Working Papers
Active Filters
Active Filters
{content}Custom Date Range
Author
Publication Type
Issue
Active Filters
Active Filters
{content}Becerra Takes the Gravy Train
New California governor promised to complete bankrupt bullet-train “on time and on budget.”
A New Factory Isn’t Necessarily a Sign of Growth
Gains to players in the political game do not necessarily mean gains for the rest of us.
Make America Healthy Again Meets Public Choice
The political incentives behind health policy help explain why reform is easier to promise than to achieve.
The Food Is Fine. The Recall Process Isn’t.
Why increased recall warnings don’t mean our food supply is getting worse.
Who Put Tariffs in My ($20!) Burrito?
From aluminum wrappers to beef, cheese, and tomatoes, Washington has found a way to make every bite more expensive.
Los Angeles Rents Are Falling. Here’s Why.
Despite improvements, housing prices in California remain exorbitantly high.
What is Socialism? Don’t Ask Mamdani or Vance
Progressives like Mamdani and right-wing populists like Vance love to deploy the “S” word. Unfortunately, neither can define it. Thankfully, economists can.
Keep the Case for Free Trade Simple
Trade isn’t complicated. People around the world work to produce things for one another—and protectionism makes that cooperation harder.
Repeal Gun-Free Zone Laws
Good Samaritan Kaylub Giamanco broke the law to save lives at Silver Rail Elementary.
BART Wants Taxpayers to Give It A Free Ride
But Management Is the Real Problem.
Late Socialism
Better never than late.
Reading Between the Bumpers
Plate readers are scanning more than license plates, prompting calls for limits on how governments and vendors collect and use personal data.
New Book: Beyond Politics
A Powerful Force for Peace and Prosperity
Flock, ALPRs and the Problem of Police Misuse
Cases involving officers who allegedly used Flock and other ALPR systems to track former partners suggest that surveillance powers require more than internal policies to prevent misuse.
Autopilot Deficits
Mandatory spending and surging debt interest drove federal outlays to record levels in fiscal year 2026.
America’s Best of Times, Worst of Times: Can Adam Smith Save the Future?
A return to free-market principles may be the answer.
¡Por una Cuba Libre!
Recommended Readings
Ghosts of Bubbles Past
The lesson of history is that asset bubbles can burst, but leverage and hidden exposures determine whether the fallout remains contained or spreads across the economy.
Peter Pan Tariffs for Companies that Never Grow Up
When Hamilton made the infant industry argument, he at least assured us the industry would advance to adulthood.
How UC Berkeley Professors Campaign for Wealth Taxes
California voters are being told that Proposition 40 is a one-time levy on billionaires, but the economists who designed it have bigger plans.
