korrents

What Tyler Cowen thinks about government

@tyler-cowen · 32 positions · 0 changes of mind

Economist at George Mason University, co-author of Marginal Revolution, host of Conversations with Tyler. Writes in short, dense claims about economics, culture and AI, and has moved his position on AI in public more than once.

Everything they publish, on ppll ↗

Tyler Cowen did not write this page.

We collected these quotes from things they published elsewhere, and every quote links to where it was said. They have no account here and have not endorsed this site. Quotes are word for word; the short line under each one is our own restatement, not their wording. Their own site. Is this you? Claim it or ask us to remove it. Or tell us what is wrong here.

4 dated positions, 2023, in their own words. Our reading of what Tyler Cowen has said — not written or endorsed by them.

4 positions so far — this page is not yet offered to search engines.

  1. Our readingThere is no clearly defined notion of who the right people are to entrust with power, which warrants deep skepticism of government on public choice grounds.

    Their wordsI am myself skeptical that there is a clearly defined notion of who “the right people” might be, and thus I am on public choice grounds far more skeptical of government than Keynes was.

    ↗GOAT: Who is the Greatest Economist of all Time and Why Does it Matter?tylercowen.com 5th of 25 in this piece

    Interesting

  3. Our readingBoth markets and states are spontaneous orders, not just the state as constructed 'taxis' versus the market as 'cosmos'.

    Their wordsIn my own view, both markets and states are spontaneous orders, and government is not uniquely the product of “taxis” or “rationalist constructivism.”

    ↗GOAT: Who is the Greatest Economist of all Time and Why Does it Matter?tylercowen.com 9th of 25 in this piece

    Interesting

  5. Our readingMoral hazard problems are often worse in government programs than in private markets.

    Their wordsThe truth is that moral hazard concerns very often are worse with government programs than with markets.

    ↗GOAT: Who is the Greatest Economist of all Time and Why Does it Matter?tylercowen.com 13th of 25 in this piece

    Interesting

  7. Our readingIntelligent liberal elites can badly mismanage the colonies they govern, in ways that persist for decades or centuries.

    Their wordsA simple understanding of coalitions, political competition, and limited resources will bring you rather quickly to the conclusion that intelligent liberal elites can screw up their colonies pretty badly and in ways that can persist for decades or centuries.

    ↗GOAT: Who is the Greatest Economist of all Time and Why Does it Matter?tylercowen.com 18th of 25 in this piece

    Interesting