Policy

aje on March 15, 2022

I have contributed to a number of policy debates and have received notable coverage in the following areas:

  • Competitiveness and entrepreneurship policy
  • Flat taxes, corporation tax and public finance
  • NGDP targets and free banking

My work on nuclear energy, and the potential role of SMR’s for Croatia, was covered by Open Access Government. And my advice on competitiveness was presented in a joint conference with the Minister of Finance.

My call for the Bank of England to abolish the Monetary Policy Committee was covered on the front page of the The Daily Telegraph and City AM and prompted an invitation to give a guest lecture to the Bank’s staff. I provided a comprehensive proposal for the UK to adopt nominal GDP targeting and it was covered by Forbes, CNBC, Bloomberg, Moneyweek, and discussed on Bloomberg TV.

You can read my 2017 submission to the Treasury Select Committee here.

I served on the 2020 Tax Commission which advocated a single income tax, and won the $100,000 2013 Templeton Freedom Award. My back of the envelope calculations on the counter intuitive idea that corporation tax harms workers was featured on Page 3 of The Sun, and contributed to the fact that from 2012-2017 the UK government cut it from 28% to 19%. This coincided with revenues rising by 44%. In September 2022 the government decided to keep corporation tax at 19%, for more see here.

Policy reports

“What happened in Belarus?” GCRF COMPASS Policy Brief, 25 November 2021

“Harnessing nuclear power to meet Croatia’s energy needs” Energy Management Centre Working Paper No. 32, July 2020

  • Submitted to the lead project coordinator for the International Atomic Energy Agency Technical Cooperation Project RER2017, July 2020 (for some background see here).
  • Covered by Open Access Government, January 22nd 2021 (see here)

“A Belarus Monetary Perspective” Markets and Money Advisory, March 2018

“Monetary Policy After the Crash” Adam Smith Institute, February 2018

“Sound Money: An Austrian proposal for free banking, NGDP targets, and OMO reforms” Adam Smith Institute, 2016

“In Search of Austerity: An Analysis of the British Situation” Mercatus Center, October 2012

“The Single Income Tax” 2020 Tax Commission, May 2012 [I served as a commissioner]

  • Winner of the 2013 Templeton Freedom Award
  • “Business backs single income tax rate of 30%”, Financial Times
  • “Boost growth with 30pc flat rate, Osborne told”, Daily Telegraph
  • “Plan for 30% levy and end of stamp duty; The single tax rate”, The Times
  • “Tax shake-up urged to empower consumers and kick-start growth”, The Independent
  • “The Tax Reform Britain Needs”, Wall Street Journal Europe
  • “Calls for single 30% tax rate”, Daily Mail
  • “Tax cuts ‘booster'”, The Sun
  • “Demand for tax shake-up to aid recovery”, Sunday Express
  • Also covered by Sky News, BBC Two’s Daily Politics, BBC News Channel, ITV News.

“Corporation Tax” 2020 Tax Commission Briefing Note, April 2011

  • Also covered on Page 3
  • Impact: in 2008 the rate of corporation tax was 28%. In 2011 successive UK governments started to reduce it, firstly to 26% and then to 24% in 2012, 23% in 2013, 21% in 2014, 20% in 2015, and 19% in 2017. During this period tax revenue rose by 44%. The experience during the 2010s is that lower rates coincided with higher revenues. See here for more.

“Public Attitudes to Banking” The Cobden Centre, June 2010

“2 days, 2 weeks, 2 months: A proposal for sound money” The Cobden Centre, June 2010

“Enterprising Britain: Building the enterprise capital of the world” (with Davide Sola and Adina Poenaru), independent report for the Conservative Party, February 2008

See the interim report, published in October 2007, here.

“Are Tesco Acting Competitively?” (with Toby Baxendale), submitted to the Competition Commission, December 2007 [Groceries Market – Third Party Submissions]

“Sharpening the Thinking on the UK Audit Industry”, submitted to the Financial Reporting Council, May 2006 [Responses to Discussion Papers]

Social, political, and ethical dimensions of digital transformation

aje on February 7, 2022

Course introduction

There are widespread concerns that social and political divisions are being exacerbated by information technology, and that this is having a profound impact on the capabilities and quality of both global and local institutions. In a similar way to how the advent of the printing press prompted the rise of democracy and the nation state, perhaps digital transformation is contributing to a similar disruption in governance.

Such trends are particularly relevant in regimes where statehood was not an internal process, and was adopted either through colonial or international activity. Rising populism and authoritarianism provides the social and political backdrop to our analysis of the broad impact of technology, and we will consider whether pluralist approaches may help to combat some of the emerging threats to liberal democracy.

This course investigates how digital transformation relates to democracy and governance in an increasingly connected yet potentially polarised world.

