The 'Pro-Worker' GOP Is Anti-Worker
The New Right talks a big populist game, but their policies hurt the people they're supposed to help.
Protectionism
Trump Promises To Get Rid of Bad Regulations. Can He Deliver?
Growth of regulation slowed under former President Trump, but it still increased.
GOP VP Nominee J. D. Vance is an Enemy of Free Markets
The Ohio Senator is one of the Party's leading advocates of protectionism, economic planning, and immigration restrictions.
Vivek Ramaswamy Debuts 'National Libertarianism' at NatCon 4
"I don’t care to replace a left-wing nanny state with a right-wing nanny state," the onetime presidential hopeful said this week.
Biden and Trump Are Both Disastrously Wrong About Tariffs
Yes, cheap imports hurt some American companies. But protectionist trade policy harms many more Americans than it helps.
My New Dispatch Article on Why Nationalism is a Bigger Menace than Wokeness
Both ideologies are bad. But one is a much greater danger than the other.
Craft Distilleries Fight for Survival Amid Crushing Regulations
Once booming, the industry now faces closures and stifling market access due to outdated laws and burdensome middlemen.
The Real Reason for Self-Checkout Bans
It isn't about stopping crime—it's about protecting a favored constituency's jobs.
Alabama Governor Signs Bill Banning Lab-Grown Meat
Lab-grown meat bans don't protect consumers, but they do protect ranchers and farmers from competition.
Is Chinese Garlic a Threat to National Security?
Plus, an AI-generated recipe for garlic lovers' shrimp scampi
Ron DeSantis Says Letting People Buy Cultivated Meat Is Like Forcing Them To Eat Bugs
Florida’s protectionist ban on the nascent industry sacrifices conservative principles in the name of a culture war that politicizes everything.
Big Beer vs. Canned Cocktails in the Grocery Aisle
Uncovering Big Beer’s crafty campaign to limit consumer access to canned cocktails.
Worst 4/20 Ever
Plus: A listener asks the editors to steel man the case for the Jones Act, an antiquated law that regulates maritime commerce in U.S. waters.
Trump's and Biden's Terrible Tariffs
Plus: A listener asks if Trump or Biden have done anything to secure the blessings of liberty.
The Obscure Protectionist Law That Will Slow Clean-up of the Baltimore Bridge Disaster
The best time to repeal the Foreign Dredge Act was before the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed. The next best time to repeal it is right now.
America's Drone Industry Is Trying To Ban the Competition
Chinese camera drones are the most popular worldwide. American drone manufacturers argue that's a national security threat.
Opposition to U.S. Steel Sale Shows How Similar Biden and Trump Are on Trade
Economic nationalists are claiming the deal endangers "national security" to convince Americans that a good deal for investors, employees, and the U.S. economy will somehow make America less secure. That's nonsense.
The Political Right Has Luxury Beliefs, Too
Support for industrial policy and protectionism are supposed to help the working class. Instead, these ideas elevate the already privileged.
Milei's Free Market Reforms Can Reshape Argentine Cinema
Decades of protectionism have led to the film industry’s decline, but a free market can make it bloom.
Biden Pours Out Another $6.5 Billion for the CHIPS Act's Costly Protectionism
It's part of the government's expensive public-private partnership meant to address concerns over a reliance on foreign countries, like China, for semiconductors.
A Rare Win for Sanity in U.S. Tariff Policy
The U.S. International Trade Commission voted unanimously to reject a nakedly protectionist proposal that would have made canned goods more expensive.
Trump's Terrible, Popular Tariffs
Plus: A listener asks if it should become the norm for all news outlets to require journalists to disclose their voting records.
Argentina, Once One of the Richest Countries, Is Now One of the Poorest. Javier Milei Could Help Fix That.
The new libertarian president believes in free markets and the rule of law. When people have those things, prosperity happens.
On Economic Issues, the Populist Right and Left Share a Lot of Common Ground
That's bad news for Americans.
