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 … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading
(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 Grove … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading
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 calms.” … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading
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, … Continue reading
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 of The … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading
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, … Continue reading
