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| I often give public lectures or participate in debates on a variety of economic topics. I've lectured at universities and think-tanks all over the United States and in many locations abroad. A few of the most popular topics I'm invited to lecture on are: |
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| Socialism |
| I give public lectures regularly on my latest co-authored book, Socialism Sucks: Two Economists Drink Their Way Through the Unfree World. The rising popularity of socialism has made this an increasingly important topic to discuss. But while the topic is deadly serious, my talk is very accessable and sometimes even funny (at least for an economist) as I share my experiences traveling to Sweden, Venezuela, Cuba, Korea, China, Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, and to a big socialist conference in the United States. I mix pictures and my first hand travel stories (and beer drinking) with social science and history that illustrates why socialism is always a disaster. |
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| Sweatshops |
| I explain how sweatshops provide a superior opportunity for the workers who work in them compared to other alternatives available to those workers and the role sweatshops play in the process of economic development that ultimately leads to the disappearance of sweatshops. I'm currently finishing a book, No Sweat: How Sweatshops Improve Lives and Economic Growth, on the topic. A brief intro to my thinking on the topic can be found here. |
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| Below are a brief video I recorded on some of the benefits of sweatshops and also a longer video with a portion of a typical public talk I give on the topic: |
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Lecturing with Bob Lawson on Socialism Sucks:
Two Economist Drink Their Way Through the Unfree World |
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| Immigration |
| I argue that much of the public debate surrounding immigration is misplaced. Immigrants create a net gain for the U.S. economy, they don't steal jobs on net, nor do they systematically depress the wages of the native born population. Most of the problems with immigration aren't from immigration per se but stem from the interaction of immigration with other inefficient domestic policies. A summary of my talk can be found here. |
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| Below are a short two minute video exposing three myths about immigration and a longer debate on immigration I had with former Governor of Colorado Richard Lamm: |
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| Top 3 Myths About Immigration |
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| Somalia |
| I give a public lecture on Somalia's experience with statelessness that explores both topics in economic development and the economic analysis of anarchy. In short, Somalia, although desperately poor, has actually improved its economic development since its central government collapsed. They have a privately enforced customary legal system that provides the foundation for economic development. A brief version of my basic take on Somalia's experience can be found here. |
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| A podcast can be found here. |
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| Economic Development |
| I give a variety of talks related to economic development. Some focus on problems with international aid while others focus on the role of economic freedom, private property, and the rule of law play in promoting development. Often the talk is based off of the research that was published in my edited volume Making Poor Nations Rich: Entrepreneurship and the Process of Development. (Click here for link to my Books page). |
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| Here's a link to a lecture I gave on economic freedom and growth at the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE). |
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| Other Topics |
| I've lectured and debated a variety of other topics ranging from the microeconomics of housing policy, to public choice to the causes and solutions to the recent economic recession. |
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| Here's a link to a podcast of a lecture I gave on public choice economics at the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE). |
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| Below is a brief video where I explain the logic of politics: |
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| Some of the Places I've Lectured Recently |
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American Institute for Economic Research |
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Association of Private Enterprise, Las Vegas |
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Association of Private Enterprise Education, Nassau Bahamas |
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Australia National University |
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Baylor University |
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Bryn Mawr College |
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Cato Institute |
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College of Charleston |
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Colorado Christian University |
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Conservative Political Action Committee, Washington DC |
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Dartmouth College |
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Duquesne University |
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Emporia State University |
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Florida Gulf Coast University |
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Florida State University |
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Foundation for Economic Education, Atlanta |
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Furman University |
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George Mason University |
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Georgetown University |
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Gettysburg College |
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Grove City College |
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Independent Institute Summer Seminar |
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Institute Bruno Leoni, Sestri Levante, Italy |
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Institute for Humane Studies |
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Institute for Humane Studies, Bryn Mawr |
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Institute for Economic Affairs |
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Kansas State University |
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Kennesaw State University |
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Kenyon College |
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Kings College, London |
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Loyola University, New Orleans |
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Ludwig Von Mises Institute |
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Mercer University |
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Metropolitan State College, Denver |
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Michigan State University |
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Mont Pelerin Society |
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New York University |
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New York University Abu Dhabi Campus |
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Ohio State University |
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Penn State Erie |
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Providence College |
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San Jose State University |
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Santa Clara University |
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Stanford University |
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Southern Economics Association, New Orleans |
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Southern Methodist University |
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Students for Liberty Dallas Regional Conference |
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Texas Public Policy Foundation |
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The Free Market Road Show, in Kosovo, Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia |
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The Adam Smith Institute |
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The Independent Institute |
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Troy State University |
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Trinity College |
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University of Alaska Fairbanks |
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University of Louisville |
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University of New England |
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University of Texas El Paso |
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University of Texas Pan-American |
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University of the Ozarks |
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Ursinus College |
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Wake Forest University |
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Ursinus College |
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West Texas A&M University |
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Western Kentucky University |
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Wheeling Jesuit University |
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| Contact I Site Map |
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Copyright © 2024
Benjamin Powell, Ph.D.
Texas Tech University, Executive Director, The Free Market Institute
The Indpendent Institute, Senior Fellow
Lubbock, Texas
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