Dean Stansel

Economist, Policy Analyst, Research Associate Professor @SMUCoxBridwell

[Matthew Mitchell @Matt_d_Mitchell]

Michigan should embrace economic freedom https://t.co/WYnsleQfgF

[Bridwell Institute for Economic Freedom @SMUCoxBridwell]

Should economic freedom be a condition for aid to Iran?

Robert Lawson and Bob Borens argue that reforms—not simply financial assistance—are essential for lasting prosperity.
https://t.co/kdDhLE2XSQ

[Bridwell Institute for Economic Freedom @SMUCoxBridwell]

Who has more power: Elon Musk or Congress?

In a new Chicago Tribune op-ed, Bridwell Institute Director Robert Lawson argues that the real oligarchs aren't billionaires—they're the 535 members of Congress who direct roughly $7 trillion in annual spending.

https://t.co/xzcmiyIkzG

[Dean Stansel @deanstansel]

Thanks to the @FinancialTimes for citing my work!

[Bridwell Institute for Economic Freedom @SMUCoxBridwell]

Financial Times 2026 FT-Nikkei Investing in America ranking of the top U.S. cities for international business was recently published. It again uses the Bridwell Institute’s @DeanStansel’s Metropolitan Area Economic Freedom Index in producing that ranking.
https://t.co/WGtI3ebZh4

[Bridwell Institute for Economic Freedom @SMUCoxBridwell]

🚨New Research🚨

"Doing Business v. Business Ready: A Preliminary Comparison" by Robert Lawson and Justin Callais.

How does the World Bank's new Business Ready dataset compare to Doing Business? Their findings suggest it won't be a seamless replacement.

https://t.co/X7N05h1WWS

[Bridwell Institute for Economic Freedom @SMUCoxBridwell]

🚨New Research 🚨
"Sequencing Institutional Development: The Modernization Hypothesis Reconsidered" by Ryan Murphy and Colin O'Reilly

They revisit a classic question in political economy: What comes first—state capacity, markets, or democracy?

https://t.co/caTFN57FeJ

[Dean Stansel @deanstansel]

Useful context for those concerned about data centers' water usage:
"California's almond farms consume 4.2 billion gallons of waters per day... Data centers consume just 46 million gallons per day. ...golf courses account for 1.4 billion gallons per day."

[reason @reason]

Left and right, the arguments against data centers are incredibly weak—and even suspicious.
https://t.co/TJicn0YPNA

[Bridwell Institute for Economic Freedom @SMUCoxBridwell]

According to Meg Tuszynski, "Rules shape incentives. Incentives shape behavior. And behavior shapes outcomes...If policymakers want to understand inequality, they should begin by evaluating rules that negatively impact economic freedom."
https://t.co/ntuuhxrn59

[Bridwell Institute for Economic Freedom @SMUCoxBridwell]

Sriparna Ghosh @sriparnaeco and our @DeanStansel recently had their paper, “Growth-Enhancing Economic Policy and Entrepreneurship at the Local Level,” published in the Journal of Regional Analysis & Policy. ... 1/2
https://t.co/M2LhEZK7Rc

[Dean Stansel @deanstansel]

Thanks to @trevorbach for including my comments!

[Bridwell Institute for Economic Freedom @SMUCoxBridwell]

Our @DeanStansel was quoted in the Dallas Morning News @dallasnews on the state of the Dallas “low-hire, low-fire” economy. https://t.co/xfYAsbpjb7 1/3...

[Bridwell Institute for Economic Freedom @SMUCoxBridwell]

Meg Tuszynski explores how rising local spending has driven sharp increases in property taxes.
If Iowa wants to tackle its property tax problem, localities first need to tackle their spending problems.
https://t.co/1ZQ3X8OhSz

[Bridwell Institute for Economic Freedom @SMUCoxBridwell]

Property taxes keep rising across the U.S.—often faster than incomes.

Lasting relief requires addressing the root cause: government spending.

Meg Tuszynski and John Hendrickson's letter in the Washington Times:
https://t.co/aRPgH3Hd5F

[Bridwell Institute for Economic Freedom @SMUCoxBridwell]

Kicking off the Armentrout Scholars Reading Group Spring 2026 Summit at SMU today!
Looking forward to a great discussion on What America Is: The Moral Logic of the American Revolution with C. Bradley Thompson, plus commentary from Phillip Magness and engaging student sessions.

[Bridwell Institute for Economic Freedom @SMUCoxBridwell]

Check out our “Walk with the Dean” to discuss our 250th exhibit of rare books and documents related to the Founding and Adam Smith.

https://t.co/sI5FcuZWnQ

[Dean Stansel @deanstansel]

...Kudos to Bob Levy for a well-written remembrance. My office there was across the hall from Bob’s when he first came to Cato. (His office had a well-deserved huge window. Mine had only a Magritte painting of a window, but I was thrilled to be there nonetheless.)

[Dean Stansel @deanstansel]

RIP, Ed Crane. Your impact on my life was profound.
https://t.co/NzrJ25lRic
My first job after college was an internship at the Cato Institute. I’ve never thought about it this way before, but when the internship ended, Ed saved me from unemployment by allowing me to stay on...

[Dean Stansel @deanstansel]

...many like-minded people, some of whom I’ve been able to remain in touch with, thankfully, since I left Cato for academia...

[Vance Ginn @VanceGinn]

Economic freedom in the U.S.—here’s why some states score higher than others https://t.co/vS0oHpdkc8