In yesterday’s post, I noted a number of opportunities for research on the economics of social media. At least one of those opportunities intersected with the impact of traditional media. So, I was interested to read this new article by Elliott Ash, Sergio Galletta, Matteo Pinna (all ETH Zurich), and Christopher Warshaw (George Washington University), published…
The impact of Fox News on American democracy
The impact of Fox News on American democracy
20 Jan 2025 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, econometerics, industrial organisation, politics - USA Tags: 2008 presidential election, 2012 presidential election, 2016 US presidential election, 2020 presidential election, 2024 presidential election, media bias
“Leading Legal Constitutional Scholars”: Biden Again Cites Liberal Professors for an Absurd Constitutional Claim
20 Jan 2025 Leave a comment
in law and economics, politics - USA Tags: constitutional law

In his final week as president, Joe Biden again invoked liberal professors to justify a plainly absurd constitutional argument by declaring that the 28th Amendment is now ratified. By invoking “leading legal constitutional scholars,” Biden only added redundancy to absurdity in claiming that the Equal Rights Amendment is now law. Unfortunately, this pattern has been […]
“Leading Legal Constitutional Scholars”: Biden Again Cites Liberal Professors for an Absurd Constitutional Claim
I See Dead Amendments: President Biden Issues Otherworldly ERA Declaration
19 Jan 2025 Leave a comment
in discrimination, gender, law and economics, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - USA Tags: constitutional law, sex discrimination

Below is my column in Fox.com on President Joe Biden’s last-minute declaration that the 28th Amendment is now part of the United States Constitution. It appears that our president sees dead amendments, but that is not the greatest thing that should worry you. Here is the column:
I See Dead Amendments: President Biden Issues Otherworldly ERA Declaration
US Federal Reserve withdraws from global regulatory climate change group
19 Jan 2025 Leave a comment
in economics of climate change, economics of regulation, energy economics, environmental economics, environmentalism, global warming, macroeconomics, monetary economics, politics - USA

