True North Ideas | True North

Free Market Road Show Brings Global Economic Experts to Northwood University

The Free Market Road Show delivered powerful insights from renowned economic thought leaders during its April 14 stop at Northwood University. Originating from the Austrian Economics Center, the Free Market Road Show typically visits the world’s largest cities. Its stop in Midland underscores Northwood University’s reputation as a leading destination for free-market discourse. The lineup...

By Kate Hessling

The Nonsense of the ‘Tariff Men’

President Donald Trump’s tariff agenda exhibits no signs of a popular mandate. Recent polling found that 61 percent of the public believe raising tariffs will hurt average Americans, compared to just fourteen percent who see them as helpful. Seventy-six percent expect tariffs will produce increased prices at the store. Clear majorities also oppose Trump’s specific...

By Phillip W. Magness

A Missed Opportunity to Curtail Eminent Domain Abuse

At the end of March, the Supreme Court denied a petition for certiorari in Bowers v. Oneida County Industrial Development Agency, a case involving a county confiscating a private developer’s land to give it to his business rival. Bryan Bowers, a local developer, was under contract to purchase land in Utica, New York, and planned...

By Rachel Chiu

Britain’s State Addiction

The United States gained much of its famous self-reliance and can-do spirit from its Anglo-Saxon heritage, and much of its skepticism of big government from its British origins to boot. So it should horrify Americans to learn just how much the motherland has forgotten its proud tradition of self-sufficiency and pride in being self-reliant. In...

By James Price

My Trade Deficit with Safeway

My wife and I spend over $400 a month for groceries at our local Safeway. Yet those rascals at Safeway buy nothing from us. We have an annual trade deficit with Safeway of over $5,000. Does this sound absurd? It should. In an economy with millions of vendors to buy from, the idea that I...

By David R. Henderson

Tariffs Aren’t Liberating

“Liberation Day”: That is what US President Donald Trump has called Wednesday, April 2, the day he announced huge swaths of taxes on imports worldwide. Despite the label, it was far from a day of liberation. By making imports to the US more expensive, the government is actively increasing the cost of living for American...

By Reem Ibrahim

No, Immigrants Aren’t Responsible for the Housing Shortage. Here’s the Real Cause.

Illegal immigrants are President Donald Trump’s favorite scapegoat for America’s problems. So, it is no surprise that he blames them for the housing shortage. More surprising, perhaps, is the recent report from J.P. Morgan that offers a similar explanation. “It is estimated that there are 11.2 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S., and that number...

By Christopher J. Calton

Five Years Post-COVID: 10 Economic Indicators That Haven’t Recovered

As we mark five years since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, many headlines trumpet the resilience of the US economy: unemployment is low, GDP has returned to growth, and markets have rebounded. But beneath the surface-level indicators lies a more complicated and sobering picture. A close examination of key economic metrics reveals that in...

By Peter C. Earle

Politicians Shouldn’t Fear AI

By Param Vir Singh Language was the original technological revolution. Between 200,000 and 300,000 years ago, early humans in Africa developed the cognitive and syntactic capabilities to structure thoughts into meaningful expressions. This innovation not only transformed communication but also laid the groundwork for mathematics, music, and technological progress. Today, artificial intelligence (AI) presents a...

By Param Vir Singh

A Timeless Investment in Free Enterprise and the Future

At Northwood University, we believe in more than just education — we believe in cultivating the principles of free enterprise that drive global economic and social progress. Our students don’t just learn about entrepreneurship, innovation, and liberty — they live it. Now, you have an opportunity to support this mission in a way that is...

By Kate Hessling

2025 Day of Giving: A Call to Rally Around Free Enterprise

Northwood University invites alumni, faculty, staff, donors, and supporters of free enterprise to come together for the 2025 Day of Giving on March 24. This special day is an opportunity for individuals who value individual freedom, earned success, and the importance of business to unite in support of Northwood’s enduring mission. “The generosity of our...

By Kate Hessling

Free Trade or Perfectionism: New Lesson in Complimentary Free Enterprise Online Course!

In celebration of Northwood University’s Founders Day, a new lesson has been posted in the complimentary online course, “Philosophy of Free Enterprise.” In the lesson — Free Trade or Perfectionism? — Dr. Dale Matcheck, the David E. Fry Endowed Professor in Free Market Economics at Northwood University, nimbly illustrates the impact of trade on our...

By Kate Hessling

Business taxes should raise money for government, not transfer cash to big business

Michigan lawmakers raised money from business taxes over the past two years only to hand it over to a few businesses. That’s not how state government is supposed to work. Taxes are supposed to fund the government. One of those taxes, the corporate income tax, raises $1.6 billion annually. Over the past two years, however,...

By James M. Hohman

The Many Disguises of Socialism

In his book, Socialism, Ludwig von Mises warns about the threat posed by socialism to peaceful co-existence and to Western civilization. He highlights the “disastrous wars and revolutions, heinous mass murders and frightful catastrophes” that have been caused by socialist policies, a warning that was also sounded by Friedrich von Hayek in The Road to...

By Wanjiru Njoya