Capitolism

Every Wednesday Scott Lincicome deciphers and explains how otherwise incomprehensible economic policies affect everyday Americans.

 

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When ‘Success’ Breeds (Even Bigger) Failure

Lessons from South Korea and Germany on the unseen perils of mercantilist industrial policy.

Cracking the Big Egg Conspiracy

Hint: It wasn’t ‘greedflation’ that caused high prices late last year.

Cobalt Superabundance and the Pretense of Knowledge

Sometimes, doing nothing is the best solution to a problem.

Social Policy With a Side of Chips

Subsidies intended to boost our semiconductor production come with a tangled web of strings attached.

How Corporate Greed Helped Save Europe

When war broke out, countries were able to wean themselves from Russian energy.

Buyback Mountain (of Nonsense)

Stock repurchases are under fire—for no good reason.

Bye, America

Forcing federal contractors to use U.S. goods and services generates all sorts of economic harms.

AI Is Coming For Our Jobs (And That’s Okay)

Humans are adaptable, and we have a long history of overcoming disruptive technologies.

U.S. Policy Needs More Humility

(Or, “How I learned to start worrying and hate the ban.”)

Accountability and the Air Traffic Control Debacle (That I Experienced Firsthand)

There is an obvious way to implement urgently needed reform.

Electric Vehicles and the Unintended Consequences of Industrial Policy

A plan to subsidize EV purchases has angered trading partners and might be bad for the environment.

Some of My Big 2023 Questions

Will there be a recession? Will people unretire? What about Big Tech?

Do It for the Kids

How regulations and tariffs make life more expensive for American families.

Donald Trump Staggered the Global Trading System. Joe Biden Might Finish It Off.

The Biden administration is doubling down on some of Trump’s worst trade policies.

Imports Helped Alleviate the Formula Crisis. Why Are We About to Start Taxing Them Again?

Because Big Dairy cares more than you do.