Mercatus Year in Review

This Year at Mercatus features some of the Mercatus Center's top research and commentary from 2017. December 27, 2017

Top Features  State Fiscal Rankings  Eileen Norcross and Olivia Gonzalez The fiscal health of America’s states affects all its citizens. The 2017 edition of "Ranking the States by Fiscal Condition" calculates indicators of fiscal health for all 50 states, revealing that Florida ranks first as the most fiscally healthy state, while New Jersey ranks the lowest.   Keep Reading Tweet This Share This

FEDERAL FISCAL POLICY   Getting to True Tax Reform in 2017 Jason Fichtner, Adam Michel, Veronique de Rugy, and Angela Kuck Tax reform legislation recently passed through Congress. But what would the ideal tax reform bill look like according to Mercatus scholars? As policymakers laid out their visions for the recently-passed bill, Mercatus scholars outlined the key goals for successful tax reform: simplification, efficiency, equity, and predictability. Keep Reading HEALTH CARE   Anatomy and Atrophy of Medical Paternalism Robert Graboyes and Eric Topol Medical paternalism—the idea that patients should defer to the intrinsically superior knowledge of physicians in health-related matters—has been conventional wisdom for millennia. But now, new technologies are eroding the physician’s privileged role by democratizing medical knowledge. This research paper finds that these new technologies offer unprecedented opportunities to save lives, reduce sickness, and ease pain—if policymakers are willing to embrace them. Keep Reading TRADE AND IMMIGRATION   Reforming the US Immigration System to Promote Growth Daniel Griswold The US immigration system system fails to provide adequate opportunities for well-educated and highly skilled immigrants to join the US workforce to spur innovation, output, and job creation. This research paper provides a detailed comparison of US immigration policy to the employment-based immigration policies of Australia and Canada, two nations often held up as models for US policy. Following their example, the United States should welcome a significantly larger number of foreign-born workers in order to harness global talent flows. Keep Reading ACADEMIC AND STUDENT PROGRAMS   Applied Mainline Economics Matthew Mitchell and Peter Boettke In this book, Matthew Mitchell and Peter Boettke summarize the ideas of mainline economics. They begin with a puzzle that has vexed economists for more than 200 years: Why are some societies fabulously wealthy while others are miserably poor? They briefly survey the empirical tools that might answer this question, suggesting that the first place to start is with mainline economic theory. Throughout the discussion, Mitchell and Boettke offer the reader examples of how mainline economic theory has helped researchers and policy analysts bridge the gap between ideas and real-world problems. Keep Reading MONETARY POLICY   Macro Musings  David Beckworth | Macro Musings Hosted by Senior Research Fellow David Beckworth, Macro Musings is a weekly podcast that pulls back the curtain on the important macroeconomic issues of the past, present, and future. This year, David interviewed several top economists including Lawrence H. Summers, James Bullard, and Betsey Stevenson. The podcast will reach its hundredth episode in 2018! Listen Now TECHNOLOGY POLICY   Keeping the Internet Open Brent Skorup | National Review  Before the FCC voted to reverse the Obama-era Title II "net neutrality" rules on December 14, Research Fellow Brent Skorup weighed in on the open Internet debate in National Review. His article details the FCC's history of stifling free speech and argues that a truly open Internet would be free of burdensome FCC regulation.  Keep Reading GOVERNMENT FAVORITISM   Rule Reversal: How the Feds Can Challenge State Regulation Matthew Mitchell and Ryan Nunn | The Wall Street Journal  An oft-repeated observation is that government works best when it is closest to the people. But when local and state governments are unduly influenced by special interests, the people may benefit from the checks and balances of the federal government. This Wall Street Journal article discusses a much-needed new FTC initiative that will will combat excessive and anticompetitive occupational licensing regulations at the state and local levels.   Keep Reading FINANCIAL MARKETS   Violet Needs a Loan In 2016, the Mercatus Center hosted a conference in Starkville, Mississippi, to mark the 100th anniversary of the Uniform Small Loan Law of 1916. The conference discussion focused on the history, current state, and future of consumer credit. This illustrated recording uses insights from the conference to demonstrate the challenges a hypothetical consumer, Violet, would face in navigating the small-dollar loan landscape to secure an emergency loan.   Keep Reading REGULATION   QuantGov: A Platform for Open-Source Policy Analytics QuantGov—the new home for the Mercatus Center’s policy analytics products—expands the ways we can use the best tools of data science to pioneer new areas of economic research and policy analysis that were previously infeasible. QuantGov’s platform allows researchers to examine bodies of text quicker and more effectively than ever before using some of the latest advances in data science. Think about it in terms of a hyper-powerful Google search that not only finds specific content within mass quantities of text, but also finds patterns or groupings, and can even make predictions about what is in a document. To learn more about how it works, click here.  Keep Reading MARGINAL REVOLUTION UNIVERSITY   The Complacent Class Tyler Cowen | Marginal Revolution University  Restlessness has long been seen as a signature trait of what it means to be American. We've been willing to cross great distances, take big risks, and adapt to change in way that has produced a dynamic economy. From Ben Franklin to Steve Jobs, innovation has been firmly rooted in American DNA. But what if that is no longer true? This video series from Marginal Revolution University offers an accessible introduction to the economic patterns that Tyler Cowen details in his book The Complacent Class.   Watch Now

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Libertarian calendar for December 2017

December 27
C-Span

"Capitalism vs Socialism" debate
11 am

reason magazine's Katherine Mangu-Ward and Nick Gillispie debate peeps from Jacobin, a communist magazine

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December 27
Huntsville, AL


Libertarian Supper Club
6:00 pm

pin	Meteor Chinese Buffet, 751 U. S. Highway 72 E, Huntsville

• ----------------------------------
  December 27
  Los Angeles, CA
  
  Libertarian Mixer
  7:30 pm
  
  
  

  Uncle John's Cafe

  834 South Grand Avenue · Los Angeles

  We sit for dinner at 7:30 pm with discussion or speaker after dinner. Early arrivers can toss back a drink at Hank's bar or just wait in the hotel lobby. For lingerers Hank's is always there after Gil's closes.

