“Econoclasts: The Rebels Who Sparked the Supply-Side Revolution and Restored American Prosperity” By Brian Domitrovic | ISI Books (August 2009) | 368 pp. | List Price: $27.95

Brian Domitrovic, assistant professor of history at Sam Houston State University, has written … More>

Republicans have greeted Scott Brown’s victory in Massachusetts with the sort of relief expressed by Winston Churchill when he learned that Pearl Harbor had prompted America to finally enter the war; for the first time in years, he “slept the … More>

We’ve all had those sudden epiphanies where the proverbial light bulb clicks on and understanding comes into clear focus. I had one of those moments over the Christmas holiday season. In this case, the light bulb experience was literal as … More>

As a poster child for liberal energy policies throughout the country, Pennsylvania’s Governor Ed Rendell has issued the edict to grow the state’s energy resources greener. Huge sums of taxpayer-supplied subsidy and stimulus have been funneled into the greening of … More>

High and/or rising unemployment is always a political liability for a president, and so Barack Obama has taken the offensive in trying to persuade the American people that his team can get Americans back to work.

In November, Obama took … More>

2009 ended with a flurry of important events on the climate-change front.

In November, the Climategate scandal broke. An anonymous whistle-blower released over 1,000 e-mails from key scientists (both British and American) in the alarmist climate-change camp. The e-mails revealed … More>

The sticker on the front page of Saturday’s Sarasota Herald-Tribune screamed “BERNIE MADOFF AUCTION, SUNDAY DECEMBER 27, THE RITZ-CARLTON, SARASOTA, FL.” The fine print clarified that it wasn’t the convicted Ponzi scheme operator’s property that was being sold off, but … More>

What should governments do to combat recessions’ In the United States, before the Great Depression of the 1930s, the answer was “very little.” Of course, the federal government was much smaller then compared to the size of the private sector, … More>

When presidents want to persuade an opponent they often resort to verbal intimidation or “jawboning.” President Obama recently jawboned American bankers hoping they would start lending money to small and medium-sized businesses. He may slay his own political reputation if … More>

In 1962, President John F. Kennedy hosted a dinner for 49 Nobel laureates. The occasion provided the opportunity for JFK to display his keen wit in the memorable quote, “I think this is the most extraordinary collection of talent, of … More>

What kind of prices do you prefer to pay when you go shopping—high or low? Unless you’re trying to show off for someone by spending a bundle, I’d bet that you prefer low prices. I’ve never met anybody who decided … More>

During confirmation hearings last Thursday, members of the U.S. Senate grilled Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke. Although senators criticized Bernanke for his policy decisions, they missed an opportunity to shine light on the ethics of the Federal Reserve’s core function—money … More>

“This is not funny, this is serious stuff!” intones a flock of furrow-browed politicos about that well-dressed couple who conned their way into a White House shindig. Yes and no, in that order, because some of us think this incident … More>

It is usually the stock market that psyches us out, not the other way around.

There’s something about stocks that turns us upside down. For example, normally when something goes on sale, we tend to buy more of it; yet, … More>

Love him or hate him, or his films, there’s no question about where Michael Moore stands ideologically: Left-wing, “progressive,” populist, socialist. In some ways Moore’s newest film, “Capitalism: A Love Story,” muddies the water. But in the end, all it … More>

Editor’s Note: The “V&V Q&A” is an e-publication from The Center for Vision & Values at Grove City College. Each issue will present an interview with an intriguing thinker or opinion-maker that we hope will prove illuminating to readers everywhere. … More>

The price of gold has recently spurted to a new all-time high in terms of U.S. dollars. I’m neither an expert nor a market timer, but let me offer a few perspectives on this event.

To most people, including gold … More>

“A uniquely American solution to covering the uninsured may, at long last, be within reach,”said Karen Ignagni, president of the insurance company association America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), last April. When Ignagni addressed the matter again last week, … More>

As this is being written, Manuel Zelaya, the ousted and exiled ex-president of Honduras, is holed up in the Brazilian embassy in Tegucigalpa, the Honduran capital, having been smuggled there on Sept. 21. His followers acted like the anti-capitalist protesters … More>

It seems that when an economy goes bad, the temptation for intellectuals to go and do likewise is too much for them to resist. Public thinkers across the spectrum, from Paul Krugman to Richard Posner, are now calling for a … More>

