Barnyard Economics

Barnyard Economics explains the market behavior of individuals and small firms in a most rudimentary way. It highlights the example set in the nursery story of the Little Red Hen. The Occupy Wall Street economist will say the Red Hen is a fascist in that the hen controls the resources, the means of production, and the manner of distribution.

But, that is not the whole story. In the economics of the barnyard, the Red Hen gives every animal the opportunity to help make bread. They refuse, yet feel entitled to eat. The author cites the Barnyard economic model in two true accounts.

In the first vignette, an immigrant Dutch girl finds a need and fills it. In the second, a runaway kid from a Kansas homestead demonstrates that “building a better mouse trap” brings the world to his door. Each account shows a side of the coin invested in personal actions that lead to individual growth and prosperity.