Anne Rathbone Bradley

The reason that socialism does not work in the long run—there are a couple of reasons: who are we as human beings, what are we capable of, and what are we not capable of. So I think it comes down to anthropology and economics. Read more at TIFWE

Cryptocurrency provides an exciting alternative to national currency as a decentralized alternative to fiat notes, but it’s no silver bullet. For those who’ve heard the word a lot but are still not sure what it means, cryptocurrency is a digital asset used to make purchases. It operates using a computer network, often a blockchain, a shared ledger…

What is capitalism? Capitalism is a word that I don’t like. You might say, “Wow, that’s silly because it’s on the front cover of your book.” In fact, when we were thinking about the book, I said, “I don’t think we should use the word ‘capitalism.’” But the whole point is that people are starting to…

A grasp of how basic economics contributes to human flourishing in astonishing ways gives the so-called dismal science a whole new luster. I have never been to an event or cocktail party where raising the issue of economic efficiency engendered a particularly emotional discussion or any level of enthusiasm. I have never been to a…

Despite pushback from both left and right, free markets should always be supported, because they free people to live out their potential—even in despotic regimes like China’s. Doug Irwin in his seminal book Free Trade Under Fire points out that Democrats and Republicans have historically vacillated on free trade. The Democratic Party of the late 19th century…

I had the pleasure of attending the Intercollegiate Studies Institute colloquium on “The Humane Economy,” which brought together conservatives and libertarians for a weekend discussion on pressing issues of policy and human flourishing. The quintessential questions of political economy revolve around the proper role of government, and this discussion was no exception. Among both conservatives and…

When markets work, they adapt to even the worst supply shocks. The cyberattack on the Colonial Pipeline has spurred temporary supply disruptions and induced panic-buying of gasoline, resulting in long lines and empty gas stations in the Southeast over the past few days. Images on social media showed someone who filled up plastic bags of…

The current bureaucratic approach fails to account for our individual, institutional, and economic well-being. Remember when we were going to shut down stores, restaurants, schools, and churches for two weeks to flatten the coronavirus curve? We are now in our eighth month of lockdowns, mask mandates, and conflicting health advisories with no clear path forward…

“Too big to fail” was a mistake because it bailed out incompetent firms during the global financial crisis. Breaking up big firms today would also be a mistake and would lead to higher prices, less innovation, and more cronyism. During the fallout of the 2007-08 global financial crisis came the notion that some firms are so large…

It is in the most desperate of times that we must not forget our principles. Globally, we are facing desperate times. In the United States, unemployment rolls doubled in just one week, climbing to 6.6 million unemployment claims for the week ending March 28, 2020. As more Americans are asked to stay at home, many have become…