Author: Kristian Niemietz

Total posts: 660

Classics revisited: “The New Right Enlightenment. Young Writers on “The Spectre Haunting the Left”” by Arthur Seldon (ed.) (1985)

17 September 2024
Economic Theory

Classics revisited: “The New Right Enlightenment. Young Writers on “The Spectre Haunting the Left”” by Arthur Seldon (ed.) (1985)

Kristian Niemietz
17 September 2024
For at least two reasons, The New Right Enlightenment. Young Writers on “The Spectre Haunting the Left” (1985) is an … Continue reading “Classics revisited: “The New Right Enlightenment. Young Writers on “The Spectre Haunting the Left”” by Arthur Seldon (ed.) (1985)”

“Right-wing on economics, left-wing on social issues”: on the breakdown of a political heuristic

31 August 2024
Markets and Morality

“Right-wing on economics, left-wing on social issues”: on the breakdown of a political heuristic

Kristian Niemietz
31 August 2024
It is still early days for the Starmer Government, and at this stage, we can only really judge it on … Continue reading ““Right-wing on economics, left-wing on social issues”: on the breakdown of a political heuristic”

Review: “Rent control effects through the lens of empirical research: An almost complete review of the literature” by Konstantin Kholodilin

15 May 2024
Economic Theory

Review: “Rent control effects through the lens of empirical research: An almost complete review of the literature” by Konstantin Kholodilin

Kristian Niemietz
15 May 2024
The Journal of Housing Economics has recently published a paper entitled “Rent control effects through the lens of empirical research: … Continue reading “Review: “Rent control effects through the lens of empirical research: An almost complete review of the literature” by Konstantin Kholodilin”

Book review: “How Nations Escape Poverty: Vietnam, Poland, and the Origins of Prosperity” by Rainer Zitelmann

18 March 2024
Trade, Development, and Immigration

Book review: “How Nations Escape Poverty: Vietnam, Poland, and the Origins of Prosperity” by Rainer Zitelmann

Kristian Niemietz
18 March 2024
In economics, we often pick out countries or regions that consistently outperform their neighbours, or some other plausible comparison group, … Continue reading “Book review: “How Nations Escape Poverty: Vietnam, Poland, and the Origins of Prosperity” by Rainer Zitelmann”

Book review: “Slavery, Capitalism and the Industrial Revolution” by Maxine Berg and Pat Hudson (Part 2)

29 November 2023
Economic Theory

Book review: “Slavery, Capitalism and the Industrial Revolution” by Maxine Berg and Pat Hudson (Part 2)

Kristian Niemietz
29 November 2023
…continued from Part 1    Between the 17th and the 19th century, some people in Britain made a lot of money … Continue reading “Book review: “Slavery, Capitalism and the Industrial Revolution” by Maxine Berg and Pat Hudson (Part 2)”

Book review: “Slavery, Capitalism and the Industrial Revolution” by Maxine Berg and Pat Hudson (Part 1)

28 November 2023
Economic Theory

Book review: “Slavery, Capitalism and the Industrial Revolution” by Maxine Berg and Pat Hudson (Part 1)

Kristian Niemietz
28 November 2023
I try to judge a book not primarily by whether or not I agree with the authors’ main conclusions, but … Continue reading “Book review: “Slavery, Capitalism and the Industrial Revolution” by Maxine Berg and Pat Hudson (Part 1)”

Book review: “The Capitalist Manifesto: Why the Global Free Market Will Save the World” by Johan Norberg (Part 2)

20 November 2023
Economic Theory

Book review: “The Capitalist Manifesto: Why the Global Free Market Will Save the World” by Johan Norberg (Part 2)

Kristian Niemietz
20 November 2023
…continued from Part 1   Chapter 4 addresses the old Marxist idea that wealth must be built on exploitation, but … Continue reading “Book review: “The Capitalist Manifesto: Why the Global Free Market Will Save the World” by Johan Norberg (Part 2)”

Book review: “The Capitalist Manifesto: Why the Global Free Market Will Save the World” by Johan Norberg (Part 1)

9 November 2023
Economic Theory

Book review: “The Capitalist Manifesto: Why the Global Free Market Will Save the World” by Johan Norberg (Part 1)

