Economics

Car Seats as Contraceptives 0
- Economics
- October 5, 2020
Seat belts save lives. Child safety seats save lives. These statements seem blindingly obvious. But everything has a cost. Two American economists recently studied the social effects of mandating child safety seats from 1973. They concluded, counterintuitively, that the conventional wisdom is both right and wrong. They estimate that these popular laws prevented only 57
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Joe Biden’s Rejection of the Green New Deal Is a Small Win for Humility 0
- Economics
- October 2, 2020
The first presidential debate of 2020 is done and dusted. Thank God. President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden squared off Tuesday night in a raucous affair most Americans would probably just as soon forget. The debate, though at times entertaining, was thin on policy but heavy on invective, cliches, and interruptions. An
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Save the Environment: Drive a Gas-Powered Car 2
- Economics
- September 24, 2020
The Washington Post recently reported that California will cease to allow the sale of gasoline-powered cars in the state by 2035. This act of government overreach comes not through a legislative act by the state’s elected representatives in the House and Senate, but by decree of Gov. Gavin Newsom and the California Air Resources Board
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Twenty Lessons From 2020’s Fallout 0
- Economics
- September 24, 2020
This year has been a shock. Here is an early sketch of what I think I’ve learned. Governments are fully capable of doing the unthinkable, and doing so suddenly with no exit plan, little consideration of cost, and a callous disregard for individual rights. The U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights are largely irrelevant when
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New Report Shows How Congress Has Screwed Over Young People 0
- Economics
- September 23, 2020
We already knew that the budget deficit will hit a record-breaking $3.3 trillion this year as the federal government continues to run up debt in response to the COVID-19 crisis. Yet a new report from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) shows that we aren’t just facing a short-term spike in deficits. We’re on an
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Why U.S. Wildfires Hit California More Than the Southeast 0
- Economics
- September 17, 2020
California wildfires continue to blaze in one of the worst fire seasons in recent memory. While California fires are nothing new, government data show the damage has been substantial. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection says that since August 15, when California’s fire activity accelerated, there have been at least 24 fatalities and
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