Robert Lawson 
Dr. Lawson is a co-author of the widely-cited Economic Freedom of the World annual reports, which present an economic freedom index for over 150 countries. Lawson has numerous professional publications in journals including Public Choice, Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, Cato Journal, Kyklos, Journal of Labor Research, Journal of Institutional and Theoretical Economics, and European Journal of Political Economy.
Lawson is also the co-author of Socialism Sucks: Two Economists Drink Their Way Through the Unfree World.
Lawson is past-president of the Association of Private Enterprise Education, a Senior Fellow at the Fraser Institute, and a member of the Mont Pelerin Society. He earned his PhD and MS in Economics from Florida State University and his BS in Economics from the Honors Tutorial College at Ohio University. Lawson's research has been cited over 8000 times according to Google Scholar.
Interviews with Robert Lawson»See all
Books by Robert Lawson
Do We Have to Say It Again? Socialism Sucks!
Apparently we do. Because today millions of Americans ----- young and old ----- are flocking to the socialist banner and chanting, "What do we want? Socialism ----- the economic system that has impoverished people everywhere and resulted in the deaths of tens of millions! And when do we want it? Now!"
Really?
Most people seem somehow to have missed Economics 101 and don't understand that socialism isn't nice, cuddly government that takes care of everything for you so that you can remain an adolescent forever. No, we've seen it tried over and over again with catastrophic consequences.
Luckily, two semi-sober economists have toured the socialist world so you don't have to. And they've come back with this stunning report: Socialism Sucks!
Along the way, you'll learn:
* Why the so-called Swedish model might be attractive, but sure isn't socialism (Sweden is capitalism with a big welfare state)
* How socialist Venezuela went from being the toast of liberals everywhere ----- Viva Venezuela! ----- to being just toast
* Why you never see new cars in Cuba
* Why no one forgets to turn out the lights in North Korea (hint: there aren't any)
* Why American socialists have no idea what socialism really is
How hard it is to find good beer ----- or sometimes any beer at all ----- in socialist countries
Irreverent but honest economists Robert Lawson and Benjamin Powell have all the data ----- and even more important, the firsthand global experience ----- to affirm that socialism fails to deliver on any of the utopian promises it makes and instead is very bad for your economic (and other) health. This is a book that every American who values freedom and sound economics (and good beer) needs to read.
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