Lecture by Dr. Robert Lawson to address problems with popular ideas around socialism
The Department of Business and Economics is hosting its annual Entrepreneurship Speaker Series, and this year they are bringing in Dr. Robert Lawson, a well-known professor from Southern Methodist University.
The lecture will be held on Monday, May 1, at 6 p.m. in Ochre Court. It will be open to Salve Regina community, as well as the general public. There is no need to register in advance, and there is no admission fee.
With regulations and public policies affecting the decision of individuals to operate and grow businesses, there is tremendous overlap between entrepreneurship and economic growth. The annual Entrepreneurship Speaker Series considers a range of topics all centered on what affects a business’s growth, success stories of Rhode Island and New England-based businesses, and challenges facing entrepreneurs in the world.
During the lecture, Dr. Lawson will be discussing his book “Socialism Sucks: Two Economists Drink Their Way Through the Unfree World,” which was coauthored with Benjamin Powell, a professor at Texas Tech University. Socialism and socialist programs are popular subjects nowadays, and the book considers what socialism actually is, its inherent problems, and the misconceptions surrounding it.
“Socialism Sucks” also investigates cases of economic freedom around the world as well as how property rights affect long-run growth and prosperity.
Dr. Robert Lawson’s other research focuses on economic freedom, property rights and public policies, and economic growth and development. He is a clinical professor and holds the Jerome M. Fullinwider Centennial Chair in Economic Freedom; he also is director of the Bridwell Institute for Economic Freedom at Southern Methodist University’s Cox School of Business. He earned his doctorate and master’s in Economics from Florida State University and his bachelor’s in economics from Ohio University. He previously taught at Auburn University, Capital University and Shawnee State University.
Dr. Lawson is a founding co-author of the Fraser Institute’s “Economic Freedom of the World” annual report, which presents an economic freedom index for over 160 countries. Lawson has authored or co-authored over 100 journal articles, book chapters, policy reports and book reviews. Lawson’s research has been cited over 12,000 times, according to Google Scholar.
The lecture is on May 1 will be free, and there is no need to register in advance.
