Elon Musk did well for a penniless immigrant
31 Aug 2026 Leave a comment
in economics of education, energy economics, human capital, labour supply, poverty and inequality
Rethinking keynesian fiscal stimulus | LSE Event
31 Aug 2026 Leave a comment
in budget deficits, business cycles, econometerics, economic growth, economic history, global financial crisis (GFC), great recession, history of economic thought, labour economics, macroeconomics, public economics, unemployment
‘The Logic of Political Survival,’ by Bruce Bueno de Mesquita, Alastair Smith, Randolph M. Siverson & James D. Morrow
31 Aug 2026 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, comparative institutional analysis, constitutional political economy, economic history, economics of bureaucracy, income redistribution, Public Choice, rentseeking
Since the COVID-19 pandemic and the political upheavals that followed, concerns have grown that many Western democracies face authoritarian pressure and are becoming less democratic. This shift has renewed interest in one of political science’s most influential frameworks for understanding democratic and nondemocratic rule: Selectorate Theory, developed by Bruce Bueno de Mesquita, Alastair Smith, Randolph…
‘The Logic of Political Survival,’ by Bruce Bueno de Mesquita, Alastair Smith, Randolph M. Siverson & James D. Morrow
Bill Maher’s “new rule”: the young are puppeteering the lunatrocracy
30 Aug 2026 Leave a comment
in television, TV shows
In yesterday’s “Real Time” comedy-and-politics bit, Bill Maher calls attention to the fact that much of the real work in Congress isn’t done by the older Senators and Representatives, but rather by their staff, who may be “too young.” In other words, the 20-somethings are writing the bills, and, as Maher said, “the kids are…
Bill Maher’s “new rule”: the young are puppeteering the lunatrocracy
Federal Court Rules Speech-Based Deportations Violate the First Amendment
30 Aug 2026 Leave a comment
in labour economics, labour supply, law and economics, politics - USA Tags: economics of immigration, free speech
The decision goes further than other similar recent rulings.
Federal Court Rules Speech-Based Deportations Violate the First Amendment
How Low Should Seasonal Discounts Be?
30 Aug 2026 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, industrial organisation
Retailers often mark down seasonal merchandise to clear inventory, but how big should the discount be? An Impact Analytics article describes a clothing retailer that initially discounts winter coats by 20%, observes the resulting sales, and then increases the discount to 35% when inventory remains too high. This is a simple pricing decision in which…
How Low Should Seasonal Discounts Be?
Trump Space Policy Targets 1,000 U.S. Launches, Reentries Annually by 2030
30 Aug 2026 Leave a comment
in economics of regulation, politics - USA, transport economics Tags: space
If our country is serious about returning to the Moon, reaching Mars, and maintaining its leadership in the new space race, it cannot allow launch pads, range scheduling, and reentry capacity to become the bottlenecks. The post Trump Space Policy Targets 1,000 U.S. Launches, Reentries Annually by 2030 appeared first on Watts Up With That?.
Trump Space Policy Targets 1,000 U.S. Launches, Reentries Annually by 2030
Can Chile Once Again Become the Latin Tiger?
30 Aug 2026 Leave a comment
in development economics, economic growth, economic history, growth miracles, history of economic thought, macroeconomics Tags: Chile
In 2012, I wrote that pro-market reforms had turned Chile into the Latin Tiger. But two years later, in 2014, I wrote a column fretting that a recently elected left-leaning government was going to undermine prosperity. Based on the Maddison data, my concerns were justified. The country’s economic performance can be divided into three periods. […]
Can Chile Once Again Become the Latin Tiger?
Quotation of the Day…
29 Aug 2026 Leave a comment
Tweet… is from page 318 of Thomas Sowell’s 2002 collection, Controversial Essays: The next time some academics tell you how important “diversity” is, ask how many Republicans there are in their sociology department. The post Quotation of the Day… appeared first on Cafe Hayek.
Quotation of the Day…
Abdul El-Sayed and the Piker Problem
29 Aug 2026 Leave a comment
in discrimination, economics of crime, law and economics, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - USA Tags: free speech, Israel, Middle-East politics, political correctness, racial discrimination, regressive left, war against terror
There was a curious moment this week when Michigan Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed expressed shock that people were asking him…
Abdul El-Sayed and the Piker Problem
Thomas Sowell: Intellectual Thought Leader | With Roland Fryer, Ayaan Hi…
29 Aug 2026 Leave a comment
Vice signalling
29 Aug 2026 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, economics of information, politics - USA Tags: signaling
Vice signalling is the opposite of virtue signalling, although it is not nearly as established as a technical term. Political scientists are more likely to discuss transgressive signalling, norm violation, incivility, performative transgression, or out-group hostility. Research on populism, for example, explicitly treats deliberate breaches of conventional standards of political behaviour as part of a political style. A […]
Vice signalling
Utopia, you are standing in it! 
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