Assessment
  • 40% Group report [download here]
  • 60% Final exam (MCQ) – this relates to all lecture content and the readings from the content section
Prerequisite

Students should have already taken my 6 hour component of the Business Frontier Technologies course. This includes some of the following content:

Mandatory pre-course readings

For a 64 point quiz to test your knowledge of the pre-readings see here.

Contents
  1. Addiction [lecture handouts]
  2. Democracy [lecture handouts]
  3. Ethics [lecture handouts]
  4. Humans [lecture handouts]
  5. Governance [lecture handouts]
Optional background preparation

To understand some of the context for my construction of this course I recommend:

  • Matthew Perry on BBC Newsnight, (yes, one can make the contrarian and pedantic point that humans exercise “choice” in every decision we make, but this interview demonstrates the importance of acknowledging the human cost of not being in full/partial/any control of things that are harmful to your well being. Particularly poignant given Perry’s death in 2023).
  • Beware the Jabberwock, This American Life, March 15th 2019 (a single episode that provides a detailed look at the origins of the Sandy Hook conspiracy theory and one parents attempt to fight misinformation. The second half of this episode is an interesting, but less relevant profile and interview with Alex Jones).
  • Four Hours at the Capitol, BBC (a documentary about the storming of the US Capitol building on January 6th 2021)
  • The Coming Storm, BBC Sounds (7 part podcast documentary on the rise of QAnon)
  • Death by Conspiracy, BBC Sounds (an 11 part podcast documentary on Gary Matthews, who died from covid in January 2021 having been drawn to social media claims that it was a hoax. I listened to this as a parallel to The Coming Storm but it strayed too far into covid, media ethics, and psychology for me to incorporate it more fully in this course, which attempts to avoid those areas. I didn’t learn much about conspiracy theories aside from episode 9 which provided a good attempt to understand why our common conception is often misplaced. Ultimately I just found this sad.)
  • Things Fell Apart, BBC Sounds (a documentary that looks at the different origins of the culture wars, which are defined as “the battle for dominance over conflicting values”, or the things we shout about on social media)
  • Command and Control, PBS (a documentary looking at how close we came to a major nuclear accident)
Recommended video

Famous documentaries about Facebook include:

Here is the Brexit movie mentioned in class:

Here are US political strategists talking about micro targeting:

Here is David Rand’s talk on misinformation:

This documentary looks at the Arab spring:

Here is an introduction to the (classic) trolley problem:

Here is Coltan Scrivner’s explaining the evolutionary purpose of paying attention to true crime:

Here is Patri Friedman arguing that we should be able to start new countries as easily as starting a new country:

Brexit
Recommended audio
Recommended movie night

This is not massively related to this course, but I really enjoyed watching Top Gun: Maverick (you may need to watch the original Top Gun first to get the full benefit). It reminded me of how Rocky IV contrasted American individualism, authenticity, and heart against superior Soviet technology. I saw Maverick as a rumination on automation, and the continued role for human emotion, and decision making that is instinctive, impulsive, and emotive, and how that gets managed. The subtext is that unmanned drones and algorithms are the future. In the film, US technology is deemed inferior but it is all about who is in the plane and not the plane itself. Traditional pilots needs to eat, sleep and piss but remain the driving force of future success, and whatever is is that ensures a future is worth achieving.

Here’s an absorbing and fascinating explanation of how the Mach 10 scene resembles a perfect pop song:

The best 3 movies related to AI and our conception of reality (in my opinion) are:

 

Recommended activities
Recommended case studies on digital transformation

Perhaps the best case study of the importance of an effective digital transformation is the UK Post Office Horizon scandal (Wikipedia). There is an excellent podcast about it produced by BBC Sounds and in January 2024 ITV aired a documentary.

For a good example of a subject matter for the group report I highly recommend reading The Story of VaccineCA. In particular, consider how the following elements coincide: the type of organisation chosen to pursue this objective (initially volunteers but then a Delaware corporation;  the institutional context (i.e. liberal market democracy where sharing such information wasn’t illegal); and the cultural attitude toward problem solving and tech optimism. For a great interview with Patrick McKenzie about his background and advice listen to his Conversation with Tyler.

Further academic reading
Student reflections

Priyanka Dalotra (LinkedIn)

On design
Resources for the public sector

If you wish to work in the public sector I recommend the following resources:

Recommended books

The MIT Press Essential Knowledge series contains a number of titles that are relevant for this course. I particularly recommend:

Topics in Economics (MIM)

aje on December 18, 2021

The course introduces students to several important and contemporary issues that relate to economics. Having already covered the key insights from Micro and Macroeconomics, we will go deeper into the frontiers of the discipline. Students will challenge their understanding of complex and controversial issues and develop their perspective on how to become managers of the future.