Biden Considering Higher Tariffs on E.V.s Imported from China, Raising Prices for Americans
Tariffs of 25 percent introduced under Donald Trump have been allowed to remain in place, and Biden may tack on even more to shield American firms from competition.
New Tariffs on Tin Cans Get Biden Administration Approval
There's no good reason for the government to block Americans' access to cheaper tin cans.
Protectionism Ruined U.S. Steel
Another round of federal intervention to prevent its sale makes no sense.
Starting Next Year, You Can Buy a Car on Amazon
While the partnership between Hyundai and Amazon is a good first step, states should get rid of laws that mandate franchise dealerships.
Both Republicans and Democrats Want 'Buy American' Provisions for E.V. Chargers
When the Biden administration temporarily suspended its own protectionist policies, Senate Republicans voted to reinstate them.
John Fetterman Thinks You're Too Dumb To Understand That Vegan 'Milk' Isn't Dairy
The DAIRY PRIDE Act says it wants to protect consumers. In reality, it's trying to protect dairy farmers from economic competition.
Why Is Halloween Candy So Expensive? Sugar Protectionism.
A new report from the GAO highlights how America's system of sugar subsidies and tariffs costs consumers about $3.5 billion every year.
Could Another Baby Formula Shortage Be on the Horizon?
Removing high tariffs from foreign imports of baby formula would ease the supply shock of possible factory closures.
CEO: 'I'm the One Who Paid the Tariffs. China Did Not.'
Deena Ghazarian, CEO of consumer electronic company Austere, says the federal government's tariff exclusion process was "arcane, nontransparent, and highly uncertain."
Politicians Say They Want To Fight Climate Change. So Why Are They Fighting China on Electric Vehicles?
Rather than posing a national security threat, the growth of China's E.V. industry is an opportunity for global innovation.
Why We Can't Have Nice Things: Can You Afford Tariffs on Tin Cans?
"There's nobody that says, wait, is this good for America? Is this good for the American consumer?"
Arkansas Business Owner Sues Over Government Garbage Monopoly
X-Dumpsters owner Steven Hedrick rents roll-away dumpsters to people, but now his city forces residents to contract with the county.
A New Podcast Explains Why We Can't Have Nice Things
The answer? Because special interests and government prevent the free market from working the way it should.
Why We Can't Have Nice Things: Jones Act Traffic Jam
"It's just a very classic case of everything wrong with Washington."
Eric Boehm: How Protectionist Trade Policies Screw Us All
The host of Why We Can't Have Nice Things explains how indefensible tariffs cause baby formula shortages, screw Hawaii residents, and increase traffic in the Northeast.
Why We Can't Have Nice Things: The Ghosts of Protectionism Past
The U.S. tariff code is "quite regressive and somewhat misogynist" because the most powerful lobbyist in Washington is muscle memory.
Trailer: Why We Can't Have Nice Things
A six-part podcast series on trade policy launching next week
Industrial Policy Isn't About Creating Jobs
It's a short-sighted approach that distracts us from the more important question.
Trade War Heats Up With China's Export Restrictions on Two Critical Minerals
China and the U.S. are locked in a mutually destructive economic conflict.
The Rail Safety Act Is About Union Handouts, Not Safety
The legislation—which was introduced in response to the derailment in East Palestine, Ohio—pushes pet projects and would worsen the status quo.
California Lawmakers Want To Make Tech Companies Subsidize News Media
Plus: Debt ceiling deal passes House, Congress wants to childproof the internet, lactation consultant licensing law is unconstitutional, and more...
Rejoice Georgians: You Don't Need a Government Permit To Advise Breastfeeding Moms
The state’s Supreme Court strikes down an absurd, unneeded occupational licensing demand.
Even Pennsylvanians Can Now Buy Wine in Grocery Stores, but New Yorkers Still Can't
A bill that would expand wine sales in the Empire State is meeting familiar resistance from entrenched interests.
The FTC Is Investigating Anti-Competitive Baby Formula Contracts. Bad Federal Policy Is To Blame.
If the FTC wants to know why there's such a notable lack of competition within America's baby formula market, it ought to ask other parts of the federal bureaucracy.