If you’ve seen the movie “Thelma and Louise,” you’ll never forget the ending: In the last scene, the two main characters head down a dirt road in their top-down convertible. The road dead-ends at a very high cliff. The last … More>

Many of us are cynical about promises made by politicians. “Campaign promises are made to be broken” is a venerable truism of American politics. There are “truth-in-advertising” laws against misrepresentation by private businesses, but no such protections apply to political … More>

Imagine being a contractor and regularly using your credit card to purchase building materials for your job. Without warning you receive a notice that effective immediately your credit limit has been cut in half. You face potential embarrassment with your … More>

About 50 years ago, Sen. Everett Dirksen (R-IL) uttered his famous quip, “A billion here, a billion there, and pretty soon you’re talking about real money.”

Today, we’re talking about a trillion here, a trillion there—a thousand-fold increase in the … More>

The healthcare reform bill pending in Congress is called “America’s Affordable Health Choices Act.” It is supposed to provide “affordable, quality health care for all Americans and reduce the growth in health care spending.” Unfortunately, rather than reducing the growth … More>

Editor’s note: This article first appeared at WORLDmag.com. Reprinted with permission of WORLDmag.com. To read more news and views from a Christian perspective, call 800-951-6397 or visit www.WORLDmag.com.

Let’s all wish our youthful president a happy birthday. Barack Obama turns … More>

In the past, I have written about poor governance at the city and national levels (“Detroit: A Glimpse into America’s Future?,” “We’re Broke,” “Into the Fiscal Abyss,” “The End Game,” et al.). But, of course, the “government disease” … More>

The last thing we need in the midst of our current recession is what happened last Friday: the third increase in the minimum wage in only two years.

Contemporary labor markets throughout the country are not a pretty picture. Last … More>

“There is nothing inevitable about another depression. We have a simple choice: We can repeat the errors of the past or we can avoid them.”

Those were my words, Feb. 8, 2008. It’s time for a “depression watch” update.… More>

Editor’s note: This article first appeared through the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, a research and educational institute headquartered in Midland, Mich. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is hereby granted, provided that the author and … More>

The purpose of cap and trade (C&T) legislation is to reduce Americans’ consumption of fossil fuels—coal, oil, and natural gas—and to speed up the transition to alternate forms of energy, such as wind and solar power. The “cap” part would … More>

Editor’s note: This article first appeared at WORLDmag.com. Reprinted with permission of WORLDmag.com. To read more news and views from a Christian perspective, call 800-951-6397 or visit www.WORLDmag.com.

Remember SDI? There’s a good chance you don’t because as soon as … More>

Who won the Cold War? That’s a no-brainer. The United States prevailed while the Soviet Union collapsed, and the People’s Republic of China dumped Marxism; capitalism (free markets and private property) triumphed over socialism (centrally planned markets and state-owned property); … More>

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if, like Ebenezer Scrooge, we could have a preview of the future so that we could change our course if necessary? This can happen in real life. Such a dispensation was granted to me 35 years … More>

In assessing Team Obama’s semi-nationalization of the auto industry, a slight alteration of the famous verse by Elizabeth Barrett Browning encapsulates my reaction: “How do I [not] love thee? Let me count the ways.”

1) The government takeover is unconstitutional.… More>

Editor’s note: This article first appeared at WORLDmag.com. Reprinted with permission of WORLDmag.com. To read more news and views from a Christian perspective, call               800-951-6397 or visit www.WORLDmag.com.

“Buy American” legislation preserves American jobs. Or does it? Buy American legislation … More>

Editor’s Note: Be sure to mark your calendar for April 15-16, 2010, when The Center for Vision & Values hosts its sixth annual conference on “The Progressive Surge and Conservative Crackup.”

John Podesta is a 60-year-old son of Italian/Greek immigrants, … More>

The “greens” must be thrilled with the new Obama/Pelosi/Reid (OPR) troika in charge of the federal government. Three times already, the troika has blocked the development of domestic oil resources.

During his first week in office, President Obama rescinded his … More>

Bumpy though the last decade has been, most Americans have continued to trust in the basic institutions that undergird the nation’s economy. Until now.

