California's Rent Control Initiative Goes Down in Flames
A related initiative preventing the state's most prolific rent control–supporting nonprofit from funding future initiatives is headed for a narrow victory.
Policy
The Housing Election That Won't Fix the Housing Crisis
Victory in the fight for cheaper housing, a more liberal land-use regime, and greater property rights won't come from the White House.
The Alarmingly High, Frustratingly Unknown Stakes of Election 2024
We don't know how Kamala Harris would wield her awesome power, and we don't know how the rule of law would constrain Donald Trump.
Bad Candidates Can't Fix Bad Politics
Voters say they want to "stop the madness." Expect the madness to continue.
Final Published Version of "The Constitutional Case Against Exclusionary Zoning" Now Available
In this Texas Law Review article, Josh Braver and I argue that most exclusionary zoning violates the Takings Clause of the Fifth Amendment.
A Bad Election for Sex and for Tech
No matter who wins, we can expect bad policies surrounding sex and especially surrounding technology.
America's Unserious Presidential Policy Agendas
These two candidates can't even be trusted to explain their own ideas.
New Cities Offer a Chance To Rethink How Local Government Works
California would benefit from building more housing and having more experimentation with how public services are delivered.
Compendium of Writings About the 2024 Election and Issues at Stake [Updated]
Links to all my writings on these topics.
Dave Smith, David Stockman, and Jacob Grier: Who Is The Lesser Evil?
Dave Smith is for Trump. Jacob Grier is for Harris. David Stockman says we're screwed either way.
Presidential Punctuation
Plus: Kamala Harris' closing argument, the FTC's harassment of Musk-owned Twitter, and more
The Year's Most Important Housing Vote
Proposition 33 would repeal all of California's state-level limits on rent control. It's passage could prove to be a disaster for housing supply in the Golden State.
If Kamala Harris Wants To Lower Energy Costs in Puerto Rico, She Should Support the Repeal of the Jones Act
For decades, the Jones Act has increased costs and hurt grid reliability in Puerto Rico.
Increase in Tariffs Would Trigger Global Economic Decline, Study Finds
A new IMF study finds that a global increase in tariffs could decrease global GDP by nearly 1 percent by 2025 and over 1 percent by 2026.
This Election Has Been Defined by Presidential Policy Pandering
From taxes to special loans to price gouging, the Trump and Harris campaigns have engaged in a race to see who can pander hardest.
The Perils of Trump's Proposed Bitcoin Strategic Reserve
In 2021 Trump called bitcoin a "scam" but he seems to have realized his political coalition includes cryptocurrency enthusiasts.
Will the City of Cleveland Sue to Keep the Browns from Moving to the Suburbs?
City officials are threatening to invoke the "Modell Law" to prevent a potential move to a new facility in Brook Park.
Elon Musk Versus the California Coastal Commission
The state's powerful coastal land-use regulator is arguing its awesome development-stopping powers applies to rocket launches as well as housing.
Supreme Court Refuses to Hear "Passive Park" Public Use Property Rights Case
While I am eager for the Court to take another public use case, I am actually happy the justices chose to reject this one. Its unusual facts made it a poor vehicle for revisiting Kelo v. City of New London.
Archaic Federal Law Keeps Alaskans From Using Abundant Natural Gas Reserves
The Jones Act makes the North Slope’s resources inaccessible to the state’s energy-starved residents.
Kamalacare Is Just Bidencare
As with Biden, you can count on Harris to expand government programs.
The Justice Department's Proposals for Breaking Up Google's Dominance Won't Work
But consumers will pay a price.
In Rush to Redevelop, a California City Tramples Property Rights
Urban renewal efforts should recognize that existing businesses and new residents can coexist.
Expanding Rent Control Will Not Make Housing More Affordable for the Disabled
Advocates unconvincingly argue that repealing California's limits on rent control will open up more housing for people with disabilities.
Donald Trump and Kamala Harris Keep Making Economically Illiterate Promises
These policies may sound good on paper—but they would be disastrous in reality.
Chip Mellor's Legacy Promotes a Broader Concept of Civil Liberties
For more than three decades, the Institute for Justice has shown that economic freedom and private property are essential safeguards for ordinary Americans.
No Place To Go
Despite homelessness being on the rise, local governments keep cracking down on efforts to shelter those without permanent housing.
J.D. Vance Accuses Ohio's Haitians of 'Massively Violating' Zoning Laws
Instead of focusing on the ways a rollback of zoning laws could lower housing costs for everyone, Vance wants to zealously enforce zoning codes to keep Haitians out of town.
Trump's Proposed Tariffs Would Add Nearly $250 to the Price of New Gaming Consoles
Similar price hikes would hit smartphones, laptops, tablets, and televisions.
What Happens When FEMA Buys Your House?
As hurricane damage mounts, the government is buying—and sometimes seizing—homes in flood-prone areas, sparking concerns over property rights and accusations of discrimination.
Argentina Ended Rent Control. Guess What Happened Next.
A free market for housing is one that benefits both renters and landlords.
Feds Sue Another Landlord for Discriminating Against an Emotional Support Animal
Federal housing officials allege a New Hampshire landlord violated the Fair Housing Act for refusing to show a unit to two women with emotional support dogs.
Trump's Destructive Tariff Proposals Will Make Us All Poorer
The candidate’s protectionism offsets some otherwise positive tax ideas.
The Best of Reason: Kamala Harris' Freedom Flip-Flop
Harris is running away from her far-left past.
D.C.'s COVID-Era Eviction Policies Come Back To Bite
Plus: Massachusetts NIMBYs get their day in court, Pittsburgh one-step forward, two-steps back approach to zoning reform, and a surprisingly housing-heavy VP debate.
How Milton Friedman Can Help Us Get Through Hurricane Milton
To give storm victims the best chance at recovery, let local knowledge and markets guide decisions.
Is Kamala Harris Really a YIMBY?
Harris rightly calls out regulations for causing the housing shortage, but she also supports rent control policies that will make it worse.
Longtime Ban on Home Distilling May Finally End
Why is making spirits for personal use any of the government’s business in the first place?
Federal 'Buy American' Rules Cost Over $100,000 Per Job Created
Eliminate the domestic content requirements of the Buy American Act, don't expand them.
Learning the Wrong Lessons From the Eminent Domain Legacy at Chavez Ravine
Progressives are trying to fix the errors of the past, but they're ignoring the best solution: More robust property rights.
Many Native Americans Struggle With Poverty. Easing Energy Regulations Could Help.
A significant percentage of Native Americans don't even have electricity—thanks in part to reservations being subject to overwhelming bureaucracy.
Contra J.D. Vance and Tim Walz, Housing Should Be a 'Commodity'
Housing is unaffordable because regulations have prevented its commodification.
J.D. Vance Is Wrong: Congress Is Indeed 'a High-Class Debating Society'
While congressmen hold performative hearings to win political points, they delegate policymaking to the administrative.
At V.P. Debate, J.D. Vance and Tim Walz Scapegoat Immigrants, 'Corporate Speculators' for High Housing Costs
Both candidates mentioned the importance of new supply to bring down housing costs. But their focus was firmly on their chosen boogeymen.
America's Trial Courts Have a NIMBY Problem
Plus: the transformation of California's builder's remedy, the zoning reform implications of the Eric Adams indictment, and why the military killed starter home reform in Arizona.
The Coming Vindication of the Double-Haters
Policy nihilism is consuming the 2024 election.
The Government Monopoly on Donated Kidneys Is Killing Americans
Organ donations in the U.S. are controlled by a network of federally sanctioned nonprofits, and many of them are failing.
