When Free to Choose is the signature publication of Northwood University. It is dedicated to promoting the global, diverse and multi-cultural nature of enterprise. Bringing lessons of the American free enterprise society directly to your inbox or mailbox, When Free to Choose features informative essays about timely issues and events, and thought-provoking point-counterpoint essays written by industry experts, faculty, scholars and researchers.
The 2025 Northwood University Freedom Seminar will survey the two alternative paths that humanity tried over the past century: the road to serfdom and the road to freedom. The first was examined by the Austrian economist F. A. Hayek, who chose it as a title to a book that exposed the economic bankruptcy, political dangers,...
With the rise of populist skepticism about international trade, claims have resurfaced asserting that restricting imports will create jobs, that trade deficits are a subsidy to foreigners, that tariffs generate tax revenue, and that tariffs serve as a strategic negotiating tool. But most of these claims are economically flawed and often contradict each other. The...
The Three Mile Island meltdown was the worst American commercial nuclear accident in our nation’s history. Yet at the same time, it is the only commercial nuclear accident in U.S. history, with no one being physically harmed and the plant remaining operational. Primarily, this can be attributed to the creation of the Institute of Nuclear...
Why does the Spangler Candy Company make its famous Dum Dum Lollipops in Bryan, Ohio, and its candy canes down in Juarez, Mexico? The answer to that question has a lot to teach us about the hidden costs of protectionist policies. It starts with the influence of the American Sugar Lobby, which contributes millions of...
The following Student View by Barrett Tefft, Anthony Storer, and Alexander “Noel” Tokarev appears in the April 2025 When Free to Choose, a signature publication by Northwood University. Some see immigration as a human right. If that’s true, we need open borders. Others say the failure of the previous administration to stop the flow of...
By Dr. Timothy G. Nash, Jim Hop, Dr. Thomas Rastin, and Anthony Storer An objective and bipartisan review of key economic data is needed to understand the results of the fall 2024 U.S. presidential election. Below, we evaluate 13 key indicators impacting the U.S. economy and their role in the re-election of President Donald Trump....
The eyes of the world are focused on the White House where President Donald Trump’s return is a harbinger of very significant and consequential changes in America’s international trade policies. The President of the United States demanded major economic and political concessions from China, Mexico, Canada, and the European Union which, if not satisfied promptly,...
Last year, we celebrated 50 years of Friedrich Hayek’s Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences. We also marked 80 years since the great Austrian economist published his global bestseller, The Road to Serfdom. The book came out during the rise of Clement Atlee in the United Kingdom and of Juan Peron in Argentina. Just as...
Americans are praying for tens of thousands of families who lost relatives and homes in the devastating fires in Los Angeles. Governor Newsom and Mayor Bass face criticism for prioritizing the well-being of fish over people, for misguided environmentalist policies that effectively turned the local forests into a tinderbox, and for diverting state and local...
At first glance, what appears to be just another natural disaster, upon closer look, reveals a widespread state policy failure driven by a flat-earth theory of economic policy. In recent years, the state of California has waged a war against insurance companies. The California Department of Insurance (CDI) has closely regulated insurance premiums, requiring approval...
The U.S. Constitution does not charge the federal government with any duties related to the production or consumption of food. Therefore, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) should propose, Congress should vote for, and President Trump should sign a bill that eliminates agencies like the USDA and programs such as farm subsidies. Public opinion and...
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and a long period of deindustrialization, the landscape of American trade policy is changing radically. This shift is reflected in declining support for free trade, particularly with China, across the political spectrum. This fall, the Northwood University Freedom Seminar featured a panel that explored free trade, fair trade,...
People can be strong advocates of freedom in the abstract, an ideal in concept. But do people really want freedom and responsibility in practice? Chapter 36 of my book, “The Adventures of Jonathan Gullible,” refers to the works of Fyodor Dostoevsky in “The Brothers Karamozov.” Dostoevsky conjures a character, the Grand Inquisitor of Spain, who...
In a world of change, the fundamental principles of The Northwood Idea are timeless. Under any circumstances, personal freedom and individual responsibility are essential for a free society. So it is illustrative to examine some of the most compelling expressions of The Northwood Idea that great thinkers have contributed through the years. We call them...