Recent polling reveals a public toying with doubts about American-style capitalism yet equally suspicious … More>

Thousands of students graduating from college are turning to AmeriCorps for employment. One such graduate, an Ivy Leaguer from Dallas, is heading to Pittsburgh Steelers country to work as a food project coordinator. She says, “I want to give back, … More>

Some people I know react with incredulity when they hear television commentators remark on President Barack Obama’s brilliance. “How can he say that?” they expostulate. “He doesn’t understand basic economics, and he relies on a teleprompter even during news conferences. … More>

Economic historian Burton Folsom’s “New Deal or Raw Deal?” is a truly important book. Thoroughly researched, well organized and fluently written, this reader-friendly study of President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal is “the real deal”—a fascinating, illuminating study of the politics … More>

President Obama says the economy is the worst since the Great Depression. Actually, it is the worst since the Reagan recession of 1982-83. Further, the 2009 market crash is not the worst since 1929 but since 1987—also on Ronald Reagan’s … More>

One of the favorite refrains of the class-warfare left has long been to lament what it perceives as a division in America between economic haves and have-nots. From the standpoint of egalitarian, socialistic philosophy, the fact that some Americans prosper … More>

The Bush administration subjected us to a deluge of fiscal and monetary expansion, the likes of which we haven’t seen since the 1960s. The federal budget ballooned 112 percent from $1.86 trillion in 2001 to a projected $3.94 trillion in … More>

For well over a century, socialists, progressives, and even many Christians have railed against the capitalist exploitation of workers. They denounce capitalists—whether the Carnegies and Fricks of yesteryear or the Nikes of today—for paying low wages for hard work.

Their … More>

Newsflash, March 20, 2009: The Congressional Budget Office today forecast a U.S. budget deficit of $1.8 trillion for this year.

For many Americans, including some Democrats, there’s tremendous frustration over President Obama’s economic policies. Worse, they know that a huge … More>

A raw nerve was struck this week. Reports that employees of the insurance giant AIG—the recipient of four federal bailouts totaling more than $170 billion—were now receiving $165 million in bonuses, caused an explosion of public anger, even bloodthirsty rage. … More>

The British economist John Maynard Keynes (1883-1946) turns out to have been something of a prophet. He once wrote that “practical men,” as opposed to theoreticians, “are usually the slaves of some defunct economist.” Ironically, the defunct economist who is … More>

The U.S. Treasury recently released its “2008 Financial Report of the United States Government.” In case you had any doubts, our government’s finances are in a terrible mess. According to the report, under generally accepted accounting principles (the ones that … More>

When my friend Paul Kengor, the executive director of The Center for Vision & Values here at Grove City College, asked me what three books I would recommend to students if they wanted to broaden their economic education, my answer … More>

My wife and I tag-team to get our four kids ready for school in the morning. She manages the lunch-packing process and I make a hot breakfast. Rarely does a lively morning pass that I don’t gaze upon my children … More>

Ready for some political and economic rock and roll? It’s happening. In 2008, Americans were rocked by the beginnings of a deflationary credit collapse and Uncle Sam’s extraordinary bailout/nationalization agenda. In 2009, Americans will be rolled. If you think 2008 … More>

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) recently provided a stark illustration of the fundamentally divergent worldviews of big-government liberalism and free-market conservatism. She told ABC’s George Stephanopoulus of the intention of her and House Democrats to include hundreds of … More>

What would you think if you heard a prominent physician being interviewed and the topic of discussion was the breakout of a serious epidemic, and then the physician started enthusing about how great this plague would be for his business? … More>

Editor’s Note: The “V&V Q&A” is an e-publication from The Center for Vision & Values at Grove City College. Each issue will present an interview with an intriguing thinker or opinion-maker that we hope will prove illuminating to readers everywhere. … More>

Editor’s Note: The “V&V Q&A” is an e-publication from The Center for Vision & Values at Grove City College. Each issue will present an interview with an intriguing thinker or opinion-maker that we hope will prove illuminating to readers everywhere. … More>

Editor’s Note: The “V&V Q&A” is an e-publication from The Center for Vision & Values at Grove City College. Each issue will present an interview with an intriguing thinker or opinion-maker that we hope will prove illuminating to readers everywhere. … More>

President-elect Obama is considering an economic stimulus package that will include increases in government spending and tax cuts of approximately one trillion dollars. Many fear a prolonged depression resulting from a sharp reduction in consumer spending.

