There is a consensus amongst economists that free trade is mutually beneficial. Yet, the rise of populists and nationalists globally coincides with the growing popularity of protectionism. In 2016, Donald Trump ran a campaign that focused on the US trade deficit, promising to restrict imports from abroad to boost domestic manufacturing. Once in office, theContinue reading “Is Free trade good?”
Category Archives: General
Evaluating the Minimum wage
In 1998, the Labour government introduced the minimum wage in the UK, one year following their election victory. Since then, the minimum wage has been used as a bargaining tool by parties across the political spectrum to gain votes. In 2015, the Conservatives introduced the National Living wage, thereby enacting the largest percentage increase toContinue reading “Evaluating the Minimum wage”
Tulip Mania
The Dutch Tulip Bubble that occurred during the 1600s was one of the largest market bubbles and crashes in history. It was fuelled by excessive speculation, driving the price of tulips to more than 10x the annual average salary at its peak. The eventual crash undermined social cohesion and trust; although, the recession that followedContinue reading “Tulip Mania”
China’s housing market
Homeownership in China is far higher than that of most western countries, with a staggering 90% of households owning one or more homes. By comparison, homeownership rates stand at around 60% across the Western world; in the US, the rate of homeownership fell to the lowest point since 1967, at only 63% in 2017. ThisContinue reading “China’s housing market”
Free Marketeer 