Unfortunately, most professional historical research has become the essentially worthless appendage of Woke ideology. Empirically grounded research focusing on change over time, however, can provide policymakers with important insights, if only they are astute enough to pay attention. If new policymakers come into office in 2025, they may decide it is in the best interest […]Read More

In this episode of Liberty Curious, we go deep into the historical roots of ‘Making America Great Again’. Kate Wand sat down with Phillip W. Magness, Senior Research Faculty and F.A. Hayek Chair in Economics and Economic History at AIER, to discuss the true implications of tariffs and protectionism and how they have shaped America’s […]Read More

America, apparently, suffers from a new epidemic. US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called the impact of loneliness and isolation “devastating.” His 83-page report accompanying the advisory defines loneliness as “a subjective distressing experience that results from perceived isolation or inadequate meaningful connections.”  The interest of the US government in this phenomenon is not unique; Several […]Read More

A recent issue of The Economist contained a deep irony.  The newspaper’s “Finance & Economics” section featured an article on the US economy. After expressing happy surprise that the US economy continues to grow despite headwinds, the article expressed two worries: first, that this growth would fuel further inflation (with no mention of the Fed’s […]Read More

The US economy grew at a remarkable annualized rate of 4.9 percent this quarter, the Bureau of Economic Analysis reports. This was significantly faster than most analysts expected. Strong growth is good, but there’s some less-welcome news, too: Nominal (current-dollar) GDP grew at an 8.5 percent annualized rate. The implied inflation rate, 3.6 percent, suggests […]Read More

Memphis’s current police scandal ranks at or near the top in terms of severity compared to others in over the last three years. In January 2023, city prosecutors indicted five police officers for second degree murder for the savage beating and death of Tyre Nichols. They were working under the notorious SCORPION (Street Crimes Operation […]Read More

Emoting is easier than thinking dispassionately. Emoting comes naturally; It requires no effort and it feels good. Thinking dispassionately requires conscious effort, and while it offers its own satisfactions, its exercise always threatens to disturb one’s emotional equilibrium. Thinking dispassionately, by its nature, doesn’t thrill the passions, but it can disappoint them. Emoting, therefore, is […]Read More

More years ago than I like to admit, I began my doctoral studies in the UCLA Economics Department. Looking back on what is now almost a half-century, I remain grateful for the amazing thinkers I was exposed to, especially in my major field of Industrial Organization, particularly Armen Alchian, Harold Demsetz and Ben Klein. This […]Read More

Since October 7th, 2023, we have seen that ideas have consequences in the real world. Phillip Magness is an economic historian who specializes in the economic dimensions of slavery and racial discrimination, the history of taxation, and measurements of economic inequality over time. He also maintains an active research interest in higher education policy and […]Read More