Vincent Geloso

In Spite of Everything, the World Has Never Been So Free

“From the late 19th century to the eve of the pandemic, there were multiple crises that could have permanently eroded economic, political and civil liberties. Yet, on net, these liberties have actually expanded since the 19th century.” ~ Vincent Geloso

Bigger Can Be Better, When Governments Step Out of The Way!

“If you take a hard glance at instances of big firms being accused of acting like monopolies, you will often find something similar to the Canadian telecoms case. This has an important implication for those who propose remedies to deal with ‘big firms’ (which they take to mean monopoly). Indeed, rather than placing the onus on governments to intervene to regulate these big firms, one is forced to assign blame to governments for protecting some big firms from the threat of competition.” ~ Vincent Geloso

The Case for a Ceremonial Monarch

“The process of depoliticizing the head of state’s ceremonial functions creates a mild constraint on the abilities of politicians. That, alone, is something of great value. Indeed, great democracies are stable and functioning when they are liberal (i.e. they impose constraints on the exercise of power). If that is true, then these ceremonial monarchs preserve liberal democracy.” ~ Vincent Geloso

Julian Simon and Paul Ehrlich’s Second Bet

“It is easy to remember Simon as a cheerful optimist whose view can be summarized as ‘more people, more innovations, more value created, more abilities to deal with environmental problems.’ But, in reality, Simon was a much deeper thinker who connected markets and economic growth to solving environmental problems through institutions. It is worth remembering how rich his outlook was.” ~ Vincent Geloso

Daycare Costs are Driven by Over-Regulation

“Adding the direct and indirect effects of government policies on daycare costs forces one to accept that the crisis is created by government interventions. If one really cares about making it easier for households to have both parents working thanks to accessible childcare, one should really look at policies that increase the supply before considering ways to subsidize demand.” ~ Vincent Geloso

Vegan Butter and the History of Regulatory Capture

“At any point in time, say at present, the cost of this instrumentalization of regulatory agencies for private purposes appears minimal. After all, only an infinitesimal fraction of the economy is affected. Yet, try picturing a counterfactual America where the regulatory waltz that began in the late 19th century never actually started. How much richer would Americans be today?” ~ Vincent Geloso

Quartering and its Importance to the American Revolution

“Quartering imposed a serious burden on local populations, especially laborers and poorer households. Its incidence is harder to measure than that of stamp, sugar and tea taxes. However, it is probably one of the most underappreciated major causal factors of the American Revolution.” ~ Vincent Geloso

Economic Freedom Is Essential for Managing Pandemics

“There is an important lesson for the future. If one desires the downward trends in the human and economic costs observed over the course of the 20th century to continue, one must push for a greater deal of institutional flexibility. That flexibility is what makes the market’s process of discovery work and makes us more resilient to future shocks.” ~ Vincent Geloso

pulling up

Masks, Seatbelts, and Peltzman Effects

“A dose of humility on the part of policy-makers and pundits regarding their abilities would be welcomed. This dose of humility might push them to consider what potentially superior ways of dealing with the outbreak exist.” ~ Vincent Geloso

seat belts