 Assessment
  • 40% Group report (instructions here)
  • 60% Final exam (MCQ) (a practice exam will be made available)
️ Content
Topic Before During After
1. Prosperity Activity: Global conditions quiz

Watch: The Magic Washing Machine

  • Evans, Anthony J., 2020, Economics: A Complete Guide for Business, London Publishing Partnership (Chapter 12, Section 2)*
 Lecture handouts More resources
2. Growth Watch “Growth is like an iPhone”

 Lecture handouts More resources
3. & 4. Sustainability Lecture handouts More resources
5. & 6. Inequality Activity: Thinking about wealth

Watch: “$456,000 Squid Game In Real Life!” Mr Beast

Watch the full movie Parasite (2019), Bong Joon Ho

 Lecture handouts More resources
7. Stagnation Activity: Transformative Innovations

Watch “Steve Jobs – iPhone Introduction in 2007” (the first 17 minutes is sufficient)

 Lecture handouts More resources
8. Progress Watch the full movie The Greatest Showman (2017), Michael Gracey

 Lecture handouts More resources
* These suggested readings are new and therefore will not be on the exam for 2024

I thought it went without saying that economic growth is good, that America is a phenomenally rich country, and that capitalism is the reason why. But now I’m not so sure. So in this course, I say it. 

Other lectures that could be added:

  • Macro Trends – an overview of global growth prospects and a survey of the key challenges facing policymakers
  • Macro Risk – a look at the key risk factors affecting the global economy, and a survey of which countries are best positioned to deal with macro shocks
  • Macro Models – how macroeconomic models should integrate climate concerns
  • The evolution of money: gold, fiat and crypto
  • Central banks and digital transformation
  • The Solow model, and how it relates to growth theory
  • Sustainability Playbook – how we are solving our environmental problems
  • Nuclear power – we could have had it all
  • Are humans special?

Writing a corporate memo

aje on November 21, 2021

Business school students often produce exams or other written assignments in an essay style, but in most business situations a memo format is more appropriate. This article will articulate what constitutes an effective memo so that we can try to replace bad academic writing with good business writing.

The aim of a memo is to quickly inform the reader and explain any decision making. It should be easy to read and have a clear message.

  • The first few sentences should explain the purpose of the memo and any key background information.
  • The use of bullets or numbered lists to split up the text and separate key points is often appropriate.
  • Don’t be afraid to highlight important text.
  • It’s a good idea to finish a memo with a call to action or some other type of positive ending.

We tend to think of memos as an antiquated document but many emails are de facto memos. In fact, I would argue that any email sent to multiple people should be treated as a memo – they are an important part of a manager’s toolkit!

Addendum: Here the thoughts of Scott Adams on business writing (source):

And for a fascinating collection of corporate memos, see https://sriramk.com/memos.

Macro Trends

aje on November 19, 2021

Lecture handout: Macro Trends

Macroeconomics can be a daunting subject matter but it is too important to be left to specialists. All senior managers need to be able to understand and interpret the macroeconomy, and reflect on the factors that cause it to change. This module equips participants with a foundation in the models and frameworks needed to make sense of our context and policy responses, and presents a number of key risks. We will familiarise ourselves with global growth forecasts and identify the key challenges facing policymakers. 

This lecture provides an overview of global growth prospects and surveys some key challenges facing policymakers.

Here is the quiz.

Emoji Equation: Before the live session you could watch this video and complete this quiz.

Macro Risk: I have a follow up live session which includes this activity.

You can find the latest global growth forecasts from the institutions mentioned in the lecture here:

Where to look for good charts:

What you should be reading:

Newspapers: The Economist • Financial Times • The Guardian (international edition)

Business press: Harvard Business Review • McKinsey Quarterly • Knowledge@Wharton 

What I’ve been reading:

✍️ What I’ve been writing:

Suggested podcasts:
  • Planet Money by NPR – short introductions to key topics
  • Macro Musings, by David Beckworth at the Mercatus Center – interviews with relevant academic and policy experts
ℹ️ Background resources:
  • The best way to keep on top of macroeconomic trends are to subscribe to the Financial Times or The Economist.
  • “An Inflation Primer” Patrick Horan, Mercatus Center Policy Brief, July 2022 – a good background primer on inflation
  • Evans, A.J., 2020, “Economics: A Complete Guide for Business” London Publishing Partnership – my managerial economics textbook is intended to provide a thorough but readable overview of the most important elements of macroeconomics

Here’s a short quiz to test your knowledge about the session:

The evolution of money

aje on October 23, 2021

Lecture handout: The evolution of money*

Textbook Reading: Chapter 7 (Section 7.3; pp. 216-225)

“I’m very interested to watch the crypto community relearn centuries of monetary economics” John Cochrane (Conversations with Tyler, March 10th 2021)

Can someone really understand crypto currencies and the future of digital money without having a solid grasp of why money even exists? This topic is a great example of why historic knowledge and theoretical clarity are crucial when involved in fast changing industries – it provides a benchmark to verify the bold claims made by industry practitioners. The purpose of this lecture is to gain a deep understanding of what money is and how it has evolved.

