With increasing acceptance of the reality of global climate change, interest groups of all stripes clamor to get in on the act. Some want to do good. Others want to do well, or to impose their notions of virtue on others. Our challenge is to devise sensible responses to global warming, while blocking “solutions” benefiting […]

I find the Gallatin Gateway community immensely attractive on multiple dimensions. Its location is grand; an easy ten miles to Bozeman on paved back roads, a near perfect bike commute. It enjoys a spectacular setting with the Spanish Peaks to the south, the 100,000-acre Flying D ranch to the west, and the Gallatin River running […]

Many social scientists have found that when people do not trust anyone outside their own clan or village, the level of trade and general prosperity tends to be low. Wealthy societies are characterized by high-trust cultures. When I mentioned this observation at a recent conference in Bozeman, sponsored by the Foundation for Research in Economics […]

This is a great day to reflect on America. Despite real problems, we live in the world’s most successful large-scale social experiment. We lucky citizens have won life’s lottery. Regardless of ethnicity, if a wise person behind a veil of ignorance could choose where to be born, America would be her best bet. We have […]