Why Do We Have “Free Trade” For Televisions, But Not For Corn?
While the U.S. opens industries to market competition at home and abroad, we give our agricultural producers a lot of protection, including big subsidies.
Why Ronald Reagan Became the Great Deregulator
How did deregulation, and related ideas about how to run the economy, become so central to American politics? Look to Reagan for the answer.
Why Do We Take Pride in Working for a Paycheck?
In the modern imagination, work is a source of pride, but early labor unions regarded hourly toil in industry as "wage slavery."
The Hidden Subtext of Vagrancy
In recent years, activists in cities across the country have repeatedly clashed with municipal officials over anti-vagrancy laws.
How Political Events Change Currency Value
What causes shifts in currency after a political event is, essentially, human expectations.
Will We Always Have the Poor Among Us?
To end poverty, public policy must provide much more than economic resources
Why We Give Children Toys for Christmas
Giving children toys for Christmas first became a thing in early nineteenth century England.
Could Immigration Save Middle America?
This election season has drawn enormous attention to the anxiety that many Americans in economically-distressed rural places seem ...
Why Welfare Reform Didn’t End Welfare Stigma
20 years after welfare reform, stigma surrounding cash benefits remains.
Should We Set a Speed Limit on High-Speed Trading?
Can slower financial traders find a haven in a world of high-speed algorithms?