Background readings:
  • Menger, C., 1892, “On the Origins of Money” Economic Journal, 2:239-55
  • Radford, R.A., 1945, “The Economic Organization of a P.O.W. Camp”, Economica, 12(48):189-201
Interactive practice

Here I am at a museum:

Extra activity: The Bank of England Museum

Fun fact

Apparently the first person to mention Bitcoin in a congressional hearing was Larry White, in 2011!

For more on the links between free banking academics and the early history of crypto see:

The Starbucks hustle:

Starbucks isn’t a bank, but here’s a good Twitter thread on their fintech capabilities:

For more see JP King’s post, “Starbucks, monetary superpower“. And here’s my short video on The Starbucks Hustle:

Stablecoins

In May 2022 the stablecoin TerraUSD broke its peg to the dollar. A very good explanation of what happened, and why, is by Josh Hendrickson: When a Dollar Isn’t a Dollar. And so is this thread:

https://twitter.com/knifefight/status/1525146449914105856

Troubled currencies
  • Steve Hanke runs the Troubled Currencies project which gathers black market data to construct up to date estimates of high inflation environments. You can see more here.
Recommended readings:
Further readings
  • Piecing it together, The Economist, March 11th 2023 – a fascinating theory that the adoption of the silver coin contributed to democracy
Recommended audio:
Recommended video:

Here is a standard historical overview of money:

This is a great lecture video, by the late Steve Horwitz, summarising Carl Menger’s work on the origins of money:

If you are totally new to concepts like blockchain, bitcoin and NFTs and want a thorough account of the history and development, in a well produced an informative documentary that takes a highly skeptical and cynical approach, I recommend this:

For a more positive view of NFTs, an identification of the context in which they’ve emerged (post global financial crisis and great stagnation), and subjectivist approach to value, see this Twitter thread.

A good article debunking a lot of Web3 hyperbole is here:

Some argue that Bitcoin’s main value is as a focal point for crypto more broadly. In this sense it is like Kerrygold butter. See:

  • Bailey, Andrew M. and Warmke, C., “Bitcoin is King”, Chapter 10 [PDF here]
Further activity

In September 2022 Sequoia Capital published a gushing profile of FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried. In November they went bankrupt, and Sequoia removed the article. However, you can download a PDF version here.

Points to consider:

  1. Did SBF’s utilitarian philosophy contribute to his willingness to cross ethical boundaries? (His objective was to make as much “risk neutral” money as possible)
  2. If his intention was to contribute to the norms of capitalism, would he have behaved differently?
Learning Objectives: Understand the origins of money and how this can be used to understand the role of central banks in a fiat money system, as well as to navigate the crypto landscape.

Cutting edge theory: Making assessments of digital and crypto currencies.

Problem Solving and Decision Making

aje on October 19, 2021

 

How can I improve my team effectiveness when facing complex business problems?

Problem Solving and Decision Making is an intensive managerial programme that has been shown to be an enjoyable and successful way to improve team performance and productivity. The course provides practical skills and a management mindset rather than simply transfer knowledge. Participants are taken through the full problem-solving and decision-making cycle: from breaking down the issue, to prioritising and writing the action plan. They also practice communicating their proposal, an important and often overlooked aspect of the decision-making process. The course focuses mostly on experiential, proactive and practical learning: participants engage in individual and team problem-solving and decision-making, and receive constructive feedback to build on personal strengths and address limitations.

Resources:

For more on the Pyramid Principle:

For more on the 7-38-55 rule see:

For more on problem solving, see:

Background materials

For more about Toyota listen to:

For an introduction to the Tylenol murders listen to:

Invited talks

aje on October 7, 2021

I have been invited to deliver talks at the Bank of England, the LSE Investment Society, and have been a longstanding contributor to ‘Freedom Week’ hosted by Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge.

I have delivered the following lectures many times:

  • An Introduction to the Austrian School of Economics – the past, present and future of good economics
  • Competition and the market process – why the best form of regulation is competition
  • The financial crisis – a look at the incentive and knowledge problems that led to the credit crunch
  • Banking reform and sound money – a proposal to liberalise the banking system
  • Economic institutions and global prosperity – an overview of the economic policies that are crucial to prosperity
  • The transition experience in Eastern Europe – why radical reforms are necessary and the underappreciated role of the oligarch

“The Economics of Football“, BIM Open Day, ESCP Business School, London (April 2021)

“Reflections and Advice on Higher Education” CASE Belarus, Minsk (June 2018)

“The Importance of Austrian Economics for Central Banks” Bank of England (July 2017)

“How I teach” Brian’s Last Friday Talks, London (January 2017)

”How free markets can handle money” European Students for Liberty, Ljubljana (October 2016)

“The link between economic institutions and global prosperity”, Legatum Institute (July 2016)

“Free market monetary theory and practice”, Freedom Week Seminar, Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge (July 2016)

“Why you should love price discrimination!“, Freedom Week Seminar, Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge (July 2016)

“Hayek and Friedman in Chile”, Brian’s Last Friday Talks, London (June 2016)

