The Lighthouse®
Nothing is so permanent in government as a temporary agency or an emergency bill. Unless people think more seriously about the long-run consequences of hasty responses to national emergencies, their economic freedoms and civil liberties will erode lastingly with each new crisis.
READ MORE »
By John C. Goodman (Forbes, 4/30/20)
In order to fight COVID-19, the federal government has repealed, suspended, or eased hundreds of regulations that would otherwise have impeded the ability of doctors, nurses, drug manufacturers, test makers, and makers of personal protective equipment. Still, many more regulations must be axed, including restrictions on elective surgery that are making it hard for many hospitals to stay alive.
READ MORE »
By Robert P. Murphy (Mises.org, 4/24/20)
Job losses from lockdowns are worse than job losses from ordinary layoffs because lockdowns reflect arbitrary political edicts, rather than the relative preferences of businesses and consumers. The same political decisions responsible for today’s mass unemployment are also throwing a monkey wrench in critical but less visible gears that turn the economy—its capital structure—which means that, post-lockdown, it will take longer than most people anticipate for the economy to return to normal.
READ MORE »
By William F. Shughart II (RealClearMarkets.com, 4/23/20)
Instead of talking about selling bonds to finance pandemic relief, White House officials should be proposing the liquidation of trillions of dollars in land, buildings, and other assets now owned by the U.S. government. Selling off federal assets is not a perfect solution, but it’s better than the alternatives and would force politicians to face the costs of their emergency spending spree.
READ MORE »
By Richard K. Vedder (Forbes, 4/27/20)
Purdue University president Mitch Daniels has been a leader in higher education innovation. Having frozen tuition years ago, pioneered Income Share Agreements, and brought the test-preparation company Kaplan under the Purdue Global umbrella, he has now set his sights on what may be his boldest move yet: welcoming students back on campus this fall.
READ MORE »
The Lighthouse® is the weekly email newsletter of the Independent Institute.
Subscribe now, or browse Back Issues.
Volume 22, Issue 18: May 5, 2020
By Robert Higgs and Donald J. Boudreaux (Reason, 5/1/20)
Nothing is so permanent in government as a temporary agency or an emergency bill. Unless people think more seriously about the long-run consequences of hasty responses to national emergencies, their economic freedoms and civil liberties will erode lastingly with each new crisis.
READ MORE »
Crisis and Leviathan
Critical Episodes in the Growth of American Government (25th Anniversary Edition)
Critical Episodes in the Growth of American Government (25th Anniversary Edition)
By Robert Higgs
By John C. Goodman (Forbes, 4/30/20)
In order to fight COVID-19, the federal government has repealed, suspended, or eased hundreds of regulations that would otherwise have impeded the ability of doctors, nurses, drug manufacturers, test makers, and makers of personal protective equipment. Still, many more regulations must be axed, including restrictions on elective surgery that are making it hard for many hospitals to stay alive.
READ MORE »
By Robert P. Murphy (Mises.org, 4/24/20)
Job losses from lockdowns are worse than job losses from ordinary layoffs because lockdowns reflect arbitrary political edicts, rather than the relative preferences of businesses and consumers. The same political decisions responsible for today’s mass unemployment are also throwing a monkey wrench in critical but less visible gears that turn the economy—its capital structure—which means that, post-lockdown, it will take longer than most people anticipate for the economy to return to normal.
READ MORE »
By William F. Shughart II (RealClearMarkets.com, 4/23/20)
Instead of talking about selling bonds to finance pandemic relief, White House officials should be proposing the liquidation of trillions of dollars in land, buildings, and other assets now owned by the U.S. government. Selling off federal assets is not a perfect solution, but it’s better than the alternatives and would force politicians to face the costs of their emergency spending spree.
READ MORE »
Liquidating Federal Assets
A Promising Tool for Ending the U.S. Debt Crisis
A Promising Tool for Ending the U.S. Debt Crisis
By William F. Shughart II, Carl P. Close
By Richard K. Vedder (Forbes, 4/27/20)
Purdue University president Mitch Daniels has been a leader in higher education innovation. Having frozen tuition years ago, pioneered Income Share Agreements, and brought the test-preparation company Kaplan under the Purdue Global umbrella, he has now set his sights on what may be his boldest move yet: welcoming students back on campus this fall.
READ MORE »
The Beacon: New Blog Posts
- The Fed Becomes the U.S. Government’s Biggest Creditor, by Craig Eyermann
- California’s Legislators Commandeer Workers Comp in Coronavirus Fight, by K. Lloyd Billingsley
- Government Restrictions Have Gone Too Far, by Randall G. Holcombe
- Bipartisan Proposals for Spending Cuts, by Craig Eyermann
- China Steels California, by K. Lloyd Billingsley
Catalyst: New Articles
- Where Is the Small Business Advocacy in Normal Times?, by Luka Ladan
- A Jaded Public Reevaluates the Waco Siege, by Ross Marchand
- What Virginia’s I-81 Says About the Future of U.S. Freight, by Scott Beyer
