Yesterday President Obama gave the annual State of the Union address to Congress.  We now know something of his agenda for the coming year. My colleague Dr. Smith has already discussed the president’s probable new way of governing, the executive order.  President Obama did indeed strongly imply he would “go around” Congress.  I would also […]

This winter, with it’s below average temperatures and above normal precipitation, has been great for “economic stimulus” if the Keynesian economic theory that almost everyone in the United States believes is correct. At least that’s been true in my household. Beginning in mid December, we’ve had a series of minor automobile mishaps that have created, […]

There is a minor flurry of activity on the internet surrounding President Obama’s upcoming State of the Union Address. Much of it surrounds the Administration’s “new” agenda that emphasizes executive action and White House leadership, as compared to the more restrained and legislatively bound presidency we have seen up to this point. At least, this is […]

Mr. Obama continues to focus on wealth inequality as the causal force driving lack of opportunity, and is expected to push to some degree in his SOTU speech.  As we discussed last month, Mr. Obama asserts this is “the defining challenge of our time.”  Notice the reason this is so important: it is a difficult […]

Always for the good of mankind, you see.  Milton Friedman used to note that there are always two groups pushing for a public policy:  the public front group which was supportive of a particular cause, and the private interest group that would benefit.  No one ever advocated for government benefits to enrich themselves, rather there […]

Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-NY), scion of the New York political family, has declared that conservative extremists have no place in his state. What is it that makes them extreme? Apparently, it is opposition to abortion, gay marriage, and gun control. Today, January 22, 2014, is the 41st anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court […]

I recently received my latest issue of Time magazine and found the cover story dedicated to the idea that Hillary Clinton is in the driver seat when it comes to the Democratic nomination for the presidency in 2016.  This concept is only supported by the fact that polling organizations are already comparing favorability numbers between […]

We have more breaking news on the National Security Agency’s data collection programs. On the day that President Obama is set to announce an overhaul of how the Agency stores telephone data,  The Guardian has a story up on the agency’s global collection of text messages. One must assume the two events are related. The Guardian, […]

We’ve had tons of economic news worth highlighting over the last month, but Christmas offered much more fun than writing blog posts.  So here is a quick review of several economic issues that will continue to be issues in 2014. First up is the Senate confirmed Janet Yellen as the first female Federal Reserve Chair […]

Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ) held a long press conference yesterday, attempting to squelch a burgeoning scandal. People in Christie’s inner circle apparently used the Governor’s office to discomfit a political rival, and the fallout could be dramatic. Email exchanges show that Christie aids ordered lane closures during peak travel times around Fort Lee, NJ, and […]