“Crisis management for euro-area banks in central Europe” By Alexander Lehmann, courtesy of Bruegel Institute The deep involvement of a number of euro-area banking groups in central and southeastern Europe has benefited the host countries and has strengthened the resilience of those banking groups. But this integration has become less close because of […]
Author: Erik Sass
Government Tries to Regulate Drug Prices by Violating the First Amendment
By Ilya Shapiro and Dennis Garcia, courtesy of the Cato Institute Pharmaceutical companies rely on direct-to-consumer advertisements to reach potential customers and extol the benefits of their medications. This type of “commercial speech” enjoys protection under the First Amendment, though not to the same degree as other forms of expression. Merck v. HHS tests the limits […]
Chile’s constitutional reform is on the right track (so far)
“Agreement for New Constitution” Courtesy of Libertad y Progreso After a long day of negotiations, an agreement has been reached regarding the mechanism for drafting a new Constitution [in Chile], among a broad spectrum of political parties from both the ruling coalition and the opposition. The basic elements are as follows: […]
Bank of England tackles climate change with protective mountain of paper
“Central Banks’ Varied Approaches to the Financial Risks of Climate Change” By Gordon Kerr, Cavin O’Driscoll, and Enrico Colombatto, courtesy of IREF As the momentum has built behind calls for policy responses towards climate change, the ECB and the Bank of England have not been the quickest central banks to act. Back in […]
UK council finances are unsustainable, new model urgently needed
TPA responds to IFS report on council tax By Harry Fone, courtesy of Taxpayers’ Alliance A new report released by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has analysed funding for local authorities and made a series of recommendations. Few would challenge the IFS’ argument that the present funding model is unsustainable and alternative […]
EU transfers fuel corruption, white collar crime
“There is a case for reforming the long-term EU budget” Courtesy of Open Europe On October 21th 2019, Open Europe’s Pieter Cleppe gave evidence to the Committee on EU Affairs of Germany’s Parliament in Berlin, discussing the long term EU budget 2021-2027, which is currently being negotiated. A briefing provided by Pieter Cleppe detailing how […]
Traffic pollution affects academic performance
“How traffic pollution affects children’s academic performance: Lower test scores, more behavioral incidents, and more absences” Courtesy of IZA Over 6.4 million children in the U.S. attend public school within 250 meters of a major roadway. Despite a growing body of research on air pollution, academic achievement, and human capital formation, little is known […]
UK foreign aid exports nanny state around the world
IEA publishes “Nanny State on Tour” Courtesy of IEA The amount of UK foreign aid spent on nanny state interventions has skyrocketed, according to a new report from the Institute of Economic Affairs. Foreign aid has been instrumental in controlling and eradicating infectious conditions abroad, but British public health organisations have increasingly used the […]
V4 countries diverge on European defense initiatives, but still have a lot to offer
“The V4 and the European Defence Initiatives” By Gergely Varga, courtesy of Europeum With the new EU commission set to take its place sometime in the next few months, Europeans are in a stand-by mode with respect to how the EU will deliver on European defence in light of the ambitious rhetoric surrounding […]
Why does Switzerland have sugar subsidies? Why does anyone?
“Sweet temptation” By Dr. Patrick Dümmler, courtesy of Avenir Suisse Something consumed by lots of people every day should never be in short supply, even in a crisis — or so the thinking goes. The Swiss Confederation therefore requires selected sectors to engage in stockpiling, in order to be able to ensure continued […]