Graham Adams writes – After NZ First leapfrogged Act last month in a Taxpayers’ Union-Curia poll — which led to much media excitement about the party’s rising fortunes — it seemed odd for Winston Peters to be quite so tetchy with journalists seeking his opinion on David Seymour’s views on karakia, traditional Māori prayers or incantations […]
Peters and Seymour tussle over ‘Maorification’
Peters and Seymour tussle over ‘Maorification’
07 Aug 2025 Leave a comment
in constitutional political economy, economics of regulation, law and economics, politics - New Zealand, property rights, Public Choice Tags: constitutional law
The Reveal: The Public is Finally Learning How Democrats Pulled Off the Greatest Political Trick in History
02 Aug 2025 Leave a comment
in economics of crime, law and economics, politics - USA Tags: 2016 presidential election
Below is my column in Fox.com on the release of the last declassified material on the origins of the Russian collusion investigation. After the release, former CIA Director John Brennan and former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper wrote in the New York Times insisted that they never relied on the Steele dossier. The column […]
The Reveal: The Public is Finally Learning How Democrats Pulled Off the Greatest Political Trick in History
El Salvador lengthens future presidential terms, abolishes term limits
02 Aug 2025 1 Comment
in constitutional political economy, development economics, law and economics Tags: El Salvador
Constitutional changes have been approved in El Salvador that will increase the length of the presidential term from five to six years and remove (any pretense) of presidential term limits (AP news). Incumbent President Nayib Bukele is already serving a second term, despite the existing constitution supposedly prohibiting immediate presidential reelection. He was elected initially […]
El Salvador lengthens future presidential terms, abolishes term limits
Mamdani’s unworkable proposal for NYC-owned grocery stores
31 Jul 2025 1 Comment
in applied price theory, comparative institutional analysis, constitutional political economy, economics of regulation, income redistribution, law and economics, Marxist economics, politics - USA, property rights, Public Choice, rentseeking, transport economics, urban economics Tags: economics of socialism, regressive left, rent control, useful idiots
Democrat Zohran Mamdani is likely to be the next mayor of NYC, as he proffered a number of campaign promises that delighted progressives young and old. (This is besides his pro-Palestinian stand on the Gaza war, which is irrelevant to his actions as NYC mayor but still delighted the benighted.) Here are a few of […]
Mamdani’s unworkable proposal for NYC-owned grocery stores
Labour always backs the crims
30 Jul 2025 Leave a comment
in economics of crime, law and economics, politics - New Zealand Tags: crime and punishment, criminal deterrence, law and order
Stuff reports: With a new trial for court bailiffs to seize cars if their owners haven’t paid fines, the Labour Party says innocent families could be left “stranded”. The Government is trialling new technology for bailiffs to scan number plates as they search for people who have unpaid fines. They will then clamp or seize […]
Labour always backs the crims
North Carolina School District Settles Case After Suspending Teen for Using Term “Illegal Alien”
30 Jul 2025 Leave a comment
in economics of bureaucracy, economics of education, law and economics, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - USA, property rights, Public Choice Tags: free speech, political correctness, regressive left
Christian McGhee, 17, has secured a significant victory for free speech in North Carolina after the Davidson County Board of Education settled a case over his suspension for using the term “illegal alien.” What is disturbing is that, once again, the school officials themselves appear to have escaped any accountability for their abusive treatment of […]
North Carolina School District Settles Case After Suspending Teen for Using Term “Illegal Alien”
The judicial revolution
30 Jul 2025 Leave a comment
in economics of bureaucracy, law and economics, politics - New Zealand, property rights, Public Choice Tags: constitutional law
An excellent article by Roger Partridge on an analysis by Emeritus Professor Peter Watts KC on the Supreme Court’s actions in Ellis vs R. I recommend you read the whole thing, but a key extract is: Before Ellis, tikanga’s role in New Zealand law was clearly defined and limited. As Watts shows, courts recognised tikanga within […]
The judicial revolution
French President Macron: a blockhead whose ignorance will harm Israel
30 Jul 2025 1 Comment
in defence economics, economics of crime, International law, law and economics, laws of war, population economics, war and peace Tags: Gaza Strip, Israel, Middle-East politics, regressive left, war against terror, West Bank
A fair number of countries have decided to recognize Palestine as a sovereign state (the U.N. can’t as it requires Security-Council approval, and the U.S. is on that council). This has had little effect as simple declarations like this have no force in international law (see reference to Natasha Hausdorff below). Now, however, another state […]
