Many folks believe the government should provide insurance against natural disasters. Congress recently voted to extend the National Flood Insurance Program for another four years. The NFIP was established in 1968 to provided “affordable” insurance to people living in the most flood-prone areas. (In the West, federal flood insurance has primarily taken the form of […]

For approximately 150 years Sears, Roebuck & Company was a retail giant. It made a fortune by selling quality products at low prices to middle- and lower-class Americans. Its innovative business strategies effectively drove its chief competitor, Montgomery Ward, from the market. The famous Sears catalog, for the first time, provided rural Americans access to […]

In a recent High Country News column, Mark from Missoula lamented: “I’ve given up on one of the great American dreams — owning a home of my own.” He protests: “[I]t’s becoming impossible to find affordable housing in the West, even in the non-resort towns.” He’s wrong. Both his logic and data are flawed. Perhaps […]

Let’s dispel a common myth. Critics deride capitalism and private property as simply a means for the rich to exploit the poor. Actually, the poor have the most to gain from secure property rights. In a system without private property rights, the rich have the resources to buy security, either by bribing government officials or […]

My friends are not in Bozeman by accident. As they contemplated relocation, a key consideration was the quality of their children’s public schools. By any objective measure, ours are excellent. SAT scores at Bozeman High are well above the national average. Each year it produces a number of National Merit Scholars and sends several graduates […]