Ratified between 1771 and 1781, the Articles of Confederation remained in force until they were superseded by the Constitution in 1788. In force for seven years, the Articles formalized some […]
Tag: Economic History
Eyes on the Politicized Prize
The selection of economist David Card as co-recipient of the 2021 Nobel memorial prize for Economics has, curiously, revived an old story about a war of words from another laureate. […]
Behind Seemingly ‘Objective’ Statistics
Statistics are often useful. Their careful collection and interpretation can improve both the practice of social science and the formation of public policies. But statistics also are often harmful. They […]
Review of Sheilagh Ogilvie, The European Guilds: An Economic Analysis
In a famous passage in An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith writes, “People of the same trade seldom meet together, even for […]
When Grand Histories Go Wrong
Last spring, I picked up Philip Coggan’s More: The 10,000-Year Rise of the World Economy. It looked like one of those big-picture stories I love, about where human societies came […]
The Political History of Silver in America
The aptly-named New York University professor William Silber wanted to title his book “Silber on Silver” – but his publisher instead had him settle for The Story of Silver: How […]
How Activist Academia Destroyed Scholarly Peer Review
The reputation of academic publishing depends upon peer review – the practice by which other experts vet submissions to scholarly journals. A properly functioning peer review process flags potential problems […]
The Year of Corporate Discontent
If you thought things were crazy on the corporate scene over the last few years, you should check out what happened in 1970. It is the stuff of blockbuster books […]
Is It Time to Rethink Labor Day?
Labor Day was first celebrated nationally in 1882. It came into existence amidst an era of rapid industrialization and urbanization. Designed specifically to herald and thank the working man (and […]