Business & Economics
Business & Economics
Why Margaret Thatcher Matters
The year is 2009 and a new American president is taking office during troubled economic times. Margaret Thatcher also took office in troubled times, but during the campaign her name was seldom invoked. According to Claire Berlinski, an American writer with a doctorate in international relations from Oxford, Margaret Thatcher ...
Sally C. Pipes
January 6, 2009
Business & Economics
Why can’t I redistribute my own wealth?
So Barack Obama got elected president of the United States, allegedly the freest country in the world and in human history, partly on the promise that he will redistribute a goodly portion of our wealth, yours and mine and everyone else’s. But why on earth does that make him a ...
Tibor Machan
January 5, 2009
Business & Economics
The SEC Makes Wall Street More Fraudulent
The mainstream reaction to the Bernard Madoff scandal was inevitable. Whenever a government regulatory agency proves itself to be incredibly incompetent or corrupt, the respectable media swoop in to declare that the “free market” has failed and the agency in question obviously needs more money and power. Whether it’s the ...
Robert P. Murphy
January 5, 2009
Business & Economics
Western Standard’s “Liberty 100” Top 75 for 2008
To recognize the work of Canadians who have advanced economic and personal liberty in 2008, the Western Standard has produced “Liberty 100,” a list of the top 100 friends of liberty in Canada. You can find the Top 10 from the “Liberty 100” here. Ezra Levant was our #1 pick ...
Pacific Research Institute
January 3, 2009
Business & Economics
The perils of chasing smoke stacks – and bank assets
The financial bailout is built on the premise that politicians will correctly pick which firms to aid. This approach, unfortunately, has a long track record of failure. Consider the practice of state and local officials picking winners and losers with incentive packages designed to lure businesses to their communities. A ...
Lawrence J. McQuillan
January 1, 2009
Business & Economics
Impact – December 2008
PRI Ideas in Action – December 2008 Policy Update and Monthly Impact Report PRI continues to impact public policy in California, the nation, and abroad. Click below to view PRI’s recent contributions. Read PDF
Pacific Research Institute
December 31, 2008
Business & Economics
New Year’s Resolution for California: Let Economic Freedom Ring
SACRAMENTO – The year certainly boasted some highlights, including the Olympics and a much anticipated national election, but as 2008 winds to a close, the mood is not exactly upbeat in California. The economy has cooled off, and the “Golden State” finds itself staring down the barrel of a two-year ...
K. Lloyd Billingsley
December 31, 2008
Business & Economics
’08 election lesson: Live free or die off
In the 2008 election, key swing states included Colorado, Nevada, and Virginia, all growing rapidly and on track for even more political clout after the 2010 census. A big reason for the demographic growth in all three states has been their expansion of economic freedom. Colorado , Nevada, and Virginia ...
Lawrence J. McQuillan
December 31, 2008
Business & Economics
How to Pay Doctors? A Lawyer Chimes In
I have (gratefully) never had to engage a trial lawyer, but I know that many clients are very frustrated by the common practice of charging by billable hours. Writing in Forbes, Mr. Evan R. Chesler of Cravath, Swaine, & Moore, LLP, says that his colleagues should “kill the billable hour”. ...
John R. Graham
December 31, 2008
Business & Economics
Why many Michiganians stay as others flee
Perhaps you can find a time in your life when conditions have been more difficult in Michigan, but I have been unable to do so. The state unemployment rate is approaching double digits. The Big Three automakers continue to announce cutbacks as they try to scale back their business model ...
Frank Beckmann
December 26, 2008
Why Margaret Thatcher Matters
The year is 2009 and a new American president is taking office during troubled economic times. Margaret Thatcher also took office in troubled times, but during the campaign her name was seldom invoked. According to Claire Berlinski, an American writer with a doctorate in international relations from Oxford, Margaret Thatcher ...
Why can’t I redistribute my own wealth?
So Barack Obama got elected president of the United States, allegedly the freest country in the world and in human history, partly on the promise that he will redistribute a goodly portion of our wealth, yours and mine and everyone else’s. But why on earth does that make him a ...
The SEC Makes Wall Street More Fraudulent
The mainstream reaction to the Bernard Madoff scandal was inevitable. Whenever a government regulatory agency proves itself to be incredibly incompetent or corrupt, the respectable media swoop in to declare that the “free market” has failed and the agency in question obviously needs more money and power. Whether it’s the ...
Western Standard’s “Liberty 100” Top 75 for 2008
To recognize the work of Canadians who have advanced economic and personal liberty in 2008, the Western Standard has produced “Liberty 100,” a list of the top 100 friends of liberty in Canada. You can find the Top 10 from the “Liberty 100” here. Ezra Levant was our #1 pick ...
The perils of chasing smoke stacks – and bank assets
The financial bailout is built on the premise that politicians will correctly pick which firms to aid. This approach, unfortunately, has a long track record of failure. Consider the practice of state and local officials picking winners and losers with incentive packages designed to lure businesses to their communities. A ...
Impact – December 2008
PRI Ideas in Action – December 2008 Policy Update and Monthly Impact Report PRI continues to impact public policy in California, the nation, and abroad. Click below to view PRI’s recent contributions. Read PDF
New Year’s Resolution for California: Let Economic Freedom Ring
SACRAMENTO – The year certainly boasted some highlights, including the Olympics and a much anticipated national election, but as 2008 winds to a close, the mood is not exactly upbeat in California. The economy has cooled off, and the “Golden State” finds itself staring down the barrel of a two-year ...
’08 election lesson: Live free or die off
In the 2008 election, key swing states included Colorado, Nevada, and Virginia, all growing rapidly and on track for even more political clout after the 2010 census. A big reason for the demographic growth in all three states has been their expansion of economic freedom. Colorado , Nevada, and Virginia ...
How to Pay Doctors? A Lawyer Chimes In
I have (gratefully) never had to engage a trial lawyer, but I know that many clients are very frustrated by the common practice of charging by billable hours. Writing in Forbes, Mr. Evan R. Chesler of Cravath, Swaine, & Moore, LLP, says that his colleagues should “kill the billable hour”. ...
Why many Michiganians stay as others flee
Perhaps you can find a time in your life when conditions have been more difficult in Michigan, but I have been unable to do so. The state unemployment rate is approaching double digits. The Big Three automakers continue to announce cutbacks as they try to scale back their business model ...