Public Policy

July 07, 2014

Why Bootleggers and Baptists Align on Regulation

“Politics makes strange bedfellows,” said Charles Dudley Warner. And nowhere is that more true than in the political alliances that form around regulation. In a 1983 paper, regulatory economist Bruce Yandle coined the catch-phrase “Bootleggers and Baptists” for the observation that regulations are often supported by peculiar alliances who have very different end-goals in mind. Continue Reading...

July 02, 2014

Why the Hobby Lobby Decision Makes Liberals Worry About Single-Payer Health Care

For those on the left side of the political spectrum, single-payer health care — a system in which the government, rather than private insurers, pays for all health care costs — is one of the most popular policy proposals in America. Continue Reading...

July 01, 2014

Helping The Poor With, Of All Things, Cash

Christopher Blattman, an associate professor at Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs, thinks giving cash to the poor is a good idea. Not free meals, not tickets to redeem for food, but cash. Continue Reading...

June 25, 2014

Charitable Giving Increases, But Smaller Proportion Goes to Religious Groups

Despite the struggling-to-recover economy, charitable giving by Americans continues to rise. But a smaller proportion of this money is going to religious organizations. According to a newly released report by Giving USA, total estimated charitable giving in the U.S. Continue Reading...

June 24, 2014

Regulators Brewing More Rules for Craft Beer Makers

It seems like nowadays everyone has a connection to someone who brews their own beer. Grand Rapids recently was named Beer City because of its lively microbrewery scene so this is especially true here. Continue Reading...

June 23, 2014

The Shadow of Galileo: What Do We Know About Climate Change?

We know about climate change and global warming, right? After all, we’ve been talking about it for decades. The polar bears losing their homes, the wild swings in temperatures, too much snow, not enough rain, etc. Continue Reading...

June 20, 2014

Why Isn’t the Victim Compensation System Compensating Victims?

Restorative justice is a theory of justice that emphasizes concepts such as reconciliation, forgiveness, and healing. There are, as Jordan Ballor has explained, a plurality of restorative justice movements. Yet one theme that is found in almost all forms is victim restitution, such as compensation funds for those who have been victims of crimes. Continue Reading...

June 19, 2014