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Protectionism didn’t help rust belt states

“Tariffs, Michigan, and the Perils of ‘Political Protectionism’” By Scott Lincicome, courtesy of the Cato Institute   Conventional wisdom among the D.C. punditocracy is that protectionism, while likely bad economics, is good politics because it can boost critical “Rust Belt” swing states that have large manufacturing sectors and have been hit hard by globalization. A new St. […]

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Tech tax: a moderate European perspective

“Taxing the digital economy — Time for pragmatism” Courtesy of CEPS Globalisation and digitalisation, together with concerns over corporate tax avoidance, have sparked an international debate about whether tax rules are fit for purpose. The issue of taxing the digital economy figures ever more prominently on policy agendas around the world, while the OECD is […]

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Epic Fail: Trump’s trade policy in a nutshell

  “Trump’s Trade Policy Has Produced Damaging Tariffs but Little Else” By Daniel Griswold, courtesy of the Mercatus Center   Americans are about to enter the third full year of President Donald Trump’s aggressive tariff regime, which aims to promote US manufacturing, protect key industries, and prompt other nations to reduce their trade barriers. So, […]

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Investment controls are bad for Switzerland, Europe, and the world

  “A new authority that nobody needs” By Verena Parzer-Epp, Samuel Rutz, and Marco Salvi, courtesy of Avenir Suisse   Around the globe, the instrument of investment control is currently experiencing a revival. Proponent argue investment controls are necessary to safeguard national security and economic interests, for example as protection against takeovers by emerging state-owned […]

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WEEKLY UPDATE: Can economic freedom survive populism?

  The future prosperity of the world hangs in the balance   The wave of populism that has swept the world in recent years had its origins in a number of converging trends, including large-scale migration, globalization, and the financial crisis of 2008, all of which fueled a sense that legacy elites are self-interested and […]

Weekly Update

WEEKLY UPDATE: City air makes men free… so why not make new cities?

    After all, we’ve been doing it for thousands of years   It would be hard to list all the advantages that cities afford us, but the short version goes like this: urban centers concentrate labor, talent, wealth and innovation in a matrix that allows all of them to multiply and advance. Since ancient […]

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New Protectionism: Still Protectionism and Bad Economics

        By Veronique de Rugy, courtesy of the Mercatus Center   For several years now, news headlines have reflected anxieties about the effects of globalization and freeing trade: Will jobs evaporate? Does China have an “unfair” advantage? Is the middle class disappearing? These fears need to be addressed, because they have resulted […]

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The Jones Act continues to make no sense at all

  “Why Is an Energy Powerhouse Importing Russian LNG?” By Colin Grabow, courtesy of Cato Institute   In the coming days a Spanish-flagged ship, the Catalunya Spirit, will deliver a shipment of Russia-originated liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Puerto Rico. Bizarrely, the United States—a leading exporter of LNG—is nonetheless importing it from a geopolitical rival. And this isn’t a first. […]

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Time to limit presidential tariff powers!

                    After decades of successive U.S. administrations (mostly) pursuing free trade policies, in just a few years Donald Trump has upset the apple cart with the help of sweeping presidential powers over tariffs on foreign goods. This has naturally prompted many observers to question the wisdom […]

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Trump must hold Qatar accountable for violating the Open Skies agreement

      Drew Johnson, Senior Fellow, National Center for Public Policy Research     Last week, President Trump hosted Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, the Emir of Qatar, at the White House.     The two leaders discussed Middle East security and peacekeeping efforts, and celebrated a Qatar Airways agreement to purchase five American-made Boeing 777 cargo planes. […]