Amelia Janaskie
Amelia Janaskie is a Research Associate at the American Institute for Economic Research. She graduated from the College of Charleston Honors College in May 2020 with a B.S. in Economics and minor in English. During her time in college, she was a Market Process Scholar with the Center for Public Choice and Market Process.
Articles
Early America’s Socialist Utopias Offer Lessons for Today
“History constantly teaches us that socialism, even when implemented in different ways, will fail and obstruct the growth that communities could have otherwise enjoyed.” ~ Amelia Janaskie & Micha Gartz
The Refusal to Acknowledge Trade-Offs
“In every policy discussion including those around public health, understanding that trade-offs will occur is an important part of the policy process. When we refuse to engage with that reality, we will almost always pay far higher costs than are warranted.” ~ Amelia Janaskie & Ryan M. Yonk
The Truth about Excess Deaths
“Ultimately, these early findings reinforce the core difficulty that policy planners face. Planners can never know enough to plan for every eventuality, nor can they accurately predict what their plans will actually do. As a result, plans often end up based on a ‘pretense of knowledge’ rather than real-world evidence or understanding.” ~ Amelia Janaskie…
Lockdowns in Taiwan: Myths Versus Reality
“Relative to other countries, Taiwan serves as a beacon of freedom: children still attended school, professionals continued to go to work, and businesspeople were able to keep their businesses open. However, the looming possibility of more lockdown restrictions might obstruct Taiwan’s hard-earned progress.” ~ Amelia Janaskie & Micha Gartz
Covid Outcomes: Rankings Versus Reality
“In a court of law, the burden of proof falls on those who wish to take away the liberty of the accused. Likewise, in the realm of policy, the burden of proof should be on those who wish to impose laws and restrictions on an otherwise free population. This practice is not only morally sound…
The Right to Work and Occupational Licensing
“There is nothing more Un-American and Anti-Capitalist than a system that ordains some with the right to earn a living and bars others from that same essential right. Rather than cultivating an environment where everyone can safely contribute, occupational licenses have made the economy a pay-to-play scheme that only serves well-connected interests.” ~ Amelia Janaskie,…
The Florida Versus California Showdown
“California and Florida provide a clear example for the dubious efficacy of Covid-19 restrictions. Their disparities elucidate the enduring costs of lockdowns with regard to the economy and livelihoods of residents. The states also pave the way for us to better understand whether authoritarian measures truly work in controlling a virus and, on a greater…
How Much Does Cleaning Everything Really Help?
“These issues all boil down to opportunity cost. The time and resources directed towards extra cleaning could be used for an alternative activity that would reap higher benefits for the business, especially in the midst of economic turmoil.” ~ Amelia Janaskie
Faces of Lockdowns (Part 2)
While data, statistics, historical allusions, and appeals to morality all demonstrate the disastrous nature of lockdowns, none show the devastation as vividly as personal stories from those suffering the most. In the second part of this series, we continue our interviews with working New Yorkers and found the situation to be just as suspected: businesses…
Faces of Lockdowns
Since March 2020, New York City has faced a constant back and forth of new and revised Covid-19 regulations. Although these policies initially appear helpful in Covid mitigation, they are not only ineffective but extremely harmful to people and their livelihoods. We spoke to a few working New Yorkers and found the situation to be…