After saving very little … More>

Could 2009 be the year the United States of America starts to go subprime? Just as subprime mortgages wrecked the economy in 2008, 2009 might be the year we begin to see problems associated with the debt that funds our … More>

The longer I study economic phenomena, the more I learn two truths. The first truth is how little I know. This is very humbling. There is just too much information out there for any one human being to process. The … More>

Washington’s $700 billion bailout plan is making a lot of people unhappy. The Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), as the implementation of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 has come to be known, seems to be morphing unpredictably.

Originally, … More>

I’ve already explained the problematical economics and ethics of a federal bailout for the Big Three (see “A Bailout for Detroit”). The demise of the pillar of metro Detroit’s economy saddens me—I’m from there; in fact, I was once … More>

Politics in America is a contact sport. Passions flare and the rhetoric can get heated and nasty. Political parties stoke these fires, playing on people’s fears as a key fund-raising tactic.

Conservative authors have produced books with insulting titles like … More>

Global stock markets have been plummeting. Where the bottom is, nobody knows. There will be gut-wrenching zigs and hopeful zags along the way; they will be of larger magnitude and—in our digital age of instant response—will occur with greater rapidity … More>

By now, almost everybody knows “Joe the plumber.” Mentioned about 15 times in Wednesday’s presidential debate, Joe Wurzelbacher, a plumber from Toledo, questioned Barack Obama at an Ohio campaign stop earlier in the week. Joe wanted to know if Obama’s … More>

The biggest bailout plan (so far) will continue to be revised in an attempt to win approval of a congressional majority. The goal of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 is to put the brakes on the unwinding of … More>

When facing a major financial problem, it is not uncommon to face the temptation to do something foolish at best or something evil at worst. Our elected officials and un-elected monetary and financial authorities are on the brink of doing … More>

It’s finger-pointing time, folks. Whose fault is the ongoing financial crack-up that has hurt, angered, and frightened so many people? There is plenty of blame to go around, and the American people deserve to know the culprits. Simple justice, though, … More>

It saddens me when I see a member of my profession go over to “the dark side,” that is, to politics. Politics replaces voluntary action with compulsion, private contract with coercion. Government intervention imposes distortions, inefficiencies, and extra costs on … More>

Reactions to Governor Palin’s selection as Senator McCain’s running mate ranged from laughter to incredulity and then from alarm to panic. Indeed, editorials on the danger she poses to Senator Obama’s once inevitable coronation in November now radiate furrowed brows … More>

September 15, 2008. Lehman Brothers, the giant Wall Street firm, declares bankruptcy. Merrill Lynch, the most famous stock brokerage company in the country, avoids the risk of eventually suffering a similar fate by being euthanized (i.e., bought and … More>

It was bound to happen. In this “Year of the bailout,” why shouldn’t Detroit get into the act? The financial community has maintained a death-watch over GM and Ford for months as they hemorrhage floods of red ink. Bankruptcy is … More>

News of the passing of Russian author Alexander Solzhenitsyn on August 3 brought me a flood of memories. Although I never met Mr. Solzhenitsyn, he had a profound effect on my life. He also had a great impact on the … More>

High fuel prices have produced a tectonic shift in the United States’ political landscape. Recent polls indicate a strong surge of support for Uncle Sam lifting government restrictions against domestic drilling for oil. Blocking the development of domestic energy resources … More>

Every year, Merriam-Webster, the dictionary company, holds a vote for “Word of the Year.” Don’t be surprised if 2008’s word is “bailout.” And if they start a “Phrase of the Year” category, how about “Too big to fail?” We heard … More>

Economic growth in the United States is sluggish, and there are several reasons to be pessimistic about macroeconomic performance in the balance of 2008, if not beyond. The adjective “macroeconomic” is crucial. We should never forget that, even when major … More>

Thrift used to be a virtue in America. In Asia, thrift remains a way of life—for example, it is estimated that the average Chinese family’s thrift rate is 30 to 40 percent—which helps explain the rapid growth rates there.

