Economics

If you were a very wealthy person and you really wanted to improve the lot of your fellow man by donating a large sum of money in the most cost-effective way possible, what would you do? According to the new Forbes list of the richest people, there are almost 800 billionaires in the world. Many of them are engaged in Read More ›

AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands. — Like New Orleans, this city has had periods of past glory — evident in its many well preserved buildings from centuries back. But it has also been subject to major floods and other calamities over the last 900 years. That Amsterdam has managed to overcome similar adversity enables it to provide a role model for New Read More ›

If you really like apple pie, and you could have one-third of a 2 pound pie or half of a 1 pound pie, which would you choose? This grade school math problem is very similar to the problem politicians and economic policymakers face in deciding whether to distribute smaller pieces of a bigger pie, or vice versa. Their decisions tell Read More ›

This article, published by Rocky Mountain News, quotes Discovery Institute Senior Fellow George Gilder: Futurist George Gilder, expected to deliver the keynote speech, could not keep a lid on his enthusiasm in a statement announcing the conference, which gets started in earnest this morning. “Colorado has become Silicon Mountain, snowcapped with software,” he was quoted as saying. The rest of Read More ›

As you read this commentary, a highly predictable scandal is developing that may embarrass leaders, including President Bush, British Prime Minister Blair, and other heads of government, severely damage the reputations, or worse, of many bureaucrats, and cost taxpayers billions. A summit meeting of the leaders of the “G8” nations (U.S., U.K., France, Germany, Russia, Japan, Italy, and Canada) was Read More ›

Humans as a species have just enjoyed their best year yet, 2005, on our little planet. By almost any measure, more people lived better lives last year than ever before. Global lifespans, literacy and real incomes all reached record highs, and more people lived in free or at least partially free countries than at anytime in human history. The state Read More ›

Would you prefer to live in a country that has: The rule of law with an honest civil service, strong protection of private property and minority rights, free trade, free markets, very low taxes, and full freedom of the speech, press and religion, but not a democracy? Democracy and a corrupt court and civil service, many restrictions on economic freedom, Read More ›

Your Jan. 17 editorial “The Keepers of K Street” ignored the most crucial source of “earmarks” in the congressional process — a campaign finance system that favors the bribery of interest groups over the contributions of citizens. Under McCain-Feingold, a citizen with diverse interests in the future of the nation is permitted to contribute $2,000. A political action committee representing Read More ›

Would you be willing to give up all of your tax deductions — state and local taxes, mortgage interest, church and charitable contributions, etc. — in exchange for sharply lower tax rates? With the return of Congress, the debate is about to begin again. One major obstacle to tax reform is the confusion in the minds of most Americans (and Read More ›

Suppose you were appointed global economic czar, and your task was to bring the world’s per capita income up to the level of Ireland’s (almost that of the U.S.). Would you: Insist the world’s rich nations transfer substantial wealth though massive foreign aid to the poor nations? Insist all nations adopt policies that would make them as economically free as Read More ›