“Is there a libertarian case for QE?” Libertarian Alliance, London (June 2016)

“An Introduction to the Austrian School of Economics”, UCLU Libertarian Society, London (February 2016)

“An Introduction to the Austrian School of Economics“, Libek and ESFL, Belgrade (January 2016)

“An Introduction to the Austrian School of Economics“, Regional Conference of ESFL Vienna (November 2015)

“Free market monetary theory and practice” Freedom Week Seminar, Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge (July 2015)

“Competition and the market process” Freedom Week Seminar, Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge (July 2015)

“Free market monetary theory and policy” Freedom Week Seminar, Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge (July 2014)

“Competition and the market process” Freedom Week Seminar, Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge (July 2014)

“Individual Actions: An Austrian Economics School”, University of Essex Liberty League & Post-Crash Economics Society Essex (April 2014)

“Monetary laissez-faire” Freedom Week Seminar, Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge (July 2013)

“Competition and monopoly” Freedom Week Seminar, Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge (July 2013)

“We had it coming: Introduction to Austrian Economics” FEE Webinar (April 2013)

“Only Individuals Choose”, The Adam Smith Institute’s ‘Liberty Lectures’, Cass Business School, London (August 2012)

“The financial crisis” Freedom Week Seminar, Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge (July 2012)

“Competition and monopoly” Freedom Week Seminar, Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge (July 2012)

“An Introduction to the Austrian School of Economics” Freedom Week Seminar, Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge (July 2012)

“An introduction to the Austrian school of economics” Freedom Week Seminar, Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge (July 2011)

“The financial crisis” Freedom Week Seminar, Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge (July 2011)

“Competition and monopoly” Freedom Week Seminar, Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge (July 2011)

“A Proposal for Sound Money” Libertarian Alliance, London (November 2010) [video here]

“Thoughts on the US Economy: September 2010” Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation (September 2010)

“Banking, inflation and recessions” The Adam Smith Institute’s ‘Liberty Lectures’, Cass Business School, London (August 2010) [event details]

“Booms, busts and crashes: What Austrian economics tells us about the crash of 2008” Institute of Economic Affairs, London (July 2010) [event details]

“Competition and Monopoly” Freedom Week Seminar, Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge (July 2010)

“The Financial Crisis” Freedom Week Seminar, Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge (July 2010)

“The Investment Climate of Transition: Shock Therapy in Eastern Europe” LSE Investment Society (February 2010)

“Banking, Honest Money and the Free Market: Prospects” Libertarian Alliance Annual Conference, London (October 2009) [see video here]

“Honest Money in a Free Society” Libertarian Alliance, Shepherd’s Private Room, Westminster (July 2009)

“Competition and Monopoly” Freedom Week Seminar, Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge (July 2009)

“The Financial Crisis” Freedom Week Seminar, Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge (July 2009)

“Austrian Insights into the Current Economic Crisis – What Might have Been?” University of Oxford Libertarian Society, Christ Church, University of Oxford (February 2009)

“Some stylised facts about Eastern European transition” University College London (November 2008)

“Advice for an international business education” Management Development Institute, Gurgaon, India (October 2008)

“Transition economies: lessons for classical liberals” Freedom Week Seminar, Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge (July 2008)

“Competition and the Market Process” Freedom Week Seminar, Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge (July 2007)

“Collective Goods Problems” Freedom Week Seminar, Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge (July 2007)

“Do Ideas Matter?” Hayek Society, London School of Economics (November 2006)

I’ve also rejected invitations to debate at the Cambridge Union Society, and Lancaster Debating Union

Opinion

aje on October 7, 2021

I used to write a weekly column for City AM and have published a number of opinion editorials, most regularly for The Guardian and Reuters.

I have appeared on the BBC and been quoted by The Financial Times, The Times, Monde Des Grandes Ecoles et Universities, and a range of other publications.

For media coverage of my policy work see here.

Opinion editorials

“Nuclear power: The safer and cheaper alternative to fossil fuels” Open Access Government, January 22nd 2021

“Monetary policy is outdated. Here’s how to reboot it” Daily Telegraph, February 15th 2018

“The time is right for sound money” Conservative Home, January 11th 2016

“Ekonomiju ne treba promatrati isključivo kroz prizmu BDP-a” Poslovni dnevik, January 31st 2013

“Makro pokazatelji kao viktorijanski kupaći kostimi” Lider, Feb 27th 2012

“Forward thinking” Money Marketing, May 26th 2011

“Three principles that should underpin the Budget“, The Spectator Coffee House Blog, March 22nd 2011

