A century ago, Prohibition was about expanding liberty. Then our definition of liberty changed. Mark Schrad - January 17, 2022 Many defenders of Black, Native American and women’s political rights saw Prohibition as increasing freedom
Was slavery a ‘necessary evil’? Here’s what John Stuart Mill would say. David Lay Williams - July 30, 2020 Mill’s lesson: The winners in unjust systems always want the oppressed to assume their fate was inevitable.
Democratic candidates are debating a nuclear ‘No First Use’ policy. What does that mean? Brian Radzinsky - August 1, 2019 Here are the five things you need to know.
Adam Smith makes a case for higher tariffs — but it doesn’t work for Trump’s trade policy Brianne Wolf - July 11, 2019 The father of classical economics, defends tariffs, but only when they force others to agree to free trade
How the Chicago School changed the meaning of Adam Smith’s ‘invisible hand’ Glory Liu - April 18, 2019 Smith wasn’t warning about government intervention in the market; he was warning about government capture
The U.S. broke a huge global trade taboo. Here’s why Trump’s move might be legal. Krzysztof Pelc - June 7, 2018 [caption id="attachment_74238" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Volkswagen cars are lifted inside a
What Steven Pinker gets wrong about economic inequality — and the Enlightenment David Lay Williams - March 11, 2018 Steven Pinker’s new best-selling book “Enlightenment Now” has excited the reading
Trump is a typical conservative. That says a lot about the conservative tradition. Henry Farrell - February 1, 2018 [caption id="attachment_68760" align="aligncenter" width="333"] Courtesy: Oxford University Press[/caption] Corey Robin
Cornel West accused Ta-Nehisi Coates of being a neoliberal. Does neoliberal still mean anything? Walter Hatch - January 23, 2018 [caption id="attachment_68378" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Philosophy professor Cornel West speaks at
Kenneth Arrow has died. He changed our view of politics. Pablo Balán - February 23, 2017 [caption id="attachment_54565" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Kenneth J. Arrow of Harvard University
Tackling poverty isn’t enough. Inequality is a serious problem, too. David Lay Williams - September 13, 2016 [caption id="attachment_46167" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Depiction of Louis XVI being led
Here's what two famous philosophers can tell us about the popularity of Donald Trump - September 22, 2015 [caption id="attachment_29732" align="aligncenter" width="2790"] Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump during
Here’s what two famous philosophers can tell us about the popularity of Donald Trump Michael McLendon and David Lay Williams - September 22, 2015 [caption id="attachment_29732" align="aligncenter" width="2790"] Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump during
The “invisible hand” of the state in MENA economies Alissa Amico - March 4, 2015 [caption id="attachment_22320" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Emirates passenger planes are parked at
What would Adam Smith say about Scottish independence? Michelle Schwarze - September 13, 2014 [caption id="attachment_15678" align="aligncenter" width="768"] (Michelle Schwarze; Special Collections Library, University
Can taxing the wealthy strengthen democracy? Deborah Boucoyannis - August 18, 2014 [caption id="attachment_14243" align="aligncenter" width="408"] Edward I presiding over Parliament in
The free market is an impossible utopia Henry Farrell - July 18, 2014 Fred Block (research professor of sociology at University of California
Adam Smith is not the antidote to Thomas Piketty Deborah Boucoyannis - April 22, 2014 [caption id="attachment_9683" align="aligncenter" width="600" special=""] (The Adam Smith Institute --
How Putin needs to play nice with markets Erik Voeten - March 7, 2014 [caption id="attachment_7562" align="aligncenter" width="620" special=""] Source: Factset[/caption] Erik Gartzke is
The Purest Political Economist of Them All: Albert Hirschman’s Legacy Joshua Tucker - June 12, 2013 Continuing our collaboration with the APSA Political Economy newsletter, today
Responsible Rhetoric (and Tweets) Erik Voeten - August 3, 2011 The liberal citation behavior of Norwegian mass murderer Anders Breivik
Science, ideology, and human origins Andrew Gelman - December 29, 2010 A link from Tyler Cowen led me to this long
Karl Marx vs. Adam Smith John Sides - December 24, 2010 This Google ngram is courtesy of my colleague "Eric Grynaviski":http://www.gwu.edu/~psc/people/fac_grynaviskie.htm.