Kristian Niemietz
9 November 2023
I first came across Johan Norberg almost exactly 20 years ago, when the German translation of his book In Defence of … Continue reading “Book review: “The Capitalist Manifesto: Why the Global Free Market Will Save the World” by Johan Norberg (Part 1)”

Book review: “The Mirage of Swedish Socialism: The Economic History of a Welfare State” by Johan Norberg (Part 2)

8 September 2023
Economic Theory

Book review: “The Mirage of Swedish Socialism: The Economic History of a Welfare State” by Johan Norberg (Part 2)

Kristian Niemietz
8 September 2023
…continued from Part 1   Most Western welfare states saw large expansions in the 1960s, and Sweden was no exception … Continue reading “Book review: “The Mirage of Swedish Socialism: The Economic History of a Welfare State” by Johan Norberg (Part 2)”

Book review: “The Mirage of Swedish Socialism: The Economic History of a Welfare State” by Johan Norberg (Part 1)

7 September 2023
Economic Theory

Book review: “The Mirage of Swedish Socialism: The Economic History of a Welfare State” by Johan Norberg (Part 1)

Kristian Niemietz
7 September 2023
Scandi-romanticism has been around for as long as I can remember. But it has taken different forms at different times. … Continue reading “Book review: “The Mirage of Swedish Socialism: The Economic History of a Welfare State” by Johan Norberg (Part 1)”

Book review: “The road to socialism and back. An economic history of Poland, 1939-2019” by Peter J. Boettke, Konstantin Zhukov and Matthew Mitchel (Part 2)

20 July 2023
Economic Theory

Book review: “The road to socialism and back. An economic history of Poland, 1939-2019” by Peter J. Boettke, Konstantin Zhukov and Matthew Mitchel (Part 2)

Kristian Niemietz
20 July 2023
…continued from Part 1   Economic stability Marxists have always seen boom-and-bust cycles as evidence of the fundamental irrationality of … Continue reading “Book review: “The road to socialism and back. An economic history of Poland, 1939-2019” by Peter J. Boettke, Konstantin Zhukov and Matthew Mitchel (Part 2)”

Book review: “The road to socialism and back. An economic history of Poland, 1939-2019” by Peter J. Boettke, Konstantin Zhukov and Matthew Mitchel (Part 1)

17 July 2023

Book review: “The road to socialism and back. An economic history of Poland, 1939-2019” by Peter J. Boettke, Konstantin Zhukov and Matthew Mitchel (Part 1)

Kristian Niemietz
17 July 2023
Two months ago, it was widely reported that Poland could economically overtake the UK by 2030. This was not the … Continue reading “Book review: “The road to socialism and back. An economic history of Poland, 1939-2019” by Peter J. Boettke, Konstantin Zhukov and Matthew Mitchel (Part 1)”

Review: “The housebuilding crisis: The UK’s 4 million missing homes” by the Centre For Cities

24 February 2023
Housing and Planning

Review: “The housebuilding crisis: The UK’s 4 million missing homes” by the Centre For Cities

Kristian Niemietz
24 February 2023
This week, the Centre For Cities published a report entitled The housebuilding crisis: The UK’s 4 million missing homes, written … Continue reading “Review: “The housebuilding crisis: The UK’s 4 million missing homes” by the Centre For Cities”

The government needs to do less – the right kind of “less” – to solve the cost-of-living crisis

27 July 2022
Regulation

The government needs to do less – the right kind of “less” – to solve the cost-of-living crisis

Kristian Niemietz
27 July 2022
In his seminal book Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy (1942), the Austrian economist Joseph Schumpeter explained one of the key characteristics … Continue reading “The government needs to do less – the right kind of “less” – to solve the cost-of-living crisis”

Book review: “Socialism Sucks: Two Economists Drink Their Way Through the Unfree World” by Robert Lawson and Benjamin Powell

4 July 2022
Society and Culture

Book review: “Socialism Sucks: Two Economists Drink Their Way Through the Unfree World” by Robert Lawson and Benjamin Powell

Kristian Niemietz
4 July 2022
Preferences for products and brands can sometimes be surprisingly good predictors of political opinions. If you like Richmond Sausages, HP … Continue reading “Book review: “Socialism Sucks: Two Economists Drink Their Way Through the Unfree World” by Robert Lawson and Benjamin Powell”

