The global controversy over video game loot boxes is now over a year old, and shows no signs of abating. In fact, quite the opposite: consumer outrage continues to grow, and governments around the world are increasingly interested in regulating the use of loot boxes and other microtransactions. Several US states have proposed legislation to
Last year, British entrepreneur Mike Watts made headlines when he opened England’s first private toll road in more than a hundred years. The road has now been closed, but its brief history provides a sad (and all-too-typical) example of how government sabotages entrepreneurs and hurts their customers. The basic story is as follows: after a local
Former Mises Fellow and economist Matt McCaffrey recently joined the faculty at Manchester University in the United Kingdom. Prof. McCaffrey recently spoke with us about how the Mises Institute has impacted his career and what the future holds for Austrian scholarship. Support our fellows program and our scholars . Q: Why did you decide to become
That’s what John Mueller argues in the latest issue of the Quarterly Journal of Austrian Economics . The issue features a symposium on Mueller’s work—inspired by his Lou Church Memorial Lecture at the Austrian Economics Research Conference —that includes an essay by Mueller along with replies by Michael Watson ( here ) and me ( here ). This is
Valiant Hearts is the rare game that combines engaging gameplay with a compelling narrative and a strongly anti-war message. I highly encourage readers to give it a try, even if you’re not usually interested in gaming. It’s available for all the major platforms, some of which are now offering the first chapter free, so if you want, you can try it
Eugenics has haunted the social sciences for the better part of two centuries. Historically, as a social movement, its most ardent advocates were the progressives, while in economics its most famous champion was John Maynard Keynes . Recently, the history of the eugenics movement has been studied in detail in Thomas Leonard’s masterpiece,
Hope is in short supply these days, while despair and hate are enjoying an enormous surplus. To give an example, there are currently two types of stories that fill my news feed. The first are about politics and the perpetual horrors it unleashes on the world: there’s a new scandal every day, and war, protectionism, and nationalism are on the rise,
Donald Trump’s Carrier deal has once again placed the issue of tax breaks front and center in economic policy debates. Free-market economists have been unanimous in their criticism of the deal, but some commentators argue it can be defended as a kind of selective tax relief. For example, Tho Bishop suggests that, if the policy involves tax relief
Terror attacks, civil wars, and political upheaval around the world are clear signs that debate about immigration isn’t going to disappear any time soon. However, troubled times can also be a good opportunity to revisit our basic arguments and assumptions about controversial issues. They’re also a way to remind ourselves of how much we can still
The current Liberty Matters debate on the work of Israel Kirzner offers some fascinating insights into the modern history of Austrian economics. It’s particularly valuable because it highlights the numerous strands of Austrian research that have developed from the writings of Menger and his followers, especially from Mises . Contrary to popular
What is the Mises Institute?
The Mises Institute is a non-profit organization that exists to promote teaching and research in the Austrian School of economics, individual freedom, honest history, and international peace, in the tradition of Ludwig von Mises and Murray N. Rothbard.
Non-political, non-partisan, and non-PC, we advocate a radical shift in the intellectual climate, away from statism and toward a private property order. We believe that our foundational ideas are of permanent value, and oppose all efforts at compromise, sellout, and amalgamation of these ideas with fashionable political, cultural, and social doctrines inimical to their spirit.