Great Moments in Unintended Consequences: Yosemite Permits, Italy's Superbonus, CEO Salary Caps (Vol. 22)
Good intentions, bad results.
Unintended Consequences
Australia Tried To Tax Smoking Out of Existence. Now 80% of Tobacco Aussies Consume Is From the Black Market.
With cigarettes costing around $40 a pack, Australia’s war on smoking has become a case study in how prohibitionist policies create black markets, violence, and criminal power.
Even Laws That Haven't Passed Can Have Unintended Consequences
Mere proposals can change the risk calculus for business and investors. Politicians, and the public, should be wary.
Great Moments in Unintended Consequences: Colombian Coca, Seattle PayUp Law, Dog Bombs (Vol. 21)
Good intentions, bad results.
Washington State Just Passed a 9.9% Income Tax on Those Making $1 Million
The new tax “is probably one of the biggest changes in Washington state political history since our founding,” says one state representative.
California Billionaire Wealth Tax Would Cost the State $25 Billion, New Research Finds
"If Californians approve this measure in November, they may discover too late that the wealth they hoped to tax has already left the state—with jobs and economic opportunities not far behind."
California Billionaires Are Leaving the State in Response to Proposed Wealth Tax
The wealth tax would discourage investment and likely lower tax revenue for California.
The Dreadful Policies Halting Archeological Discoveries
Italy is full of treasures from the ancient world, but its government is discouraging their discovery.
Great Moments in Unintended Consequences: Printed Guns, Scratch and Sniff, Jakarta Traffic (Vol. 18)
Good intentions, bad results.
Great Moments in Unintended Consequences: Fossils, Price Controls, and Traffic Lights (Vol. 17)
Good intentions, bad results.
Great Moments in Unintended Consequences: DoorDash, Google AI, and French Wikipedia (Vol. 16)
Good intentions, bad results.
California's $20 Fast Food Minimum Wage Law Is Already Having Disastrous Unintended Consequences
Many have seen their hours reduced—or have lost their jobs entirely.
3 Economic Myths That Need To Die
As we step into 2024, it's crucial to adopt a more informed perspective on these dubious claims.
Great Moments in Unintended Consequences (Vol. 13): Gun Buybacks, Poppy Payday, CAFE Standards
Good intentions, bad results
Prohibition Gave Us Tranq-Laced Fentanyl
Mixing other drugs with xylazine is driven by the economics of prohibition.
FDA Commissioner: No One 'Envisioned' the Consequences of New Sesame Seed Labeling Rule
No one could have considered this possibility, except perhaps the many food-processing facilities that immediately did exactly that.
Drug Busts Are Linked to More Overdoses and Deaths
Plus: Government appeals social media order, Amsterdam attempts to move prostitution out of red-light district, and more...
The Morally Funky Math of Homeowner Handouts
The rich are getting richer under the Inflation Reduction Act.
Great Moments in Unintended Consequences: Subsidized Trees, Day Care Late Fees, New York Alcohol Ban (Vol. 11)
Good intentions, bad results.
The Political Lies That Really Matter
From George Santos to Joe Biden, résumé padding is unacceptable. But it's all the lies about legislation we can't afford.
Great Moments in Unintended Consequences: Barbara Streisand, Sesame Seeds, Golden Goal (Vol. 10)
Good intentions, bad results
Great Moments in Unintended Consequences: Antwerp Siege, Hearth Taxes, Cash for Clunkers (Vol. 9)
Good intentions, bad results.
Great Moments in Unintended Consequences: Rent Control, Arizona Alt Fuel, Ballot Access (Vol. 8)
Good intentions, bad results.
How Georgia's Outlandish Ballot Access Law Is Protecting Marjorie Taylor Greene (and the Two-Party System)
A ballot access law meant to block Communists has become an obstacle to third-party politics.
Study: St. Paul's Rent Control Law Primarily Provides Benefits for High-Income Renters
A new paper finds that lower income property owners are seeing the biggest falls in property values while high-income renters will get the biggest discounts on rent.
Great Moments in Unintended Consequences: Driving Days, Boat Taxes, Ghost Flights (Vol. 6)
Good intentions, bad results
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.
When Lawyers Make Things Worse - Housing Edition
A study suggests that "right-to-counsel" in eviction cases actually leads to greater homelessness.
Great Moments in Unintended Consequences: Black Liquor Fuel, Billboard Bans, Gender Pay Gap (Vol. 4)
Good intentions, bad results.
California Politicians Craft Nifty New Idea To Increase Housing Costs
Lawmakers are proposing to create a "California Dream Fund" that would subsidize up to 45 percent of the costs of a new home.
Great Moments in Unintended Consequences: Window Tax, Canadian Strip Clubs, Hero Pay (Vol. 3)
Good intentions, bad results.
When Politics Makes It Impossible To Plan
For more than a decade, politicians have moved toward seizing short-term wins through any mechanism available to them.
Great Moments in Unintended Consequences (Vol. 2)
Good intentions, bad results.
How Many COVID-19 Infections and Deaths Did Lockdowns Avert?
Two new studies create counterfactual pandemic scenarios seeking to answer that question.
When Mandating Affordable Housing Makes Housing Less Affordable
A new study of inclusionary zoning policies in the D.C. and Baltimore metro areas finds that the policy ends up raising rents.
