Topic

Big Ideas

The recurring mechanisms behind many policy surprises: subsidies, supply, prices and incentives.

Big Ideas

What Happens When Government Subsidizes Demand but Restricts Supply?

Give every buyer $100,000 when there are still only ten houses, and the check goes to the buyer while the money goes to the seller. How much depends on one thing: supply.

Sep 27, 2026 · 5 min read