Roger Pattison

Bio

Roger Pattison is currently pursuing a Master's degree in economics from George Mason University and working in non-profit fundraising for a liberty-advancing organization. I write on topics related to science, trade, immigration, emergent order, and informal institutions. All opinions written are my own and do not represent the views of my employer or George Mason University.
Janet Yellen and the Ongoing Myth of Fed Independence
By Roger Pattison
On Thursday, Federal Reserve Vice Chair Janet Yellen faced a panel of U.S. senators, a sight that might become more familiar to her once she takes the helm of the Fed as Chairwoman. And, admittedly, it would be nice to see that someone with solid…
American-US Airways Merger Proves Bureaucrats Don't Understand the Economy
By Roger Pattison
American-US Airways Merger Proves Bureaucrats Don't Understand the EconomyIn another heroic example of government interventionism, the Department of Justice filed an antitrust lawsuit last week to block the proposed merger of American Airlines and…
We All Could Be Living in a Black Hole And Not Even Know It
By Roger Pattison
We all may be living in one of the most destructive known forces ever discovered: a black hole. Sounds far-fetched, but some theoretical physicists are saying that this kooky idea can be the key to explaining the creation of the universe and solving…
Immigration Reform 2013: The Piecemeal Approach to An Impotent Bill
By Roger Pattison
Tuesday, Senate officials overwhelmingly voted in favor of beginning work on a comprehensive immigration reform bill. But before we could get fuzzy, warm feelings about bipartisan efforts to fix America’s broken immigration system, the amendment…
Bangladesh Factory Collapse 2013: 3 Ways to Prevent Future Disasters Like This
By Roger Pattison
The deadly collapse of a Bangladeshi factory that claimed 1,127 lives has left governments and clothing retailers scrambling to find a viable solution to the shockingly poor safety standards in the South Asian country. Coming to the forefront of the…
Mars One: Meet the Private Companies Dominating the Future Of Space Exploration
By Roger Pattison
Children born today will grow up wanting to become doctors, firefighters, policemen, and … corporate astronauts? Yes, truly, gone are the days in which government-driven space exploration alone will take us beyond our imaginations and to a galaxy…
NASA Asteroid Mission: How Will Astronauts Lasso a Space Rock?
By Roger Pattison
Last week, NASA announced plans to capture a near-Earth asteroid (NEA) and bring it closer to the planet in the hopes of sending a manned mission to it by 2025. This ambitious plan may sound like science fiction, but represents years of combined…
5 Behind-the-Scenes Players You'd Never Suspect Are Pushing Immigration Reform
By Roger Pattison
After decades of political stalemate, policy makers from both sides of the aisle are coming together to find a solution on immigration reform. Most people turn to their elected officials to come to an agreement, however, many don’t realize that…
Dow Jones Record High is the Result Of the Federal Reserve Manipulation
By Roger Pattison
The Dow Jones Industrial Average hit an all-time high last week, with a record of 14,296.24. Unfortunately, this meteoric rise is backed mainly by the Federal Reserve’s open market activities; not by any real measure of increased market production.…
Immigration Reform 2013: Obama, Senate Plans Both Questionable
By Roger Pattison
Last week, USA Today released details about the White House’s so-called "back-up plan" should Congress fail to pass a comprehensive immigration bill. The proposed bill is suspiciously similar to the one being pushed forward by the Gang of Eight, but…
Climate Change: Are Government Preventative Measures Worse Than the Problem?
By Roger Pattison
Climate change legislation is among the greatest calls to action in modern time. Scores of scientists and global leaders have taken up the cause and have set out policies to counteract the rise in global temperatures. As President Obama declared in…
Immigration Reform 2013: Reform Will Promote Innovation in American Business
By Roger Pattison
Imagine your country is in an economic recession. There are highly-skilled, potential job creators that industry is clamoring to get its hands on. And then, you decide to throw those people out. Sounds crazy, right? But that is exactly what current…
Immigration Reform 2013: Gang Of 8 Plan Will Be Self-Sabotaging
By Roger Pattison
After years in political stalemate, immigration policy reform has once again come to the forefront of debate. This year holds the promise of a solution to the decades-old scrap over the free movement of people into and out of the U.S. Sparked by the…
Immigration Reform 2013: Why is Amnesty Such a Dirty Word?
By Roger Pattison
Emboldened by the recent sweep of Latino voters, the Obama administration has promised to make immigration reform a top issue moving forward. Despite this energy, politicians are still all too eager to jump up and say that any "path-to-citizenship"…
Immigration Reform: Obama Talks Change, But Deported Half a Million People Last Year
By Roger Pattison
Consensus is brewing that serious immigration reform has a real shot for the first time since President George W. Bush’s failed attempt in 2007 to expand the guest worker program in the United States. After riding the huge wave of Latino voters to…