Acemoglu, Johnson and Robinson Win Nobel Prize for Institutions and Prosperity
The Nobel prize goes to Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson and James Robinson for their work on institutions, prosperity, and economic growth. Here is a key piece summarizing their work: Institutions as a...
View ArticleReflections on India
I’m back from my first trip to India, where I visited Mumbai, Delhi, Agra, and Amritsar. I enjoyed fine company in all four cities. In Mumbai, my new friend Sachin Aggarwal, head of the local EconTalk...
View ArticleGARY JUDD KC: A student should not be forced to learn about tikanga to be a...
My oral submission to the Regulation Review Committee. Yesterday [Oct 16], Parliament’s Regulation Review Committee heard oral submissions concerning my complaint to the Committee asking that a member...
View ArticleReflections on United Arab Emirates
On my way to India, I connected through Abu Dhabi, capital city of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). During my one-day layover, I toured not only Abu Dhabi, but its more famous sister-city, Dubai. Here...
View ArticleBob Ekelund Remembered
TweetHere’s my just-published remembrance, in Public Choice, of my late teacher, dissertation advisor, co-author, and friend, Bob Ekelund. Three slices: The only textbook assigned for the course was...
View ArticleAttorney-General and Chief Justice reveal contrasting visions of judicial power
Roger Partridge writes – Should judges stick to applying the law, or should they reshape it to reflect society’s values? This fundamental tension over judicial power was laid bare at a New Zealand Law...
View ArticleMilei and populism
Bryan Caplan and Daniel Klein both opine on Milei and populism, Dan being very enthusiastic, while Bryan praising Milei but more reserved in his praise of populism. I too am a big fan of Milei, and I...
View ArticleMaximum Progress on Progressivism
If you are not yet a fan of Michael Huemer, you should be. Hyperbole is the worst thing in the universe, but I still affirm the following: Huemer’s The Problem of Political Authority is the best book...
View ArticleAnother corporate welfare failure
The Herald reported: The Government has $115 million at risk from the collapse of SolarZero. Finance Minister Nicola Willis said she was seeking urgent advice on the SolarZero situation. She had no...
View ArticlePaul Krugman Is Right…albeit Selectively and Hypocritically
I like profits. But let me qualify that statement. I like profits that are the result of businesses providing goods and services that consumers value. Those profits are earned. By contrast, I don’t...
View ArticleThe no-confidence vote in France
The French National Assembly is scheduled to vote tomorrow (4 Dec.) on a vote of no confidence against the government of Premier Michel Barnier. The premier has been in office only three months, having...
View ArticleThe Missing Myths
Michael Huemer’s Progressive Myths is the best book on wokeness. One of its many strengths is its focus on basic facts. As the author explains:I have selected beliefs that can be debunked fairly...
View ArticleAndrew Le Sueur: Finally, separation of powers in Jersey?
The question of separating constitutional powers in Jersey is more complex than it appears. Here’s why. Jersey and Guernsey are unique globally in having constitutions that in the ancient office of...
View ArticleWhy are no trillion dollar companies being created in Europe?
That is the theme of a new Substack by Pieter Garicano, here is one excerpt: These answers, according to a recent paper by Olivier Coste and Yann Coatanlem, two French investors, miss the point: the...
View ArticleHas an Anonymous Political Donor to Schools Sabotaged National, ACT & NZ...
The State-owned Broadcaster has just announced, “Every high school in NZ is set to receive a copy of a new book about the Treaty of Waitangi following a surprise donation by an [anonymous] Auckland...
View ArticleCall in the Bailiffs: How the NZ Government’s Green Investment Fund Turned...
The just resigned Chair of the NZ Green Investment Fund (NZGIF) and Chancellor of Auckland University, Cecilia Tarrant, previously worked at Morgan Stanley Bank in New York, starting in 1997 and...
View ArticleMy Submission On The Treaty Principles Bill
Sent in a few minutes ago. Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill I thank you for the opportunity to make a Submission on this very important Treaty Principles Bill which I support very strongly for...
View ArticleTreaty Principles Submissions – Hobsons Pledge Lend A Hand
If you haven’t already done yours here is a helping hand from Hobsons Pledge so now you will have no excuse not to get to it. SUBMISSIONS CLOSE AT 11.59PM ON 7 JANUARY 2025!!!!! You can use the...
View ArticleArgentina facts of the day
Argentina’s bonds have already rallied dramatically. One gauge of the nation’s hard-currency debt, the ICE BofA US Dollar Argentina Sovereign Index, has generated a total return of about 90% this year....
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