by Eric Schansberg, Ph.D. The use of government for economic “development” and economic “stimulus” is quite popular. Unfortunately, its popularity greatly exceeds what it deserves, given both theory and data. The theoretical reasons are easy to understand. In terms of economics, it is difficult for government to create net economic activity by moving money from one use to another. But in terms of political economy, the benefits of government spending are usually concentrated and obvious,…

For the use of the membership only. by John F. Gaski, Ph.D. Once again, as is becoming a tedious ritual at this time of year, our country’s legal and political institutions are wrestling with the “separation of church and state” — or at least one highly visible aspect of it. This particular struggle even has a name: “the war on Christmas.” In the spirit of the season, I have some questions for those who believe…

by Andrea Neal Hoosier women have come a long way since the mid-19th century when a proposal for women’s suffrage generated more scorn than acceptance. One political leader summed up the views of the day when he noted that women already enjoyed “the rights which the Bible designed them to have in this Christian land of ours.” By 1847, married women had obtained limited property rights in Indiana, but the right to vote was still…

by Chad Davis, M.D. Indiana’s private practitioners, family doctors among them, need your help — a Code Red, if you will. Specifically, they need you to understand the economic pressures that change how your medical care is provided — and not just those changes associated with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (also known as ObamaCare). The Wall Street Journal, for instance, has warned that the pieces of legislation, both Republican and Democrat, headed…

by Jon Bingham Which system do you prefer: college basketball’s March Madness or college football’s bowls-playoff? Your answer may indicate your view of the beneficial role of government. Should the government facilitate competition or predetermine much of the outcome? March Madness relates to the free market; college football exemplifies government control. For years, college football has been plagued with debates regarding the legitimacy of its championship declarations. Such questions do not linger in college basketball.…

by Cecil Bohanon, Ph.D. In the summer of 1967, when I was about to enter the seventh grade, I watched television news reports of the Detroit riots on my grandmother’s black-and-white Philco. An elderly black woman cried on camera because she had been burned out of her apartment. My grandmother thought it was all “very ugly.” She also commented that black people had been “treated terribly.” I hoped that this would all be behind us…

(For the use of the membership only.) “Like the mandarins of old, these officials are well-educated, well-mannered, well-intentioned and wrong.” — Dan Hannan in the Dec. 8, 2014, Washington Examiner by Craig Ladwig Republican officeholders are one thing. Republican voters are another. That was made clear this week as the U.S. House voted to fund everything that the November electorate opposed. But the really bad news is that things are no better in “conservative” Indiana.…

“What does ‘free’ healthcare mean?  . . . It isn’t free treatment, it’s depersonalized treatment.” — Dr. Oreshchenkov in Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn’s 1967 novel “Cancer Ward.” By Craig Ladwig An idea planted here six years ago could make the difference in Indiana healthcare. It begins by asking Indiana hospitals to give patients a firm price in advance of a procedure or operation. It ends by restoring the relationship between patients and their doctors. It all is…

by Andrea Neal Indiana’s 1816 Constitution called for a statewide system of free public schools, but it didn’t happen until the 1850s — after education reformers demanded it. The chief lobbyist for taxpayer-funded schools was Caleb Mills, who used the power of the pen to persuade lawmakers that illiteracy was a threat to Indiana’s future. He’s been called the father of the Indiana public school system ever since. Born in New Hampshire in 1806 and…

by Andy Horning You may label me a cultural illiterate, an ignoramus — and that’s more fact than denunciation. I don’t know anything about professional sports, for example. I know there are innumerable magazines, cable channels, radio stations and websites devoted to such things. Many Americans can rattle off sport statistics back to the 19-aughts and name every player, team owner and sponsor. I know that the amount of money in sports at all levels…