• Home
  • News
  • Top Picks
    • Movies & Films: Top 25
    • Documentaries: Top 25
    • Films For Students: Top 10
    • Music Videos: Top 10
  • Categories
    • Film
    • Documentary
    • Shorts
    • Blog
    • Calendar
    • Links
    • About

Miss Liberty's Film & Documentary World

Libertarian Movies, Films & Documentaries

Price Controls Illustrated In Nine Short Films

Tagged: Anti-regulation, Econ 101

Per Townhall, “With Americans nationwide facing pain at the pump, Democrats next week will vote on legislation giving the Biden administration power to bar oil companies from setting ‘unconscionably excessive’ or exploitative gas and home energy prices.” So once again, the same failed policy of price controls must be imposed on Americans so politicians can act like they’re doing something. And what will the effect be? Well, here are nine films that tell the tale.


A journalist in Venezuela encounters the real life effects of price controls, and documents in a day’s shopping what it’s like to buy eight common goods when the State dictates prices. [3 min]

“We used to produce rice and we had excellent coffee; now we produce nothing. With the situation here people abandoned the fields…”
–The Guardian: Venezuela food shortages: ‘No one can explain why a rich country has no food’


The post-WWII German economic miracle takes off, when economist Ludwig Erhard is put in charge of the economy and removes Allied-imposed controls on prices in defiance of the occupying Allied commanders.  [4 min]


This Khan Academy AP Microeconomics video explains how price floors and ceilings interfere with the normal workings of free trade, resulting in shortages and surpluses.  [8 min]


Milton Friedman explains why price controls don’t work as cure for inflation.  [2 min]


Journalist John Stossel demonstrates how rent control creates housing shortages and ultimately drive rents higher.  [5 min]


Is price gouging immoral? This animated short examines the question.  [2 min]


How the battle at Valley Forge was undermined by price controls, and the lesson that was learned from it.  [2 min]


How government attempts control prices lost the city of Antwerp to the Spanish in 1585.  [2 min]


Tom Riddle Asks Professor Slughorn about price controls.  [1 min]


Share this:

  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email

Related

Featured Post

Government Bureaucracy Sketch: Jameson Notodofilmfest

An excellent short film from the Jameson Notodofilmfest, a Spanish short film festival, on what it’s like to deal with government bureaucracy. [3 min] Topics: Anti-Regulation … Continue Reading

how jack became black

How Jack Became Black | Film Review

A father forced by the public school system to categorize his multiracial children by "primary race" explores the silliness of racial identity. [ How Jack Became Black credits: Dir: Eli Steele/ 96 min/ Documentary/ Equality & Law, Individualism/ 2018] "Eli Steele's storytelling has the authenticity … Continue Reading

The Man in the White Suit

The Man in the White Suit (1951)

WINNER: TOP 25 LIBERTARIAN FILMS A research scientist invents a fabric both indestructible and stainproof, but manufacturing interests and unions try to prevent its production. [ The Man in the White Suit credits: Dir: Alexander MacKendrick/ Alec Guinness, Joan Greenwood, Cecil Parker/ 81 min/ Comedy/ … Continue Reading

Themes

Abuse of power American revolution Anti-draft Anti-regulation Anti-slavery Anti-socialism Anti-taxation Anti-war Ayn Rand Corrupt government Creator as hero Democide Econ 101 Eminent domain Equality & law Escape from socialism Freedom of speech Free press as hero Government as bigot Government as torturer Government enforced morality Government healthcare Government schools Incompetent government Individualism John Stossel Law & liberty Legalize Drugs Libertarian heroes Libertarianism 101 Power corrupts Power worship Pro-capitalism Pro-immigration Propaganda Psychiatric coercion Resistance to tyranny Right to secede Search & seizure Second amendment Sexual liberty Social tolerance Unions & monopolies Voluntarism Working for government

Genres/Categories

Action-Adventure Animated Biography Blog Comedy Documentary Drama Family Featured Film Foreign History Horror Music-Dance Netflix News Romance SciFi-Fantasy Shorts Thriller Upcoming Western

About Miss Liberty

This site is a collection of films and documentaries of particular interest to libertarians (and those interested in libertarianism). It began as a book, Miss Liberty’s Guide to Film: Movies for the Libertarian Millennium, where many of the recommended films were first reviewed. The current collection has grown to now more than double the number in that original list, and it’s growing still.

  • RSS

© 2025 Miss Liberty's Film & Documentary World. All Rights Reserved