Should the Government Subsidize…Silly Walks?

Prof. Art Carden has developed some silly walks and is seeking payment for his work.

Art Carden

Art Carden is Associate Professor of Economics at Samford University’s Brock School of Business and a Senior Fellow with the American Institute for Economic Research. He is also a Research Fellow with the Independent Institute, a Senior Fellow with the Beacon Center of Tennessee, and a Senior Research Fellow with the Institute for Faith, Work, and Economics. His main areas of research are southern economic history, the history and philosophy of economic ideas, and the effects of “Big Box” retailers like Walmart and Costco. He is a regular contributor to Forbes​.com and a number of other outlets.

Since Prof. Art Carden cannot find anyone to pay him voluntarily for producing silly walks, perhaps he should apply for a government subsidy? While silly walks may benefit society, the fact that people will not pay for their development voluntarily indicates that people do not value silly walks as much as other things they might pay Prof. Carden to do. Are some subsidies valid, though? What about for food? Or for education? How about subsidies for clean energy? Is government assistance definitely better for society?