Mercatus Center at George Mason University

I'll admit - I don't get excited about housing policy. Still, it's really important! More excitingly, there are good groups making progress that has a really effect on people's lives. I hope you enjoy this episode of Giving Ventures and hearing about the work of YES IN MY BACK YARD and Mercatus Center at George Mason University.

Many policymakers see antitrust as a tool to shape markets—but does it help or hinder national competitiveness? In his latest for Forbes, Alden Abbott explores how smart antitrust policy can drive innovation, productivity, and economic growth—without undermining competition. A pro-competitiveness antitrust approach should enhance consumer welfare and reduce barriers to private-sector innovation—not pick winners and losers. Read more on how antitrust policy can impact economic dynamism and what changes may be coming. Link below 👇

Populists on the Right proudly tout a collection of "pro-family" policies, but their plans will do little to help the 21st-century family. Focusing only on cash handouts does little to fix the real hurdles to young families face. Excited to share my latest for Young Voices sharing what policies would help couples like my husband and I in their pursuit of the American dream. 🔗 in comments!

Thrilled to have Evan Koenig, former senior vice president at the Dallas Fed, join the show this week. We discuss the 2020 and current Fed framework reviews. He was one of the few nominal income targeting champions inside the Fed. Full transcript found here: https://lnkd.in/gHYcHY3k

This Thursday, we are holding an Economics Internship Workshop! Kathryn Shepherd from the Mercatus Center at George Mason University will come and speak to us about how to navigate the process of finding an internship suited for your goals in Economics as well as how to prepare for Internship Interviews successfully. This is a fantastic opportunity to gain valuable insight on this process, and get your questions answered, so don’t miss it!

📆 Thursday, Feb. 27 | ⏰ 10 AM ET Join us for a webinar on President Trump’s stablecoin Executive Order with experts Alex Tabarrok and Garett Jones. They’ll explain the EO's contents, discuss the implications for crypto, outline potential next steps, and answer questions! Register: https://lnkd.in/esjf4xjA

Driving Change in Housing Policy! Discover how we can make housing more affordable and accessible in Massachusetts with insights from our latest report. Salim Furth and Andrew Mikula outline key reforms to simplify the permitting process and support sustainable growth. Read the full report and share your thoughts! https://loom.ly/SwJp9fU #HousingPolicy #ZoningLaws #MassHousing Mercatus Center at George Mason University

This was TREMENDOUSLY fun for me— Talking with brilliant University of Austin (UATX) students about one of my favorite books, Hayek’s “Constitution of Liberty.” I focused especially on the creative powers of a free civilization, a chapter I hold sacred. I first studied this book at Mercatus Center at George Mason University with Christopher Coyne Boettke Peter Virgil Storr and others—it has changed my life. cc: Cosmos Institute

Massachusetts’ housing permitting process is long, complex, and uncertain—delaying projects, increasing costs, and making housing less affordable. A new policy brief by Mercatus Senior Research Fellow Salim Furth and Pioneer Institute for Public Policy Research Senior Fellow Andrew Mikula explains why permitting is so difficult in the Bay State and outlines 11 reforms to streamline approvals and get more homes built, including: ✅ Making special permits less restrictive to reduce unnecessary bottlenecks ✅ Curbing excessive public hearing delays that can stretch for years ✅ Simplifying zoning and appeals to provide more certainty for builders The status quo isn’t working. Smart reforms are needed to help Massachusetts build the housing it desperately needs. 🔗 Read the full brief here: https://lnkd.in/eyA6v5XM

📆 Next Tuesday, February 25, at 10AM ET, Liya Palagashvili will join the Institute for the American Worker for a virtual briefing on portable benefits and independent contractors. Register to attend ➡️ https://lnkd.in/e4acY8tJ