Get Rich
Policies to put green in the palm of your empty hand
M. Harrison

The political interest of the average person (I'd use "voter", but that is far too small a group) could be summed up in one word: Money. It is widely known that the economic condition of the nation is one of the most reliable indicators of which party will be elected. When times are good, the incumbent party is generally reelected; and when times are bad, they're usually dumped.

But there's more to it than macroeconomic conditions. People want policies to benefit them personally. Who cares, after all, if everyone else is well off when you're not? So politicians promise all sorts of schemes and ideas to keep jobs, make jobs, and make jobs pay more, in order to get more votes. Most of these schemes and ideas, however, don't work because most politicians don't know anything about economics.

PI is keenly aware of this personal profit-seeking reality, but we actually propose policies that are directly successful at creating growth. Listed below are seven policies that you should support, if for no other reason, because they'll help make you money. After all, it 'aint no one's business if you do.

Working Man Blues: The Decline of Unionization

by Matt Harrison, on the market

America's unions are mighty proud of their long and successful history, and rightly so. The past achievements of collective labor bargaining have resulted in many landmark achievements for workers. And while unions today continue to do excellent work on behalf of the working man, they face a far less rosy future.

Besides the self-admitted dangerous scarcity of educated union members, the union as an institution faces several other difficulties in the 21st century labor market. Many new industries, such as internet blogging, find themselves poorly disposed to unionization, despite earnest collectivist efforts. Even unions' traditional strengths, such as securing guaranteed benefits, are being eroded in the dynamic labor market. While unions try to figure out how to wrangle quality dental care and a 401(k) out of greedy capitalists whose last interest is complying with those demands, the best option for many workers in such a situation is to simply find another job that offers better benefits, thus using the market to replace the union.

A City in Turmoil

The perennially-stalled Motor City & its lessons for American policy

By Eric Plourde

In addition to all of the chaos this country is involved in internationally, America"s economy is also beginning to slow down. Meanwhile, the governments of some states continuously combat progress with heavy taxation and the implementation of policies that do much to suppress the expansion of business.

And how free trade can help you lose the weight, without diet or exercise
Joe Holmes

The single greatest predictor of obesity in America is…(drum roll, please)…a person’s wealth. And no, the correlation isn’t positive. Throughout history, the poor have been those calorie starved individuals teetering between life and death. For a period of time, roundness was considered to be a sign of a person’s wealth and status. Today, those with the least amount of money to spend on food are those most likely to be overweight. In modern times, if one is eating on a budget, the most rational economic approach is to eat badly and, subsequently, get fat. How is it that these traditional notions have been turned on their head? Good old Uncle Sam.

The high-minded officials of the federal government like to fancy themselves as helping the tired, poor, huddled masses to breathe free, but too often failed government policies have the exact opposite effect. It is no secret that the government has continued to subsidize the largely bloated and inefficient farming industry. But where are these subsidies going? Who are they helping? And perhaps most importantly, who are they hurting?

Rebuttal: Peter Dreier & Kelly Candaele
If logic were a salary, would the minimum wage put The Nation magazine out of business?

The article

In two so-called "red" states that favored George W. Bush on November 2, voters also overwhelmingly approved ballot measures to raise the minimum wage by one dollar, to $6.15 an hour.

Kerry might have taken more votes away from Bush in Florida if he had embraced the minimum-wage campaign, as many labor and progressive activists urged him to do. But he inexplicably ignored the issue. It is imperative that Democrats and progressives start a nationwide debate that frames economic justice as a moral issue. Not only would this be the right thing to do. It would seem to be a winning electoral issue.

On the American Capitalist
Redefining the heartless exploiter
Justin Hartfield

"The first requisite of a good citizen in this republic of ours is that he shall be able and willing to pull his own weight." - Theodore Roosevelt

They say the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem.

"Hello, my name is Justin and I'm a Capitalist."