The war on coal is hitting Ohioans especially hard these days. Almost at the same time that the Environmental Protection Agency announced its new, stricter emissions rules for power plants, the companies that run those plants are declaring that the costs for these and other recent regulations must be borne by local businesses and individuals. […]
If British voters thought they could count on American support no matter what, they are in for a nasty surprise from the Obama administration. Advocates of a British exit – or ‘Brexit’ – from the EU were dealt a sharp blow at the end of last month, as Obama trade czar Michael Froman claimed that […]
With the terrorist attacks in Paris, look for immigration to play a greater role in the presidential campaign in the weeks ahead. That’s why it’s important to evaluate Senator Ted Cruz’s (R-TX) misguided attacks on Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL). The two 44-year old senators of Cuban descent are battling it out on immigration. Cruz, speaking […]
The Commerce Clause, while invoked since the New Deal as a warrant for progressive federal policy, actually provides protections for businesses against state regulations that burden interstate commerce. In Brown-Forman Distillers Corp. v. New York State Liquor Authority (1986), for example, the Supreme Court struck down New York’s Alcoholic Beverage Control Law on the ground […]
Jeremy Corbyn is said to be a nice man. The other day he lingered on his own away from the cameras, to watch and pay respects to veterans marching through London. He is sincere and refuses to play the game. Who else would go on ITV, on one of its most popular shows, and discuss […]
America has a reputation as the land of Wild West cowboy capitalism. The truth is rather more mundane. The US economy is one of the most heavily regulated in the world, with the total cost of federal regulations standing at nearly $1.9 trillion—equivalent to nearly two thirds of the UK’s entire GDP. The US has […]
Americans understand the importance of the principle of innocent until proven guilty. However, a problematic, growing government program turns this long-standing ideal on its head. Civil forfeiture allows law enforcement to take personal property without even accusing individuals of a crime, much less proving them guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. On Tuesday the Institute for […]
Pennsylvania has been without a budget for over three months, and now Governor Wolf is is holding school funding hostage. The budget stalemate was caused by the governor’s proposed tax increase—the largest in the state’s history. Governor Wolf claims that the tax increase is necessary to achieve a balanced budget. But opponents of the governor’s […]
Development in nearly every city in America is regulated by zoning rules that restrict efficient growth. For decades local governments have wielded their power with a heavy hand, regulating the growth of cities with little regard for the economic consequences of their actions. In San Francisco housing prices are skyrocketing because of stiff regulations, and […]
There is some kind of weird disconnect among Democrats when it comes to jobs and growing the economy. On the one hand we hear daily from presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders about income inequality and the need for a much stronger economy with higher employment and rising wages. On the other hand there […]
As a classical liberal, there are few questions that call for a litmus test answer. Free trade is one of them. The principle of comparative advantage applies across national borders just as it applies within states. Any objection to free trade on the grounds that it hurts competitive industries, such as maple syrup producers in […]
According to a recent YouGov poll, American’s have grown more skeptical of capitalism. “Out of 1,000 Americans polled, 55 percent believe that in a capitalistic system the rich get richer and the poor get poorer… Additionally, only 49 percent of Americans believe that free enterprise is better at lifting people out of poverty than the […]
Jeb Bush, who limped out of the Boulder debate, was under the greatest pressure last night to perform in the latest Republican party debate. Here’s what the press thought of the candidates: The National Journal wrote an interesting piece focusing on Chris Christie, an underdog candidate for the GOP who many in the media deemed ‘non-essential’ […]
The Iranian President’s first official visit to European destinations in the aftermath of the nuclear deal achieved in July 2015, takes place in circumstances where Iran’s pivotal role for securing peace and security in the Middle East is fully recognised. Moreover, it affords an opportunity for Europe not to play second fiddle to the Americans. […]
My old friend Chris Deerin keeps having a go at me about the coming EU referendum – most recently, here on CapX. Chris is finding it hard to move on from last year’s Scottish referendum, in which he and I campaigned on the same side: “When I read a tweet by Dan Hannan saying ‘How […]
We live in an age of miracles. Autonomous vehicles, commercial drones, nano-medicinal drug delivery systems, gene therapy, quantum leaps in microprocessor technology, and the ubiquitous and nigh-uncontrollable flow of information are just a few of the changes that are beginning to upend our way of life. Disruptive technological change is rapidly re-creating a world that […]
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