Book review: “The Economics and Politics of Brexit: The Realignment of British Public Life” by Stephen Davies (Part 2)

24 March 2022
Society and Culture

Book review: “The Economics and Politics of Brexit: The Realignment of British Public Life” by Stephen Davies (Part 2)

Kristian Niemietz
24 March 2022
…continued from Part 1   Political realignments Aligning issues can create stable political coalitions for a long time. But those … Continue reading “Book review: “The Economics and Politics of Brexit: The Realignment of British Public Life” by Stephen Davies (Part 2)”

Book review: “The Economics and Politics of Brexit: The Realignment of British Public Life” by Stephen Davies (Part 1)

23 March 2022
Society and Culture

Book review: “The Economics and Politics of Brexit: The Realignment of British Public Life” by Stephen Davies (Part 1)

Kristian Niemietz
23 March 2022
Political alignments Political opinions can be bundled in thousands of different ways. If there are three policy issues (say, criminal … Continue reading “Book review: “The Economics and Politics of Brexit: The Realignment of British Public Life” by Stephen Davies (Part 1)”

The difference between fashionable and unfashionable socialists is not a difference of ideology – it is a difference in style, and PR savvy

2 November 2020
Society and Culture

The difference between fashionable and unfashionable socialists is not a difference of ideology – it is a difference in style, and PR savvy

Kristian Niemietz
2 November 2020
Do you know who Owen Jones is? You probably find this question bemusing. Jones is the UK’s bestselling political writer, he … Continue reading “The difference between fashionable and unfashionable socialists is not a difference of ideology – it is a difference in style, and PR savvy”

It is perfectly possible to liberalise our immigration system without antagonising the public

21 January 2019
Trade, Development, and Immigration

It is perfectly possible to liberalise our immigration system without antagonising the public

Kristian Niemietz
21 January 2019
Around the time the US Congress debated the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (“Obamacare”), opinion surveys on the subject … Continue reading “It is perfectly possible to liberalise our immigration system without antagonising the public”

A lack of affordable housing doesn’t defy the laws of supply and demand – it proves them

10 August 2018
Housing and Planning

A lack of affordable housing doesn’t defy the laws of supply and demand – it proves them

Kristian Niemietz
10 August 2018
One of my colleagues used to have a theory about how Britain’s housing crisis would eventually become self-limiting. It went … Continue reading “A lack of affordable housing doesn’t defy the laws of supply and demand – it proves them”

The Resolution Foundation’s ‘Citizen’s Inheritance’ would be like Help To Buy on steroids

10 May 2018
Economic Theory

The Resolution Foundation’s ‘Citizen’s Inheritance’ would be like Help To Buy on steroids

Kristian Niemietz
10 May 2018
Five years ago, the then Chancellor George Osborne launched Help To Buy, which would become his flagship policy. Help To … Continue reading “The Resolution Foundation’s ‘Citizen’s Inheritance’ would be like Help To Buy on steroids”

Motion: “This House believes that the Hammer and Sickle should be considered a hate symbol”

5 December 2017
Economic Theory

Motion: “This House believes that the Hammer and Sickle should be considered a hate symbol”

Kristian Niemietz
5 December 2017
On 04 December 2017, the University College London (UCL) Debating Society organised a debate with the above title. The IEA’s … Continue reading “Motion: “This House believes that the Hammer and Sickle should be considered a hate symbol””

93% of junior doctors would back “complete privatisation” of the NHS, if it meant “substantially” increased salaries

6 December 2016
Economic Theory

93% of junior doctors would back “complete privatisation” of the NHS, if it meant “substantially” increased salaries

Kristian Niemietz
6 December 2016
Around the time of the first junior doctors’ strike, I was occasionally contacted by journalists who wanted to hear from … Continue reading “93% of junior doctors would back “complete privatisation” of the NHS, if it meant “substantially” increased salaries”

Cuba after Castro: Democratisation as the next stage of the revolution? Not happening, Comrade Jones

2 December 2016
Economic Theory

Cuba after Castro: Democratisation as the next stage of the revolution? Not happening, Comrade Jones

Kristian Niemietz
2 December 2016
For most of this week, my social media feed has been more or less evenly divided between apologists of Fidel … Continue reading “Cuba after Castro: Democratisation as the next stage of the revolution? Not happening, Comrade Jones”

