Brian Czech Archives – Center for the Advancement of the Steady State Economy

Special Report: Introducing the Sustainable Monetary Policy Act

June 11, 2026/0 Comments/in Banking, Brian Czech, Economic Growth, GDP, Governance, Inflation, Jobs and Employment, Limits to Growth, Monetary Policy, Money and Investments, Steady State Economy, Steady State Economy Act, Steady State Herald /by Alix Underwood

by Brian Czech

The Federal Reserve System has more influence over the rate of economic growth—certainly nationally and arguably globally—than any other institution. When it sets the federal funds rate, the Fed affects the decisions of producers and consumers far and wide. When it lowers the rate, producers borrow more, from Midwest farmers to Silicon Valley techs. Likewise, consumers borrow more for everything from cars and houses to laptops and smartphones.

The Strait of Hormuz: Trump’s Waterloo?

March 19, 2026/6 Comments/in Brian Czech, Consumption, Economic Growth, Food and Agriculture, Fossil Fuels, GDP, Inflation, Peace, Steady State Economy, Steady State Herald, Trophic Theory of Money /by Alix Underwood

by Brian Czech

Given his long-running obsession with GDP growth, an obsession punctuated with mid-terms in mind, President Trump has made some peculiar moves. Just this week, his stripping of immigrant truckers’ licenses took effect, as part of a broader crackdown on immigrant labor, a key source of economic growth. His hyperactive imposing of tariffs has undermined comparative advantage, a condition relied upon for global GDP growth.

The New Food Pyramid: Packing the Plate for GDP

January 15, 2026/20 Comments/in Brian Czech, Consumption, Corruption, Economic Growth, Food and Agriculture, GDP, Governance, Politics, Steady State Herald, Trophic Theory of Money /by Alix Underwood

by Brian Czech

Say what you will—pro or con—about the nutritional merits of the Trump Administration’s new food pyramid, but the thing is a masterclass in political artistry. It systematically serves vested interests, a political party, and an ever-competing president. And, I’ll argue, it’s subtly designed for a surge in GDP.

On its face, it certainly is an artistic endeavor, designed to grab you from several angles. The first thing to catch your eye is its surprising disposition.

Christ Didn’t Shop for Christmas Presents, Much Less Jets or Even Pets

December 24, 2025/5 Comments/in Brian Czech, Consumption, Steady State Economy, Steady State Herald /by Brian Czech

Editor’s note: This annual essay originally appeared December 23, 2020 as “Christ Didn’t Shop…Much Less Jets or Guns.” The version herein is updated, and pets have replaced guns as one of the peeves.

by Brian Czech

With Christmas looming, folks are making tough decisions about last-minute Christmas presents. The public is rattled by inflation, credit card debt is through the roof, and gift-giving is a real strain for many.

Dear AI, It Never Wasn’t an “Intelligence Economy”

November 20, 2025/12 Comments/in Brian Czech, Energy, Ideology, Limits to Growth, Steady State Herald, Technology /by Alix Underwood

by Brian Czech

(With apologies to Johnny Cash and Ira Hayes.)

Once upon a Pleistocene evening, AI, just below the ridgeline, tracks were everywhere. So was the scent. Mammoth! Cupping hands behind ears, the hunter pointed them like parabolic amplifiers. The mammoths were close; he could hear them tearing grass with their massive molars.

But there was a problem, AI. The horizon was reddening,

Introducing the Sustainable Population and Immigration Act

September 18, 2025/25 Comments/in Brian Czech, Economic Growth, Economic Policy, Governance, Immigration, Limits to Growth, Politics, Population, Steady State Economy, Steady State Economy Act, Steady State Herald /by Alix Underwood

by Brian Czech

A steady state economy requires, by definition, a stabilized population. If population is not stabilized, it won’t matter how much we try to conserve. Our consumption as individuals—“per capita consumption”—can only go so low before we hit the lower limits of mere survival.

Mere survival isn’t comfortable, much less fun. It precludes any political viability for keeping consumption at minimal levels. So, as a society concerned about sustainability,

Remembering Peter Seidel: Philanthropist, Futurist, and Good Soul

September 4, 2025/12 Comments/in Brian Czech, Ideology, Limits to Growth, Steady State Economy, Steady State Herald /by Alix Underwood

by Brian Czech

On July 20, at the age of 98, a giant in steady-state philanthropy left the world he worked so hard to help. Frederick George Peter Seidel (1928–2025) played a huge part for small organizations like the Center for the Advancement of the Steady State Economy (CASSE). Peter was CASSE’s best friend, biggest benefactor, and broadest champion. His contributions ranged from academic and editorial to strategic and financial.

Without Peter,

Unsafe at Top Speed: “SAFE” Summit Shoots Off the Rails

April 10, 2025/1 Comment/in Brian Czech, Climate Change, Energy, Fossil Fuels, Ideology, Limits to Growth, Politics, Steady State Herald, Sustainability, Technology /by Alix Underwood

by Brian Czech

The 2025 SAFE Summit in Washington, DC, was anything but. Sure, the hallways of the Walter E. Washington Convention Center were free of hooligans, and the attentive staff kept the floors cleared of banana peels. Yet if your idea of safety is big-picture, long-term—as expected at an energy-security conference—you could have left the summit fearing for your children’s future.

The three main themes percolating on stage were “energy dominance,” “all of the above” (as in all forms of energy),

Introducing the Sustainable Budgets Act (Steady-State Style)

March 5, 2025/5 Comments/in Brian Czech, Democracy, Economic Policy, Governance, Money and Investments, Politics, Steady State Economy, Steady State Economy Act, Steady State Herald, Sustainability /by Alix Underwood

by Brian Czech

Let’s forget about the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and its questionably qualified quant for a moment. Regardless of their recklessness, getting to a sustainable budget is long overdue. Deficit spending adds to the public debt, a threat to the solvency of the United States. That’s why steady staters have long advocated for balanced budgets.

Furthermore, more spending requires a heavier ecological footprint.

At CASSE, Two Decades of Advancing the Steady State Economy

January 30, 2025/1 Comment/in Brian Czech, Steady State Economy, Steady State Herald /by Alix Underwood

by Brian Czech

Penning a 20th anniversary tribute for CASSE, the Center for the Advancement of the Steady State Economy, makes me at once proud, humble, and motivated. When you couple our iconoclastic mission with the fact that non-profits tend to fail within a few years, achieving the 20-year milestone is a proper matter of pride. Yet I am humbled by the immensity of the challenges before us and,