Northwood University Celebrates Class of 2026 with Messages of Hope, Responsibility, and Freedom
Northwood University Celebrates Class of 2026 with Messages of Hope, Responsibility, and Freedom
Northwood University celebrated the Class of 2026 on Saturday, May 9, during a full day of commencement ceremonies that honored nearly 600 graduates and featured messages rooted in freedom, personal responsibility, earned success and principled leadership. The day opened with remarks from Northwood University President Kent MacDonald, who offered a commencement message centered on hope...
Grading Trump’s Midterm Economy
Grading Trump’s Midterm Economy
This piece originally appeared in The Detroit News on March 26, 2026. May you live in interesting times. That’s how the ancient Chinese (supposedly) cursed their enemies. It’s hard to think of a more politically interesting time in the lives of a Gen-Z student than the first 14 months of the second Donald Trump presidency....
By Dr. Alex Tokarev, Kristin Tokarev
Northwood Professor Co-Authors Survey of Deirdre McCloskey’s Intellectual Legacy
Northwood Professor Co-Authors Survey of Deirdre McCloskey’s Intellectual Legacy
Northwood University Professor Alex Tokarev and Samford University Professor Art Carden offer a survey of McCloskey’s almost six-decade career in four movements: her contributions to the Cliometric Revolution, her work on the rhetoric of inquiry, her analysis of the Great Enrichment, and her forays into “humanomics” at the Social Sciences Research Network. To learn more,...
The Times That Try Men’s Souls: The Revolution on the Brink
The Times That Try Men’s Souls: The Revolution on the Brink
What was the American Revolution? The Declaration of Independence established it as a new way of thinking about liberty and government. But the Revolution also involved a War for Independence that shaped the way those Americans thought about themselves and their former rulers. Just as the ideas of the founders helped create the United States,...
By Dr. Dale Moler, Dr. Alex Tokarev, Kristin Tokarev
Regulators Can’t Keep Up with the AI Economy
Regulators Can’t Keep Up with the AI Economy
ChatGPT marked the third anniversary of its public launch last autumn. Its extraordinary success stands as a potent reminder — particularly for policymakers — of how quickly innovation can reorder entire industries. Within five days of ChatGPT’s release, one million people had signed up for it. Two months later, it had 100 million users. Today,...
By Dr. Brett M. Decker
Ideas Worth Defending: Free Market Road Show Brings Global Conversation to Northwood University
Ideas Worth Defending: Free Market Road Show Brings Global Conversation to Northwood University
At Northwood University, ideas are not treated as abstract concepts reserved for textbooks or lecture halls. They are living principles that shape institutions, influence policy, expand opportunity, and determine whether individuals are free to pursue their highest potential. That is why Northwood was proud to host this year’s Free Market Road Show, an international lecture...
By Kate Hessling
‘The Wealth of Nations’ and 250 Years of Economists Missing the Point
‘The Wealth of Nations’ and 250 Years of Economists Missing the Point
Northwood University Professor Gabriel F. Benzecry and Daniel J. Smith recall the timeless messages of Adam Smith and how overwhelmingly we’ve failed to absorb and implement them this new piece for The Independent Institute.
By Dr. Gabriel Benzecry, Daniel J. Smith
How Trump can get energy prices down for all Americans
How Trump can get energy prices down for all Americans
The following piece by Dr. Brett Decker, a New York Times bestselling author and the Endowed Chair of Leadership at Northwood University, first appeared in the BizPac Review. The war in Iran has underscored an economic truth: higher energy prices are a killer. The Iranian regime’s disruption of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has...
By Dr. Brett M. Decker
A Look at Our Material Progress
A Look at Our Material Progress
In 2024, Americans elected an entrepreneur who promised to cut taxes, shrink the federal bureaucracy, and unleash market forces to make life more “affordable.” A year later, the residents of New York City elected a Marxist who claims that capitalism is crushing our American Dream. His solution? More rules and redistribution to solve the “affordability...
By Dr. Alex Tokarev
Free Enterprise Center Director Discusses National Debt on Ron Jolly Show
Free Enterprise Center Director Discusses National Debt on Ron Jolly Show
Dr. Timothy G. Nash, Northwood University senior vice president emeritus and director of the Northwood University Center for the Advancement of Free Enterprise and Entrepreneurship, discussed the national debt, economic growth, Milton Friedman, and more, during an interview on the Ron Jolly Show on WTCM. Listen here!
Everyone Loses When Scholars Compare Markets to Myths
Everyone Loses When Scholars Compare Markets to Myths
Too often, discussions about capitalism and inequality rest on an uneven comparison: real-world markets are measured against imaginary governments. That is one of the central concerns Northwood University Economic Professor Michael Makovi raises in his review for The Independent Review, a journal of The Independent Institute. In the piece, Dr. Makovi reviews Understanding Political Economy:...
By Dr. Michael Makovi
Why Gold Continues to Buck Trends and Outperform Stocks
Why Gold Continues to Buck Trends and Outperform Stocks
For over two decades, gold’s role as a staple investment has grown more pronounced in the global financial system. Since 2000, the commodity has outperformed all major US stock indices. It has preserved purchasing power, protected investors during crises, and hedged against policy shifts. The forces propelling gold higher today extend beyond its safe-haven status....
By Dr. Timothy Nash, Anthony Storer, Jim Hop, Patrick O’Keefe
Paramount is the Better Deal. Congress Should Move On.
Paramount is the Better Deal. Congress Should Move On.
Northwood University Endowed Chair of Leadership Brett M. Decker, a New York Times best-selling author and former editor and editorial page writer for The Wall Street Journal, authored this piece, which was published this week by Barron’s. Click here to read Professor Decker’s case for why members of Congress should recognize a better thing when...
Timeless Values: ‘Mobility is Freedom’
Timeless Values: ‘Mobility is Freedom’
In a world of constant change, the enduring principles of The Northwood Idea remain steadfast. Personal freedom, individual responsibility and the rule of law are not relics of another era — they are the permanent foundations of a free and flourishing society. It is therefore fitting to revisit the voices and lessons that have most...
By Dr. Timothy Nash, Dr. Robert W. Serum