One of the hardest questions in copyright policy is: “What would have happened otherwise?” When Disney lobbies for longer copyright terms or academic publishers defend high subscription fees, we struggle to evaluate their claims because we can’t observe the counterfactual. What would happen to creativity and innovation if we shortened copyright terms or lowered prices? […]
A Wartime Natural Experiment About Copyright
A Wartime Natural Experiment About Copyright
26 Jan 2025 1 Comment
in applied price theory, comparative institutional analysis, defence economics, econometerics, economic history, economics of education, economics of information, economics of media and culture, economics of regulation, industrial organisation, law and economics, politics - USA, property rights, war and peace Tags: patents and copyrights, World War II
Barrett-Lite: The Supreme Court Takes Up Major New Religion Clause Case With One Notable Exception
26 Jan 2025 Leave a comment
in economics of education, economics of religion, politics - USA Tags: Freedom of religion, School choice
On Friday, the Supreme Court agreed to review a potentially blockbuster religion clause case in Oklahoma Charter School Board v. Drummond. However, there is a catch. While the lawyers representing St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School may need every vote they can get in this heaving contested area, they may have to prevail without Justice […]
Barrett-Lite: The Supreme Court Takes Up Major New Religion Clause Case With One Notable Exception
Koonin: Reckless Claim of Climate Emergency
25 Jan 2025 Leave a comment
in economics of climate change, energy economics, environmental economics, environmentalism, global warming, politics - USA Tags: climate activists, climate alarmism
Transcript Hubris is a Greek word that means dangerously overconfident. Based on my research, hubris fairly describes our current response to the issue of climate change. Here’s what many people believe: One: The planet is warming catastrophically because of certain human behaviors. Two: Thanks to powerful computers we can project what the climate will be […]
Koonin: Reckless Claim of Climate Emergency
Trump’s new sex and gender policy
25 Jan 2025 Leave a comment
in discrimination, gender, law and economics, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - USA, property rights Tags: free speech, law and order, political correctness, regressive left, sex discrimination
If you want to see a compilation of all of Trump’s executive orders, you can find links here that will take you to the contents of the official orders. I’ve talked about the new rules on sex and gender before, but wanted to discuss them again, briefly. Click the screenshot below to see Trump’s EO […]
Trump’s new sex and gender policy
David Seymour – Quote Of The Year – Update.
24 Jan 2025 Leave a comment
in liberalism, politics - New Zealand
I have just finished watching ACT Leader David Seymour’s State Of The Nation Speech and in it he produced this absolute gem: Yes we joined the Government But we did not join in the group think. I think it will stand the test of time and still be quote of the year on 31 December […]
David Seymour – Quote Of The Year – Update.
The Tennessee-BlackRock Settlement: A Win for Transparency and Investor Interests
24 Jan 2025 Leave a comment
in economics of climate change, economics of regulation, energy economics, environmental economics, environmentalism, financial economics, global warming, law and economics, politics - USA, property rights Tags: active investing, climate activists, climate alarmism, efficient markets hypothesis
While no settlement is perfect, this agreement represents a significant victory for transparency, accountability, and the integrity of financial markets. For Tennessee investors—and indeed, all investors across the country—it’s a step in the right direction.
