Sven R. Larson

Sven R Larson, Ph.D., has worked as a staff economist for think tanks and as an advisor to political campaigns. He is the author of several academic papers and books. His writings concentrate on the welfare state, how it causes economic stagnation, and the reforms needed to reduce the negative impact of big government. On Twitter, he is @S_R_Larson and he writes regularly at Larson’s Political Economy on Substack.
Sweden: Charges Pending for Unapproved Research

Sweden: Charges Pending for Unapproved Research

Dr. Sundquist published research that a common factor among the majority of rape convicts was immigrant background. She is now under investigation because those findings had not been ‘pre-approved’ by the government.

February 16, 2022
Populism: A Word without Meaning

Populism: A Word without Meaning

Populism is a term often used to criticize conservatives. But when we take a closer look, those who use it don’t bother to define it. In fact, a closer look suggests that the term has no meaning of its own. All it means is—democracy.

February 16, 2022
Islamist Party Likely to Win Seats in Swedish Parliament

Islamist Party Likely to Win Seats in Swedish Parliament

There is nothing dramatic per se about a new party in the Riksdag. What is unique about the new party Nyans emerging in the 2022 election cycle is that it springs from the Islamist environment in Sweden.

February 13, 2022
Long Waiting Lists at Danish and British Hospitals

Long Waiting Lists at Danish and British Hospitals

Denmark and the UK have recently reported serious health care backlogs. Waiting lists are normally longer in countries where government has the main, or all, responsibility for funding health care.

February 12, 2022
The Lost Cause of Libertarianism

The Lost Cause of Libertarianism

More than any other ideological current in the political landscape, libertarianism exhibits a phenomenal penchant for splinter-grouping. Today, they pitch a big tent shared by abortion advocates, drug legalizers, Rothbard-inspired anarcho-capitalists, and Ayn Rand objectivists.

February 11, 2022
Inflation Continues to Rise

Inflation Continues to Rise

The ECB predicts that for the first three months of 2022, euro-zone inflation will be 3.0%. With 5.1% in January, for their forecast to become reality, a sharp deceleration in consumer prices will have to take place in February and March.

February 10, 2022
Drawing the Lines for Cold War II

Drawing the Lines for Cold War II

Today’s Russia is not yesterday’s Soviet Union. What Putin does to his country is unacceptable, but unlike the leaders of the communist state of the last century, he does not have an ideology that compels him to eliminate the economic and political system of the West.

February 9, 2022
Boris Johnson’s Policy Chief Vows Return to Conservatism

Boris Johnson’s Policy Chief Vows Return to Conservatism

Griffith explains the prime minister’s agenda going forward: grow employment, tackle the NHS backlog, control borders, make streets safer, bring down the cost of living and cut taxes to let everyone keep more of their own money.

February 8, 2022
Demoting Life to a Moral Instrument

Demoting Life to a Moral Instrument

Government says that a person is not alive until deep into the pregnancy. The motive is instrumental: when we legally sever the beginning of life from conception, we allow for another moral value to be elevated above life itself. That moral value works as an ulterior motive for the legal definition of life.

February 4, 2022
Will U.S. Neocon Doctrine Destabilize Ukraine?

Will U.S. Neocon Doctrine Destabilize Ukraine?

Nobody knows the war hawks in Moscow better than the Ukrainians, living as they do in the ominous shadows of Putin’s birds of prey. But the Russians are not the only ones throwing war-stirring rhetoric around.

February 2, 2022
UK Prime Minister in Hot Water over Lockdown Parties

UK Prime Minister in Hot Water over Lockdown Parties

The revelations about Downing Street’s parties are beginning to have political consequences. Some legislators of Johnson’s own party “will push for a non-confidence vote” should it turn out that he lied to Parliament.

February 2, 2022
EU Economy Returns to Pre-Pandemic Levels

EU Economy Returns to Pre-Pandemic Levels

Despite the strong growth rates in the 4th quarter, the European economy has only barely recovered from the pandemic.

February 2, 2022