The Short-Lived German Free Trade Movement

In even the most reasonably-informed accounts of classical liberalism, those that eschew the inclusion of the likes of Mill and Rousseau, the spotlight almost invariably falls on Britain and France—on the likes of Adam Smith, Richard Cobden, Frédéric Bastiat, and Benjamin Constant. Yet the German tradition of liberalism—so often overshadowed by the rise of Bismarckian statism, Marxism, and social democracy—played a critical role in shaping the transnational liberal movement of the 19th century.

What’s Good About Democracy?

America is supposed to be a democracy, and people worry about whether elections are genuine or rigged. Should voting by mail be allowed? Should voters be required to show ID? In the current political climate, such questions are important, but there is an underlying premise that libertarians have good reason to question.

Department of War?

Last week President Trump took steps to re-name the Department of Defense the “Department of War.” The President explained his rationale for the name change: “It used to be called the Department of War and it had a stronger sound. We want defense, but we want offense too… As Department of War we won everything…and I think we…have to go back to that.”

Steve Hanke join CapitalCosm to Discuss Trump and Powell, Interest rates, and Inflation

Following Jerome Powell’s latest signal on rate cuts, economist Steve Hanke, Applied Economics Professor at Johns Hopkins University, explains why markets and policymakers keep fixating on the wrong variable. Interest rates don’t drive the cycle, he argues—changes in the money supply do, with long and variable lags.

Remote video URL

Democrats and Republicans Unite to Misuse Taxpayer Funds on Intercity Bus Subsidies

Since 1978, a federal subsidy program (49 U.S.C. 5311) has funneled taxpayer money into intercity bus routes. Fast forward to today, and this initiative has failed. Instead of attracting riders, politicians have often crafted routes to win votes. As a result, subsidized bus routes have been squandering taxpayer money for 46 years.