Nathan Lewis

Nathan Lewis is the author of four books on economic topics, including three about the gold standard. He has maintained a website on economic topics since 2005, at NewWorldEconomics.com. He has fifteen years of experience in the asset management industry, in research and portfolio management. Today, he is the editor of the Polaris Letter, an investment newsletter.

Archives

Zimbabwe’s Central Bank Starts Africa’s Path to a Gold Standard

_{Nathan Lewis
April 11, 2024}

This month, the Central Bank of Zimbabwe launched a new gold-based currency, the first gold-based currency from a government since Richard Nixon effectively ended the world gold standard system in 1971. As long as the Central Bank of Zimbabwe adheres to some important principles, and doesn't play politics, it should be fine.

Life After Capitalism Highlights The Way Forward For Economists

_{Nathan Lewis
October 6, 2023}

Life After Capitalism is full of new ideas with great potential to advance the study of economics out of its current stagnant ruts. Among other things, it may help bridge the cultural divide between business innovators and policy wonks. Readers will find new vistas and horizons in every chapter.

The BRICs Go For Gold

_{Nathan Lewis
July 16, 2023}

After months of debate about various currency and commodity baskets, a Russia- and China-led consortium has apparently settled on using gold as the basis of a planned new international currency system separate from the US dollar and euro.

What’s Being Done to Reduce Wealth Inequality in the US?

_{Nathan Lewis
April 7, 2023}

Wealth inequality has grown in recent years. There are nearly 1,000 billionaires in the U. S. and the wealthiest Americans have never been richer. In contrast, poor and working-class Americans have seen their incomes stagnate and fall. Discovery Fellow Nathan Lewis joined NPR to discuss what can be done to reduce wealth inequality in the United States.

Why Joe Biden’s Tax Plan Isn’t Going To Work

_{Nathan Lewis
March 29, 2023}

Socialists always have all kinds of fantasies, but they live in the same real world as the rest of us, and in the real world there are certain cause and effect relationships that are, by now, well known.

“Taxing All Income The Same” Done Right

_{Nathan Lewis
March 29, 2023}

“Taxing all income the same” is the right idea. Without it, we are lost at sea where every possible stupidity can be justified by “fairness.” This is the principle of Uniformity, and it should be the basis for our tax system of the future.

What Is “M2,” And Why Should We Care About It?

_{Nathan Lewis
August 8, 2022}

Of the various “monetary aggregates” (at one point, I think over thirteen were identified), “M2” is perhaps the most commonly referenced. It is supposedly important. But why? To answer that, we have to first figure out what it is.

What’s Wrong With Turkey #2: Making It Way Too Complicated

_{Nathan Lewis
January 16, 2022}

Recently, we took a look at the Central Bank of Turkey’s balance sheet, to get an idea of what has been going on, and what to do about the sudden decline in the foreign exchange value of the Turkish lira.

What’s Wrong With Turkey?

_{Nathan Lewis
January 9, 2022}

Unfortunately, Turkey has a long history of currency failure, so it would be no surprise if the country were to stack up some new failures today. But, it doesn’t have to be that way. In the past, mostly before 1970, the Turkish lira had long stretches of reliability, and perhaps Turkey will aspire to greatness again.

What’s Wrong with “Neoliberal Economics”?

_{Nathan Lewis
November 23, 2021}

As a member of the “supply side” branch of modern classical economics, I might be labeled a “neoliberal economist” by some. But, there are important points at which common “neoliberal” economics fails badly, and which give rise to much-deserved criticism.

Rationalizing Tariffs

_{Nathan Lewis
October 24, 2021}

Economic Nationalism tends to boil down into two basic policies: tariffs, and limited immigration. Sometimes, in the past, it has meant currency devaluations, but today that is not really proposed. On a broader basis, it means that economic policy should result in positive outcomes, for the whole of the population.

Prescription Drugs Should Be Almost Free, And Actually, They Already Are

_{Nathan Lewis
October 1, 2021}

For a long time, people have been debating drug prices in the United States. This is stupid. Today, about 90% of all prescriptions are for generic drugs. Probably, the percentage should be higher than this (it is 97% in China). Generic prescription drugs should be like Tylenol — almost free. Actually, they already are almost free.

We Are Going To Have A Much Smaller Federal Government

_{Nathan Lewis
September 15, 2021}

The original Federal government of the Constitution was framed on the principle of a limited government of “Enumerated Powers.” In other words, it would handle a short and definite list of responsibilities. All other functions of government would be the responsibilities of the States.

Demographic Collapse #2: Ponzi Schemes

_{Nathan Lewis
September 12, 2021}

I have been arguing that a decline in population (“demographic collapse”) need not be a bad thing. If per-worker productivity remains high, or better yet rises considerably, then individuals and the society in general will remain wealthy and prosperous.

Interview With Dmitriy Balkovskiy

_{Nathan Lewis
August 19, 2021}

Dmitriy Balkovskiy, a Russian businessman, published my first book Gold: The Once and Future Money (2007) in the Russian language. This worked well: Not long after, Russia’s largest television station, Channel One, sent a video crew to my house in Upstate New York to interview me for a big documentary on the world monetary system.

“Money Printing” in the 1960s

_{Nathan Lewis
August 15, 2021}

I was going to do something on the last years of Bretton Woods, involving William McChesney Martin at the Fed, and Presidents Johnson and Nixon. But, to do this properly would take some serious research, which I never got around to. (It would make a nice book.) So, today — the fiftieth anniversary of the official End of the Bretton Woods system on August 15, 1971 — we will instead take a step-by-step approach, piecing together little clues along the way.