Trump Flirts with Price Controls
President Trump’s recent embrace of economic proposals runs sharply against free-market orthodoxy, exploring three headline-grabbing ideas: capping credit-card interest rates, banning institutional investors from buying single-family homes, and restricting dividends and stock buybacks by defense contractors. Why is a Republican president advancing policies more commonly associated with progressive populism? Drawing on economic history, constitutional law, and real-world market behavior, Epstein argues that price controls, capital restrictions, and politicized contracting consistently backfire, harming consumers, workers, and innovation alike. The conversation situates Trump’s proposals within a broader populist strategy, assesses the political incentives behind them, and warns that ignoring basic economic lessons risks repeating some of the most durable policy failures of the past.
The Libertarian
The Half-War
Richard Epstein examines the unfolding U.S. confrontation with Iran through both a strategic and constitutional lens, arguing that President Trump’s approach reflects a deeper tension between military necessity and political constraint.
A Turning Point For Section 2: SCOTUS Reins in the Voting Rights Act
Charles C. W. Cooke and Richard Epstein break down the Supreme Court’s latest Voting Rights Act decision, examining the ruling in 'Louisiana v. Callais.'
Politics
%20Richard%20Samuelson%20%20-%20Is%20American%20Nationalism%20Still%20Creed-able_-1.jpg)
Is American Nationalism Still Creed-able?
We are not there now, but there is reason to worry that the United States is in danger, if we are not careful, of ceasing to be a nation with the principles of 1776 at its core.
National Civitas Institute Poll: Americans are Anxious and Frustrated, Creating a Challenging Environment for Leaders
The poll reveals a deeply pessimistic American electorate, with a majority convinced the nation is on the wrong track.
.webp)
%20(1).avif)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
The Rebooted Animal Farm’s New Villain: Capitalism
We have a generational struggle ahead of us again if we are to defend the cause of freedom from tyranny.
The Future of ESG and DEI
Though things will likely not become as radical as the Covid hysteria of 2020 and 2021, there is still plenty of institutional “muscle memory” for ESG that will make its re-emergence all too easy.
Get the Civitas Outlook daily digest, plus new research and events.