Economic Progress

Which state has the most land owned by the federal government? With a shocking 81.1 percent of land being owned by the federal government, Nevada takes first place followed by Utah at 66.5 percent and Alaska at 61.8 percent. In fact, in 11 of the westernmost states, the federal government owns approximately 50 percent of […]

According to The Washington Times, last year the federal government spent $1.3 million on alcohol. While there may be some legitimate expenses on drinks, when examined next to the comparatively meager $315,000 spent in 2005, the spending has quadrupled. “’You could say that Washington’s quite literally drunk on other people’s money,’ said Jonathan Bydlak, president of […]

Everything is bigger in Texas, even government waste. In 2012, a high school in Dallas spent $60 million of taxpayer money on an 18,000 seat stadium. Now, just 18 months after construction was completed, the structure has been closed due to extensive cracks some ranging as much as three-quarters of an inch wide. That a […]

Today marks Milton Friedman’s birthday. Described by The Economist as “the most influential economist of the second half of the 20th century … possibly all of it,” Milton Friedman lives on in his ideas. At Stand Together Trust, we’ve named our classrooms and conference rooms in honor of 28 men and women who spent their […]

Sampling foods and spices from countries across the globe is something Americans tend to take for granted. When we pick up items like bananas or chocolate or pineapple or fresh-ground peppercorns at the local supermarket, few of us give a second thought about the thousands of miles these treats have travelled to get here—or what […]

When the government grants permission to work What do teeth whitening in Connecticut, hair shampooing in Tennessee, and interior designing in Florida have in common? They’re all licensed occupations. In other words, only individuals who have completed the necessary steps to acquire a license can legally provide these services. Occupational licenses are intended to protect […]

Happy Constitution Day! “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” […]

Economic freedom is the ability to control our own resources free from government interference while respecting the rights of others to make their own decisions as well. In America, legislation or taxation passed by the legislative branch of government often impacts this freedom, as do the regulations or executive orders enforced by the executive branch. […]

Entrepreneurs are vital to a healthy economy. They look for unmet needs in society and then try to fill them with a new good or service. They take risks without any certainty of reward. They push forward new technology. They try things that others might consider unlikely to succeed, and occasionally this results in successes […]

Many people assume that we need government regulations to keep businesses from taking advantage of us. On the other hand, some argue that we don’t need regulations at all. The truth is that many regulations can and do exist apart from government. They also arise on their own from voluntary interactions in society. Market incentives […]