Entries by Foundation for Economic Education (FEE)

Literature and the Economics of Liberty: Spontaneous Order in Culture by Troy Camplin

Literary Theory: An Anthology (ed. Julie Rivkin and Michael Ryan) is one of the foremost anthologies of literary theory. Among its sections is one titled “Political Criticism: From Marxism to Cultural Materialism.” With the exception of Hegel, all the authors are Marxists. This is the entirety of economic analysis in literature: Marxism. At least, it was. […]

To Read Well, a Noble Exercise: In Defense of Thoreau and Walden by Sarah Skwire

Gary North’s recent column on Thoreau’s Walden argues that Thoreau is a “literary scam artist” and that the book itself is a “masterpiece of fraud” that has been inflicted on countless students because of its political agenda. Perhaps in solidarity with those students, North’s column consists in large part of quotations from the Wikipedia page on Walden, followed by North’s responses. […]

A Teachers’ Union Speaks Power to Truth: Children suffer, but they aren’t the point by Wendy McElroy

On March 22, Joshua Pechthalt delivered a “state of the union” address at the 72nd convention of the California Federation of Teachers (CFT). Union Watch, an organization that monitors California’s unions, called it “refreshingly candid.” It bluntly revealed the union’s political and social goals without wrapping them in rhetoric about educating children. Pechthalt declared: [The CFT is] a […]

Sneakerheads: Some teens are trading shoes and learning something in the process by Jason Kelly

When you think about the ways most teenagers spend their free time, you probably think playing video games, going to the mall, and using Facebook. But if you look more closely, you will discover a lot of kids defying those stereotypes. These kids are innovators. They take risks. And they aren’t just learning economics from […]

Beyond Nationalism and Territorialism (1851) by Pierre-Joseph Proudhon

Editor’s Note: Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, considered the father of anarchism, might also fairly be considered a founder of the libertarian left. Readers of this publication will find much to disagree with in Proudhon’s work, especially when it comes to his famous line: “Property is theft.” The institution of private property, far from being a source of […]

Voice & Exit 2014: Join us to celebrate “human flourishing”

Are you done with rubber chickens, cold hotels, and boring panels? FEE is a proud sponsor Voice & Exit 2014. The event, to be held on June 21, 2014, in Austin, Texas, allows guests to explore ideas of “human flourishing.” Themes include: Radical innovation Opt-out culture Entrepreneurship Disruptive technology Biohacking and personal optimization Communities of the future […]

Happily Never After by Sarrah Skwire

Francis Spufford. Red Plenty. Graywolf Press, 2012. 448 pages. This column was originally part of a paper presented at the recent APEE meeting in Las Vegas. Francis Spufford’s Red Plenty has been ably reviewed in these pages before. But it’s a book I can’t stop talking about and recommending. And when I do recommend Red Plenty to others, I’m never quite sure what to call […]

Another Four Falsehoods About the Free Market by SANDY IKEDA

As a follow-up to my two earlier columns on falsehoods about the free market (here and here), I wanted to cover some more falsehoods that I’ve heard again recently. I’m sure I’ll have plenty of opportunities to add to the list sometime down the road. 1. The Free Market Must Be Regulated This one never seems to […]

The Progressive Income Tax: Backed by the envious, used by the greedy by DOUG BANDOW

Most Americans dislike the income tax, now more than a century old. The rates are too high. The provisions are unfair. The recordkeeping is onerous. The revenues are wasted. Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play? But there are fans. The politicians, certainly, of both parties. What good would it do to serve […]

CLICHES OF PROGRESSIVISM #2 — Because We’re Running Out of Resources, Government Must Manage Them

The Foundation for Economic Education (FEE) is proud to partner with Young America’s Foundation (YAF) to produce “Clichés of Progressivism,” a series of insightful commentaries covering topics of free enterprise, income inequality, and limited government. Our society is inundated with half-truths and misconceptions about the economy in general and free enterprise in particular. The “Clichés of Progressivism” series […]

In Us We Trust? by GARY CHARTIER

David Rose argues that trust is a prerequisite of economic growth. David C. Rose. The Moral Foundation of Economic Behavior. Oxford University Press. 2011. 269 pages. $40.16. Economists find it easy to model human actors as rational utility maximizers, evaluating possible decisions in light of their likely outcomes and choosing those options with the most utility-maximizing consequences. […]

Free the Poor: Does economic freedom alleviate poverty? by Julian Adorney

2014 marks the 50th anniversary of the War on Poverty, and many claim that President Johnson’s program has lifted millions out of poverty.  But if we really want to help the poor, research suggests that economic freedom does more than government aid. Economic Freedom Within the United States In “A Dynamic Analysis of Economic Freedom and Income Inequality […]

Bad Hair Days

In the new mini-documentary Locked Out, Sean Malone shares the stories of microentrepreneurs fighting against artificial barriers to entry. [youtube]http://youtu.be/gvPdgXX27Gw[/youtube]   Whenever you hear someone claim the benefits of government regulation, think about sharing this post. So very often the issue is not one of public health or the public interest, but of industry cartels colluding with […]

Illiberal Arts: Cataloguing systematic suppression of speech on campus by ALLEN MENDENHALL

A diversity of thought and a variety of perspectives are necessary to facilitate competition among ideas. Such competition selectively eliminates the bad from the good, the true from the false, and the practical from the impractical. Opposing viewpoints must enter into this more constructive contest so that the struggle does not move into the arena […]