“No sympathy for Ponzi SMEs” Business Review Europe, August 10th 2010

“From one uncertainty to another” Reuters, June 18th 2010

“How to thaw the economy” Reuters, March 16th 2010

“Economic Insight” (.pdf), Business XL, 2010

“Leader” (.pdf), Employee Engagement Today, Spring 2010

“Has quantitative easing paid off?” Guardian Unlimited, February 16th 2010

“The end of free email” Guardian Unlimited, January 23rd 2010

“Politicians should allow a business-led recovery” Reuters, December 1st 2009

“Don’t regulate banking – liberalise it” Guardian Unlimited, September 14th 2009

“No need to panic about GDP” Guardian Unlimited, July 24th 2009

“Why G20 leaders should leave well alone” FinanceWeek, April 2nd 2009

“The unpalatable financial truth” Guardian Unlimited, March 22nd 2009

“The semantics of printing money” Guardian Unlimited, March 7th 2009

“The banks couldn’t contain dissent” Guardian Unlimited, February 14th 2009

“The price of economic illiteracy” Guardian Unlimited, November 2nd 2008

The Economist

Freedom Week mentioned by The Economist, June 1st 2013

SMPC minutes linked to by The Economist, March 19th 2013

Blogs that matter

Money Illusion | Marginal Revolution | Economics UK

Interviews

Interview with Lider, September 2019

Interview with Libek, January 28th 2016

Broadcast interviews & commentary

Interviewed by Hunter Hastings for ‘The Economics for Business’ podcast, March 2022

Rejected invitation feature on In the Balance, BBC World Service, July 22nd 2014

Rejected invitation to be interviewed on Jeff Randall Live, Sky News, October 8th 2012

Interviewed by Cobden Centre Radio, November 2010

Participant in a debate on Quantitative Easing, BBC World Service, September 2009

Interviewed for report on US recession, Newsnight, BBC Television, March 16th 2009

Regular panellist discussing the UK economy, The Breakfast Club, News Talk 93FM, Jamaica, October 2008 – April 2010

Print interviews & commentary

tele

Quoted in “Bragging rights: Economists flummoxed by popstar’s Bank of England lecture” by Oliver Gill, City AM, April 19th 2018

Quoted in “Government Interference Has Damaged The Bank Of England For Future Mark Carneys“, Finance Monthly, November 2016

Cited in “Don’t be fooled: interest rates have been changing since the crisis“, by Pete Spence, The Telegraph, March 1st 2015

Cited in “Is this a booming economy, or a credit-driven bubble?“, by Douglas Carswell, The Telegraph, December 11th 2013

Quoted in “Ferguson and Moyes: A Lesson for the Berlin Phil” The Gramophone Blog, May 10th 2013

Interview in “Radnike treba intenzivno uključiti u proces odlučivanja“, Poslovni dnevik, February 4th 2013

mbm

Quoted in “Economic policy revived on the internet“, Financial Times, January 27th 2013

Quoted in “Is UK economy adopting to touch ‘new normal”? The Times, March 29th 2012

Quoted in “To QE or not to QE? The market has spoken” Management Today, January 12th 2012

Interview in “Anthony J. Evans (Escp) e il depennamento della rete del debito pubblico estero in Europa” GreenReport.it, August 10th 2011

Quoted in “China’s economy looks to be on shaky ground” City AM, July 12th 2011

Quoted in “Tax Chaos to Hit Millions” The Daily Express, March 1st 2011 [front page of print edition]

Interview in “Europe is your Oyster” Gateway, Issue 26 (February 2011)

Quoted in “McChrystal critical of Obama” The Edge, July 2010

Quoted in “Eastern bloc renews bid to become high tech hub” Information Age, July 13th 2010

Quoted in “Let the unusual guide you off the beaten track” The Times, February 1st 2010

Quoted in “Pay and pensions to be targeted in public-sector spending cuts” HR Resources, December 9th 2009

Quoted in “Pledge to upskill the young and equip the over-50s to find work” HR Resources, December 9th 2009

Quoted in “UK economy performs worse than expected this quarter” Accounting Web, July 24th 2009

Comments for “Judgment Call” column, Financial Times, April 29th 2009

Quoted in “MBA examiners call in the FBI in crackdown on cheats”, by Des Dearlove, The Times, November 16, 2008

Interview on the Romanian Flat Tax in Saptamana Financiara, Number 170, Monday 4th August 2008

Comments on the London Congestion Charge, featured in Info: Magazine of the French Chamber of Commerce in Great Britain Vol. 29 No.3, May-June 2007

Internet articles

“Don’t conflate ‘neoliberalism’ with ‘neoclassical economics‘” Institute of Economic Affairs Blog (August 2015)

“Forward guidance takes monetary policy even further down the wrong track“, Institute of Economic Affairs Blog (August 2013)

“Monetarists’ blind spot on quantitative easing” Institute of Economic Affairs Blog (March 2011)

“The Threat of QE2” Adam Smith Institute, November 2010

“What Austrian business cycle theory does and does not claim as true” Institute of Economic Affairs Blog (May 2010)

“Ostrom on institutions: complex solutions can spontaneously emerge” Institute of Economic Affairs Blog (Oct 2009)

