Both progressives and conservatives fundamentally misunderstand our most important founding document. This coming week, Harvard University Press will publish my new book, The Classical Liberal Constitution: The Uncertain Quest for Limited Government. This 700-page volume took me over seven years to complete, and it offers a distinctive third approach to constitutional law that helps explain […]
Read MorePolitical Correctness: My Top Ten Universities are immersed in a sea of bias. Here are some indications. By Jane S. Shaw When commentator John Stossel was at ABC News, he said that talking to his colleagues about their bias was like talking to fish about water—“What water? It’s just what we live in.” Academia, too, lives […]
Read MoreTop 10 Ways to Talk about Libertarianism By David Boaz I give a lot of speeches and interviews about libertarianism. Often I have to begin simply by explaining what libertarianism is. Always I’m looking for effective ways to convey the essential libertarian ideas. So today I’m just setting out very briefly my Top 10 Ways to […]
Read MoreIntroduction by Dr. John Baden, Chairman, FREE Most contentious issues of public policy are nuanced and highly complex while carrying heavy emotional baggage. These ingredients foster error and acrimony. Intelligent people of good will, even those sharing similar values, can strongly disagree on policy prescriptions. This situation produces strong temptations to discredit and denigrate policy opponents. These characteristics are […]
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Introduced by Dr. John Baden, Chairman, FREE The first FREE Insight of 2013, “The Real Cliff”, is by Christopher DeMuth and was in The Weekly Standard on December 24, 2012. Chris explains the political logic that generated America’s huge debt and recurrent, soon to be replicated, trillion plus dollar deficits. He warns us that debt […]
Read MoreThe Founders were right to posit that a breakdown of the limits of government would cause a breakdown of consent. Only 22 percent of likely voters say the current government has the consent of the governed.
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How can we have rule of law when judges can amend our founding document at their whim? The term “living constitution” doesn’t poll well. That’s what Constitutional Accountability Center (CAC) president and founder Doug Kendall told participants in a teleforum sponsored by the American Association of University Women. Kendall, a self-described progressive, was explaining why […]
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This column flows from Elliot Spitzer’s crash landing. The important lesson is not inappropriate sex, but rather Spitzer’s abuse and exploitation of political power for career advancement. It took a sex scandal to awaken citizens to the harm and misery he illegally and unethically produced. Surprise lies only in his sexual stupidity. Spitzer’s abuse of […]
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This is a great day to reflect on America. Despite real problems, we live in the world’s most successful large-scale social experiment. We lucky citizens have won life’s lottery. Regardless of ethnicity, if a wise person behind a veil of ignorance could choose where to be born, America would be her best bet. We have […]
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It’s time to consider the causes which lead to Clinton’s temporary victories and ultimate failures. These causes are clear and have one compelling implication. If we are to have honorable politicians we must sharply limit the role of government. There is a highly constructive role for government but it is constrained by financial and behavioral […]
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