Three years ago I wrote two articles for Econlib marking the centenary of Irish independence. Here they are to mark St. Patrick’s Day At the Irish Free State’s birth in…
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about the Minnesota Department of Education’s release of 2023 graduation data. The department reported a slight decline compared to the 2022 graduation rate…
High energy prices are more than an inconvenience. They are deadly. A recent article from The Economist suggests that high energy prices in Europe were responsible for 68,000 premature deaths…
Lá Fhéile Pádraig sona duit!
How school closures became a policy decision that held Minnesota students hostage.
Teacher shortages are hardly new, but recently it has been described as a national problem. Is it? Given that there is no real national consensus on how to define a…
One of the questions of economics teaches you to ask is ‘compared to what?’ Someone might tell you that a job paying $10 an hour is bad, but any reasonable…
Three years ago, I wrote: In 1988, The Economist magazine ran an article on Ireland titled ‘The poorest of the rich’. The title was well deserved. … But, when The Economist next came to…
Many of Minnesota's students are now logging in at home for school, with little chance of them returning to in-person instruction until at least January 2021. But even if schools…
Schools are important for kids: they give kids structure to their lives and also help them stay active. School closures have done the opposite; they have helped foster a more…
How far would you go to avoid inheritance tax?
Marijuana legalization offers a good lesson in Econ 101, the nature of complementary and substitute goods.
Natural gas is a powerful resources that is saving thousands of lives every single year. That’s the conclusion of a recent study by the National Bureau of Economic Research entitled…
When Boris Johnson was elected leader of Britain's Conservative Party, he was instantly branded 'hard right'. There is nothing in his record to justify that. It is just another example…
In an excellent new book 'Socialism: The failed idea that never dies', Kristian Niemietz of the Institute of Economic Affairs explains the three stages of socialism, from initial, apparent success, to…
By driving out wealthy citizens, it results in a loss of net revenue for the state's coffers.
Among other things, Ireland is famous for its stories. The story of the Irish economy in the last 30 years highlights the importance of sound fiscal and monetary policy and…
In 2011, Sen. Bernie Sanders wrote "These days, the American dream is more apt to be realized in South America, in places such as Ecuador, Venezuela and Argentina, where incomes…
In the 21st century, Minnesota's economic growth has lagged that of the United States generally. Is this just because our state is already above average and is bound to grow…
The much vaunted 'labor shortage' need not be a problem if we have sufficient investment and innovation to make the workers who remain more productive