The Fed, which some claim is an unconstitutional body anyway, has noticed the US is changing its leader, so has performed a political manoeuvre by deciding that from now on ‘greening the financial system’ – whatever that means – is somebody else’s problem, officially at least. The decision follows on from various leading banks leaving […]
US Federal Reserve withdraws from global regulatory climate change group
Bill Maher’s latest monologue: the L.A. fires and progressive politics
19 Jan 2025 Leave a comment
in economics of bureaucracy, economics of climate change, economics of natural disasters, environmental economics, environmentalism, global warming, law and economics, politics - USA, property rights, Public Choice Tags: climate alarmism
After a vacation hiatus, Bill Maher is back with a monologue called, “New rules: political firestorm.” Here he parses blame for the L.A. fires between unavoidable causes (no rain, lots of brush) and avoidable ones (blockheaded politicians). The latter, he says, involves cuts in the firse-department budget, stolen or nonfunctional hydrants, empty reservoirs, exposed power […]
Bill Maher’s latest monologue: the L.A. fires and progressive politics
Congestion charges work
19 Jan 2025 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, politics - USA, transport economics Tags: congestion charging, road pricing
Radio NZ reports: Traffic in Manhattan’s central business district fell by 7.5 percent last week and 273,000 fewer cars entered the borough’s central business district after the first congestion pricing fee in the US took effect on 5 January, New York City transit officials said on Monday. The fee was designed to reduce traffic and raise billions […]
Congestion charges work
Biden Uses Last-Minute AI Executive Order To Force More Green Energy Onto The Grid
18 Jan 2025 Leave a comment
in economics of regulation, energy economics, environmental economics, global warming, politics - USA, resource economics Tags: solar power, wind power
The executive order is another eleventh-hour move in what appears to be an effort to stymy President-elect Donald Trump’s energy agenda, which is expected to include a vast expansion of oil and gas drilling on federal lands and waters. Biden announced a ban Monday for future offshore oil and gas activity across 625 million acres of the outer continental shelf, citing a law that could prevent a successive administration from easily reversing the policy.
Biden Uses Last-Minute AI Executive Order To Force More Green Energy Onto The Grid
Further proof the Council just made things worse
17 Jan 2025 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, comparative institutional analysis, economics of bureaucracy, economics of regulation, entrepreneurship, industrial organisation, politics - New Zealand, Public Choice, public economics, rentseeking, survivor principle
Stuff reports: Reading Cinemas is set to return to Wellington after it was revealed on Tuesday night that the cinema chain’s owner, Reading International, intends to undertake a redevelopment of the old building. The company has entered into a Sale and Purchase Agreement with Prime Property Group, with part of the deal including a seismic upgrade […]
Further proof the Council just made things worse
CA gov prevents voluntary wealth-creating transactions
17 Jan 2025 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, comparative institutional analysis, economics of natural disasters, economics of regulation, law and economics, politics - USA, property rights
From REASON: On January 7, Newsom issued a state of emergency as fires spread in Los Angeles County. On Tuesday, Newsom signed Executive Order N-7-25, prohibiting buyers for three months from “making any unsolicited offer to an owner of real property” in fire-affected areas “for an amount less than the fair market value of the…
CA gov prevents voluntary wealth-creating transactions
Margaret Thatcher, Michael Curley, and the 19th Theorem of Government
16 Jan 2025 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, applied welfare economics, Austrian economics, comparative institutional analysis, constitutional political economy, economic growth, economic history, economics of regulation, energy economics, environmental economics, financial economics, fiscal policy, human capital, income redistribution, international economics, labour economics, labour supply, law and economics, liberalism, libertarianism, macroeconomics, Marxist economics, politics - USA, poverty and inequality, property rights, Public Choice, public economics, regulation, rentseeking
In this 12-second video, Margaret Thatcher is talking about the Labour Party in the United Kingdom, but her warning has universal application. And when I say her warning has universal application, I’m not joking. Politicians generally can’t resist the temptation to buy votes. And I fear that this can and will happen at all levels […]
Margaret Thatcher, Michael Curley, and the 19th Theorem of Government
One early report on congestion pricing in NYC
16 Jan 2025 1 Comment
in applied price theory, applied welfare economics, comparative institutional analysis, market efficiency, politics - USA, public economics, transport economics, urban economics Tags: road pricing
That is my latest Bloomberg column, here is one bit: The core version of the plan stipulates a $9 toll for drivers entering Manhattan below and including 60th Street. Implementation is by E-Z Pass, and the tolls can vary in complex ways. But if you don’t cross the line, you don’t pay. So residents below 60th Street are exempt, […]
One early report on congestion pricing in NYC
Bad leaders solicit bad advice
16 Jan 2025 1 Comment
in applied price theory, econometerics, economic history, human capital, labour economics, labour supply, politics - New Zealand, poverty and inequality, unemployment, welfare reform Tags: child poverty, family poverty
When Jacinda Ardern became Prime Minister, she was determined to increase income for children in welfare-dependent families – her magic bullet for solving child poverty. The Welfare Expert Advisory Group, led by Cindy Kiro, was convened to make the desired recommendations. A number of evidence briefs were provided to the group, one concerned the “likely…
Bad leaders solicit bad advice
Jacksonian Obstruction: Smith Explains How He Was Planning to Circumvent the Decision in Fischer
15 Jan 2025 Leave a comment
in economics of crime, law and economics, politics - USA Tags: 2020 presidential election, 2024 presidential election

The release of the first part of Jack Smith’s report at midnight was the special counsel’s version of the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision: we had seen it before. Putting aside the public filings where Smith fought to get this information out before the election, there was little new in the report. What the report did […]
Jacksonian Obstruction: Smith Explains How He Was Planning to Circumvent the Decision in Fischer
Assigning Responsibility for the Tragic Los Angeles Fires
15 Jan 2025 1 Comment
in economics of natural disasters, economics of regulation, environmental economics, environmentalism, law and economics, politics - USA, property rights, urban economics
Blaming climate change for these disasters only deflects attention away from actual causes. Fabrications linking rising CO2 to wildfires should be ignored. Governments must employ solutions that will truly protect people and their property from the unstoppable, natural conditions enabling devastating fires.
Assigning Responsibility for the Tragic Los Angeles Fires
Winston Peters: “Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi – Deletion” Bill…
15 Jan 2025 Leave a comment
in comparative institutional analysis, constitutional political economy, discrimination, economic history, law and economics, politics - New Zealand, property rights, Public Choice, rentseeking Tags: constitutional law
The New Zealand Centre for Political Research dipped into the Parliamentary archives and retrieved Winston Peters’ speech on the first reading of New Zealand First’s “Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi – Deletion” Bill on 8 June 2005 Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Leader—NZ First) : I move, That the Principles of the Treaty […]
Winston Peters: “Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi – Deletion” Bill…
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