One problem in any technical field is that some technical terms sound like ordinary language, and people outside the field, familiar with their ordinary meaning, mistakenly assume they understand them. Consider all the people who think they really understand the theory of relativity - except for the details. Read more
In this modern age of global commerce, it seems odd that I have been asked to address the topic 'In defence of the corporation'. Even the most ardent critic of the corporation would not take the position that the corporate form should be dismissed as an ill-conceived venture of modernity so that it would be for the better to be rid of it and return to being a nation of artisans. Read more
Martin Wolf is associate editor and chief economics commentator at the Financial Times. He was awarded the CBE (Commander of the British Empire) in 2000 for services to financial journalism. Read more
It is my pleasure to welcome you to what I am certain will be a stimulating address by Richard Epstein, professor of law at the University of Chicago and a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution. This is professor Epstein’s fourth visit to New Zealand. Read more
Since 1994 the Fiscal Responsibility Act has been a key element of New Zealand’s framework for sustaining fiscal surpluses and reducing net indebtedness. Bryce Wilkinson reviews New Zealand’s experience with the Act, identifies its strengths and weaknesses, and suggests improvements. Read more
It’s not just about the money is the second paper in a series that forms part of the New Zealand Institute’s initial research program on Creating an Ownership Society. This paper follows on from our first paper – The wealth of a nation – which was released in July. Read more
Professor Epstein is on his fourth visit to New Zealand. He has been enormously generous in helping people in this country with the many topics he has worked on. Read more
There is a widely held view that businesses must adopt a new conception of their mission and conduct, by endorsing and implementing ‘corporate social responsibility’. David Henderson argues that now, as in the past, the primary role of business is to act as a vehicle for economic progress. Read more
The wealth of a nation is the first paper in a series that forms part of the New Zealand Institute's initial research program on Creating an Ownership Society. Read more
There are substantial economic gains to be made from countries getting ‘easy’ policy decisions right. Societies become impoverished when they do not accept the basic principles of freedom and competition. Read more
How do markets and governments operate in education and what is the best way to organise, finance and regulate education? Mark Harrison assesses the performance of the New Zealand school sector, the impact of the reforms of the 1980s and 1990s, and current government spending policies. Read more
Economics has been called the dismal science. But, in modern times at least, it has tended to be environmentalists rather than economists who have put forward a dismal view of the world. Read more
A New Deal is a manifesto for New Zealand’s schools, one with great potential to raise education standards and expectations for every child. It takes stock of the fundamental strengths and weaknesses of our present education system and what is needed to lift the quality of education standards, close the large performance gap between underprivileged schools and their better-off peers, and make New Zealand a stronger competitor in the global marketplace. Read more
There has been much debate over the appropriate level and form of government support for tertiary education, but comparatively little analysis of the merits of the underlying policies. Who Should Pay? Read more
In Losing Sight of the Lodestar of Economic Freedom Wolfgang Kasper looks at New Zealand's economic performance since the reforms of the 1980s and explores why the economy has not produced faster and more sustained growth. Even though a recent New Zealand Treasury briefing to the incoming government reports that "? Read more