If government is inevitable, the challenge is to come up with the most effective one possible.

Adam Smith's uncritically enthusiastic modern disciples portray his invisible hand theory as saying that market forces reliably harness selfish individuals to serve the common good. That's often true, but as Darwin recognized clearly, many traits that serve the interests of individual animals make life more difficult for larger groups.

If the search is for examples that contradict the predictions of standard economic models, a good rule of thumb is to start in France.

Pass down values every day through your actions, your words and your time with your kids.

Unless we can act collectively, there would be no way to defend ourselves, no way to define or enforce property rights. We couldn't curb congestion or pollution or build and maintain public infrastructure.

As economists have long noted, the puzzle is not that so few people vote, it's that so many do. After all, no individual's vote has ever tipped the balance in a presidential election.

The most common mistake we make as teachers is attempting to tell our students too much.