I’m glad that China has taken some steps away from communism. According to Economic Freedom of the World, China was one of 10-worst nations for economic liberty back in 1980 and they’ve since climbed to 92nd place out of 141 nations. I’ve even offered a small bit of…
Daily Analysis
Is Ireland’s Michael Higgins an Economic Illiterate or a Cynical Hack
I’ve always been proud of my Irish heritage, but now I’m having to reconsider. As is so often the case when something goes awry, the blame belongs to a politician (this Craig Ferguson joke is right on the mark). Michael Higgins, the President-Elect of Ireland, has…
New Video Has Important Message: Freedom and Prosperity vs. Big Government and Stagnation
The folks from the Koch Institute put together a great video a couple of months ago looking at why some nations are rich and others are poor. That video looked at the relationship between economic freedom and various indices that measure quality of life. Not…
What if the NFL Was Run Like the Government School System?
Regular readers know that the two things that get me most excited are the Georgia Bulldogs and the fight against a bloated public sector that is ineffective in the best of circumstances and more often than not is a threat to our freedoms. So you will not be surprised…
Economics 101 Video Tackles Poverty
The latest video from our Economics 101 Series tackles poverty, an issue frequently used to pull heart-strings in support of big government policies. But as the video shows, big government redistribution schemes are not making the problem better, and are likely making…
More Evidence for School Choice
School choice doesn’t automatically mean every child will be an educational success, but evidence from other nations certainly suggests it means better overall performance. Sweden, Chile, and the Netherlands are just some of the countries that have seen good results…
New Rankings from Economic Freedom of the World Reveal Dismal Impact of Bush-Obama Statism
The 2011 edition of Economic Freedom of the World, published by Canada’s Fraser Institute (with help from groups like Cato), has been released. Covering data through 2009, the new report provides damning evidence of the negative impact of the Bush-Obama policies of…
Rich People Should Help the Poor by…Making Smart Investments and Earning Big Profits
There’s a very provocative article on the New York Times website that criticizes Steve Jobs for his supposed lack of charitable giving. Surprisingly, there is one thing that Mr. Jobs is not, at least not yet: a prominent philanthropist. Despite accumulating an…
Bacon, Duct Tape, and the Free Market
It’s hard to imagine how we would get through life without necessities like bacon and duct tape. But have you ever thought about how the free market gives you so much for so little? Here’s a video that should be mandatory viewing in Washington. Too bad politicians…
Why Are Some Countries Rich and Others Poor?
Here’s a new video, less than 2-1/2 minutes, pointing out some of the key differences between rich nations and poor nations. Not surprisingly, small government, free markets, and sound institutions are critical. I narrated a similar video, released more than two years…