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Cost

Hands place (or remove) a segment of a pie chart. | Andrey Popov | Dreamstime.com

Tariffs

Tariffs Begin Taking a Bite out of the Economy

Tariffs are taxes, and we pay the price.

J.D. Tuccille | 8.20.2025 7:00 AM

Shipping containers at an American port | Photo by Barrett Ward on Unsplash

Consumption

Cheap Stuff Is a Huge Part of the American Dream

Plus: Polyamorous cannabis regulators (and a corruption scandal), deportation misses, and more...

Liz Wolfe | 4.1.2025 9:33 AM

Kamala Harris standing in front of various houses | Illustration: Lex Vilena, CNP/AdMedia/SIPA/Newscom, Wisconsinart | Dreamstime.com

Election 2024

Kamala's California Problem

As skyrocketing costs and mass exoduses define the Golden State, Democrats face a crucial reckoning.

M. Nolan Gray | 11.12.2024 10:50 AM

Mark Cuban | Photo: Dee Cee Carter/Media Punch/Alamy

Health Care

Mark Cuban on Pharmacy Prices, Health Care, and 'Good' Billionaires

"If you were an asshole when you were poor, you're going to be a bigger asshole when you're wealthy," the Shark Tank personality tells Reason.

Eric Boehm | 11.1.2024 6:00 AM

topicsindex | Photos: iStock

Economics

The Sindex: Airfares Have Fallen Below Prepandemic Levels

The Reason Sindex tracks the price of vice: smoking, drinking, snacking, traveling, and more.

Jason Russell | 10.28.2024 6:00 AM

Someone using a video game controller |  © Razvan Nitoi | Dreamstime.com

Free Trade

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.

Eric Boehm | 10.14.2024 12:00 PM

President Joe Biden is seen speaking at the White House | Ting Shen - via CNP/Polaris/Newscom

Government Spending

Biden Keeps Blaming Others for His Economic Mistakes

The president has tried to shift blame for inflation, interest rate hikes, and an overall decimation of consumers' purchasing power.

Veronique de Rugy | 6.13.2024 12:01 AM

A keyboard and money are seen next to a graph trending downward | Photo 7997381 © Maksym Filipchuk | Dreamstime.com

Price controls

No, Politicians Can't 'Fix' Prices—and That's OK

Price controls lead to the misallocation of resources, shortages, diminished product quality, and black markets.

Veronique de Rugy | 5.16.2024 12:01 AM

President Joe Biden at the White House in March | Samuel Corum/UPI/Newscom

Economy

Most Americans Aren't Buying Biden's Misleading Narrative That the Economy Is Getting Better

The question of how best to measure inflation has no single and straightforward answer, but most people know that the president's economic claims aren't true.

Veronique de Rugy | 3.28.2024 12:01 AM

Visitors look at a Polestar electric car at an event in Los Angeles | Zeng Hui / Xinhua News Agency/Newscom

Taxes

Gas Tax Revenues Decline as Cars Get More Efficient. How Will Government Pay for Roads?

Lawmakers should consider a user-fee system designed to charge drivers by the mile.

Veronique de Rugy | 12.7.2023 5:10 PM

The U.S. Capitol behind a 0 bill | Photo 16204204 © Luzav10 | Dreamstime.com

Fiscal policy

Here's One Way To Move Toward Responsible Government and Sane Fiscal Policy

The Copenhagen Consensus has long championed a cost-benefit approach for addressing the world's most critical environmental problems.

Veronique de Rugy | 11.16.2023 12:01 AM

TOPICSWORLD | Illustration: Joanna Andreasson Source image: CatLane/iStock

Housing Policy

Blame Regulations, Not Foreign Buyers, for High Housing Costs

Restricting foreign real estate ownership has something for both sides—conservatives don't like foreigners, and progressives don't like capital.

Christian Britschgi | 3.30.2023 6:00 AM

A group of plants are seen between yellow lines | Illustration: Lex Villena; Fabrice Loyola

Regulation

Progressive Politicians Are Regulating Their Own Projects Into Oblivion

Excessive government interference in the market hurts consumers and thwarts policy goals. It also gets in the way of the government itself.

Veronique de Rugy | 3.30.2023 12:01 AM

topicseducation | Illustration: Joanna Andreasson Source image: seamartini/iStock

Education

How Rising Tuition Poked a Hole in the College Bubble

While the population has grown, the number of college students has declined in the past decade.

