Mises Search

A  recent video by CNN states that lower prices are bad for the United States economy and that consumers must get used to the newer, higher prices. The video goes so far as to say, “We’re never going to pay 2019 prices again.” The video claims that deflation is responsible for a long list of problems including layoffs, high unemployment, and

Private property rights are crucial to economic prosperity. Without them, it becomes impossible to set up a system of free markets that allows for rational economic calculation. Despite this, property rights are under attack in today’s world by progressives seeking to build a more “just” society through equity. When property is originally

Frédéric Bastiat in his  book The Law distinguishes between profit and plunder. Profit is financial gain earned through industrious behavior. Business owners make a profit by selling products at a greater amount than what it costs to produce that product. Plunder, by contrast, is the theft of property through nonvoluntary means, such as theft,

In discussions of politics, it is common to see politicians praised for policies and programs that expand the welfare state. Politicians who sign off or approve spending at a greater magnitude than other politicians are often seen as more generous. Many voters are lulled into supporting politicians who spend more at the cost of high taxes because

The “ease of doing business”  rankings is a list of countries ranked according to how easy it is to register, start, and maintain a business in that country. While its methodology is not perfect, it does attempt to take into account  several important factors such as cost and time to start a business, property registrations, tax burdens, and the

A prominent topic that economics students anywhere cannot avoid is market failure. Students everywhere are taught that the free market is inherently unstable and causes problems that can only be fixed through legislation and regulation. As a result, most of those who take an economics class come out of it believing that the state helps counter the

For quite a considerable amount of time, the topics of  job creation and unemployment have been central to every political campaign in almost every country. It hasn’t been without good reason, either, since  job security is one of the most important factors in someone ’s career. Therefore, a candidate who can promise to create more jobs and

“ Work or starve ” is a common argument used against free-market capitalism. Proponents of the “work or starve” argument argue that capitalism forces one to work or be forced with the prospect of starvation or destitution. This is a mistaken approach since  “ work or starve ” is not a feature of capitalism but rather of the world we live in. By

In many developing countries,  protectionism is on the rise. It promises hope that a country can build their economy from the ground up and grow into a developed economy. A common obstacle to that goal is a poor understanding of economics which often hinders the country as politicians create roadblocks on the path toward prosperity. Protectionists

In a world full of hatred for the free market, the people calling for the nationalization of industry aren’t scarce. Despite their political popularity, nationalizations are terrible for economies and represent a stepping stone on the path to destitution and collapse. In exchange for the temporary gain achieved by expropriating the property of