In an amazing 8-0 decision, the Supreme Court threw out the conviction of former VA governor McDonnell for alleged corruption: The Justice Department alleged Mr. McDonnell agreed to legitimize, promote and seek research studies for the company’s products. The former governor among other things arranged meetings for the businessman, Jonnie Williams, with other government officials […]
Archives
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Tales from the economic heartland–we don’t kill the golden goose, we just bleed it slowly
24 Jun 2016
Janet Yellen (Federal Reserve chair) received a lot of press in last week after the Fed’s meeting, where she acknowledging that monetary policy can’t really solve the slow growth rate of the U.S. economy. She, as many other economists, believe there are structural problems which leave us in a “new normal” of lower economic growth […]
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Not according to economist Ben Powell, and I’m with him (in the abstract). Of course there are specific cases we should have outrage, but we can’t simply wish that all of the world was wealthy enough for no children to have to work. Indeed, children working has been part of the human experience since the […]
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its getting serious. News reports continue daily on the deteriorating state of dysfunctionality called government in Venezuela. Not only is food shortage a significant problem for many, but basic protection and law and order functions are missing in action. This is leading to vigilante justice, with some suspected criminals being burned alive on the […]
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A major part of the Dodd-Frank bill that Mr. Obama and the Democratic congress of 2009-2010 was the creation of an agency to protect consumers, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Dodd-Frank was troubling enough; I’ll not delve too deeply into that murky mess other than to note the irony of the financial reform bill […]
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“The LORD, He is God; the LORD, He is God.”
04 May 2016
I woke this morning earlier than usual (around 4:30) and my mind raced to the reality that Mr. Trump is the Republican nominee. It’s certainly easy to get discouraged, perhaps even to lose sleep. Yet in my quiet time this morning (one of the benefits of getting up early), as I reflected on what God […]
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Trumpeting toward Irrationality
03 May 2016
During my graduate studies at George Mason University, I was blessed with outstanding faculty, especially in the field of Public Choice economics (the study of the public sector using economic methodology). Nobel Laureate James Buchanan led the intellectual tradition, but there were many other fine minds, including a brash young economist from Princeton, Bryan Caplan. I […]
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Marc Clauson’s posts over the last few weeks generated a lot of heat, and perhaps less light than would be good (not due to his writing). Given the emotion on this issue we saw here at BATG, I would refer you to The Gospel Coalition today. Trevin Wax has a great post, raising several questions […]
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The Obama Economy: The first president ever without a single year of 3% economic growth.
28 Apr 2016
The good news is that Mr. Obama’s economic record is not the worst; he’s ahead of four other presidents: Assuming 2.67% RGDP growth for 2016, Obama will leave office having produced an average of1.55% growth. This would place his presidency fourth from the bottom of the list of 39*, above only those of Herbert Hoover […]
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The United States of Insolvency
22 Apr 2016
This past week my macroeconomics classes finished their review of the national debt. I assign it in the vain hopes that perhaps my small efforts will awaken at least our students from the slumber of wishful thinking and denial of reality. One of the best parts of being at a Christ-centered university is to be […]
Bert Wheeler
Jeff Haymond
Marc Clauson
Mark Caleb Smith
Tom Mach