Donald J. Boudreaux can be reached via e-mail
Competitive regulation
By Donald J. BoudreauxThe demand for government regulation springs from the lack of understanding that markets are amazingly proficient at regulating themselves through the competitive process. This process involves firms’ competition for customers, workers, financing and suppliers. Call this regulation that arises through …
Scale of state
By Donald J. BoudreauxSome things in life scale linearly — which is a fancy way of saying that these things don’t change their shape or nature if they grow or shrink in size. For example, if you double your speed on the highway …
Comparative advantage vs. China
By Donald J. BoudreauxHe was confident of the truth of all that he uttered. And he uttered a lot. He — call him Ben — is an urbane man who was seated across from me recently at a lunch group organized by a …
Smart people, smart process
By Donald J. BoudreauxWe humans are not as smart as we humans think we are. Sure, we figured out how to split the atom, fly, vaccinate against smallpox and pipe ESPN 24/7 into our homes and onto our smartphones. But these marvels are …
Sequesterphobia
By Donald J. BoudreauxBy the time you read this column, the world will have ended. However, on the off-chance that the Earth is still spinning, your belly is likely full of botulism contracted from the horse-meat hamburger you ate for lunch. Although you’re …
Minimum questions about minimum wage
By Donald J. BoudreauxPresident Obama wants to raise America’s minimum wage to $9 per hour. That’s a 24-percent increase from the current minimum wage of $7.25. Mr. Obama believes a higher minimum wage will help poor workers. Here are some questions to ponder …
Silence golden for market economy
By Donald J. BoudreauxOne of the market economy’s greatest flaws is the silence it maintains when it is working relatively flawlessly. When the market stumbles, though — or when it’s tripped up by unwise government interventions — a great clamor is heard. Unemployment …
James M. Buchanan, R.I.P.
By Donald J. BoudreauxJames M. Buchanan died on Jan. 9. Regrettably, most Americans have never heard of him. Jim Buchanan — my George Mason University colleague — was one of the most profound social and political philosophers in American history. For his work, …
Busting middle-class myths
By Donald J. Boudreaux 10:22 p.m.The new year is a natural time to mimic the Roman god after whom this long, cold month is named. Like Janus, we can look not only forward but also back. While looking back is easier than looking forward — …
The middle class, then & now
By Donald J. Boudreaux 9:40 p.m.Recently in The New York Times, Paul Krugman gazed backed longingly at the 1950s: “America in the 1950s made the rich pay their fair share; it gave workers the power to bargain for decent wages and benefits; yet contrary to …
‘Riding’ Social Security off a cliff
By Donald J. Boudreaux 8:51 p.m.Suppose Jones proposes to ensure that each and every retired American enjoys at least a minimum annual income. Jones’ plan is to ask every working American to voluntarily contribute money each year to a fund that he will set up …
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