On Trade, Trump Is Who He Claims to Be
The president is not a free trader.
Economics
Deprived of Mandatory Dues, Public Sector Unions Come After Your Tax Dollars
After Janus ruling, state lawmaker in New York wants to include collective bargaining costs in state union contracts.
Trump Voters Stand by Their Man as He Wrecks Their Jobs
In Poplar Bluff, Missouri, support for Trump's tariffs is about tribalism more than anything else. That's dangerous and scary.
The Debt Clock Keeps Spinning
Federal debt now equals 78 percent of gross domestic product.
The Government's Economic Illogic Is on Display
Trump's tariffs are just part of the problem.
Will the Future Have No Work or Just Less Work?: Podcast
Economist Michael C. Munger argues the sharing economy is the next great economic revolution—and it's already underway.
Trump's Case for Tariffs Is Unraveling
Automakers, motorcycle manufacturers, the stock market, and even the White House's own analyses are telling Trump to change course.
Could Puerto Rico Be the Solution to Our Latest Immigration Fight?
The island's population has fallen dramatically even as Spanish speakers from other nations are desperate for a new home.
Utah Metalworking Company Cancels Expansion Plans Because Tariffs
The unseen costs of the Trump administration's bellicose trade policy matter too.
The President Shouldn't Act as an Arms Dealer to the Saudis
"The business of buying weapons that takes place in the Pentagon is a corrupt business."
Republican Governor Signs $15 Minimum Wage Bill in Terrible 'Grand Bargain'
The Republican governor of Massachusetts just made a deal to give away more freebies and keep taxes high.
Trump's Plan to Privatize the Post Office Deserves a Serious Look
The case for privatization is strong, but there are political hurdles.
3 Statistics That Will Make You Smarter and Happier
If you read Reason you already know these three pieces of good news about global trends.
All Over the World, People Love Bootleg Moonshine and Hate Taxes
If you don't want a black market in booze to develop, keep the tax man on a leash and regulators in check.
CBO: National Debt Projected to Surpass 150 Percent of GDP in Next 30 Years
Entitlement spending, health care costs, and the GOP tax legislation will drive up the debt.
As Markets Tank and Opposition to Tariffs Grow, Trump Stays the Course. Where is Congress?
"It's all working out great," Trump said in South Carolina. Few people seem to agree with that assessment.
Jack Daniel's Says It Will Raise Whiskey Prices in Europe Due to E.U. Tariffs
The E.U. retaliated against Trump's steel and aluminum tariffs. Now, whiskey drinkers will pay the price.
Easy to Win? Trump's Trade War Requires Handing More Power to Unelected Bureaucrats
One government intervention into the economy begets another, and American businesses are caught in the chaos. Good and easy to win? Not so much.
Sarah Huckabee Sanders Got Booted From a Restaurant, but Florists and Photographers Should Have to Work Gay Weddings?
Let's get behind economic freedom for everyone, even when we don't like how they use it.
Trump Era Has Been Great News for New York Times Company's Shareholders
The media empire's flagship paper has seen subscription rates boom with Trump in office. But can the good times last?
Harley-Davidson Will Shift Manufacturing Overseas To Avoid Tariffs
It can do that because it's a global brand, but other businesses aren't as lucky. And workers everywhere stand to lose.
Before Drug Prohibition, There Was the War on Calico
In 18th century France, wearing the wrong fabric could get you in big trouble.
Washington, D.C.'s Fight Over Restaurant Tips and Wages Is Coming to a City Near You
Cities like San Francisco and Seattle have already passed similar laws, and more states are currently evaluating the costs of doing the same.
Migrants Boost Per Capita Incomes and Lower Unemployment Finds Yet Another Study
Thirty years of data show "refugee burden" is a myth: Migrants to Europe have been a significant economic benefit
No, the Sharing Economy Isn't Dead
How to understand new data on independent contracting.
Venezuela Relaxes Rules for Expats Sending Desperately Needed Money Home to Their Families
The country has liberalized one aspect of the disastrous capital controls established by Hugo Chavez in 2003.
New Study Shows Drug War Sends Users to Dark Web
A new British study shows that rescheduling hydrocodone, a powerful opiate painkiller, just forced users onto the darknet to get their fix.
In D.C., Initiative 77 Would Raise the Minimum Wage for Bartenders and Servers. Many Don't Want It.
The national union-backed effort would eliminate tips in favor of higher hourly pay. That's "giving help to people who don't want it," restaurant workers say.
Trump Announces Plans for a 'Space Force.' Seriously
As bad ass as it might sound, a dedicated Space Force would likely prove to be another big government boondoggle
Iowa Farmers Could Lose $620 Million From U.S.-China Trade War
Commodities are falling across the board, but soybean farmers are taking the brunt. What's happening in Iowa is the perfect demonstration of why trade works.
As Evidence of Higher Prices Mounts, Trump Announces Yet More New Tariffs
Prices for steel, washing machines, and lumber spiked after Trump imposed tariffs on them. This time it will be different, right?
Is the Economy Doing Too Well?
"The economy is not like an engine that's going too hard," so let's stop analyzing it like one.
Trump's Economic Ignorance on Tariffs
Another week, another bumbling trade declaration from the president.
Hey, Libertarians, Maybe Republicans Just Aren't That Into You
June 12 was not a good day for free-market constitutionalism in the modern GOP.
Domino's Will Build the Roads
The company's "paving for pizza" initiative answers an age-old question.
Trump's Totally Free Trade Idea Is Really Smart
It's a damned shame that he doesn't seem to really believe in it.
Sucking Carbon Dioxide from the Air to Produce Gasoline?
Carbon-neutral transportation fuels might be possible.
Congressional Republicans Say They Just Cut $15 Billion in Spending. It's Actually Only $1.1 Billion.
President Donald Trump's rescission bill actually cuts just $57 million from current year spending. So that oughta solve the fiscal crisis.
Flake: 'This Is Not Grown-Up Leadership.' Trump: Flake's a 'Flake.'
The outgoing senator wants to require congressional approval for "national security" tariffs, while the low-polling president taunts Flake about his low poll numbers.
The Republicans Abandon Free Trade
The GOP betrays its principles for the sake of political expediency.
Trump: Trade War With Canada Justified Because Brits Burned the White House in 1814
I mean, sure, that makes as much sense as any other reason.
Don't Blame the Minimum Wage for Those Self-Service Kiosks at McDonald's
Government-mandated price hikes do a lot of things. Spurring technological innovation is not one of them.
Social Security Will Be Insolvent In 16 Years. Maybe Congress Should Do Something About That.
Medicare will run dry even sooner. Do you trust anyone in Washington to solve this problem?
'National Security' a Lousy Excuse for Lousy Trade and Energy Policies
Extending the justification would allow government intervention into just about anything.
Meet the New Boss: Donald Trump, Who Wants To Tell You What You Can Buy and Sell
Via trade and immigration restrictions, the president is completing the GOP's conversion to the party of economic micro-management.
How Trump's Tariffs Will Harm National Security
Imports improve the economy and benefit the country.
