Month: January 2017

January 09, 2017

The cost (and return on investment) of having children

Are you a parent or thinking of becoming one? If so, the federal government has a new report that will cause your bank account to gasp. According to the Department of Agriculture, the estimated cost of raising a child from birth through age 17 is $233,610, or as much as almost $14,000 annually. Continue Reading...
January 06, 2017

If the lottery was honest

When it comes to government programs for redistributing income, nothing is quite as malevolently effective as state lotteries. Every year state lotteries redistribute the income of mostly poor Americans (who spend between 4-9 percent of their income on lottery tickets) to a handful of other citizens—and to the state’s coffers. Continue Reading...
January 05, 2017

Economics made the world a better place

“A lot of doom and gloom types say we’re living in dark times. But they’re wrong,” says economist Donald J. Boudreaux. “While there are real problems, the world has never been healthier, wealthier, and happier than it is today. Continue Reading...
January 05, 2017

Does globalization destroy culture?

Globalization is routinely decried for its disruptive effects, particularly as it relates to local culture and community enterprises and institutions. Even as it’s proven to drive significant economic growth, questions remain about its steamrolling influence on the culture. Continue Reading...
January 05, 2017

5 Facts about Jean-Baptiste Say

Today is the 250th anniversary of Jean-Baptiste Say, one of the most important economic thinkers of the nineteenth century. Here are five facts you should know about this French economist: 1. Continue Reading...