The Tennessee-BlackRock Settlement: A Win for Transparency and Investor Interests
Inflation (but not that sort)
24 Jan 2025 Leave a comment
The CPI will be out later this morning and I’m sure all eyes will be on that. But the Prime Minister’s reshuffle on Sunday prompted thoughts about inflation of another sort – the number of ministerial portfolios/titles in our executive government. When the reshuffle comes into effect on Friday there will (still) be 30 members […]
Inflation (but not that sort)
Nazispolozza: The Left’s Third Reich Mania Collapses into Comedy
24 Jan 2025 Leave a comment
in politics - USA Tags: 2024 presidential election
Below is my column in the New York Post on the latest attack on Elon Musk from the left. There is a mania on the left in calling people with opposing views “Nazis” and referencing the Third Reich. The left has jumped the Nazi shark in this rhetoric as the public tunes out these increasingly […]
Nazispolozza: The Left’s Third Reich Mania Collapses into Comedy
Trump Pardons and Commutations Included Violent Offenders Who Assaulted Police Officers
24 Jan 2025 Leave a comment
in economics of crime, law and economics, politics - USA Tags: 2020 presidential election, 2024 presidential election, crime and punishment, law and order
On Tuesday, President Donald Trump stated that the roughly 1500 pardons and commutations for J6 defendants issued Monday night are not the final resolution of cases. The President indicated that some commutations may be converted into full pardons. What is now clear is that the executive action includes violent offenders. That is wrong regardless of […]
Trump Pardons and Commutations Included Violent Offenders Who Assaulted Police Officers
Milei Implements Peer Approval for Food
24 Jan 2025 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, development economics, economics of regulation, health economics, politics - Australia, politics - New Zealand, politics - USA Tags: drug lags, food safety
Reason: In a sweeping move to overhaul Argentina’s food trade policies, Javier Milei’s administration officially deregulated food imports and exports on Monday. The reform, outlined in Decree 35/2025, seeks to boost foreign trade, cut bureaucratic red tape, and lower consumer prices. Federico Sturzenegger, head of the Ministry of Deregulation and State Transformation, explained in a post on […]
Milei Implements Peer Approval for Food
Sorry, Steve Paikin, but Mackenzie King Is Not The Longest-Serving Prime Minister in the Commonwealth
23 Jan 2025 Leave a comment
The myth which holds that Mackenzie King holds the record of “Canada’s longest-serving Prime Minister” persists. Steve Paikin has outdone himself now by going so far as to claim Mackenzie King holds the record of not merely Canada’s longest-serving Prime Minister but also as “the longest-serving Prime Minister in the history of the British Empire […]
Sorry, Steve Paikin, but Mackenzie King Is Not The Longest-Serving Prime Minister in the Commonwealth
The DEI preference cascade
23 Jan 2025 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, behavioural economics, discrimination, economics of bureaucracy, economics of education, economics of information, economics of media and culture, economics of regulation, gender, labour economics, law and economics, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - USA, property rights, Public Choice Tags: affirmative action, Age of Enlightenment, free speech, political correctness, racial discrimination, regressive left, sex discrimination
The Final Corruption of Joe Biden
23 Jan 2025 Leave a comment
in economics of crime, law and economics, politics - USA Tags: 2024 presidential election, crime and punishment, law and order
Below is my column in the Hill on the decision of Joe Biden to end his presidency with a final act of ignominy. The use of his pardon authority to protect his own family members was the final corruption of Joe Biden. Here is the column:
The Final Corruption of Joe Biden
The Sting: Joe Biden Delivers the Final Blow to Mainstream Media
23 Jan 2025 Leave a comment
in economics of crime, law and economics, politics - USA Tags: 2024 presidential election
Below is my column on the Biden family pardons in Fox.com. President Joe Biden merely confirmed the worst expectations of his critics. The true condemnation rests with those in the media who enabled the Biden influence-peddling operation. Here is the column:
The Sting: Joe Biden Delivers the Final Blow to Mainstream Media
Trump Issues Major New Executive Order Impacting Higher Education
23 Jan 2025 Leave a comment
in discrimination, economics of education, gender, law and economics, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - USA Tags: 2024 presidential election, affirmative action, free speech, political correctness, racial discrimination, regressive left, sex discrimination
Last night, I discussed a new executive order signed by President Donald Trump that included an extension of his earlier move against “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) policies to the area of higher education. The order makes direct reference to the decision of the United States Supreme Court in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, […]
Trump Issues Major New Executive Order Impacting Higher Education
Utopia, you are standing in it! 
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