President Trump hasn’t proposed taxing Santa Claus, but he has imposed tariffs on countries that export the Christmas gifts that we give to...

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December 24, 2019 | Weekly Newsletter

Christmas Tariffs for Santa ([link removed])
By Benjamin Powell (The Hill, 12/18/19)
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President Trump hasn’t proposed taxing Santa Claus, but he has imposed tariffs on countries that export the Christmas gifts that we give to each other. As a result, there will be fewer and more costly gifts under all of our trees. READ MORE » ([link removed])

[link removed] Choice Cooperation, Enterprise, and Human Action ([link removed])
By Robert P. Murphy
All I Want for Xmas Is Fewer Regulations and Less Paperwork ([link removed])
By Craig Eyermann (The Beacon, 12/23/19)
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After a laudable start, the Trump administration is having trouble carrying out its pledge to eliminate two regulations for every new one it creates. The administration could help fulfill the spirit of bold deregulation if it were to focus on reducing the amount of federal paperwork that Americans must complete, just as Michigan’s Project Re:Form is easing the paperwork burden for 2.5 million people at the state level. READ MORE » ([link removed])

[link removed] Beyond Politics (Revised and Updated Edition) The Roots of Government Failure ([link removed])
By Randy Simmons
UPCOMING EVENT: War on Poverty or War on the Poor? ([link removed])
Bestselling Author Amity Shlaes, Oakland, 1/14/20
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New York Times bestselling author Amity Shlaes takes on Lyndon Johnson and the so-called “war on poverty” in her acclaimed new book, Great Society: A New History ([link removed]) , showing that the cost of Big-Government entitlements are blocking the very opportunities needed now and in the future for all Americans, especially the most disadvantaged. RESERVE TICKETS » ([link removed])
Opioids Are Killing Us: Here’s What We Can Do About It ([link removed])
By John C. Goodman and Lawrence J. Wedekind (Forbes, 11/26/19)
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At least three-fourths of all opioid addicts in clinic-based Medication Assisted Treatment programs return to the street for a fix. Congress and the Trump administration have the means to advance treatment options with less risk of relapse, but whether they will use them remains to be seen. READ MORE » ([link removed])

[link removed] Drug War Crimes The Consequences of Prohibition ([link removed])
By Jeffrey A. Miron
To Combat Poverty, Remove Barriers to Economic Liberty ([link removed])
By Adam B. Summers (The Orange County Register, 12/16/19)
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California’s state government, and many of its local governments, have largely failed to learn the lesson that economic freedom leads to economic prosperity—for all income brackets. It should come as little surprise, then, that the state struggles with such high rates of poverty and net migration to lower-cost states offering more economic freedom. READ MORE » ([link removed])

[link removed] The Pursuit of Justice Law and Economics of Legal Institutions ([link removed])
Edited by Edward J. López
Saying ‘No’ to College ([link removed])
By Richard K. Vedder (Forbes, 12/19/19)
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The American public’s love affair with universities is declining. While falling birth rates and tight labor markets have contributed to falling enrollment, a major cause is the moral lapse of policymakers and administrators who have made higher education less about learning and more about growing their budgets and bureaucracies. READ MORE » ([link removed])

[link removed] Restoring the Promise Higher Education in America ([link removed])
By Richard K. Vedder
The Beacon: New Blog Posts
* One Central Banker Is Out, but His Legacy Could Push Europe to the Financial Brink ([link removed]) , by Alvaro Vargas Llosa
* All I Want for Xmas Is Fewer Regulations and Less Paperwork ([link removed]) , by Craig Eyermann
* Media Distorts, Misses the Mark on Richard Jewell ([link removed]) , by Samuel R. Staley
* Ecuador’s Poisoned Legacy ([link removed]) , by Alvaro Vargas Llosa
* Chick-fil-A’s Awkward Adolescence ([link removed]) , by Mary L. G. Theroux
* A Jewell from Clint Eastwood ([link removed]) , by K. Lloyd Billingsley
* How Excessive Federal Spending Sparked a Liquidity Crisis ([link removed]) , by Craig Eyermann
* Impeachment and Presidential Power ([link removed]) , by Randall G. Holcombe
* California’s ‘Disammoment’ Campaign Targets Legal Gun Owners ([link removed]) , by K. Lloyd Billingsley

Catalyst: New Articles
* Congress Must Axe Christmas Tree Tax ([link removed]) , by Ross Marchand
* President Trump and the Popularity of Socialism ([link removed]) , by Randall G. Holcombe
* Only Markets Can Alleviate Drug Shortages ([link removed]) , by Raymond J. March
* Those Shaming Amazon about Bangladeshi Factories Should Be Ashamed of Themselves ([link removed]) , by Benjamin Powell
* How Houston Is Becoming America’s Next Dense City ([link removed]) , by Scott Beyer
* Should States Subsidize Universities? ([link removed]) , by Richard Vedder


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