San Antonio Express columnist Michael Taylor praised my chapter, “The Economics of Inequality,” in Oxford University Press’ new “United States Income, Wealth, Consumption, and Inequality.” "In Chapter 10, Edward Conard makes the case for what I think of as the Mitt Romney — or previously orthodox Republican — view of economic policy. If we are unequal, Conard asks, what explains it? Is it unfair crony capitalism? Or is it from innovation and gains to productivity? ... Read More
Thomas Philippon Claims the US Has Grown Less Competitive Than Europe. Seriously?! I Take Him to Task in My NRO Review of His Book
With profits rising, productivity growth slowing, investment middling despite near-zero interest rates, and large competitors gaining market share, proponents of income redistribution insist that an increase in monopoly rents — profits earned by cooperating with competitors to raise prices and restrict output rather than competing honestly with them — has misallocated resources, increased income inequality, and slowed middle- and working-class wage growth. If cronyism ... Read More
Matthew Continetti in NRO Analyzes My Proposal on How to Help the Middle Class
How to Help the Middle Class by Matthew Continetti for National Review Ed Conard, former business partner of Mitt Romney and author of Unintended Consequences and The Upside of Inequality, appears on the most recent episode of Conversations with Bill Kristol. The interview is worth your time. It arrives at a moment when conservatives are debating what economic policies are best for the middle class. Conard challenges some widespread assumptions and offers intelligent ... Read More