Saving Brexit from the Brexiteers: why free-market liberals should support the EFTA/EEA option

14 July 2016
Government and Institutions

Saving Brexit from the Brexiteers: why free-market liberals should support the EFTA/EEA option

Kristian Niemietz
14 July 2016
If the so-called ‘EFTA/EEA option’ – leaving the EU, but staying in the single market, or in close vicinity to … Continue reading “Saving Brexit from the Brexiteers: why free-market liberals should support the EFTA/EEA option”

Whatever happened to the anti-globalisation movement? On the anti-capitalist left’s immunity to refutation

24 December 2015
Trade, Development, and Immigration

Whatever happened to the anti-globalisation movement? On the anti-capitalist left’s immunity to refutation

Kristian Niemietz
24 December 2015
As a teenager, I used to read a magazine which had a rubric called “Whatever happened to…”, which was dedicated … Continue reading “Whatever happened to the anti-globalisation movement? On the anti-capitalist left’s immunity to refutation”

A Patient Approach: Putting the consumer at the heart of UK healthcare

13 August 2015
Research

A Patient Approach: Putting the consumer at the heart of UK healthcare

Kristian Niemietz
13 August 2015

Going ‘the whole hog’ in healthcare reform would not require a revolution

Summary: In recent years, the healthcare debate has been dominated by allegations that the ‘privatisation of the NHS’ was in … Continue reading “A Patient Approach: Putting the consumer at the heart of UK healthcare”

Brick shortages come and go. Planning restrictions are the real obstacle to house building

13 August 2014
Housing and Planning

Brick shortages come and go. Planning restrictions are the real obstacle to house building

Kristian Niemietz
13 August 2014
An unexpected increase in construction (from an extremely low base) has left building materials, especially bricks, in short supply, leading … Continue reading “Brick shortages come and go. Planning restrictions are the real obstacle to house building”

Why ‘second generation rent controls’ are not a solution to the affordability crisis (Part 2): beware false comparisons

27 March 2014

Why ‘second generation rent controls’ are not a solution to the affordability crisis (Part 2): beware false comparisons

Kristian Niemietz
27 March 2014
The last blog piece on so-called ‘second generation rent controls’ (SGRCs) argued that while these controls would not necessarily cause … Continue reading “Why ‘second generation rent controls’ are not a solution to the affordability crisis (Part 2): beware false comparisons”

Three cheers for Gatwick’s compensation offer, but now kick out the politicians and let local residents decide

14 March 2014

Three cheers for Gatwick’s compensation offer, but now kick out the politicians and let local residents decide

Kristian Niemietz
14 March 2014
Gatwick Airport has offered to compensate nearby residents for the increase in aircraft noise that will result if the operator … Continue reading “Three cheers for Gatwick’s compensation offer, but now kick out the politicians and let local residents decide”

Labour Party proposals would send British childcare expenditure levels to the highest in the world

23 September 2013

Labour Party proposals would send British childcare expenditure levels to the highest in the world

Kristian Niemietz
23 September 2013
Up until about 2004, the Labour government’s strategy of fighting poverty by concentrating on three priorities – government spending, government … Continue reading “Labour Party proposals would send British childcare expenditure levels to the highest in the world”

Redefining the Poverty Debate – Why a War on Markets is No Substitute for a War on Poverty

22 December 2012
Research

Redefining the Poverty Debate – Why a War on Markets is No Substitute for a War on Poverty

Kristian Niemietz
22 December 2012

New IEA research finds a market-oriented anti-poverty policy could lead to families being £750 a month better off

Executive Summary: In the past intellectual movements promoting free trade in particular and a free economy more generally were regarded … Continue reading “Redefining the Poverty Debate – Why a War on Markets is No Substitute for a War on Poverty”

Transforming welfare – incentives, localisation and non-discrimination (web publication)

12 November 2010
Research

Transforming welfare – incentives, localisation and non-discrimination (web publication)

Kristian Niemietz
12 November 2010

Radical solutions need to be sought to get people off welfare and back into work

In the thirty-second IEA Discussion Paper, Poverty Research Fellow Kristian Niemietz puts forward solutions which would substantially simplify the welfare … Continue reading “Transforming welfare – incentives, localisation and non-discrimination (web publication)”