Emma Camp | 3.14.2023 7:00 AM

Students throwing graduation caps in the air, next to a declining red arrow. | Illustration: Lex Villena; Hxdbzxy

College

Fewer People Are Going To College. That Could Be a Good Thing.

"If I would have gone to college after school, I would be dead broke," one high school graduate told the A.P.

Emma Camp | 3.9.2023 2:34 PM

Robert Reich against a blue backdrop featuring rows of eggs. | Illustration: Lex Villena; Draghicich | Dreamstime.com

Supply and demand

Robert Reich Is Wrong: 'Corporate Greed' Isn't To Blame for Egg Prices

The former labor secretary ignores the avian flu epidemic that devastated the supply of egg-laying hens.

Joe Lancaster | 1.23.2023 1:30 PM

The latest consumer price index report released on Thursday morning confirms that prices are still rising and dollars are not worth as much as they used to be. | Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash

Inflation

Inflation Hits 8.2 Percent After Another Month of Sharply Rising Prices

Prices rose by 0.4 percent in September, faster than economists expected and indicating that rising interest rates aren't getting the job done.

Eric Boehm | 10.13.2022 9:55 AM

Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Bernie Sanders | Illustration: Lex Villena; WDKrause, Gage Skidmore, NRKbeta

Democratic Party

What Would It Take for the Democrats To Really Be the Party of Opportunity?

Government should not penalize investment, thwart competition, discourage innovation and work, or obstruct production.

Veronique de Rugy | 9.8.2022 4:20 PM

SolarFarmDreamstime | Dzmitry Palubiatka | Dreamstime.com

Solar Power

Is 'King Solar' Now the Cheapest Electricity Source Ever?

Yes, and it's only going to get cheaper.

Ronald Bailey | 10.28.2020 5:00 PM

topicsinfographicFeatImage

Infographic

Government Involvement Drives Up Costs

"The more government gets involved, or the more government regulation, the greater are the increases in prices over time."

Reason Staff | 4.21.2020 6:00 AM

Studentloans-aren't-working | Joanna Andreasson. Source image: Bill Brooks/Alamy Stock Photo

Student Loans

Student Loans Aren't Working

But free college won't fix this slow-moving catastrophe.

Mike Riggs | 4.12.2020 6:00 AM

topicseconomics | Joanna Andreasson

Economics

Steal This Intellectual Property

Deirdre Nansen McCloskey | 2.17.2020 6:00 AM

topicsregulation | kyletperry/iStock

Regulation

Why Alaskans Can't Get Alaskan Natural Gas 

It's ridiculous to cut off Alaskans from the resources found in their own backyards.

Eric Boehm | 1.28.2020 6:00 AM

badtopicspolitics | Joanna Andreasson. Source images: cnythzi/iStock

Politics

Health Care Spending Is Out of Control

Health insurance doesn't just protect people from financial ruin. It insulates them from individual decisions about price and service quality.

Peter Suderman | 8.26.2019 6:00 AM

Large image on homepages | vasabii/iStock

Civil Liberties

The Feds Make a Killing by Overcharging for Electronic Court Records

C.J. Ciaramella | 4.22.2019 7:05 AM

Large image on homepages | saemilee/iStock

Science

The Green New Deal Is Anti-Democratic

Ronald Bailey | 4.7.2019 6:00 AM

Large image on homepages

Progress

A Ford Mustang Costs About the Same as in 1968, but College Costs a Helluva Lot More

A brief look at 50-year cost and quality trends in cars, houses, college and health care.

Ronald Bailey | 11.28.2018 3:15 PM

Large image on homepages | AzFree/iStock

Science

Renewable Energy Mandates Are Making Poor People Poorer

Ronald Bailey | 5.28.2018 6:00 AM

Large image on homepages

Renewable energy

Climate Activist Bill McKibben's 3-Step Plan to Eliminate Fossil Fuels

If renewables are as cheap as he thinks, then Steps 2 and 3 are superfluous.

Ronald Bailey | 2.8.2018 3:00 PM

Large image on homepages

War on Terror

$7,700 Is Your Share of the Wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria So Far

Including homeland security, domestic surveillance, TSA harassment, veterans benefits, and interest on associated federal debt: $61,000 per taxpayer

Ronald Bailey | 9.28.2017 1:15 PM

Large image on homepages | Joanna Andreasson

Policy

An Expensive Experiment With Single-Payer Health Care

Eric Boehm | 9.14.2017 6:00 AM

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