In relations with their state-owned enterprises, governments try to capture the advantages that are thought to exist in operating through autonomous institutions. At the same time, they attempt to prod the enterprises toward a set of governmental goals. The resulting relationships between...

In the past, the U.S. government has been involved in various programs to support technical progress. The record of such programs in seven industries offers important guidelines. The economist's usual presumption that government support for such activities should be concentrated on those cases...

This essay argues that market failure analysis provides an unsubstantial basis for assessing the kinds of things governments should be doing if they could do them well, and modern public choice theory an inadequate guide to obstacles to effective governmental action. The argument is supported by...