Sam Branthoover

No, Fasting Is Probably Not Healthy

May 27, 2023 · 2 min read · Sam Branthoover Religion Fasting ·

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If religious fasting were for health, that would imply the incentives for fasting lie merely in the non-spiritual...

Yapese Rai Stones

Jan 20, 2023 · 4 min read · Sam Branthoover Research Governance Signaling ·

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The Yapese are an island culture in the pacific (Micronesia); they’ve inhabited the same islands for, at least, two thousand years. They appear to use giant stones, weighing upwards of a ton, as a money.

Market for Government Control?

Sep 15, 2022 · 3 min read · Sam Branthoover Governance Public Choice ·

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Which is preferable: democracy, or monarchy? In the debate between monarchy and democracy, the winner depends on the ideology and the crowd.

Acholi Anarchy

Jul 30, 2022 · 4 min read · Sam Branthoover Research Acholi Signaling ·

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I’ve been researching the Acholi people of Uganda and South Sudan for a year, specifically their marital norms to explain polygamous behavior.

The Bureaucracy of Campaigns

Jul 22, 2022 · 4 min read · Sam Branthoover Economic calculation Elections Public choice ·

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Hollywood media like “House of Cards” and “Veep” make campaign work seem like the stuff left to pros.