Argentina’s bonds have already rallied dramatically. One gauge of the nation’s hard-currency debt, the ICE BofA US Dollar Argentina Sovereign Index, has generated a total return of about 90% this year. Meanwhile, the S&P Merval Index has risen more than 160% this year through Monday, far outpacing stock benchmarks in developed, emerging and frontier markets […]
Argentina facts of the day
Argentina facts of the day
29 Dec 2024 Leave a comment
in budget deficits, comparative institutional analysis, development economics, economic growth, economics of bureaucracy, economics of regulation, F.A. Hayek, financial economics, fiscal policy, growth disasters, income redistribution, international economics, labour economics, law and economics, liberalism, libertarianism, macroeconomics, Milton Friedman, monetarism, monetary economics, property rights, Public Choice, rentseeking, unemployment Tags: Argentina
The New FDA and the Regulation of Laboratory Developed Tests
28 Dec 2024 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, economics of bureaucracy, economics of regulation, health economics, politics - USA, Public Choice Tags: drug lags
The FDA under President Trump and new FDA head Martin Makary should rapidly reverse the FDA’s powergrab on laboratory developed tests. To recap, laboratory developed tests (LDTs) are the kind your doctor orders, they are a service not a product and are not sold directly to patients. Congress has never given the FDA the authority […]
The New FDA and the Regulation of Laboratory Developed Tests
The Secretary to the Treasury defending govt fiscal policy
27 Dec 2024 Leave a comment
in budget deficits, economics of bureaucracy, fiscal policy, inflation targeting, macroeconomics, politics - New Zealand, Public Choice

I wasn’t envisaging writing anything more for a while, but….Welllington’s weather certainly isn’t conducive to either the beach or the garden, and the Herald managed to get an interview with Iain Rennie, the new Secretary to the Treasury (not usually the sort of stuff for 27 December either). I’ve always been rather uneasy about heads […]
The Secretary to the Treasury defending govt fiscal policy
A terrible decision by Treasury
24 Dec 2024 Leave a comment
in economics of bureaucracy, politics - New Zealand, Public Choice
Eric Crampton writes: This week, the Treasury barred representatives from the Council of Trade Unions and the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union from attending its restricted briefing for the Half-Year Economic and Fiscal Update. Treasury said the briefings provide time to consider materials before public release. The aim is more accurate reporting and greater “transparency and accountability […]
A terrible decision by Treasury
The NZ Green Investment Fund should be Liquidated for Losing Money that could’ve gone into alleviating Poverty.
13 Dec 2024 Leave a comment
in economics of bureaucracy, economics of climate change, energy economics, entrepreneurship, environmental economics, environmentalism, financial economics, global warming, politics - New Zealand, Public Choice, rentseeking

Only a few months ago, the Chair of the NZ Green Investment Fund (NZGIF) and Chancellor of the University of Auckland, Cecilia Tarrant, visited my “Law and Economics” class. Why? She’s a lawyer who worked in “structured products” and “real estate finance” at Morgan Stanley in New York – and knows a Kiwi friend of…
The NZ Green Investment Fund should be Liquidated for Losing Money that could’ve gone into alleviating Poverty.
More on Business Dynamism
11 Dec 2024 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, economic history, economics of bureaucracy, economics of regulation, entrepreneurship, financial economics, income redistribution, industrial organisation, labour economics, labour supply, managerial economics, organisational economics, personnel economics, Public Choice, rentseeking, survivor principle, theory of the firm Tags: creative destruction, employment law