“Austrian economics vs Keynesianism and Kaletsky” Institute of Economic Affairs Blog (May 2009)

“What Can We Learn From E-Stonia?“, Ideal Government (Oct 2005)

“Petty Crime“, Ideal Government (Sep 2005)

“Common Law Marriage“, Ideal Government (Apr 2005)

Other coverage

“Les etudiants du bachelor de ESCP Europe sont les managers multiculturels du futur” Monde des Grandes Ecoles et Universities, December 8th 2016

Articles

aje on October 7, 2021

n=40

2023 “Competitive authoritarianism, informational authoritarianism, and the development of dictatorship: a case study of Belarus”, Public Choice, Forthcoming (viewable PDF)

2023 “Information, classification and contestability: a cultural economics approach to Uber’s entry into the taxi industry” Review of Austrian Economics, Forthcoming (viewable PDF)

2022 “Jean-Baptiste Say: A Proto-Austrian Warning against Lord Keynes”. Journal des Économistes et des Études Humaines, (with Nikolai Wenzel), Vol. 28, No. 1, pp.105-115

2022 “The upper turning point in the Austrian business cycle theory” Review of Austrian Economics, (with Nicolas Cachanosky & Robert Thorpe), Vol. 35, Issue 1, pp.89-97

2021 “Insider trading and the potential for sabotage” Business Ethics Journal Review, Vol. 9, Issue 9, pp.54-59

2021 “New Evidence and Some Clarifications on the Ethical Implications of Hybrid Banking Contracts” Quarterly Journal of Austrian Economics, Vol. 24, Issue 4, pp. 147-161

2020 “The Natural Rate of Interest: Estimates for the UK“, Economic Affairs, Vol 40, Issue 1., pp. 24-35 [spreadsheet]

2019 “Ranking Belarus on Competitiveness and Economic Freedom” Journal of Entrepreneurship and Public Policy, (with Sierz Naurodski), Vol 8, No. 2., pp.226-240

2018 “A strategic plan for the East Belarus mechanical engineering cluster” International Journal of Competitiveness Vol. 1, No. 3 (with Terence Tse)

2017 “Monetary Ratios in a Modern Regime: Why the Monetary Base still Matters” Economics Affairs, 37, No. 1, pp.102-111 | Data

2016 “A dynamic AD-AS analysis of the UK economy 2002-2010”, Journal of Private Enterprise, Vol. 31, No. 4, pp.97-105

2016 “The Great EU Debt Write-Off” (with Terence Tse and Jeremy Baker), Simulation and Gaming, Vol. 47, No. 4, pp.543-556

2016 “The Microfoundations of Austrian Economics through a New Classical Theoretical Lens” (with Paul Dragos Aligica), Review of Political Economy, Vol. 28, No. 1, pp.113-133

2016 “The unintended consequences of easy money: How access to finance impedes entrepreneurship”, Review of Austrian Economics, Vol. 29, No. 3, pp.233-252

*2015 “What is the Latin for ‘Mayonnaise’? A Response to Bagus, Howden and Gabriel”, Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 131, Issue 3, pp. 619-623

2014 “Contemporary Work in Austrian Economics” (with Vlad Tarko) Journal of Private Enterprise, Vol. 29, No. 3, pp. 135-157

2014 “Not enough bricks: Monetary misperceptions and the UK housing boom” Quarterly Journal of Austrian Economics, Vol. 17, No. 1, pp.19-45 (free download here)

2014 “A subjectivist’s solution to the limits of public choice”, Review of Austrian Economics, Vol. 27, No. 1, pp.23-44

*2014 “In Defence of ‘Demand’ Deposits: Contractual Solutions to the Barnett and Block, and Bagus and Howden Debate”, Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 124, No. 2, pp. 351-364

2013 “The (quantity) theory of money and credit” (with Robert Thorpe), Review of Austrian Economics, Vol.26, No.4, pp.463-481

2013 “Balancing corporate culture: Grid-group and Austrian economics”, Review of Austrian Economics, Vol. 26, No. 3, pp. 297-309

2013 “A framework for the study of firms as constitutional orders” (with Nikolai G. Wenzel) Constitutional Political Economy, Vol. 24, No.1, pp.2-18

2012 “Pedagogical Synergies between Austrian Economics and the Case Method” Journal of Private Enterprise, Vol. 28, No. 1, pp.91-103

2012 “Heterogeneous entrepreneurship and the Sunday Times Rich List” (with Toby Baxendale) Procesos de Mercado, Vol. 9, No.1, pp.411-428

2012 “On not doing due diligence: Bagus and Howden on free banking” (with Steven Horwitz) Review of Austrian Economics, Vol. 25, No. 2, pp.149-157

2012 “Ethnic enterprise governance: a public choice analysis of Liverpool’s Chinatown” Journal of Enterprising Communities, Vol. 6, No. 1, pp.28-38

*2011 “”Search” vs “browse”: A theory of error grounded in radical (not rational) ignorance” (with Jeffrey Friedman), Critical Review, Vol. 23, Issue 1-2, pp.73-104

