I’ve had ample reason to praise Hong Kong’s economic policy. Most recently, it was ranked (once again) as the world’s freest economy. And I’ve shown that this makes a difference by comparing Hong Kong’s economic performance to the comparatively lackluster (or weak)…
Daily Analysis
Obama Admin Prepares Rules Targeting For-Profit Colleges
Obama administration presses ahead in its war on for-profit colleges.
Believe It or Not: A Communist Nation Is the World’s Most Pro-Capitalist Country
Every so often, I share polling data from other nations that is either encouraging or puzzling. Looking through the archives, here are some memorable examples. *Americans are more libertarian than Europeans. *On the other hand, the French support spending cuts by a…
The United States Improves to #12 in New Rankings of Global Economic Freedom
Divided government is good for America’s economy. Or, to be more specific, divided government is a net plus if the alternative is to have statists fully in charge of economic policy. I made this point back in 2012 when I pointed out that the unemployment rate started…
Myths about Capitalism
In addition to his side job as Director of Undergraduate Studies for the Economics Department at Harvard University, Jeff Miron is Director of Economic Studies at the Cato Institute. He’s also the narrator of this video from Learn Liberty that discusses three myths…
Bureaucrats at the United Nations Endorse Sweeping New Tax Powers for Politicians
I’m not a big fan of international bureaucracies. Regular readers know that the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development is the worst institution from my perspective, followed by the International Monetary Fund. Some folks ask why the United Nations isn’t…
Is Government Threat of Punishment Keeping Private Universities from Cutting Tuition?
Federal policies unquestionably deserve some blame for skyrocketing tuition costs. Washington subsidizes student borrowing, and colleges in turn raise prices to capture federal dollars. Higher prices put pressure on Washington to increase subsidies and the cycle…
We Get Bad Analysis when Statists Write Economic History
When major changes occur, especially if they’re bad, people generally will try to understand what happened so they can avoid similar bad events in the future. This is why, when we’re looking at major economic events, it’s critical to realize that narratives matter….
The Economic Future of China and Hong Kong
I’m currently in Asia, where I just finished a series of speeches about economic policy in China and Hong Kong. These two jurisdictions offer very powerful lessons about the importance of economic policy. Hong Kong is supposed to be Nirvana for libertarians. It holds…
The Left Was Wrong about Unemployment Insurance
Over the past several years, I’ve repeatedly argued that you get more unemployment when the government pays people to be unemployed. But I’m not just relying on theory. I’ve cited both anecdotes and empirical research to bolster my case. You won’t be…