-
1 month ago | 
econlib.org | Art Carden |David Henderson |Marcos Falcone
A body of literature called the New History of Capitalism argues (incorrectly, I believe) that Western prosperity is built on legacies of exploitation like colonialism and slavery. Economists are very skeptical because the New Historians of Capitalism rest much of their case on fundamental misunderstandings of basic economic concepts like national income accounting. Economists have criticized some of the movement’s foundational texts in the blogosphere and scholarly journals.
-
2 months ago | 
reason.com | Ryan Bourne |Marcos Falcone
Do you care about free minds and free markets? Sign up to get the biggest stories from Reason in your inbox every afternoon. CommentsThis field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
-
2 months ago | 
cato.org | Ryan Bourne |Marcos Falcone
While planning his move to Spain, Martín wanted to rent out his apartment without dealing in pesos, Argentina’s ever-devaluing currency. “After consulting with five or six brokers, they told us the best option was to do ‘temporary,’ Airbnb-like contracts,” he explains. That workaround brought its own headaches.
-
Jan 24, 2025 | 
reason.com | Ryan Bourne |Marcos Falcone
Rent control "The effects were immediately seen by everyone and they were all beneficial," says the former vice president of Argentina's central bank.
-
Dec 11, 2024 | 
econlib.org | Kevin Corcoran |David Henderson |Marcos Falcone
A story in three acts, dear reader, that you may have seen in various forms before:Act one: An activist or TV talking head declares that the economy is failing, particular for those who are struggling most, and economic conditions are terrible. Act two: An economist interjects that actually, the economy is doing quite well, and as evidence cites all manner of statistics and perhaps tosses in some graphs for good measure.
-
Dec 10, 2024 | 
econlib.org | David Henderson |Marcos Falcone |Pierre Lemieux
To get rich slowly, hang on to that beat-up old sedan. In an EconLog post on December 7, Giorgio Castiglia surprised me with the following story:At a 10-year high-school reunion, a middle school math teacher arrives in a beat-up old sedan and an old buddy of his pulls up in a shiny new convertible and all the trappings of wealth. The math teacher recalls that this friend barely squeaked by in his high school classes.
-
Dec 10, 2024 | 
econlib.org | Marcos Falcone |Pierre Lemieux |Scott Sumner
Today marks exactly one year since Javier Milei rose to the presidency in Argentina. Expectations were high among libertarians, as this was the first time a self-described ‘anarcho-capitalist’ was elected to the highest office anywhere in the world. During his first year, Argentina has certainly experienced change. The country is no anarcho-capitalist paradise, but is certainly more deregulated and has a more austere government than in the past.
-
Nov 5, 2024 | 
econlib.org | David Henderson |Marcos Falcone
Yesterday, I posted over on my Substack on a long interview that my late Hoover Institution colleague Martin Anderson did about his time with Nixon. In it he revealed how quickly Nixon came to Marty’s position against the military draft in 1967, relatively shortly after meeting Marty. There’s lots more that’s fascinating in that interview. Marty talks at length about Ronald Reagan, who was very different from Nixon. Here’s one on Reagan’s intelligence and knowledge.
-
Nov 5, 2024 | 
econlib.org | Scott Sumner |David Henderson |Marcos Falcone
External effects such as air pollution are often cited as an example of a problem that can be usefully addressed by public policy. In the real world, however, two factors cause externalities to be overemphasized as a justification for regulation:
Transactions costs
Motivated reasoning
A recent article by Geoffrey Kabat in Reason magazine helps to illustrate both of these problems.
-
Nov 5, 2024 | 
econlib.org | Marcos Falcone |Adam Smith |David Henderson |Scott Sumner
The words used in public discussions shape the outcome of debates. In political discourse, language plays a critical role in conveying ideas, shaping perceptions, and even determining public opinion. In the 21st century, despite the successes of liberalism in expanding freedom and reducing poverty, liberal ideas remain unpopular in many parts of the world. This suggests that the issue may not be with the ideas themselves, but with how they are communicated.
