Articles From June 2009

Features

Higher Education in America: Individualism or Central Planning?
By George C. Leef

In education individual decisions are determinative. Each person (for children, with the assistance of... 

Think of a Number: A Theory of Rational Forecasting
By Anthony de Jasay

Recently, an economist gained notoriety and filled his appointment diary with lucrative conferences by... 

Land-Use Controllers Never Quit
By Steven Greenhut

“Any excuse will serve a tyrant” —Aesop In a sensible world the folks who had predicted doom and... 

The “Watchful Eye” Fallacy
By James L. Payne

When it comes to regulation, hope springs eternal in Washington, D.C. No matter how many codes and decrees... 

The Dynamics of Disintervention
By Sanford Ikeda

In the October 2008 Freeman, Lawrence H. White wrote of the “unprecedented interventions” by the... 

The Great Depression and World War II
By Art Carden

Note: This article is based on a talk entitled “Why World War II Did Not End the Great Depression,”... 

Deficit Spending and Future Generations: Not What You Might Think
By Roy Cordato

Conventional wisdom on both the right and the left says that because the “stimulus” package is being... 

Mr. Obama, Tear Down This Wall!
By Becky Akers

In its zeal to protect us from Mexicans who want to pick our fruit and clean our homes, the federal government... 

Columns

The Return of Keynesianism
By Donald J. Boudreaux

In our Brave New World of Change We Can Believe In, I wonder about some recent changes—changes that... 

Fortune Tellers and Planners, Public and Private
By Stephen Davies

Throughout history, as far back as we have records, there have been fortune tellers and magicians. That... 

Government Fundamentalism
By David R. Henderson

In the last year or so, when I have advocated free-market solutions to specific problems, I’ve more... 

Real Jobs Create Wealth
By John Stossel

For a mere $787 billion, President Obama has pledged to “save or create” 3.5 million jobs. That’s... 

Two Cheers for Transparency
By Lawrence W. Reed

If citizens knew more about how their governments really worked and what they spent other people’s... 

Book Reviews

Inclined to Liberty: The Futile Attempt to Suppress the Human Spirit
By George C. Leef

Some people, writes Louis Carabini, are naturally “inclined to liberty.” That is, their thoughts... 

Labor Economics from a Free Market Perspective: Employing the Unemployable
By Charles W. Baird

Notwithstanding its title, this is not a textbook on labor economics. Rather, as the author stipulates... 

Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces that Shape Our Decisions
By Dwight R. Lee

As the title suggests, Predictably Irrational is another offering on behavioral economics. The overriding... 

Climate Confusion: How Global Warming Hysteria Leads to Bad Science, Pandering Politicians, and Misguided Policies that Hurt the Poor
By Roy Cordato

“The only way to create wealth is for people to do useful things for each other.” “[In a free... 

Departments

Who Watches Our Guardians?
By Sheldon Richman

Sweep aside the phony “outrage” over nationalized AIG’s $165 million in bonuses and ask yourself... 

Oil Prices Are Rigged? It Just Ain’t So!
By Robert P. Murphy

Even though oil prices have fallen and quieted the price-conspiracy mongers, you can bet that when prices...