A … More>

An Indian government official recently criticized the Bush administration for blaming the growing middle classes of developing countries, such as India and China, for rising food prices. Although he may have misinterpreted the president’s remarks, his and other Indian critics’ … More>

A recent International Monetary Fund research report listed the countries expected to suffer the worst currency depreciation—that is, the worst inflation—this year. Zimbabwe (a mind-boggling 300,000 percent-plus), Venezuela (25.7 percent), Bolivia (15.1 percent), Nicaragua (13.8 percent), and Argentina (9.2 percent) … More>

In what has become an annual ritual, the wizards of Congress are going after the leaders of Big Oil again. This is political theater at its most cynical. It’s the modern version of the Salem witch hunt. The rapid rise … More>

March 2008 may go down as a major turning point in U.S. financial history. The Federal Reserve crossed a Rubicon of sorts, lending tens of billions of dollars, not to a commercial bank, as has been its historical practice, but … More>

Precarious. Ominous. Dismal. Woeful. Vulnerable. Perilous. These are just a few of the adjectives that describe the current condition of the United State’s financial markets. The crisis that I wrote about in this column last Dec. 27 has continued to … More>

Senator Barack Obama, the eminently likable possible Democratic nominee for president, has sponsored a “Global Poverty Act” that would require the United States to increase foreign aid by approximately $65 billion per year. If the Senate passes this bill, it … More>

Editor’s Note: The “V&V Q&A” is an e-publication from the Center for Vision & Values at Grove City College. Each issue will present an interview with an intriguing thinker or opinion-maker that we hope will prove illuminating to readers everywhere.  … More>

Editor’s Note: “What role should companies play in modern society?” As Dr. Andrew W. Markley notes, “The issue has received increased attention in recent years due to several factors, including the process of economic globalization, government deregulation of economic activity, … More>

No, I am not getting ready to join the ranks of those clever economists and financial prognosticators who periodically cop a book deal by peddling a hyped-up title that feeds our perverse appetite for scary scenarios—Financial Armageddon, Get Rich … More>

The dreaded “R” word—recession—is in on the tip of many tongues right now. Are we in a recession? Far be it from me to trespass on the sacred territory of the official keepers of economic data in Washington—those who officially … More>

Gold has opened 2008 with a bang. The price of the yellow metal has soared to all-time nominal highs, surpassing $900 per ounce. “So what?” you may ask. “Unless one works for a mining company or a jeweler, gold is … More>

The U.S. housing market is hurting, as you undoubtedly know. Home foreclosures are the highest since record-keeping began 35 years ago. 1.69 percent of all outstanding mortgage loans have entered the foreclosure process. The median price of an American house … More>

There are those who say that the housing market is just one segment of our overall economy and bad loans are just a fraction of the housing market, so there is nothing to worry about. This viewpoint is wrong, because … More>

With the price of oil approaching $100 per barrel, my brother-in-law traded in a small SUV for a large SUV. What was he thinking?

My brother-in-law is a college professor. Perhaps he should study the solutions to the high price … More>

Did you remember to buy a present for your boss last month on Boss’s Day? The teachers of the Susquehanna Township School District in central Pennsylvania didn’t experience the embarrassment of forgetting the chief because two of their colleagues, who … More>

Editor’s Note: The “V&V Q&A” is an e-publication from the Center for Vision & Values at Grove City Collge.  Each issue will present an interview with an intriguing thinker or opinion-maker that we hope will prove illuminating to readers everywhere. … More>

Editor’s Note: The “V&V Q&A” is an e-publication from the Center for Vision & Values at Grove City College. Each issue will present an interview with an intriguing thinker or opinion-maker that we hope will prove illuminating to readers everywhere. … More>

Editor’s Note: Reflecting the breadth and depth of top-notch scholarship being pursued by the faculty of Grove City College, The Center for Vision & Values is pleased to release the fifth in a series of exclusive monthly papers being offered … More>

Last week, the United Auto Workers union (UAW) called its first strike against General Motors (GM) in thirty-seven years. The strike was over in two days when negotiators approved a new contract between the two parties. The settlement avoids a … More>

Protectionists claim that free trade is bad for America—that increasing imports of goods means increasing exports of jobs, thereby gutting our economy. This notion could only be valid in a zero-sum world with a fixed number of jobs, where one … More>

The case for free trade rests on a simple principle: people should be free to buy from whomever they choose, even if the supplier is a foreigner. The opponents of free trade believe that there are legitimate exceptions to this … More>

Ben Bernanke, chairman of the Federal Reserve, is a better historian of economic thought than monetary theorist. In reference to the current financial turmoil he is quoted as saying that classic central-banking theory instructs us that the Fed should accommodate … More>

Editor’s Note: Reflecting the breadth and depth of top-notch scholarship being pursued by the faculty of Grove City College, the Center for Vision & Values is pleased to release the fourth in a series of exclusive monthly white papers being … More>

