Ross Tilchin writes up the results of a Brookings study on libertarians in the Republican Party, citing some of the research I have done here on Pileus. The main point Tilchin argues is that libertarians are at a severe disadvantage nationally within the Republican Party, relative to competing constituencies like moderates and the religious right. … Continue reading The Libertarian Challenge Within the GOP
Category: ideologies
The Return of Marx?
The decades roughly separated by Reagan’s 1980 victory and the financial collapse brought a greater respect for markets and growing interest in libertarianism. The financial crisis, in contrast, led to a rejection among many of market-oriented doctrines and a revival of Keynes (in Robert Skidelsky’s words, it marked “The Return of the Master”).* According to … Continue reading The Return of Marx?
Working Papers on Federalism & Public Policy
I have just posted a couple of my working papers to SSRN for those who are interested. They are as follows: "Public Policy and Quality of Life: An Empirical Analysis of Interstate Migration, 2000-2012" Abstract: Individuals and households choose their political jurisdiction of residence on the basis of expected income differentials and jurisdiction-specific characteristics covered … Continue reading Working Papers on Federalism & Public Policy
Freedom and Prosperity: Some Comparative Historical Reflections on State Policies and Performance
In his 1982 book, The Rise and Decline of Nations, economist Mancur Olson argued that over time, stable societies accumulate "distributive coalitions," narrow special-interest organizations that complexify social life and burden the economy with overregulation and opaque forms of wealth redistribution. The notion that distributive coalitions are more often bad than good for economic performance, … Continue reading Freedom and Prosperity: Some Comparative Historical Reflections on State Policies and Performance
Now, where was I when we were so rudely interrupted?
Last time I was here, I had a lot of fun teasing American libertarian readers, at least until the earthquake brought my guest blogging to an abrupt halt. Support for liberty is a lot like support for GMO-free food. If you survey people, they'll tell you how much they love it. They might even tell … Continue reading Now, where was I when we were so rudely interrupted?
Why Do More Conservative States Take More Federal Grants?
Once you control for everything else, conservative states don't take more federal grant money than liberal states - in fact, they may even tend to take less.
State Policy Ideology in 2 Dimensions
As many readers already know, the Mercatus Center at George Mason University just released a new study I've coauthored with Texas State political scientist William Ruger, Freedom in the 50 States 2011: An Index of Personal and Economic Freedom. It's the second edition of a study first published in 2009. The new edition updates and … Continue reading State Policy Ideology in 2 Dimensions
“Public Health” and the New Progressivism
Today's "public health" paternalists bear a striking resemblance to the social-gospel Progressives of yesteryear.
Libertarianism’s Limits: Political or Theoretical?
At AmCon, James Banks gives his take on the Christopher Beam piece in New York magazine on libertarianism. Like many other critics of the piece, Banks believes Beam focuses too much on the fringes of the movement. However, Banks still argues that libertarianism has inherent "limits": [I]t is still difficult to imagine a robust libertarian … Continue reading Libertarianism’s Limits: Political or Theoretical?
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