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Latest Articles Tragedy of the Malecon: Is Cuba “Domestic” Politics? Michael Munger New contributor Michael Munger, economist and chairman of the political science department at Duke University, recently traveled and lectured in Cuba.  His essay is a brilliant look at the devastation of Castro's grip on that nation; but he does find some optimism for the future.  His witty and devastating take on life on the street and in the palace can be found here. Presidential Economics: What Leaders Can and Cannot Do about the State of the Economy Russell Roberts With the upcoming Presidential election, we thought it might be useful to take a look at who should get the blame and the credit for the state of the economy. Features Editor Russ Roberts revisits the classic insights of Frédéric Bastiat and finds them just as useful today as ever in understanding what is seen and what is not seen. Two Track Mind: How Irrational Policy Endures Alexander Combs Why do we treat some deaths differently from others? The answer affects everything from our criminal justice system to the design of the FDA. In this month's issue, new contributor Alex Combs looks at how findings from neuroscience and the workings of the brain may explain why we view deaths differently from lives saved and the implications for public policy. The Puzzling Economics of Sports Allen R. Sanderson Allen Sanderson of the University of Chicago takes a provocative look at the economics of sports in this month's essay. He highlights some of the puzzles in how we look at sports compared to other forms of competition and entertainments. Along the way, he points out the double standards and hypocrisy that permeate some of the self-interested behavior of culture critics, universities and professional sports leagues.

EconLog Arnold Kling on this week's issues and insights in economics More EconLog Articles Reflections from Europe "Bread and Circuses" in the Modern Welfare State: Is the Worm Finally Turning?" by Anthony de Jasay From about the third century A.D. onwards, between a fifth and a quarter of the population of Rome, some 200,000 people, regularly received free distributions of bread and cooking oil from the Emperor. The Emperor, in turn, received the bread and the cooking oil one way or another from the producers of these goods. The welfare state had duly started to churn. We all know how the churning ended, in slow and messy agony, three centuries later.... [Read more...] Birthdays and Commemorations Upcoming birthdays and commemorative anniversaries of great economists and others: Quote of the Day

Featured Books Cyclopædia of Political Science, Political Economy, and the Political History of the United States by John J. Lalor, ed. (?-1899) (1899. First published 1881.) This month we are pleased to announce the addition of Lalor's Cyclopaedia on Econlib. This extraordinary encyclopedia from the late 1800s is sure to delight and inform. Lalor assembled a stable of authoritative authors, translators, and academics from the United States and Western Europe. Topics as diverse as constitutions, political prisoners, parliamentary law, industries (railroad, fishing, etc.), tariffs, trade, exchange rates, economic and political theory, religious faiths and cultures (Catholicism, Protestantism, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Shinto), wars, rebellions, governments, history, and politics were all included. Over 200 of the 1000 articles cover factual histories, politics, and economic conditions of individual countries, regions, and U.S. states. Dozens of additional articles also provide biographies of famous leaders and intellectuals. Bibliographies and tables abound. Many topics of interest at the time remain timely today (e.g., slavery, embargoes, India, China, the Amistad, socialism, accumulation of wealth, taxation, money supply, indebtedness, marriage, etc.), offering eye-opening snapshots and reminders. Hot topics in the last 15 years were astonishingly just as hot 100 years previously. A few articles in this work remind us that the connotations and spellings of current terms have changed dramatically since the late 1800s, sometimes because of politically-charged distortions, or sometimes just because of natural or popularly-inspired refinements in vernacular language. For example, States' Rights/Sovereignty Haiti Indian . Below are a few additional articles organized by four of the most renowned authors. By no means do these few articles exhaust the best of the best of this encyclopedia. These items are just a sample from a few famous authors. Frédéric Bastiat (in translation): Spoliation by Law Plenty and Dearth Miscellaneous quotes, discussions, and references Gustave de Molinari (in translation): Cities and Towns Civilization Fashions The International Association of Workingmen Nations Nobility Protection J. B. Say (in translation): Moral and Political Science Nature of Things Outlet Miscellaneous quotes, discussions, and references Francis A. Walker: Public Revenue Wage Fund Wages New Listings Recent Econlib Books and Essays: Smith, Vera C. (1912-1976), The Rationale of Central Banking Smiles, Samuel Self-Help Stroup, Richard, and John Baden "Property Rights and Natural Resource Management" Smith, Bruce Liberty and Liberalism Walker, Francis A. The Wages Question Richter, Eugene Pictures of the Socialistic Future Knight, Frank H. "Cost of Production and Price Over Long and Short Periods" Senior, Nassau, et al Poor Law Commissioners' Report Pigou, Arthur C. The Economics of Welfare Register for Econlib News for monthly new book announcements. Search the Econlib Books and Card Catalog. Recent OLL Titles. Some additional information on Econlib: Auberon Herbert, The Right and Wrong of Compulsion by the State. See also Herbert's essay "The True Line of Deliverance" in Thomas Mackay's A Plea for Liberty. Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan. See also Jasay, Spencer, Buchanan and others on Hobbes Thomas Jefferson, various works See Jefferson's translation of Destutt de Tracy's A Commentary and Review of Montesquieu's "Spirit of Laws" Bernard Mandeville, The Fable of the Bees See also Adam Smith and others on Mandeville