Should There Be Compulsory Attendance for the Balan-Hanson Debate?

Bryan Caplan

By Bryan Caplan, Mar 5 2007

David Balan and Robin Hanson, two of the smartest voices on Overcoming Bias, are having a debate on Paternalism this Wednesday evening at GMU. The title: “Paternalistic Policy: Altruism or Arrogance?”

Given that this debate will resolve this important question for all time, I have to ask: Should everyone in the region be required to attend?

Teaching Un-Normal Economics

Arnold Kling

Greg Mankiw writes, Having observed many failed textbook projects over the years (I won't mention names), I notice several predictable pitfalls. They include: ...The author has views of the field that are too idiosyncratic to appeal to the vast majority of instructors who teach the course. The pressure on textbook w...

Mar 6 2007

Energy, Environment, Resources

Alternative Energy and Rent-Seeking

Arnold Kling

In this essay, I put together some recent ideas. Subsidizing "good" energy in order to justify using "bad" energy is like eating salad in order to justify eating dessert. It is an exercise in self-deception. ...The most important, inconvenient truth about energy policy is that there is no justification for a subsidy ...

Mar 5 2007

Behavioral Economics

Should There Be Compulsory Attendance for the Bala...

Bryan Caplan

David Balan and Robin Hanson, two of the smartest voices on Overcoming Bias, are having a debate on Paternalism this Wednesday evening at GMU. The title: "Paternalistic Policy: Altruism or Arrogance?" Given that this debate will resolve this important question for all time, I have to ask: Should everyone in the reg...

Should There Be Compulsory Attendance for the Balan-Hanson Debate?

RECENT POST

Teaching Un-Normal Economics

Alternative Energy and Rent-Seeking

Should There Be Compulsory Attendance for the Bala...