Undercapitalization and “Zombie” Lending
One of the many symptoms (or, in some views, causes) of a general slowdown of dynamism and growth in developed economies is the prevalence of lending to “zombie firms,” where [...]
This Week in Land-Use Regulation, February 15th
Rent Check A key reason for the crisis in housing affordability is a lack of supply, and government subsidies can help address the problem. However, that doesn't mean that government [...]
This Week in Occupational Licensing, February 14th
Rent Check The Mercatus Center's Healthcare Openness and Access Project proposed three reforms to improve access in rural areas that are plagued by extreme doctor scarcity. Targeting scope-of-practice laws, restrictions [...]
Three Ways to Improve Rural Healthcare
As the “Medicare for All” movement gains momentum, discussions of incremental reform have been drowned out by calls for a more sweeping overhaul of the healthcare system. But proponents would [...]
This Week in Financial Regulation, February 12th
Rent Check Croaking Cassandra's Michael Reddel misstates the causes of moral hazards in the banking system. The underlying guarantee of a government bailout plays a far larger role in determining [...]
Wartime Innovation and Patent Secrecy
Perhaps the best feature of the U.S. patent system is mandatory disclosure, where patent filers must disclose the innovation. While innovators tend to prefer secrecy to keep a competitive edge, [...]
This Week in Intellectual Property, February 11th
Rent Check Despite the ease of communication provided by the internet, close physically proximity among inventors still provides a significant boost to innovation. News and Commentary Electric Frontier Foundation's [...]
Equity With and Without Safety Nets
In their chapter on financial regulation in The Captured Economy, Brink Lindsey and Steven Teles argue that the moral hazard in our financial system created through a series of formal [...]
The Right and Wrong Way to Build Affordable Housing
Yesterday we wrote about a new study on how Chicago’s 2013 and 2015 upzoning measures increased land prices, but failed to increase housing construction. While there are a variety of [...]
The Death of Distance has Been Greatly Exaggerated
Despite the ability of the internet to connect virtually anyone anywhere, physical proximity still matters a great deal for innovation. Neighbors, coworkers, or fellow happy hour patrons are instrumental in [...]