Over at the Geek Way, Andrew McAfee has created a startling visualization related to entrepreneurship in the US and EU. The Draghi Report on EU competitiveness is generating a small buzz among economists. One startling claim is thatthere is no EU company with a market capitalisation over EUR 100 billion that has been set up…
More on Business Dynamism
Free Speech Union Is Taking Hutt City Council And It’s CEO To The High Court
09 Dec 2024 Leave a comment
in economic history, economics of bureaucracy, economics of education, law and economics, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - New Zealand, property rights, Public Choice Tags: constitutional law, free speech, political correctness, racial discrimination, regressive left
This email from Stephen Franks explains why!!!!! Note: I have included all of the email, including the request for any financial support readers may be inclined to give to aid the FSU in this obviously expensive court case. Hi. Some fights take a little longer than others. While the FSU team has been confronting the NZ Police, professional bodies, Immigration […]
Free Speech Union Is Taking Hutt City Council And It’s CEO To The High Court
NZ Nursing Council Raises A Middle Finger To Health Minister Shane Reti And The Coalition Government.
08 Dec 2024 1 Comment
in discrimination, economics of bureaucracy, economics of education, economics of regulation, health economics, human capital, labour economics, labour supply, liberalism, Marxist economics, occupational choice, occupational regulation, politics - New Zealand, Public Choice Tags: free speech, political correctness, regressive left
What follows are Scope of Practice requirements for Enrolled and Registered Nurses from 25 January 2025. There are some small differences in requirements but the points I am highlighting are the same and what follows is for Enrolled Nurses. Scope of Practice Enrolled Nurses Enrolled nurses in Aotearoa New Zealand reflect knowledge, concepts and worldviews of both tangata whenua and tangata […]
NZ Nursing Council Raises A Middle Finger To Health Minister Shane Reti And The Coalition Government.
The Kiwirail black hole
06 Dec 2024 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, economics of bureaucracy, financial economics, industrial organisation, law and economics, politics - New Zealand, Public Choice, survivor principle

Bronwyn Howell writes: KiwiRail is a state-owned enterprise, and so by law its principal objective is “to operate as a successful business”.1 Success in the business world means that you provide something that your customers are willing to pay for, at a price for that exceeds your cost of production, leaving something to reward your owners/investors…
The Kiwirail black hole
Andrew Le Sueur: Finally, separation of powers in Jersey?
05 Dec 2024 Leave a comment
in comparative institutional analysis, constitutional political economy, economic history, economics of bureaucracy, economics of crime, law and economics, property rights, Public Choice, public economics Tags: British politics, constitutional law

The question of separating constitutional powers in Jersey is more complex than it appears. Here’s why. Jersey and Guernsey are unique globally in having constitutions that in the ancient office of Bailiff fuse together the roles of chief justice and presiding officer of their respective courts and parliaments. As I argue, this is further complicated […]
Andrew Le Sueur: Finally, separation of powers in Jersey?
Misuse of land use planning
05 Dec 2024 Leave a comment
in economics of bureaucracy, economics of regulation, health economics, industrial organisation, law and economics, politics - New Zealand, property rights, Public Choice, rentseeking Tags: nanny state, zoning
If you thought McDonald’s was some kind of public health hazard, using processes under the Resource Management Act to try to block one from opening in Wanaka would be among the stupidest possible ways of dealing with it. The country already has food safety regulations. If you thought that (in fact delicious and fine) McDonald’s food…
Misuse of land use planning
Paul Krugman Is Right…albeit Selectively and Hypocritically
04 Dec 2024 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, comparative institutional analysis, economic history, economics of bureaucracy, economics of regulation, entrepreneurship, income redistribution, industrial organisation, international economics, law and economics, politics - USA, property rights, Public Choice, public economics, rentseeking Tags: tarrifs
I like profits. But let me qualify that statement. I like profits that are the result of businesses providing goods and services that consumers value. Those profits are earned. By contrast, I don’t like it when businesses get in bed with government and get money via cronyism, bailouts, subsidies, protectionism, or industrial policy. Those profits […]
Paul Krugman Is Right…albeit Selectively and Hypocritically
Sabotaging productivity
03 Dec 2024 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, economics of bureaucracy, economics of regulation, health economics, law and economics, politics - New Zealand, property rights, Public Choice, rentseeking, urban economics Tags: land supply, nanny state, zoning
Is there any better – or should that be worse? – example of how the consenting process sabotages productivity than the current hearings on McDonalds’ application to open in Wanaka? Public submissions were sought, and of the 366 made, 339 were opposed, 21 in support and six wanted changes to the plan. Among the submissions […]
Sabotaging productivity
Seatbelts for a 5 km/hr Santa parade
01 Dec 2024 Leave a comment
in economics of bureaucracy, economics of regulation, health and safety, labour economics, labour supply, politics - New Zealand, Public Choice Tags: nanny state, road safety
NewstalkZB report: Santa and his elves must wear seatbelts for Christchurch’s Christmas parade following new health and safety advice – a move labelled by some city councillors as “woke nonsense” and “over the top”. Christchurch’s Christmas Show Parade director Jason Reekers said an audit of the parade’s floats recommended installing seatbelts on some of them. …
Seatbelts for a 5 km/hr Santa parade

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