inflation

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Government Building Image
Photo by Jomar on Unsplash

The Greatest Risk to Americans Is the Federal Government, Not Bank Failures

It's far better for America’s citizenry and businesses to have the strength and resourcefulness that comes from free exchange of ideas and information, creativity, honesty, and self-reliance than to have a dependence on a profligate and corrupt government.  Read More ›
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Mailbox with an

Constraints on Educational Freedom Have Dems Fleeing the Party

White suburban women, who comprise roughly 20% of the electorate, have swung right. Concerns about skyrocketing costs and crime have been top of mind for these women, and for the moms and grandmothers of this population segment, education has been a key driver of their party affiliation change. Read More ›
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The facade of the Federal Reserve Bank.

DC’s Insatiable Urge to Splurge

Asked Wednesday when Congress will raise the debt ceiling by mid-October, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi responded that the House will do what needs to be done “because it’s the responsible thing to do.” What exactly? “We’re paying the Trump credit card,” she said. As long as both parties think they can keep spending money on credit and blame it all on the other side, red ink will flow. Read More ›

Normalize U.S. Economy

U.S. stock prices have just reached record highs, erasing the losses since the previous 2007 peak. But the U.S. economy as measured by the labor-force participation rate, which captures the percentage of working-age people in the labor force, has just dropped to a new 34-year low of 63.3 percent. Since the Great Depression, recessions have always been followed by strong Read More ›

How to Forecast the Economy

Knowing that I am an economist, friends and acquaintances frequently ask me, “What is going to happen with the economy?” If I say with great assurance, “Inflation will rise 0.3 percent, unemployment will fall 0.6 percent, and economic growth will increase by 3.2 percent,” they will walk away happy, believing they know something others do not. Or, I can be Read More ›

Defeating Deflation

Deflation is upon us. Put another way, the U.S. economy is now experiencing a sustained reduction in the general level of prices. Last month, the Producer Price Index posted its biggest decline on record, 1.6%, and the Consumer Price Index fell by 0.3%. All of the major commodity price indices are down by 11% to 20% for the year. Many Read More ›