Political Economy

Economists as the High Priests of Liberalism

We have to be far, far more critical of which measurements we can take as proxies for a healthy nation. Economists can’t make these distinctions and libertarians don’t want to.

Climate Change and Human Nature
Climate Change and Human Nature

Another report from the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) forecasted the potential consequences of climate change. But even if more voters begin to believe the issue is important, they may still not support the environmentalists’ policies.

Why Russia Didn’t Collapse Like Venezuela… For Now - Book Review of Chris Miller’s Putinomics: Power and Money in Resurgent Russia
Why Russia Didn’t Collapse Like Venezuela… For Now: Review of Miller’s Putinomics

Putin’s Russia still has numerous challenges today from corruption to slow economic growth, but Chris Miller argues in Putinomics that the federation should be compared to fellow petrostate Venezuela since both were similar in the late 1990s.

The Dirty Sources of Clean Energy: A Case Study in Cheap Piety - Cobalt Mining - Democratic Republic of Congo
The Dirty Sources of Clean Energy: A Case Study of Cobalt in the Congo

While more and more governments and consumers are pushing for environmentally friendly cars, they are painfully ignorant that the elements necessary for the so-called “clean energy” of hybrid automobiles may very well have dirty sources.

Iran’s Economic Troubles Gives US Diplomatic Tool - Iran Economy
Iran’s Economic Troubles Gives US Diplomatic Tool

Sanctions and corruption have stunted Iran’s economic growth, and reforms will be difficult because of entrenched interests. This gives American policymakers a crucial diplomatic tool.

Colombo Port, by Jgmorard via Flickr
How My Mind has Changed on Trade

Gideon Strauss explains how Joe Studwell’s How Asia Works has changed his mind on how developing countries should shape trade policies.