Why Do We Give Engagement Rings?
I explain Margaret Brinig's classic paper–Rings and Promises–as the second speaker in this video:
Caleb S. Fuller
Diamonds are Forever - The Resource Curse
I'm posting a 14-part series of mini-essays on diamonds (but really about the economic point of view). Here's part 14, the conclusion.
The Resource Curse
Some economists have made the counterintuitive case that a nation apparently blessed with an abundance of natural resources is actually cursed.
First, Do No Harm
In Mere Economics, Art and I urge Christians to take a Hippocratic Oath regarding the causes they support.
Ask: “Are the means I’m supporting compatible with the ends I’m trying to achieve?”
Answering that question means learning mere economics.
It’s not enough, for instance, to support a
F.A. Hayek's Commentary on the Book of Genesis
You didn't know he had one?
Well, he doesn't, at least not exactly.
But in revisiting the introduction to The Fatal Conceit, I was surprised to see him frame the problem of comparative political economy similarly to how many Christian economists (myself included) think about our
Mere Economics: The Extended Edition
In order to write a book that is roughly the length of Mere Christianity, Art and I left quite a bit of material on the drawing room floor. We had plans to discuss political economy and public goods in greater detail. We wanted a chapter on business cycles. And can
Diamonds are Forever - Private Governance
I'm posting a 14-part series of mini-essays on diamonds (but really about the economic point of view). Here's part 13.
Private Governance
Yes, diamonds are well-protected, but they also have characteristics which make them easier to steal, characteristics that raise the costs of protecting them.
Namely,
"Mere Economics" is Here!
Mere Economics: Lessons for and from the Ordinary Business of Life releases today!
Order your copy here.
Ideally, the book can serve as a supplement for introductory econ courses.
Tullock Truth
The modern state is largely a mechanism for transferring funds from one person to another. What we economists call public goods are provided by the state but are now only a part of it. The United States is not as far along in this procedure as many other countries, but
Econ 101 Perishes for Want of Wonder
Here's my attempt to recapture the wonder of social cooperation by in my Econ 101 class by asking a question each day about the social order:
DATE
TOPIC
READING
Jan
13
Welcome to Econ 101: What do you
need to succeed in this course?
N/A
Jan
15
The Time I Ran Smackdab into an Entry Barrier!
In this essay which I originally published at The Independent Institute, I describe my experience with entry barriers–up close and personal.
Experience is the best teacher.
So, while my first introduction to the idea of entry barriers was undoubtedly as an undergraduate student, my first encounter with them was