Economics & Political Systems

A More Immediate Threat

On July 23, 2012, Syria—one of seven nations not to sign the Chemical Weapons Convention—admitted owning a stockpile of chemical and biological weapons. A foreign ministry spokesman warned that Damascus would use these weapons against any force intervening in its … Continue reading

Man vs. Himself on Wall Street

Editor’s note: A version of this article first appeared at RealClearMarkets.com. A costly computer trading glitch involving market maker Knight Capital has intensified the debate over the effects and value of high-frequency algorithmic trading. The holding period for most of … Continue reading

The Tale of the Hitchhiker’s Recovery

Editor’s note: A version of this article first appeared at Forbes.com. In light of claims that we’ve been in an economic recovery since late 2009, news such as the unemployment rate bumping up to 8.3 percent is disconcerting. Our so-called “recovery” … Continue reading

What’s In a Recovery?

Editor’s note: A version of this article first appeared at Forbes.com.Thomson Reuters’ latest survey of Wall Street analysts’ expectations about next quarter’s corporate earnings has prompted some to wonder whether the canary in the coal mine is beginning to feel lightheaded. … Continue reading

Remembering the Significance of VJ Day

Consider this fictitious scenario: In the summer of 1950, President Thomas E. Dewey faced a national security crisis of extraordinary proportions—one that his advisors agreed likely would define his presidency. After beating his Democratic opponent in 1948 by a comfortable … Continue reading

The Obama Nullification Doctrine

In December 1828, South Carolina had 5,000 copies of John C. Calhoun’s “Exposition and Protest” printed and distributed throughout the state. A defiant document, Calhoun’s “Exposition” outlined a theory of constitutional interpretation first adumbrated in the infamous Kentucky and Virginia … Continue reading

The Obamacare Decision: A Mixed Bag

The case that received more media attention and more consideration by the U.S. Supreme Court than any in recent history has been decided. The 5-4 decision upheld the “individual mandate,” the central feature of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, … Continue reading

The Strategic Imperative of Security

In light of recent publicity about the U.S-British-Israeli cyber attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities, we might want to consider intelligence lessons from the past. In the autumn of 1960, with the presidential race between Vice President Richard M. Nixon and … Continue reading

The Question of More or Less Government

Editor’s note: A version of this article first appeared at Forbes.com. Theoretically, the elemental political choice in a democratic system is between more government or less—more government control over our lives and livelihood, or less; more government spending and programs than … Continue reading