Cooperation and Coercion: How Busybodies Became Busybullies and What that Means for Economics and Politics

by Antony Davies, James R. Harrigan

Overview

An eye-opening guide to how society and government function . . . and how they should function 
There are only two ways that humans work together: they cooperate with one another, or they coerce one another.

And once you realize this fundamental fact, it will change how you see the world.

In this myth-busting book, Antony Davies and James R. Harrigan display the wisdom and talent for explaining complex topics that have attracted a devoted audience to their weekly podcast, Words & Numbers, and made them popular speakers around the country.

By looking for cooperation and coercion in everyday life, they help make sense of a wide range of issues that dominate the public debate. You’ll come away from this book with a clear understanding of everything from the minimum wage to taxes, from gun control to government regulations, from the War on Terror to the War on Drugs to the War on Poverty.

It turns out that coercion is necessary . . . sometimes. Even in a democracy, we all abide by rules, including plenty that we don’t agree with, in the name of getting along.

But in the end, Davies and Harrigan show, cooperation without question is the key to human happiness and progress. The more we encourage it, the better off we all are.

Cooperation and Coercion cuts through heated partisan debates to provide a refreshingly clear and comprehensive understanding of the way the world works.
 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781610171564
Publisher:	ISI Books
Publication date:	03/16/2020
Edition description:	1st Edition
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	3 Months to 18 Years

About the Author

Antony Davies is the Milton Friedman Distinguished Fellow at the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE) and associate professor of economics at Duquesne University. The cohost of the weekly podcast Words & Numbers, he writes frequently for the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and he also has written for the Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times, the Washington Post, and many other publications. His YouTube videos on economics, government, and policy have garnered millions of views. Dr. Davies lectures on economics at high schools across the country.

James R. Harrigan is the F. A. Hayek Distinguished Fellow at the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE) and director of education at the Freedom Center at the University of Arizona. He cohosts the Words & Numbers podcast and has written for the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, the Philadelphia Inquirer, and a host of other outlets. Previously, Dr. Harrigan served as dean of the American University of Iraq, Sulaimani; director of academic programs at the Institute for Humane Studies; and senior research fellow at Strata. He speaks on economics at high schools across the country.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Cooperation and Coercion 9

Part 1 How We Got Here

1 The Knowledge Problem 19

2 Rights and Wrongs 37

3 The Magic Wand 47

Part 2 Cooperation and Coercion in Everyday Life

4 The Minimum Wage 63

5 Gun Control 83

6 Wars on Nouns 103

7 Taxes 119

8 Debt 135

9 Busybullies 151

10 Cooperation 163

Notes 179

Acknowledgments 195

Index 197