Like many “flyover” cities, St. Louis’s decline is not mainly a story of deindustrialization, but of decisions in Washington that opened the door to predatory monopoly.
Economy
God Save the Scene
D.C. punk has thrived for decades with the help of churches, activists, and even the library. Can it survive the city’s rapid redevelopment?
Why Is Marriage Thriving Among (and Only Among) the Affluent?
Experts struggle to explain one of the biggest drivers of inequality.
Communication Breakdown: How St. Louis’s Healthy Media Market Declined
In June 1934, Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Communications Act, a bill that prohibited radio, telephone, and other media companies from owning more than one broadcast license in a single community. A more diverse set of owners, stations, and channels, Roosevelt reasoned, would yield a wider set of program and service viewpoints, and would protect… Read more »
The Value of Solar
The pricing of distributed solar energy has become the object of fierce struggles: not only in Arizona and Nevada, but in previously generous Germany and Britain. Utilities in US states claim that solar households enjoying net metering are getting a free ride from their unpaneled neighbours – they will still rely on the grid in… Read more »
Trade, Trump, and Downward Class Warfare
A conversation with my Marron Institute colleague Paul Romer yesterday crystallized an idea I’d been toying with for some time. In a nutshell: opponents of taxing the rich have destroyed, on a practical level, the theoretical basis for believing that free trade benefits everyone. The Econ-101 case for free trade is straightforward: Trade benefits those… Read more »
Should You Worry About Stock Market and Housing Bubbles?
Stock market bubbles….basically no. Just save more for the long-run. But housing market run-ups are another matter…. I don’t believe ordinary investors should spend much time wondering if the stock market is overvalued. I’m more cautious when it comes to housing, because a fall in your local housing market can do you greater and more… Read more »
The Billionaire Class and Extreme Inequality
Inequality is fast becoming one of the world’s most pressing challenges.
Congress Proposes Expanding Matched Savings to Boost Americans’ Retirement Security
A new proposal by Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) would improve and expand the federal Saver’s Credit so more Americans benefit.
Health Care’s Coming Crisis: Out-of-Pocket Costs
Soaring deductibles, co-pays and other costs will be the next big debate in health care.
