Bøger udgivet af Institute of Economic Affairs

Presents a collection of papers from the Beesley Lecture series on regulation held jointly by the IEA and the London Business School in the autumn of 2000. The chapters in this volume are followed by comments made by the chairman.

Examines those areas where the freedom of individual men and women to voluntarily engage in mutually advantageous exchanges is prohibited or restricted by government. This collection looks at the economic and philosophical rationale for the prohibition of alcohol, sale of body parts, medicinal drugs, pornography, prostitution, and others.

Malaria kills millions of people each year and hundreds of millions more suffer chronic illness. Economic development is inhibited and poverty is perpetuated. This work argues that action against malaria is over-centralised and narrowly focused, ignoring local conditions and concerns.

Provides an introduction to the life and work of Adam Smith, the 'founder of economics'. This book examines not only "The Wealth of Nations", with its insights on trade and the division of labour, but also "The Theory of Moral Sentiments", his lectures, and his writings on the history of science.

The market system has, since the eighteenth century, brought enormous gains in living standards, in contradiction to the Marxist theories that predicted capitalism's collapse. This title explains why, despite its apparent imperfections, the market system is infinitely preferable to the alternatives.

Challenges the myth that the banking crisis was caused by insufficient statutory regulation of financial markets. This book is suitable for those interested in the policy implications of the events in financial markets.

The idea is now widespread that damaging, man-made climate change is occurring. This book explores the processes by which conclusions about climate change are reached and discusses market-based approaches to dealing with global environmental issues.

Ludwig von Mises was one of the greatest economists and political scientists of the 20th century. He revolutionised the understanding of money, inflation and recessions; refuted the arguments for socialism; and, provided a devastating critique of the methodologies of mainstream economics. This book provides an overview of Mises' achievements.

Economic historian Professor Nick Crafts gives a wide-ranging assessment of the economic record of the recent Conservative Government.

Government 'servants' can most likely be assumed to be pursuing their own interests, just like those in the private sector, although, given the coercive power of the state, the effects can be far from benign. This text analyses the motives and activities of politicians, civil servants and voters.

Contains chapters on a number of prominent concerns, including changes in the British system of utility regulation, the spectrum allocation question, liberalisation of EU energy markets, security of supply issues, reform in the European postal sector, the future of rail regulation, the cost of capital and Ofcom's strategic approach to regulation.

In this volume, the authors propose the privatization of the UK road network. In doing so, they examine the traditional objections to privatization and find them wanting. With lively discussion and making good use of practical examples, the authors also look at related issues such as road taxation, the planning system, pricing, regulation, and the management of congestion. While they admit that there are valid objections to road privatization--and straightforward privatization may not suit all types of roads--there are many imaginative schemes outlined that could deal with those objections. The authors also show that the nationalization of roads has not been a success. This study is essential reading for policymakers, academics, and students in the field of transport and logistics.

Successive governments have promised to reduce business red tape, whilst doing nothing about it. In fact, with regard to the tax system, ever-greater numbers of taxes and ever-greater complexity have increased burdens on business. This book shows that this should not be the case, and propose ways of reducing the burden of tax bureaucracy.

Though most people accept that a free economy cannot exist in a legal vacuum, important questions about how systems of law come into being remain in dispute. This book brings together some of the leading figures in the field of law and economics to discuss questions that are central to our understanding of how a free-market economy operates.

Surveys the results of government intervention in the market for retirement income provision throughout the world. This title looks at high-income democracies in which governments have, to a large degree, taken over the function of providing pensions.

Reviews the state of utility regulation and competition policy. This book presents chapters on a number of topics, contributed by academics and independent commentators, as well as regulators and heads of the competition authorities.

Argues that instead of traditional approaches to development policy in Sub-Saharan Africa, the focus needs to be on adoption of sound political and legal institutions, with private property rights to encourage entrepreneurship and economic growth. This book examines case studies of property rights reform in the developing world.

Death duties are a minor source of revenue to the British Exchequer. This work analyses the traditional criticism of death duties and adds some arguments based on the concept of saving in perpetuity - saving which is never drawn down, whether or not it was initially planned as perpetual.

It is difficult to imagine financial markets without a state regulator. But it was not so long ago that financial markets in Britain developed their own regulation, without government intervention. This monograph examines the economic case for a statutory regulator of investment transactions and finds it wanting.

How is it that so many major, government-sponsored projects can lose so much money? This book answers this question. Offering an account of the history of six major government project failures, it shows that failure results from mismanagement, lack of clear lines of responsibility and lack of accountability.

Examines the complex relationships between social capital, markets and democracy. This title argues that participation in markets positively enriches and enhances the stock of social capital, while, conversely, democratic politics may undermine it by facilitating divisive rent-seeking by special interest groups.

Discussing how 'wars of ideas' can be waged, this work features essays, reviews and introductions that show how the founders of the IEA successfully fought the conventional 'planning' wisdom of the 1960s and 1970s, providing the ideas which, by the 1980s and 1990s, had brought about increased freedom and a revival in the use of markets.

Considers issues that are central to our understanding of self-employment in the UK. This title offers a review on the evidence of the role of self employment and entrepreneurship in employment creation. It also considers self-employment as a route for advancement of many groups in society that face disadvantage in the labour market.