Is a bachelor’s degree in English (or history or philosophy or political science or any other subject in the liberal arts) worth over $30,000 a year? As the sticker price asked by more and more private colleges crosses that threshold, … More>

The Pastor of the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Grove City, James Seeley, who presided over the memorial service for Hans Sennholz on June 26, 2007 took note of his outstanding qualities. He was indeed a great teacher, having instructed … More>

Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have thrown their support behind proposed legislation that would impose anti-dumping duties—tariffs of around 27 percent—on Chinese imports if the Chinese currency doesn’t get stronger against the dollar. This proposal—advanced by a … More>

It’s a dangerous world today. Remorseless men murder their wives and lovers. Terrorists want to bomb humankind back to the seventh century. And now, gas station owners with blood as cold as a reptile are conspiring to charge you outrageous … More>

In recent years, the price of gasoline has soared as the supply of crude oil has risen in response to unprecedented global demand. But never fear, Uncle Sam is here! Citing the need to decrease our country’s dependence on foreign … More>

Property taxes in Pennsylvania appear locked into a long-term uptrend. In recent years, there have been huge increases in the portion of the property tax that finances county government. County officials have levied these increases to pay for the unfunded … More>

During the second half of the twentieth century, union officials prospered mightily, while millions of rank-and-file union members saw their jobs vanish. Since union policy is set by the bosses, I am not optimistic for significant reforms, but since my … More>

Central banks live by a simple financial principle: Whenever economic activity stagnates or declines, they quickly lower their interest rates and expand their credits. But when business seems to improve, they hesitate and vacillate in removing the rate cuts. The … More>

“I kept on going into factories, I kept on talking with workers to tell them that I want to be a president of the republic who will protect them, who will protect against outsourcing, that I will not … More>

It’s time to scrap last year’s carefully crafted campaign image of Robert Casey as a moderate. Barely three months after taking office, the junior U.S. senator from Pennsylvania is launching class warfare in the virulent anti-capitalist tradition. In reaction to … More>

The evil oil companies are at it again.  The price of a gallon of gas has jumped by more than 30 cents in the past month.  The gasoline gougers are busy reaping windfall profits.

It’s time for a … More>

Editor’s Note: Reflecting the breadth and depth of top-notch scholarship being pursued by the faculty of Grove City College, The Center for Vision & Values is pleased to release the second in a series of exclusive monthly papers being offered … More>

Editor’s Note: Reflecting the breadth and depth of top-notch scholarship being pursued by the faculty of Grove City College, The Center for Vision & Values is pleased to release the first in a series of exclusive monthly papers being offered … More>

When something is offered to us for free, we become suspicious. Internet scams, all-expense paid vacations and interest-free loans all beg the question, “Where is the catch?” Read the fine print and the true cost becomes apparent.

Increasing … More>

Editor’s Note: This article was first published by the TCS Daily and has been reprinted with the author’s permission.

“When Jesus tells us he will regard the way we treat the hungry, the homeless, the stranger, the sick, … More>

Editor’s Note: This article was first published by the Commonwealth Foundation, and has been reprinted with the author’s permission.

Summer’s Best Two Weeks (SB2W) is a non-profit summer camp located in the heart of Pennsylvania’s Laurel Mountains … More>

Imagine buying a loaf of bread in August, 2005 for $2 and then, just a year later, finding the same loaf priced at $22! That is the kind of annual price inflation—1000% or more—that the already poor people of Zimbabwe … More>

A few days ago, I told my teenage daughter, who works at the local Dairy Queen, that the minimum wage in Pennsylvania is going to increase. Since she makes a little less than $6.25 per hour, which is the amount … More>

Nothing exposes the ignorance or insincerity of policy makers more than support for the minimum wage. If wages could be set by government decree, then why stop at paltry $7.15 an hour as the Pennsylvania house recently did, and wouldn’t … More>

Inflationomics, in popular terminology, indicates the sway of inflation thought in education and the affairs of government. It permeates political life and behavior, especially when economic policies are discussed and decided. It usually speaks well of an increase in the … More>

Like most people, I feel the sting when it costs $55 to fill up the family minivan. As a result, I’ve been driving around town more often in our Civic, which gets twice the gas mileage. I suspect … More>

To the surprise and wonder of many economists the U.S. dollar continues to be rather strong in international money markets despite ever growing American trade deficits. Last year these deficits amounted to more than seven hundred billion dollars or six … More>