Why We Need Less Debt, and Fast!

This LA Musician Built $1,200 Tiny Houses for the Homeless. Then the government said No.

A New FEE for the 21st Century

France's Gourmet School Lunches

Former CEO of NPR: Leaving the Liberal Bubble (Pt.1)

Obama: "My Muslim Faith"

The Night Before Trumpmass

'Twas the night before inauguration ... and up in the tower ... the Donald reflects ... on his newfound power ...

 the conservative masses ... had come out in force ... and delivered a victory ... that would chart a new course ... 

the snowflakes ❄️ were shell shocked ... with tears 😭 in there eyes ... the media lied to them ... what a surprise ... they had been promised a Hillary win ... but the criminal Clinton ... took one on the chin ...

 and though from all corners ... celebrities flew ... they made no impression ... for they hadn't a clue ...

 they talked about climate ... racism ... and such ... and they made up good stories ... but don't know much ... 

the fake news and ignorance ... came at a cost ... and they can't understand .., all the reasons they lost ... 

they blame it on comey and Bernie and vlad ... but fail to acknowledge ... the one that was bad ... yes Hillary Clinton ... in many ways flawed ... was her own biggest hurdle getting the nod ... 

the campaign exposed her corruptness and greed ... and her speeches were punch-less as ten dollar weed ... so out in the streets there arose such a clatter ... it was Soros-paid protestors ... and black lives matter ... 

with cities to pillage ... and windows to smash ... they knew not the issue ... but needed the cash ... 

eight years of Obama had given given them cause ... to expect a replacement of their santa clause ... 

but soon the protesters ... will feel the pain ... when the wheels fall off ... of the old gravy train ...

 and now all the snow flakes ... are riddled with fear ... upset and offended by things that they'll hear ... 

the cocoa and crayons will help for a while ... but fact-based opinions ... will soon cramp their style ...

 We originally supported Johnson, Paul, or Cruz ... in the end ... I would vote ... for whoever they choose ... he wasn't my first choice ... but soon I would cede ... the one they call trump ... is the one we need ...

 I saw him on tv ... in front of a crowd ... he spoke about veterans ... it made me feel proud ... he spoke about energy ... safety and jobs ... taking this country ... back from the Washington snobs ...

 he was dressed in Armani ... all tailored and neat ... and the Bruno's he wore ... made the outfit complete .., for a man of his vintage ... he seemed rather fit ... and he looked presidential ... I have to admit ...

 his eyes glowed like embers ... his smile was the best ... and his hair was the color ... of my old hunting vest ... his love for this country on full display ... and his actions spoke louder than his words could say

 ... he thanked his voters ... and before he was gone ... saved thousands of jobs ... while Obama looked on ...

 the fate of this country ... left nothing to chance ... so ... he filled out his cabinet ... weeks in advance ... the men he had chosen were of the same mind ... let's set the bar high ... and not lead from behind ...

 he picked up his phone as he rose from his seat .., with the flick of a finger ... he sent out this tweet ... now Mattis ... now Kelly ... now Sessions ... and Pruitt ... on Perry ... on Haley ... your the ones who can do it ... 

start lifting restrictions and building the wall ... now dash away ... dash away ... dash away all ... the roar of his audience rose from the stands ... he kissed all their babies ... and shook all the hands ... he answered their questions .., and calmed all their fears .., they knew it would be ... a fantastic four years

 ... then he jumped in his limo ... and off to his jet ... a fellow that liberals ... won't soon forget ... he sent one more tweet ... as the evening expired ... happy inauguration to all ... and Obama ... YOUR FIRED !!! ...

Author: Logan Bradley.  Edited and adapted by Bruce Majors

The Dangerous Toys of Christmas: Debunked!

Remy: Bitcoin Billionaire

Students For Liberty CEO, Dr. Wolf von Laer's Holiday Message

Will Jeff Flake be the Libertarian Presidential nominee in 2020?

#NeverTrump-er Jeff Flake is retiring from Congress.

Bitcoin: How Does it Work? (Roger Ver Interview)

Did Obama Stop Hezbollah Probe To Save the Iran Deal?

RUSH: Jorge Ramos Saying He's Having The 'Worst Time Of His Life' Means ...

LIMBAUGH: Donald Trump Is DISMANTLING, Brick By Brick, The Mansion That ...

Stossel: The Deadly-isms

Ruling class princess Mika: Thought Control is Our Job

Dr. Mark Skidmore – $21 Trillion Missing from US Federal Budget

The Age of Outrage: What It's Doing to Our Universities, and Our Country...

DONNA BRAZILE Shares the Inspiration Behind her Book, HACKS: The Inside Story of the Break-ins and Breakdowns That Put Donald Trump in the White House

LISTEN: DONNA BRAZILE Shares the Inspiration Behind her Book, HACKS: The Inside Story of the Break-ins and Breakdowns That Put Donald Trump in the White House: Listen as Larry spoke with Donna Brazile, former chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), regarding her new book, HACKS:The Inside Story of the Break-ins and Breakdowns That Put Donald Trump in the White House.

DC's latest sex scandal - Mass firings at FBI - tainted probes!

Another brilliant Trump rally.

Libertarians should take notes.