French President Macron: a blockhead whose ignorance will harm Israel
BBC portrays terrorist as ‘Pro-Palestinian convict’ and ‘teacher’
29 Jul 2025 1 Comment
in defence economics, economics of crime, law and economics, war and peace Tags: France, Gaza Strip, Israel, Middle-East politics, regressive left, useful idiots, war against terror, West Bank
On July 25th the BBC promoted a report by its Paris correspondent Hugh Schofield: Readers of Schofield’s article – headlined “Pro-Palestinian convict freed by France after 41 years” and tagged “Israel and the Palestinians” and “Palestinian territories” despite the story having no direct connection to either of those topics – are told that: [emphasis added] […]
BBC portrays terrorist as ‘Pro-Palestinian convict’ and ‘teacher’
Revolution by Judicial Decree: A Review of Professor Peter Watts KC’s “Ellis v R, A Revolution in Aotearoa New Zealand, Welcome or Not”
24 Jul 2025 Leave a comment
in comparative institutional analysis, constitutional political economy, economic history, economics of bureaucracy, law and economics, politics - New Zealand, property rights, Public Choice Tags: constitutional law
Roger Partridge writes – Revolutions conjure images of violent uprisings, the storming of institutions, and the forcible overthrow of existing orders. But constitutional foundations can be destroyed through more subtle means. When judges discard long-established constitutional principles and remake the law according to their preferences, they engage in a revolution that may be no less […]
Revolution by Judicial Decree: A Review of Professor Peter Watts KC’s “Ellis v R, A Revolution in Aotearoa New Zealand, Welcome or Not”
The Milei Miracle, Part II
23 Jul 2025 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, budget deficits, comparative institutional analysis, constitutional political economy, development economics, economic growth, fiscal policy, growth disasters, growth miracles, law and economics, liberalism, libertarianism, macroeconomics, property rights Tags: Argentina
I almost feel sorry for the 108 leftist economists who predicted back in 2023 that Argentina would suffer if Javier Milei won the presidential election. Not only were they disappointed when he enjoyed a landslide victory, but the subsequent events in Argentina have shown that they were wildly wrong (all of which is discussed in […]
The Milei Miracle, Part II
PETER WILLIAMS (on behalf of the Taxpayers’ Union): The Nats are considering keeping Te Mana o te Wai
21 Jul 2025 Leave a comment
in economics of bureaucracy, law and economics, politics - New Zealand, property rights, Public Choice, resource economics Tags: constitutional law
Peter Williams writes – The Taxpayers’ Union has been alerting supporters about the “Te Mana o te Wai” (literally meaning the mana of the water) requirements, which are still applicable to local councils’ environmental planning/consenting. It is becoming clear that the Coalition Government is continuing down Labour’s path of undemocratic and costly co-governance due to pressure […]
PETER WILLIAMS (on behalf of the Taxpayers’ Union): The Nats are considering keeping Te Mana o te Wai
Making sense of the case for compensation in regulatory bill
21 Jul 2025 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, economics of bureaucracy, income redistribution, law and economics, politics - New Zealand, property rights, Public Choice, public economics Tags: takings
Eric Crampton writes – The Regulatory Standards Bill before Parliament provides no enforceable legal right to compensation for the cost of regulation. It only suggests that compensation can be warranted when regulation takes or impairs property. A sovereign Parliament remains free to ignore that advice, as is made abundantly clear in sections 24 through 26 […]
Making sense of the case for compensation in regulatory bill
The Cross of Gold: Brazilian Treasure and the Decline of Portugal (due to the resource curse)
18 Jul 2025 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, comparative institutional analysis, constitutional political economy, development economics, economic growth, economic history, growth disasters, international economics, law and economics, macroeconomics, property rights, Public Choice, rentseeking, resource economics Tags: Portugal, resources curse
By Davis Kedrosky and Nuno Palma. Published in The Journal of Economic History.In the book The Economics of Macro Issues which I used as a supplemental text, they mention that Russia has many resources but its per capita income is less than that of Luxembourg which has few resources. The book suggests that the economic…
The Cross of Gold: Brazilian Treasure and the Decline of Portugal (due to the resource curse)
The Timing of Abundance
18 Jul 2025 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, economic history, economics of bureaucracy, economics of regulation, environmental economics, income redistribution, law and economics, politics - USA, property rights, Public Choice, rentseeking, urban economics Tags: housing affordability, land supply, zoning
In case you missed my *Build, Baby, Build* because of the 2024 election.
The Timing of Abundance
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