Latest Posts

May 17, 2017

Understanding the President’s Cabinet: Vice President

Note: This is the post #17 in a weekly series of explanatory posts on the officials and agencies included in the President’s Cabinet. See the series introduction here. Cabinet position: Vice President (VPOTUS) Current: Mike Pence Succession: The Vice President is second in the presidential line of succession. Continue Reading...
May 16, 2017

Should Martha Stewart iron her own shirts?

Note: This is post #33 in a weekly video series on basic microeconomics. Comparative advantage explains why people trade and what goods they should trade. To illustrate the concept of comparative advantage, Marginal Revolution University’s Alex Tabarrok asks, “Should Martha Stewart iron her own shirts?” Continue Reading...
May 15, 2017

Will Big Data hurt the creditworthiness of Christians?

How can you predict the likelihood of whether a borrower would pay back a loan? To answer that question several economist studied the peer-to-peer lending site, Prosper. Potential borrowers on Prosper must write a brief description of why they need a loan and why they are good credit risk. Continue Reading...
May 12, 2017

Jack Donahue, RIP

It was with deep sadness that I learned today of the passing of John F. “Jack” Donahue. Jack truly was a renaissance man, packing significant and lasting accomplishments into his 92 years. Continue Reading...
May 12, 2017

What that viral ‘wealth inequality’ video gets wrong

Globalization does not merely mean cutthroat competition; it also means that the best minds from around the world can collaborate and, when necessary, correct one another’s conclusions. Scientists rely on this interplay of minds but so do other disciplines, not least economics, where clear thinking is perpetually in short supply. Continue Reading...
May 12, 2017

How Brexit helps ‘the least of these’

Brexit may suffer from the most uniquely inverted public perception in modern international affairs. The British referendum to leave the European Union – the most successful rebellion against global governance to date – is depicted as a racist and xenophobic retreat into an isolated and atomized existence.  Continue Reading...
May 12, 2017

Free trade propaganda from … Communist China?

In the wake of the last presidential election, the American people appear to be fracturing and shifting on the long-held consensus about the benefits of free trade. Meanwhile, state-owned television in the People’s Republic of China is churning out pro-trade propaganda such as this (HT Pethokoukis): Yet the underlying irony is a bit overstated, I’d suspect. Continue Reading...