Category:Regulations
Lawnmowing licenses: Crony capitalism in action
June 6, 2017 | Post
This isn’t an accident. This is the purpose of these regulations — to protect established businesses from competition.
Do you have a license to mow that lawn? 5 ways occupational licensing laws hurt (almost) everyone
June 3, 2017 | Post
A city ordinance requires teenagers to have a business license before cutting grass for money.
African animals need to be owned to survive
June 1, 2017 | Post
Most wildlife in Africa is the property of the state. But in one country, people have found a market-based solution that seems to work.
What’s wrong with gun control? The same thing that’s wrong with immigration restrictions.
May 31, 2017 | Post
The advocates of immigration- and gun -control policies are promoting a standing law enforcement body to go around violating freedoms in the hope that a greater gain in freedom will happen down the road…
Ritual sacrifice of chickens: religious freedom vs animal cruelty laws
May 26, 2017 | Post
Can states legally prohibit religious chicken sacrifice? What about spiritual snake handling?
Bryan Caplan — What Is Anarcho-Capitalism?
May 15, 2017 | Video
Anarcho-Capitalism. Prof. Bryan Caplan admits it “sounds really crazy.” Could we actually privatize law, courts, and all of government? Full interview here
How “regulatory dark matter” blocks innovation
May 13, 2017 | Post
The Trump administration’s desire to get rid of unnecessarily burdensome and unwise regulations is laudable, but fulfilling that desire won’t be easy.
“Walk your bike!” — Formal rules and informal order
May 6, 2017 | Post
She dutifully got off and walked her bike, and everyone behind her did the same … for about ten feet! Then they hopped back on and kept pedaling.
Confident Pluralism: Reinvigorating the freedom of association
May 4, 2017 | Post
True tolerance does not require us to approve of beliefs or practices that we find unacceptable. Rather, we should accept the legitimacy of groups with widely divergent views, even as we attempt to convince them that their beliefs are wrong.
What Charles Koch could teach United Airlines
May 1, 2017 | Post
The United crew failed to use common sense because, while they had the best knowledge of the situation, they did not have full decision rights.
Who does occupational licensing protect?
April 21, 2017 | Post
The proponents of such licensing generally claim that it helps keep consumers like you safe from harm and fraud.
But let’s take a look at the evidence for ourselves.
The Long History of Music Piracy
April 20, 2017 | Post
When you’re a historian, people expect you to write history. So, twelve years ago, when I told people I was writing a dissertation about music piracy, the typical response was, “But… that’s not history.” I couldn’t blame them. The dirt was still fresh on Napster’s grave at the time, and challenges to online services such […]
How to stop politicians from gerrymandering
April 8, 2017 | Post
Voters should choose legislators, not the other way around.
Highlights from our Reddit AMA with Professor Lauren Hall
April 5, 2017 | Post
If you missed the Reddit AMA with Professor Lauren Hall last week, fear not! We’ve taken the liberty of compiling some of the highlights for your viewing pleasure. You can check out the whole thing here. Dr. Hall is associate professor of political science at Rochester Institute of Technology. She is the author of Family and […]
In the Trump Era, Remember Institutions
April 5, 2017 | Video
Prof. Brandon Turner says the Trump era is a crucial time for classical liberals to focus on the importance of institutions like the rule of law. Full video on Facebook
Quietly creating freedom: Private communities and special economic zones
April 3, 2017 | Post
The astonishing growth in SEZs qualifies as a revolution of sorts, but not the usual, political kind.
How regulations block economic progress
March 27, 2017 | Post
To discover the Next Big Thing, you need to think outside the box.
Healthcare will never be affordable without action on prices
March 25, 2017 | Post
Republican reformers have repeatedly promised affordable healthcare for all Americans — doubly affordable, in fact. They promise sufficient subsidies to put premiums and out-of-pocket costs within reach of low- and middle-income consumers. At the same time, they promise that the plan will be affordable to the federal budget, even given the constraints their most conservative […]
Criminalization without Representation
March 24, 2017 | Video
Criminalization without representation is what happens when unelected officials use regulation to effectively create criminal laws — 295,000 of them. This video was created in partnership with the Manhattan Institute. Learn more about their work on overcriminalization.
How urban planners broke Brooklyn
March 17, 2017 | Post
Zoning and landmark laws have frozen much of New York into a life-size historical diorama: neighborhoods frozen in time, where the only thing that goes up is the rent.
Patents are out of control, and they’re hurting innovation
March 14, 2017 | Post
The government issues thousands of new patents every week — each one a new regulation — with little to no oversight or review.
The House GOP leadership’s health care bill is ObamaCare-Lite — or worse
March 12, 2017 | Post
This bill is a train wreck waiting to happen.
The less work required, the happier we’ll be
March 8, 2017 | Post
Jobs are the means, not the ends in themselves.
The business case for supersonic overland
March 7, 2017 | Post
Wouldn’t a fleet of supersonic aircraft overland create intolerable sonic booms that would rattle windows and scare livestock?