Thursday, June 26, 2014

Vox on Occupational Licensing

Vox, one of my favorite leftist sites (Matt Yglesias is writing again, yay), does a quality overview of occupational licensing in flip-card form. Included is one of the best alternative ideas to licensing I’ve ever heard but only economists seem to talk about, certification:

Certification also requires education, training, and examinations. But there's a big difference: certification is voluntary. You can’t work without a license; you can work without being certified.

For example, to be certified as a surgeon, a medical doctor needs to complete a surgical residency, pass oral and written exams, and maintain that certification with renewal training and exams. But a doctor who has not been certified can legally perform surgery.