A Special Festivus Airing of Grievances from the Reason Roundtable Podcast
We've got a lot of problems with you people.
Economics
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.
America's Forgotten Debt
Neither party is serious about reining in spending. This is unsustainable.
3 Winners and 3 Losers From Today's North America Trade Deal Announcement
Trump, big labor, and America's reputation as a trading partner emerge as winners, but free trade takes the loss in the USMCA.
This Week Is a Crucial Final Exam Capping the Second Year of Trump's Trade Wars
Deadlines near for the NAFTA rewrite and the China negotiations.
Socialism Killed My Father
Venezuela's failed collectivist experiment brought death and despair to a once-prosperous country.
Private Flood Insurers Chastised for Not Insuring Houses Likely To Be Flooded
It's simple: You should not build your house in places where you can't get private flood insurance.
All U.S. Travelers Abroad Should Submit to Facial Recognition Scans, Says Homeland Security
Plus: "Right to be forgotten" follies, research on direct cash aid, Elizabeth Warren on sex work, and more...
Climate Change: How Lucky Do You Feel?
Current evidence points toward a significantly warmer world by the end of the century. This will have substantial impacts on human life.
New Tariffs Scheduled for December 15 Won't Pressure China Into Making a Deal. Trump Should Cancel Them.
The set of tariffs scheduled for December 15 will hit a wide range of consumer goods from children's toys to laptops, gaming consoles, and other home electronics. They will be costly and ineffective..
On Thanksgiving, Take a Moment to Focus on the Good News
It will help us feel grateful for our lives.
California Threatens Landlords of Unlicensed Pot Shops With Prosecution
The drug wars will continue until the state gets its cut of the money.
Bryan Caplan Says Milton Friedman Is Wrong About Open Borders
The George Mason economist partnered with Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal's Zach Weinersmith to offer a thoughtful look at immigration policy in comic form.
Trump's Farm Bailout Has Cost Over $10 Billion This Year
Trump has authorized up to $16 billion in bailout spending this year, on top of $12 billion spent in 2018.
On Thanksgiving, Be Grateful for Property Rights
When people respect private property, they interact more peacefully.
The Marijuana Black Market Will Keep Its Throne in California, Thanks to Tax Increases
When the government tries to hoover up all the money earned from legalized drugs, this is what happens.
Regulation and 'the Right Ordering of Economic Life'
What libertarians can learn from Catholic social doctrine
Do We Need a World Data Organization?
Democratic presidential hopeful Andrew Yang thinks so.
Free People Don't Ask the Government for Permission
"Liberty," Thomas Jefferson wrote, "is unobstructed action according to our will; but rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will, within the limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others."
New Jersey Takes a Swipe at the Gig Economy With New Independent Contractor Bill
Critics warn the state is threatening the flexible work arrangements preferred by many workers.
Trump and Warren Love Protectionism, But It Hurts Workers While Boosting CEO Pay
A new study shows that tariffs and other anti-trade policies actually benefit executives far more than the average worker.
Booker Says Warren's Wealth Tax Would Destroy Economic Growth
"It's been tried by other nations," the New Jersey senator said.
Trump Is Wrong About the Fed, and the Fed Is Wrong About Economics
Milton Friedman once said that "money is much too serious a matter to be left to the central bankers." He was right. Still, we should ensure the Fed isn't being swayed by partisan interests.
Trade War Cost Republicans In 2018 Midterms, Especially in Rural Swing Counties
New research shows that GOP candidates lost ground in counties that were adversely affected by the trade war. In places without those effects, there were "no discernable gains" for Republicans.
Capitalism vs. Socialism: A Soho Forum Debate
Richard Wolff, "America’s most prominent Marxist economist," debates former Barron's economics editor Gene Epstein on which economic system best promotes, freedom, equality, and prosperity.
Democrats Cry Corruption, Republicans Denounce Hearsay at First Impeachment Hearings
Plus: California truck drivers sue over new labor law, Hong Kong clashes get medieval, Deval Patrick announces presidential bid, and more...
When the Government Creates Mandatory Shortages
Don’t let regulators and their cronies suppress competition.
Katherine Mangu-Ward Argues Capitalism Is a Blessing at Intelligence Squared Debate
Reason Editor in Chief Katherine Mangu-Ward and Whole Foods CEO John Mackey debate the merits of capitalism with Jacobin's Bhaskar Sunkara and U Mass economist Richard D. Wolff
Pete Buttigieg Has a $1 Trillion Plan to Drive Up Housing, College, and Labor Costs
Dramatic increases in federal spending will not “unlock access” for the poor. It will only help those with the right connections.
Mark Sanford Extinguishes Lifeless Presidential Campaign
Former South Carolina congressman and governor, who'd been running on debt/deficits, says impeachment has sucked all the oxygen out of the room.
Is Trump Choosing Tariffs Over a Trade Deal With China?
The tariffs were supposed to create the conditions for such a deal, but Trump is refusing to drop them as part of an agreement.
Is Socialism Preferable To Capitalism? A Soho Forum Debate
Richard D. Wolff squares off against Gene Epstein on which system better promotes freedom, equality, and prosperity.
