Sabotaging the Invisible Hand: Adam Smith Predicted Modern Policy Failures

Commentary In chapter 10 of “The Wealth of Nations,” Adam Smith dissected the symbiotic relationship between economic inequality and political intervention in the economy. While unhindered competition typically drives markets toward equilibrium—balancing supply and demand to yield maximum efficiency—Smith never indulged in utopian fantasies. He acknowledged that wages diverge from perfect equilibrium because inherent occupational […]