden and the Democratic National Convention Forget About Trump's Tariffs?
The last time an incumbent president was defeated, the fact that he'd raised taxes on Americans played a major role. Trump's done the same thing, but the DNC didn't talk about it.
Lyft, Uber Get Last-Minute Reprieve Before They Would Have Canceled Services in California
Lawmakers and courts are trying to force them to put drivers on their payrolls. They're threatening to take a freeway out of the state entirely.
Wealth Taxes Make Us Poorer
A new study finds that taxes on wealth reduce long-run GDP by 2.7 percent.
Cato Unbound Symposium on the 50th Anniversary of Albert Hirschman's Classic Book "Exit, Voice, and Loyalty" [Updated]
The symposium includes contributions by Adam Thierer, Mikayla Novak, Max Borders, and myself. The relationship between exit and voice is as important an issue as ever.
Red-Pilled? Actually Most U.S. Drug Ingredients Are Made Here, Not in China
The Trump administration is spending big money to make sure America's drug supply chains aren't dependent on China. But that's not really necessary.
A Coronavirus Bailout Won't Save (or Fix) the USPS
The postal service stands to lose $13 billion this year. But this is an ongoing trend, not a new problem created by the coronavirus pandemic.
Upload
Consumer culture continues into the afterlife in Amazon's sci-fi/mystery/romance/workplace comedy mashup.
Mike Pence Comes Out Against Marijuana Banking Bill That Would Actually Save Taxpayers Money
The SAFE Banking Act is not a pork-barrel spending bill. Is that why it’s struggling?
Why Stimulus Spending Fails
More spending means more debt and more future taxes.
Trump's Executive Disorder
The next Democratic president will be all too happy to govern by pen and phone too, say the Reason Roundtable podcasters.
Joe Biden Said He Would Scrap Trump's China Tariffs. Or Did He?
Trump's trade war with China has been an outright failure. It shouldn't be too much to expect Biden to be able to say so.
Americans Are Growing Less Willing To Beg for Permission To Make a Living
Officials claim doing business is a revocable “privilege,” but many Americans see it as a right that they’ll exercise with or without licenses and permits.
Trump's New Tariffs on Canadian Aluminum Are Indefensible
One month after signing a signature trade deal with Canada (and Mexico), Trump just launched an unnecessary and counterproductive new trade war against America's northern neighbor.
Trump Is Trying To Take Away Americans' Access to Popular Apps by Executive Order
Plus: the latest unemployment numbers, Biden apologizes for comment on diversity, Ohio governor gets flip-flopping COVID-19 results, and more…
The Trump Administration's $765 Million Kodak Deal Is More Proof That 'Economic Nationalism' Is a Scam
The Trump administration's "economic nationalist" agenda is little more than a cronyist attempt at propping up domestic companies with taxpayer cash.
The COVID-19 Pandemic Is Crushing State Budgets. A Federal Bailout Is Still a Bad Idea.
There is no state that will weather the COVID-19 pandemic without making difficult decisions. But the revenue hit will be less severe in places that were being thrifty and vigilant.
Manned SpaceX Capsule Returns From Orbit Without a Hitch
Two American astronauts splashed down to Earth after over 60 days aboard the International Space Station
Democrats Sharpen Tech Antitrust Messaging at Historic House Hearing
This isn't a debate about consumer needs. It's all about political control.
Don't Expand Coronavirus Unemployment Insurance
The negative impact of the program is well documented.
California's Attorney General Decides How Ballot Initiatives Are Summarized. He's Happy To Abuse This Power.
Xavier Becerra conceals tax increases and reframes a gig economy proposition to hurt its chances.
Why Pandemic Pods are 'the Ultimate In Parent-Driven Education Innovation'
With public schools largely out of commission, parents are putting together their own ad hoc schooling alternatives.
Coronavirus Cuisine
In the face of the greatest challenge in generations, America's chefs, bartenders, and restaurant owners are reinventing their food, their businesses, and themselves.
Economic Crisis Deepens as Business Closures and Unemployment Claims Rise
Data from Yelp shows that the long-term economic toll of the coronavirus pandemic is only starting to be realized. And federal unemployment data shows layoffs are climbing again.
Rand Paul on Republican Plans for Another Coronavirus Stimulus Bill: 'They Simply Don't Care About the Debt'
Congress is currently debating what should be included in the next trillion-dollar (and counting) stimulus bill, but nothing is likely to pass this week.
Don't 'Abolish the Police.' Privatize Them.
"A lot of people think that law enforcement must be provided by a [government] monopoly," says economist Edward Stringham. But "there are plenty of private examples of people working to create order and safety in society."
Kmele Foster on Why He Opposes Cancel Culture and the Anti-Capitalist Side of Black Lives Matter
The Fifth Column podcaster is done with cancel culture, identity politics, and political orthodoxy.
The Pandemic Is a Lucrative Revenue Opportunity for Incompetent Politicians
If there's one thing at which governments have excelled during this crisis, it's been collecting fines from anybody who steps out of line.
Congress Is Paying People a Lot of Money To Not Work
Though the unemployment insurance benefits boost eased the immediate pain of shuttering much of the economy, it made it harder to get things moving again.
What It's Like To Be a Business Owner During COVID-19
Cheese shop owner Jill Erber on why she's keeping her store open to take care of her customers and her community
Want To Reform Policing? Bust Police Unions.
As policy makers consider ways to reduce some of these shocking use-of-force incidents, they need to evaluate the role of unions in protecting overly aggressive officers.
What State and Local Governments Can Learn From the Coronavirus Crisis
Why should the responsible states bail out the irresponsible ones?
Don't Bail Out Bars, Let Them Reopen
So long as governments view lockdowns as their primary tool for combating COVID-19, they are in effect sentencing bars and other shuttered businesses to a likely death.
Cash Remains Healthy as the Pandemic Rages
People like the convenience of digital transactions, but they rely on the anonymity and reliability of physical money.