2010 “A Nomos Approach to Social Change: Where Human Action Meets Cultural Theory” New Perspectives on Political Economy, Vol 6., No. 2, pp.51-77

2010 “The Parallels Between Sports Coaching and Graduate Teaching: Coach Boettke as Exemplar” Journal of Private Enterprise, Vol. 26, No. 1, pp.73-83

2010 “Austrian Economics Behind the Iron Curtain: The Rebirth of an Intellectual Tradition” Review of Austrian Economics, Vol. 23, No. 3, pp.243-268

2010 “What Austrian Business Cycle Does and Does Not Claim as True” Economic Affairs, 2010, pp.70-71

2009 “Thought Experiments, Counterfactuals and Comparative Analysis” (with Paul Dragos Aligica) Review of Austrian Economics, Vol. 22, No. 3, pp. 225-239

Translated as: 2008 “Thought Experiments, Counterfactuals and Comparative Analysis” (with Paul Dragos Aligica) Revue Française d’Economie Vol. XXI, No. 4, pp. 45-71

2009 “Constitutional Moments in Eastern Europe and Subjectivist Political Economy” Constitutional Political Economy, Vol. 20, No. 2, pp.118-138

2008 “Testing Times for Central Banks: Is There Room for Austrian Economics at the Top Table?” (with Toby Baxendale) Economic Affairs, Vol. 28, Issue 4, pp.36-41

2008 “Austrian Business Cycle Theory in Light of Rational Expectations: The Role of Heterogeneity, the Monetary Footprint, and Adverse Selection in Monetary Expansion” (with Toby Baxendale) Quarterly Journal of Austrian Economics Vol. 11, No.3, pp.81-93 (free download here)

*2008 “Dealing with Dissent: Whistleblowing, Egalitarianism and the Republic of the Firm” Innovation: The European Journal of Social Science Research, Vol. 21, No. 3, pp. 267-279

*2008 “The cultural foundations of management: a contemporary homage to Mary Douglas“ Innovation: The European Journal of Social Science Research Vol. 21, No. 3, pp. 83-184

*2008 “The Spread of the Flat Tax in Eastern Europe: A Comparative Study” (with Paul Dragos Aligica) Eastern European Economics Vol. 46 No. 3 pp. 55-74

2006 “Are Economic Ideas a Sustainable Commons? A Study of the Exchange of Creative Economics” Romanian Economic and Business Review Vol. 1 No. 3

2006 “The Spread of Economic Theology: The Flat Tax” Romanian Economic and Business Review Vol. 1 No. 1 pp.41-53

For working papers please see my entry on the SSRN: http://ssrn.com/author=766179

Other journals

2009 “Look Beyond Your Neighbour: A Peer Group Analysis of the Environment for SMEs Across Europe” (with Davide Sola and Jerome Couturier) Les Cahiers de Friedland No 4., pp.77-92

2007 “Reflections on Mary Douglas: Institutions, Rationality, and Wisdom” Ama-gi Vol. 8 No.1 pp.61-65

2005  “Ideas and Interests: The Flat Tax” Open Republic Vol. 1 No. 1

Book reviews

2024, Alicja Sielska (ed.), Transition Economies in Central and Eastern Europe. Austrian Perspectives, Routledge, 2024, Review of Austrian Economics

2021, Peter C. Earle and William J. Luther (Eds.), The Gold Standard: Retrospect and Prospect, Great Barrington: American Institute for Economic Research, 2021, Review of Austrian Economics

2021, John Kay and Mervyn King, Radical Uncertainty: Decision-Making Beyond the Numbers, London: W.W. Norton & Company, 2020, Review of Austrian Economics

Trade journals

Autumn 2012, “What is Austerity?” Economics Affairs Student & Teacher Supplement, Issue 3

July 2012 “Barclays isn’t the only one engaged in the manipulation of interest rates” in The LIBOR Reader, Institute  of Economic Affairs

December 2009 “Ekonomiju ne treba posmatrati iskljucivo kroz prizmu BDP-a” ekonom:east magazin, Broj 501 [in Serbian]

July 2009 “The Times’ Guide to the City”, advertisement feature in Alex Davidson,  How the Global Financial Markets Really Work, Kogan Page

April 2009 “Whistleblowing: using dissent for competitive advantage” Talent Management Review, pp. 23-25

January 2009 “Blowing the Whistle” Payroll & Human Resources, pp.38-40

January 2009 “Egalitarianism and the Failure of Whistleblower Protection” The Whistle, No. 57, pp.8-10

June 2008 “Emerging Market Trends from Europe” Applied Clinical Trials pp.42-50 (with Terence Tse)

October 2006 “Libertarianism in Romania” Revista 22 no. 867 [in Romanian]

Publications – IDEAS | Publications – Research Gate | Citations – Google Scholar | Working Papers – SSRN