The Inspiring Teresa Teng
The pop star who stood for freedom. After the Soviet Empire expired in the 1989–91 period, commentators worldwide revealed the […]
Why We Shouldn’t Be Concerned about AI Replacing Jobs
I frequently fly from New Orleans, Louisiana, to Vancouver, British Columbia, and then back again. There is no direct airplane […]
How the FAA Is Keeping Flying Cars in Science Fiction
Flying cars are used as a synecdoche for all of the 20th-century sci-fi dreams that never came true. But they […]
Debunking All the Main Arguments for Antitrust Laws
It does not take too much upstairs to see through the Biden administration’s rejection of the JetBlue-Spirit Airlines merger. The […]
Interest on the National Debt—Who Does It Go To?
This week, to start off “Ask an Economist” for the year, I have a question from Stan K. about the […]
What Americans Can Learn From Argentina’s Collapsing Economy—and Javier Milei’s Stunning Victory
Argentines elected 53-year-old political outsider Javier Milei as their new president on Sunday. Milei, an economist and self-described libertarian, pulled […]
Why Is There A Dyslexia Epidemic?
The earliest documented cases of dyslexia, or a language processing disorder that makes it difficult to read, date back more […]
The Feds’ Vehicle ‘Kill Switch’ Mandate Is a Gross (and Dangerous) Violation of Privacy
In November 2021, former US Representative from Georgia Bob Barr wrote a little-noticed political column claiming that buried inside President […]
Publius Rutilius Rufus: Rome’s ‘Last Honest Man’
Banished for debasing the currency from his home city in what is now north-central Turkey, Diogenes of Sinope chose to […]
The Problem with a Chicago Municipal Grocery Store
Chicago’s new mayor, Brandon Johnson, is experimenting with a surprising new city policy— government-run grocery stores. The policy idea was […]
Why Do Some Countries Stay Poor?
This week for Ask an Economist, I have a question from a reader named Mark. He says, “I’ve worked with […]
Libertarianism For Beginners: A Review
Todd Seavey’s 2016 book Libertarianism For Beginners is a thoughtful and accessible introduction to libertarian thinking, perfect for someone who […]
Why the Federal Reserve Pays Interest to Your Bank—and You Get Nothing
I think the average American does not know that the US Federal Reserve currently pays 4.90% interest to banks on […]
Why Taxes Are Harmful: A Response to The Woke Salaryman
A Singapore-based webcomic called The Woke Salaryman recently posted a comic extolling the virtues of taxation and encouraging people to […]
The Myth That America Prospered After WWII Despite Extremely High Taxes on the Rich
Left-wing politicians who demand higher taxes on the rich argue that the United States has, in the past, prospered when […]
How a Massachusetts Town Seized a Farmer’s $370k Property to Cover a $60k Tax Debt—and Kept the Change
Alan DiPietro is an alpaca farmer in the town of Bolton, Massachusetts (pop: 5,376). He lives in an RV on […]