Category:Lobbying & Special Interests
How to Sabotage Progress
December 1, 2016 | Video
During the earliest part of the industrial revolution, workers who were upset about losing their jobs to advanced machinery would throw their shoes into the machines in order to sabotage production. We’re seeing recurrence of sabotage again today, but there’s no more successful saboteur than regulation. Duke University Professor Michael C. Munger explains.
Foreign Policy, Ep. 5: What is the Military Industrial Complex?
July 28, 2016 | Video
When government and private military contractors get too close, “People are shipped off to fight and die without making our nation any safer”. Unfortunately as a result of the Military Industrial Complex in the U.S. not all acts of war actually end up making our nation any safer. When govt and private military contractors get […]
An Unhealthy Alliance: Tobacco Companies and Anti-smoking
May 14, 2015 | Video
Why are cities across America considering bans on e cigarettes and vaping? And what do the tobacco industry and anti-tobacco groups have in common? Prof. Aeon Skoble looks at the motivations of the groups who want to ban e cigarettes and vaping. While anti-tobacco groups want to ban e cigarettes out of concern for public […]
5 Stupid Alcohol Laws in Virginia
May 12, 2015 | Video
Who knew “happy hour” was a banned term? Until 2014, it was illegal in Virginia for a bar to advertise “happy hours” or “drink specials” outside. Bar & restaurant owners still face onerous prohibitions on how they sell alcohol, from speaking about to serving it. Professor Antony Davies explains that these laws were made with […]
Frank Underwood's Top 3 Lessons for the Voting Public | House of Cards Review
February 19, 2014 | Video
Netflix recently debuted season two of its original series House of Cards. Some have suggested the show reflects a deeply cynical view of politics, but Prof. Steve Horwitz argues that it is an unromantic and realistic portrayal of how the incentives politicians have in the United States can give rise to the same kind of […]
The Most Dangerous Monopoly: When Caution Kills
February 11, 2014 | Video
Everyone wants the items they buy to be safe to use or consume. When products undergo third-party certification processes to determine their safety, market forces are able to optimize the amount of testing conducted and consumers can use the information provided by certification firms to make their own decisions. It is difficult to say how […]