Blog
Adam Smith’s ‘Theory of Productivity Growth’
The full title of Adam Smith’s major work is An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (the “WoN”). Today we observe governments
March 23, 2026
Adam Smith
Insights into Regulation
Adam Smith and the Navigation Acts
Marking the 250th anniversary year of the publication of the Wealth of Nations, in the second of a series of blogs on the contemporary relevance of Adam Smith’s work, the Insights team take a look at his nuanced, changing assessment of the English Navigation Acts
February 24, 2026
Insights into Regulation
Revisiting Adam Smith’s Four Principles of Taxation
In The Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith put forward four general principles that he judged a tax system should satisfy. While the economic system then was much smaller and much less complex than now – the revenue required by the state funded a much narrower range of activities – principles are relatively enduring across changes in contexts.
January 30, 2026