Working with undergraduate honor students is a great pleasure. FREE’s summer interns are from this set. They are normally headed on to graduate or professional school and not yet distracted by looming job prospects. Hence, they focus on ideas and ideals. I delight in sharing a few “life lessons” with them. These students are self-selected, […]
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Organizations are created to achieve some purpose. The motivation may be a good cause, for example a conservation or health improvement goal. Many others are in the commercial marketplace. However, few new organizations, whether created for cause or for cash, are successful in their mission and remain viable over the long run. Those that sell […]
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Bozeman is clearly the epicenter of the people who have long studied how institutional arrangements affect the quality of natural resource and environmental management. In these arenas, as in all others where chance does not determine the outcome, decisions depend on two things, information and incentives. There are many types of incentives including cultural, financial, […]
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I think it likely that the next wave of environmentalism will focus on entrepreneurs. Certainly this approach is central to any substantial success. Disenchantment with government is growing ever stronger, thus, new perspectives and practices are required for progress. I have been asked to write the introduction to a book advancing the theme of entrepreneurial […]
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There is a true, empirical, universal, statistical generalization that the Republican Party should understand if it expects to attract the American middle class. This generalization is especially applicable to college educated, well-off voters, the opinion leaders in most communities. Here it is: Accomplished, successful individuals normally become Green. In economic terms the demand for environmental […]
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Last week FREE hosted a program for federal judges and law professors, “Personal Health Care Choices and Public Policy.” The speakers included some of America’s most well-known, seasoned, and respected analysts. All are PhDs and MDs from top places including Columbia, Harvard, Hopkins, MIT, and Yale. (Please contact FREE’s office for a list of speakers, […]
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Please click here for Free the Children by John Goodman.
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Ramona and I spent the best part of last week on a remote family guest ranch. It is a few hours drive from Bozeman followed by a twelve-mile wagon ride. The ranch was built as a private retreat in the early 1920s and retains original character and charm. We were there with a few old […]
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There are a few mistaken beliefs that persist for decades if not generations. Some are trivial, others consequential. Here is my modest effort to put some to rest. “The exception proves the rule.” This is simply silly and of no great moment, merely annoying. I can’t imagine a logical system in which an exception proves […]
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Bozeman is remarkable for its many nonprofits devoted to environmental issues. Some, such as the Gallatin Valley Land Trust, are focused on land, water, and trails. Others are devoted to types of animals or fish, for example the Predator Conservation Alliance. In addition, several national organizations have local offices here. Each of these organizations is […]
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