With just five minutes to go in the Steelers-Colts playoff game last Sunday, NFL Referee Pete Morelli made a terrible call against the Steelers. On Monday, the NFL made a rare statement saying that Morelli was wrong. Thankfully for Steelers … More>

Good intentions, when guided by error and ignorance, may have undesirable consequences. There is no better example than minimum wage legislation. It means to raise the wages and improve the living conditions of poor workers but actually condemns many to … More>

Recently, Wal-Mart Corporation announced plans to build a Super Wal-Mart store a few miles outside of the town where I live, Grove City, Pa. In response to Wal-Mart’s plan, a local faith organization held an open showing of a film … More>

In a national election, the people pick a president and for four years; thereafter they pick on him.  But few presidents have ever picked on their successors after they failed to be reelected.  Most have made a graceful exit and … More>

What a spectacle! This week Congress heard testimony from oil executives, who, along with the companies they run, are allegedly making too much money. As such, “Big Oil,” or—more specifically—those rapacious, robber-baron CEOs who stand atop that heaping mass of … More>

(Download the PDF white paper here.)

Editor’s note: Jeffrey M. Herbener, Ph.D. is a fellow for economic theory and policy at The Center for Vision & Values. He is a professor of economics and chair of the economics department at … More>

Ever eager to observe and command, government officials like to record their countrymen’s economic dealings with people abroad. They create balances of payments which are to help them evaluate and manage economic relations. Last year the American balance posted extraordinary … More>

CVV Inaugural Conference
The Road From Poverty to Freedom: A Look Backward and Forward at the War on Poverty
(Sticht Lecture Hall in the Hall of Arts and Letters)

“The Bad Effects of Good Intentions: Why the Welfare State Inevitably … More>

EDITOR’S NOTE: In the following essay, Dr. Sennholz provides perspective and proposals on the current Social Security debate.

Introduction
An old English saying perfectly applies to election promises made by presidential candidates: “Vows made in a storm are forgotten in … More>

A few weeks ago Senate Republicans unveiled a twelve-point poverty alleviation program. Many items on that agenda are controversial, but one of them—a push to reauthorize the welfare reform legislation that was enacted in 1996—won’t be. Although Democrats disagree with … More>

In a week I will be a reluctant recipient of plundered property. The modern day Robin Hood purloined the cash last year on my behalf and without my knowledge. Technology comes into play too. Using a piece of sophisticated software, … More>

Editor’s Note: On occasion, we would like to let you know of other important organizations doing good work on behalf of the principles that we support in Vision & Values Concise. Please see the piece below from the president … More>

In a speech during the primaries, John Kerry called companies that outsource “Benedict Arnold” companies. If Benedict Arnold would have had his way, he would have denied Americans what they, and all of mankind throughout history, have sought—freedom—the unalienable rights … More>

Over the last week, something enormously important has happened — something deserving of much more than the routine news-cycle coverage. To put it bluntly, the presidential election in Afghanistan is a seminal event, and those who don’t understand how or … More>

With the economy improving, hurricane winds blowing, and discussions about national health care on sick leave, it is fair to suggest that the coming debates between President Bush and Senator Kerry will focus on leadership.  Bush can run on his … More>

The World Trade Organization, a favorite punching bag of some conservatives, is at it again.  But hold on conservatives, the WTO is right on this one! For pocketbook reasons, the U.S. would be wise to heed their ruling.

For the … More>

Election years are the times that try economists’ souls. Practically everyone with his hat in the ring will promise us this and promise us that and promise us everything under the sun, more often than not implying that, by the … More>

The bankruptcy of the activist view of government is in full bloom again, thanks to the John Kerry campaign.

For starters, Kerry promised to raise the minimum wage. Even if Kerry is an Economics 101 dropout, one would think that … More>

I was channel surfing on my car radio when I encountered the latest ad for the Pennsylvania lottery. These ads tend to be clever. This is true in many states. For instance, the ads for the Virginia state lottery are … More>

When he became governor a few weeks ago, Ed Rendell announced that he was suddenly surprised by the unanticipated size of the state budget deficit. His administration insists that that gap must be closed. Now, in a likely related matter, … More>

EDITOR’S NOTE: The following lecture was presented at Grove City College on February 6, 2001.

Introduction
A course in Constitutional Law helped me decide that I wanted to become a lawyer. I had no previous interest in being a lawyer … More>