Monday, June 21, 2010

Bootleggers And Baptists, part 3

In which Bruce Yandle explains his "Bootleggers and Baptists" concept of government regulation. 

Here's Reason magazine:

While serving as the Executive Director of the Federal Trade Commission during the Reagan years, Bruce Yandle developed a theoretical framework he called "bootleggers and Baptists" to help make sense of regulatory dynamics. As the old story goes, when Baptists lobby for dry Sundays, it's the bootleggers who benefit. Yandle's insight was to point out that "bootlegger and Baptist" coalitions are surprisingly common in US politics. Paul Feine sat down to talk with Yandle about modern day examples of "bootleggers and Baptists."



And of course Bruce Yandle teaches at George Mason University, home of the dynamic duo at Cafe Hayek.

1 comment:

TarrantLibertyGuy said...

I thought this was about my family. My mom was a Baptist "old lady class" Sunday school teacher. Every so often, my benevolent dad would send my mom jet setting around the world for weeks and weeks. That gave him some time to practice his favorite hobby: Moonshining. Since he never sold it, but just invited his old codger friends over to sample some Homestyle corn whiskey, I don't think you can technically call him. 'bootlegger'.