Robert Samuelson

Here's a modest proposal: Let's put a cap on lawyers' pay. If you're an attorney, you can make $1 million a year from lawyering or, perhaps, $2 million. Above that,...

Capitalism is many things, but charity it isn't. It's about profits, not philanthropy. Here lies the puzzling contradiction of the Internet. It's the jewel of modern capitalism, even though it...

The real scandal of campaign finance is not the frantic pursuit of private contributions by candidates and parties--a much overreported story--but the quiet conversion of some large federal programs into...

Modern economics makes itself intelligible by adopting everyday analogies. If inflation worsens, we say the economy is "overheating." If the Federal Reserve raises interest rates, it's "applying the brakes." If...

The Microsoft antitrust saga teaches us more about human nature than about technology, economics or the law. We have had a test of wills--among Bill Gates, the government's antitrust lawyers...

George W. Bush's recent speech on Social Security (mildly courageous) and Al Gore's quick response (aggressively self-serving) provide a discouraging commentary on the state of political discourse. Few issues are...

Since the mid-1990s, the American economy has adhered to a pleasurable cycle of higher confidence, spending, jobs and profits. The rising stock market has played a critical role in this...

The Elian Gonzalez case reminds us, in a curious and unintended way, of the great forgotten issue of the 2000 presidential campaign--immigration. It is forgotten because hardly anyone seriously discusses...

Since the mid-1990s, the American economy has adhered to a pleasurable cycle of higher confidence, spending, jobs and profits. The rising stock market has played a critical role in this...

What we know about Vladimir Putin is that we don't know much. He won Russia's presidency as a strong leader who would restore national pride--a conviction flowing largely from his...