Category:Poverty & Inequality
Privilege, Risk, and Harm
December 18, 2016 | Post
Trump’s victory has triggered a spate of post-hoc analysis about what went wrong. One of the major narratives to take root is that Trump’s win was fueled by a rejection of PC culture and identity politics broadly.
How Castro Is Like The Minimum Wage
November 30, 2016 | Post
In my mind, then, Castro is a lot like the minimum wage: something we must stubbornly decry even though there are far greater ills in the world.
Minimum Wage Is A Cruel Policy For Poor People
November 7, 2016 | Video
The minimum wage is often cast as a humanitarian cause… but it’s not: it harms the very people its supporters are fighting for. Professor Don Boudreaux explains the original reason the minimum wage was established, and its impact then and now.
The economics within Star Wars: The Force Awakens
October 30, 2016 | Post
Thanks to people like Rey, secondhand power converters make their way into the hands of idealistic young future pilots shopping at Tosche Station.
The welfare state is a (bad) polygamist
October 20, 2016 | Post
The road to tyranny is paved with good intentions.
Reasons to be optimistic
October 17, 2016 | Post
Beneath the surface there’s a lot of progress occurring that should make us all feel a little more optimistic about the future.
The answer is a new government program. What’s the question?
October 13, 2016 | Post
Politicians have never met a new taxpayer-funded government program they didn’t like.
Why Refugees Find Jobs Faster in the U.S. Than Germany
October 12, 2016 | Post
U.S. policymakers cannot base their estimates of how refugees will impact the labor market on the situation in Germany. Labor market institutions in the United States are better equipped to handle an influx of new workers.
Should Paid Surrogacy Be Illegal?
October 6, 2016 | Post
NPR’s Goats and Soda recently covered a debate in India over surrogacy. In India, there is a thriving industry of women who are paid to be surrogate mothers, carrying another couple’s children. Many surrogates are impoverished women, and there are growing concerns that paying poor women to be surrogates amounts to exploitation. Some are calling […]
Volunteer Work Reveals The Inefficiencies of Government Aid
October 5, 2016 | Post
Cumbersome, top-down aid policies are not agile enough to effectively respond to the diverse needs of our communities.
Is Mobility a Right or a Privilege?
October 1, 2016 | Post
Rather than invent new human rights, people who are concerned about poverty should first ask what kind of barriers government creates that prevent social mobility. Those barriers should all be removed before any thought is given to taxing some people in order to give money or resources to others.
A Proposal to Reform Welfare and Rebuild American Community
September 26, 2016 | Post
Local communities have a better understanding of their communities’ needs than far off centralized government anti-poverty directives.
Foreign Policy Explained, Ep. 13: The Best Way To Lift Humanity Out Of Poverty
September 20, 2016 | Video
There are ways to improve foreign societies that don’t involve military intervention or foreign assistance. If the desired goal of invading other nations and humanitarian aid is to improve international human well-being, there’s a better way of accomplishing this goal. Professor Chris Coyne of George Mason University explains how we could create gains of $300 […]
5 Myths About School Choice
September 20, 2016 | Post
Last month, Last Week Tonight host John Oliver covered charter schools, calling for more government oversight. While Oliver explicitly declined to discuss “whether or not charter school are a good idea in principle,” his focus on failed and mismanaged charter schools has upset many charter school supporters and re-ignited debates about the value of school choice.
Friday Links
September 16, 2016 | Post
Saturday, September 17th will be the five year anniversary of the beginning of the Occupy Wall Street protests. This week’s links cover the protests and what they did (or didn’t) accomplish. The Lasting Effects of Occupy Wall Street, Five Years Later Throwback: What Reason Saw at Occupy Wall Street Protests What Occupy Wall Street Got […]
Despicable Me’s Gru Is an Example of the Entrepreneur No One Wants to Have Around
September 16, 2016 | Post
This behavior means that even the greediest of businessman, to make money, has to identify with the needs and wants of others, put them in the shoes of others, and help solve problems.
Foreign Policy Explained, Ep. 12: Can Humanitarians Help Economic Development?
September 15, 2016 | Video
How can we actually stimulate economic development in poverty stricken nations? Just about everyone would agree that humanitarians have a worthy goal and that their hearts are in the right place, but can humanitarian aid actually help stimulate economic development? Professor Chris Coyne discusses the key elements needed for an economy to work and how […]
The Unspoken Truth About Government Policies That Are Supposed to Help People
September 15, 2016 | Post
Economics can be counterintuitive and abstract, but it is also essential for understanding how the world works—especially when we’re trying to make policies in the spirit of good intentions.
Markets Are Breaking Down India’s Caste System, Turning Untouchables into Millionaires
September 10, 2016 | Post
Once liberal reforms were put in place, they created choice and opportunity for many like never before. Market forces unwittingly brought about economic and thus social progress for India’s poorest and most discriminated against.
Foreign Aid Is Taking Money From Poor People in Rich Countries and Giving it to Rich People in Poor Countries
September 8, 2016 | Post
After the 2010 earthquake in Haiti that killed around 250,000 people and displaced 1.5 million others, the billion dollar state-led humanitarian relief effort failed to accomplish even the most basic tasks like rebuilding houses. The situation remains dire with 80,000 people still living in “temporary” tent camps. In the new Learn Liberty video below, Professor […]
Police Misconduct Upends the Role of Government
August 30, 2016 | Post
A lack of basic police accountability foments distrust within communities, especially communities of color, turning the social contract on its head.
Poverty Declined After Welfare Reform
August 25, 2016 | Post
Raising the cost of making bad decisions makes bad decisions occur less. Conversely, subsidizing poor decisions increases their occurrence.
The Welfare Cliff and Why Many Low-Income Workers Will Never Overcome Poverty
August 24, 2016 | Post
Policies backed with even the best of intentions can still have detrimental effects on those they aim to help. The “Welfare Cliff” is one such example.