Gary Galles

More Self-Interested Union Altruism

“Whenever someone claims an altruistic reason to support a policy, but it clearly advances their narrow self-interest, the latter effect can explain such support, regardless of whether it helps or even hurts the supposed beneficiaries.” ~ Gary M. Galles

Adam Smith v. Wesley Jones

“It is long past time Americans saw through the multiple misrepresentations that have defended the Jones Act’s nothing-for-something restrictions for over a century, including twisting Adam Smith’s logic into a false endorsement of its enormously costly restrictions.” ~ Gary M. Galles

It Depends—Is This an Economics Exam or the Real World?

“Because of how important it is to recognize the initial questions which must be asked to move toward large numbers of real-world judgments, I have modified my exams to force students to confront those issues on occasion.” ~ Gary M. Galles

Earth Day, Waste and Productive Complements

“The analysis of productive complements opens the door to understanding the incentives that private property rights and markets provide to reduce waste and pollution, which is so at odds with one of the most common defamations made against them.” ~ Gary M. Galles

Will 2024 Be the Ultimate Expressive Voting Election?

“Campaigning almost solely for expressive votes in a vastly divided country threatens to put a prudent government out of the question, and as Jeremy Collier wrote, ‘Prudence is the necessary ingredient in all the virtues, without which they degenerate into folly and excess.'” ~ Gary M. Galles

Why Don’t You Go Somewhere Else?

“As an entreaty from an employer to a worker, ‘Why don’t you go somewhere else?’ deserves more respect. In many areas of our lives, to exit (to other opportunities) is often a more effective mechanism than to negotiate (talking others into adopting your point of view).” ~ Gary M. Galles

Democrats Fail the Marshmallow Test

“If we can recognize how pre-schoolers do themselves a disservice by failing to defer gratification sufficiently, we should be able to identify the same sort of disservice to all of us from those sponsoring government policies that fail the marshmallow test.” ~ Gary M. Galles

Ramping Up Government’s War on Savings

“Truly addressing the savings problem doesn’t require more government involvement; it only requires that the government stop undermining our incentives to save in all the ways it does now.” ~ Gary M. Galles

Proposition 12, the Constitution, and Good Government

“Proposition 12 not only oversteps California’s regulatory powers under the U.S. Constitution, it also violates the political principle that those who will be forced to abide by laws should have a voice in them.” ~ Gary M. Galles