Classical liberalism, evidence-based, Popperian falsification

Formulate Hayek's 'knowledge problem' as a falsifiable hypothesis comparing the informational efficiency of market-based versus centrally-planned systems.

Analyze Frédéric Bastiat's essay 'The Law' to define the concept of 'legal plunder'.

Formulate a specific, falsifiable hypothesis derived from Bastiat's concept of 'legal plunder', predicting the measurable economic effects of a particular form of state intervention.

Formulate Say's Law as the core classical liberal argument against inherent capitalist instability, and contrast its empirical implications with those of underconsumptionist theories.

Explain the mechanics of the Austrian Business Cycle Theory (ABCT), including the role of the natural interest rate, credit expansion, and the structure of production.

Derive a set of falsifiable predictions from ABCT regarding the effects of credit expansion on relative prices, investment patterns, and employment.

Analyze the primary methodological challenges in empirically testing ABCT, focusing on the measurement of capital structure and policy-induced credit expansion.

Compare and contrast the methodologies and conclusions of two key studies that use different empirical approaches (e.g., narrative vs. VAR models) to test ABCT.

Operationalize Mill's Harm Principle by defining objective criteria to classify actions as 'harmful' and 'other-regarding' for the purpose of empirical policy evaluation.

Analyze the tension between Mill's utilitarian framework and his arguments for individual liberty, particularly in cases where the two conflict.

Evaluate Mill's specific proposals in 'Principles of Political Economy' for taxing inheritance and limiting the 'power of bequest'.

Formulate Mill's views on inheritance as a set of falsifiable hypotheses concerning the effects of inheritance taxes on capital formation and social equality.

Synthesize the classical liberal argument for free immigration, drawing from the principles of individual liberty (Mill) and the division of labor (Smith).

Formulate the economic argument for open immigration as a falsifiable hypothesis regarding its net impact on domestic wages and economic growth.

Critically assess the econometric methodologies used in key empirical studies (e.g., the Mariel boatlift studies) that test the wage effects of large-scale immigration.

Analyze the classical liberal critique of the welfare state, focusing on the 'welfare trap' as a falsifiable hypothesis about labor market incentives.

Evaluate the evidence from Negative Income Tax (NIT) experiments as a test of the incentive effects predicted by classical liberal theory.

Critically evaluate the assumptions of the Coase Theorem and their implications for the feasibility of private property rights as a solution to environmental externalities.

Analyze the mechanism of Individual Transferable Quotas (ITQs) as an application of property rights theory to prevent the 'Tragedy of the Commons' in fisheries.

Critically evaluate the empirical evidence comparing the effectiveness of ITQ systems with command-and-control regulations in resource management.

Analyze the historical evidence from the English enclosure movement, evaluating competing claims about its impact on agricultural productivity and social stability.

Synthesize the theoretical frameworks and historical evidence to formulate a nuanced position on the conditions under which different land tenure systems are stable and productive.

Synthesize the classical liberal positions on land, inheritance, and capital to form a coherent view on wealth concentration.

Critique the internal consistency of classical liberal policies (e.g., on immigration, welfare, property) by testing them against the tradition's core principles (e.g., harm principle, rule of law, Lockean Proviso).

Formulate your own evidence-based, internally consistent framework for addressing contemporary policy issues, drawing upon or critiquing the classical liberal tradition.