Author Archives: Jeff

Unregulated by Government is Still Well Regulated

Posted on May 28, 2011 by Jeff

Steven Horwitz has a post on the FreemanOnline that is just excellent. It makes the point that a market unregulated by the government is not necessarily an “unregulated market” in the sense that nothing governs how it behaves. Rather a … Continue reading →

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Powerful because of wealth versus Powerful because of influence. I’ll take the former.

Posted on April 16, 2011 by Jeff

Hayek in the Road to Serfdom makes the point that in a socialist economy the only way to advance is through successfully lobbying the government so that your group is accorded greater privileges. If you have the misfortune to belong … Continue reading →

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Unintended Consequences to the max

Posted on April 12, 2011 by Jeff

I have several posts on unintended consequences of government policies, starting with one on November 27, 2010. (Click the Unintended Consequences category to see them all.) I just ran across a book that focuses exclusively on this topic and makes … Continue reading →

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Electronic Currency (e.g., BitCoin) – An End Run Around the Fed?

Posted on April 10, 2011 by Jeff

When I first heard the position that the federal government should get out of the business of providing a currency I thought it sounded like the authors were not quite as connected with reality as one would hope. However, I … Continue reading →

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Obama’s magic math – can I use that at home?

Posted on March 30, 2011 by Jeff

Today President Obama announced a new plan “for America’s energy security, including increased responsible domestic production and winning the future through a clean energy economy.” I find it puzzling that Obama can claim to be fighting high oil prices by … Continue reading →

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Rights, Wants, Needs, Take Your Pick

Posted on March 28, 2011 by Jeff

We are in a hurry to advance social causes. We can now get 3 square meals a day and have a roof over our heads, it is high time for us as a country to [take your pick] end poverty, … Continue reading →

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Watch What You Wish For

Posted on March 28, 2011 by Jeff

Hayek wrote in The Road to Serfdom that we need to think long-term about the policies and ideas we propose for when you combine all the ideas adopted together over time in a nation and follow their natural consequences out … Continue reading →

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Happy Birthday Wealth of Nations!

Posted on March 9, 2011 by Jeff

Today is the 325th birthday of the publishing of Adam Smith’s An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations! Join the celebration by listening to Russ Roberts on Cato or reading Mark Skousen on the centrality … Continue reading →

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The Effect of Unions on Employment and Wages

Posted on March 8, 2011 by Jeff

We are seeing a lot of heated rhetoric here in Wisconsin about the governor and unions. The clearest treatment I have read of the effect of unions is Chapter 20 in Henry Hazlitt’s book Economics In One Lesson. Jeffrey Miron, … Continue reading →

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Fun with Numbers or “Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics”

Posted on March 5, 2011 by Jeff

In my work we use statistics to support or disprove a point. We mine data to look for patterns, answer questions, and search for evidence of impacts. We try very hard to be objective and accurate in our use of … Continue reading →

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