On Human Nature. Roger Scruton. Princeton University Press. 2017. 151 pages. On Earth Day, April 22, tens of thousands of activists held the first “March for Science” in cities around the world. “Science brings out the best in us,” Bill Nye, the star of two eponymous television programs about science, told the assembly in Washington. “Together we can – dare I say it – save the world!” he said, earning the enthusiastic approval of an estimated 40,000 people. Many of...

Over the past few decades, America has experienced a wave of drastic economic and social disruption. In our search for solutions, we’ve tended to look either to ourselves orthe State, resulting in a clash between individualism and collectivism that forgets or neglects the space between. But what might be happening (or not happening) in those middle layers of society, from families to churches to charities to our economic activities? What might we be missing or forgetting about in those mediating...

Globalization does not merely mean petition; it also means that the best minds from around the world can collaborate and, when necessary, correct one another’s conclusions. Scientists rely on this interplay of minds but so do other disciplines, not least economics, where clear thinking is perpetually in short supply. A foreign free-market think tank has made a e critique of a viral video titled “Wealth Inequality in America,” which has racked up more than 20 million views on YouTube. The...

It was with deep sadness that I learned today of the passing of John F. “Jack” Donahue. Jack truly was a renaissance man, packing significant and lasting plishments into his 92 years. If ever it could be said that I encountered a singular, real-life saint, Jack would qualify as that one person. At first blush, what impressed me most about Jack was his devotion to his wife of 70 years, Rhodora. The consummate family man, Jack raised 13 children with...

The Trump administration formally announced to Congress today that it intends to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). According to the Associated Press, U.S. Trade Rep. Robert Lighthizer sent a letter to congressional leaders to start 90 days of consultations with lawmakers over how to revamp the pact. Here is what you should know about the perennially controversial trade agreement. What is NAFTA? NAFTA is the initialism for the North American Free Trade Agreement, an agreement signed by...

Note: This is the post #17 in a weekly series of explanatory posts on the officials and agencies included in the President’s Cabinet. See the series introductionhere. Cabinet position:Vice President (VPOTUS) Current: Mike Pence Succession:The Vice President is second in the presidential line of succession. Primary Duties:The Vice President is also the President of the Senate, and in this role has two primary functions: to cast a vote in the event of a Senate deadlock (which Pence has done twice)...

Brexit may suffer from the most uniquely invertedpublic perception in modern international affairs. The British referendum to leave the European Union – the most successful rebellion against global governanceto date – is depicted as a racist and xenophobic retreat into an isolated and atomized existence.In fact, it is only Brexit that allows the UK to leave behind Brussels’ schedule ofsubsidies and tariffs that deny developing nations access to the world’s largest market,setting millions on a path to independence and self-sufficiency....

Note: This is post #33 in a weekly video series on basic microeconomics. Comparative advantage explains why people trade and what goods they should trade. To illustrate the concept parative advantage, Marginal Revolution University’s Alex Tabarrok asks, “Should Martha Stewart iron her own shirts?” Even if Martha Stewart has an absolute advantage in ironing shirts, her opportunity cost is simply too high. (If you find the pace of the videos too slow, I’d mend watching them at 1.5 to 2...

WhenJames Blaineintroduced his ill-fatedconstitutional amendmentin 1875, he probably never would have imagined the unintended consequences it would have over a hundred years later. Blaine wanted to prohibit the use of state funds at “sectarian” schools (a code word for Catholic parochial schools) in order to inhibit immigration. Since the public schools instilled a Protestant Christian view upon its students, public education was viewed as a way to stem the tide of Catholic influence. While the amendment passed by a large...

Red-phobia is once again all the rage. Today, the question asked by the media and politicians is whether Russia had a hand in turning the U.S. election in Donald Trump’s favor. Decades ago, Mother Russia was the source of much consternation and breast beating following both World Wars – the First and Second Red Scares, respectively, munist conspiracies were exposed and prosecuted while others were merely speculations of the tin-foil hat variety (watch out for that fluoridated water!). The difference...