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May 14, 2025

Welcome to The Lighthouse, the weekly email newsletter of the Independent Institute covering politics, economics, current events, and everything in between.

Dear Readers,

This past week marked a slight shift in direction for American trade policy…

Fresh off a new trade deal with the United Kingdom and signs of progress in negotiations with China, the Trump White House is signaling that more trade deals are on the way, although it is still too early to determine what these deals will look like. The UK trade deal retains a higher level of tariffs than were in place before the deal, and early commentary on negotiations with China indicates America is still fixated on the trade deficit of manufactured goods.

This week's articles chiefly focus on domestic economic issues. Craig Eyermann checks in on DOGE. Paige Lambermont writes about revitalizing aging energy infrastructure. Ethan Yang questions the DOJ’s antitrust play against Google. Kristian Fors reflects on the philosophical problems that plague international relations. And Brady Leonard highlights the momentum of the school choice movement.

Happy reading!

Jonathan Hofer
Managing Editor

Top picks this week
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** After 100 Days of DOGE ([link removed])
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** by Craig Eyermann
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The full value of DOGE’s savings will only be realized if they’re incorporated into future U.S. government budgets.
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** AI Boom Power Surge: Plants Revived, Fossil Fuels Reconsidered ([link removed])
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** Rising power demand is causing retired power plants to be reopened and repurposed. ([link removed])
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** by Paige Lambermont
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Reinvestment in existing sites is a great way to recoup some of the costs of existing retired facilities while also using land that has often already been permitted for energy specific uses.
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** The DOJ Gets AI and Antitrust Wrong in Google Case ([link removed])
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** by Ethan Yang
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The DOJ’s belief that Google must be torn apart to protect AI innovation is not only premature; it rests on tired misconceptions about the role of antitrust in America’s economic history.
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** Realism in International Relations Isn’t Realistic ([link removed])
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** Epistemological errors plague IR theory ([link removed])
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** by Kristian Fors
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The world is composed of individuals. Viewing the state as a vector through which individual self-interest is pursued is a far more robust and comprehensive way to understand reality.
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** Texas Jumps On The School Choice Bandwagon ([link removed])
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** 16 states now offer some form of universal school choice. ([link removed])
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** by Brady Leonard
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It’s unlikely that the trend towards universal school choice will reverse anytime soon, and that’s a good thing.
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** FEATURED BOOK
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** Let Colleges Fail ([link removed])
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** The Power of Creative Destruction in Higher Education ([link removed])
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** by Richard K. Vedder
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Everyone knows American universities are more expensive and less impressive than ever. But no one has come up with a plan to fix them … until now. Let Colleges Fail: The Power of Creative Destruction in Higher Education is the hard-hitting instruction manual America needs in order to save its institutions of higher learning.
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