Business Cycles

Ed Shanahan on the significance of the Austrian tradition. 

An Austrian explains why Japan cannot shake off its dreadful recession. 

 Milton Friedman attacks Austrian economics in Barron's, Two responses.

When the IMF declares a country an "economic miracle," look out. A financial crisis cannot be far behind.

President Roosevelt ran against government spending and deficits, but once in office acted like a dictator.

Roosevelt overthrew the traditional limits on government's role and instituted central planning and welfarism in every sector of the economy.

In contrast to conventional wisdom, from Keynesian to monetarist to eclectic, Austrian theory has recently triumphed over its host of detractors in the following ways.

The banking dilemma seems eternal, like the monetary dilemma, the tax dilemma, and the marital dilemma. The essence of the banking dilemma, however, is that the depositors' money is not in the vault awaiting the depositors' decision to withdraw it. Instead it is out on loan or invested in the money market or in mortgage-backed securities.

Ever since Black, or Meltdown, Monday October 19th, the public has been deluged with irrelevant and contradictory explanations and advice from politicians, economists, financiers, and assorted pundits.

Let's try to sort out and rebut some of the nonsense about the nature, causes, and remedies for the crash. 

The only way that we can escape from the business cycle is through the establishment of sound money (i.e., a gold standard and no central bank) and the free market. If we are ever able to do so, the Austrian school of economics will deserve the credit.

Mises University is the world’s leading instructional program in the Austrian school of economics.