The Economics of Public Issues is a collection of brief, relevant readings that spark independent thinking and classroom discussions in Principles of Economics and Social Issues courses. This text encourages readers to apply theoretical discussions to today’s important issues and to gain a deeper understanding of current economic policy concerns.

Roger LeRoy Miller received his PhD from the University of Chicago.  He is currently Director of the Institute for University Studies in Arlington, Texas.  Dr. Miller is a legal specialist and author of numerous books on law and the legal environment, including criminal procedure. In addition, Dr. Miller has authored books on the war on drugs, the economics of crime and criminal behavior, and on related topics.

Daniel K. Benjamin is Alumni Distinguished Professor in the John E. Walker Department of Economics at Clemson University.

I. The Foundations of Economic Analysis

1. Death by Bureaucrat

(when bureaucratic choices mean life for some people–and death for others)

2. Innovation

(why it happens, why it’s important)

3. Flying the Friendly Skies?

(how safe is commercial air travel? How safe should it be?)

4. The Mystery of Wealth

(why some nations are rich and others are poor)

5. The Economics of Exclusion

(if you can’t exclude, you don’t own)

6. For Whom the Roads are Tolled

(how paying higher prices can make us better off)

II. Supply and Demand

7. Sex, Booze, and Drugs

(the unintended–and often harmful–consequences of prohibiting voluntary exchange)

8. All Fracked Up

(how a boom in natural gas exploration is making us richer and greener)

9. Kidneys for Sale

(does a market for human organs make sense?)

10. Are We Running Out of Water?

(on a planet that’s two-thirds water, how can we be running out of the stuff?)

11. Bankrupt Landlords, from Sea to Shining Sea

(when governments lower rents, tenants can suffer)

III. Labor Markets

12. Das Kapital in the 21th Century

(who’s getting rich–and why do we care?)

13. (Why) Are Women Paid Less?

(why are women paid less, while men are working less?)

14. The Effects of the Minimum Wage

(how a “living wage” can ruin the lives of minority youngsters)

15. The (Dis)incentives of High Taxes

(how high taxes illustrate the old adage, “there is no free lunch”)

IV. Market Structures

16. Net Neutrality

(how to put the Internet in reverse)

17. Contracts, Combinations, and Conspiracies

(why the NCAA and OPEC have more in common than four-letter names)

18. Coffee, Tea, or Tuition-Free?

(who wins and who loses from price discrimination)

19. Keeping the Competition Out?

(when you want a Lyft, you may get stuck with a cab)

V. Political Economy

20. Health Insurance for All . . . or Maybe Not

(the economic effects of the Affordable Care Act)

21. The Deception of Green Energy

(the unsustainability of wind farms, solar panels, and electric cars)

22. The Fight over Genetically Modified Foods

(who’s fighting–and why?)

23. Raising Less Corn and More Hell

(how your tax dollars end up in farmers’ pockets)

24. The Graying of America

(America is getting older, and you will foot the bill)

VI. Property Rights and the Environment

25. Save that Species

(saving a  species is easy–with a little bit of economics)

26. Greenhouse Economics

(the economics of global climate change)

27. Ethanol Madness

(environmental policy gone bad)

28. The Trashman Cometh

(the costs and benefits of recycling)

VII. Globalization and Economic Prosperity

29. The Economics of the Big Mac

(lessons we can learn from the ultimate burger)  

30. Globalization and the Wealth of America

(is globalization all bad?)

31. The $750,000 Steelworker

(the economic consequences of restricting international trade)

Glossary

Selected References

Index