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Civil Liberties
Who’s Running for President in 2024?
The Lesser-known Presidential Candidates and Parties November 2024 will see the American electorate picking a new head of state. Despite low levels of approval, it seems as though the two major party candidates will again be Donald Trump and incumbent Joe Biden. I’ll cover them below, but let’s face it: You’re probably sick of hearing about them by now. Besides, they are not the only candidates for president this year; each party still has a few token candidates and there will also emerge third-party and independent candidates. Who are these people and parties with little to no chance
Civil Liberties
My Experience with Campus Climate at a Liberal Arts College
William F. Buckley famously authored God and Man at Yale in 1951. In it, he decried his alma mater’s overt efforts to undermine what he called good,
History
Debunking Putin’s Alternative “History”
On February 24, 2022, Vladimir Putin commenced a brutal, full-scale invasion of neighboring Ukraine. Two years on from this calamity, let’s examine
All Learn Liberty Blog Posts
Voting
There’s One Perennial Complaint About Democracy. Here’s How to Solve It.
A perennial complaint about democracy in America is that too large a portion of the electorate is poorly informed about important political issues. This is the problem of the ignorant voter. This problem was exacerbated in the current presidential election cycle by the large number of candidates vying for the Republican nomination that made keeping […]
Education
Should I Go to Grad School?
Should I go to grad school? I’ve benefited enormously from great advice from friends and mentors like Pete Boettke, Tyler Cowen, Deirdre McCloskey, Mike Munger, John Nye, and many others (here, for example, is the indispensable IHS publication Scaling the Ivory Tower, to which I still refer periodically). If I could go back in time […]
Role of Government
Learn More this Summer with Summer Seminars
If you’re a fan of Learn Liberty, you’re already used to asking tough questions about the world we live in and pondering the foundations of free markets and free societies. But did you know you could learn even more over the summer, straight from some of the same professors from Learn Liberty videos? Independent Institute’s […]
History
How Capitalism Made Modern Motherhood
Note: This piece is dedicated to my mom, as I celebrate my first Mother’s Day without her. With Mother’s Day upon us, it’s worth taking a moment to consider the vision of motherhood that we normally celebrate on this day. The holiday’s origins, interestingly enough, come from celebrations of the role of mothers in the […]
Poverty & Inequality
Child Labor is Terrible, But the Alternative is Worse
Does the “Made in Bangladesh” tag on your shirt—which could just as easily be read as “Made by Child Labor”—make you feel bad? There’s no question it should make us reflect on the incredible standard of living that we enjoy. But as Texas Tech Professor Benjamin Powell explains, we shouldn’t feel bad or unethical for […]
Free Speech
Tis the Season of Disinvitation
Jason Riley, esteemed Wall Street Journal columnist and frequent commentator on the issues facing black Americans, was disinvited from his planned commencement speech at Virginia Tech this week. The department head and other faculty members had concerns about his writings on race, which focus on how government policy that is supposed to help black people […]
Immigration
On Cinco de Mayo, Let’s Dispel 3 Common Myths About Our Relationship with Mexico
Today is Cinco de Mayo, which celebrates Mexico’s unlikely victory against its French occupiers in the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. The holiday is usually associated with festivities celebrating Mexico’s incredible culture. But numerous historians believe there’s an added reason to celebrate this day: If Mexico hadn’t won this battle, they argue, the […]
Free Markets and Capitalism
Minecraft and Spontaneous Order
A recent piece in The New York Times Magazine explores the world of Minecraft and how children interact with the game. Minecraft is a game which allows players to build complex creations in a virtual world, either on their own or in shared spaces with other players. The gameplay combines a number of different elements: […]
Basic Economics
Open Letter: Minimum Wage Laws Are Immoral
Editor’s Note: This is an open letter from Prof. Howard Baetjer to a friend who commented on one of his Facebook posts about minimum wage laws. Baetjer and his friend, Adam, look at the minimum wage issue from very different perspectives, so Baetjer wrote an open letter. What do you think about the issue? Check […]
Basic Economics
Yes, We Can Get Richer by Doing One Another’s Laundry
Maybe you’ve heard this slogan: “we can’t get rich doing one another’s laundry.” It’s a sneer at low-skill jobs in the service sector and it is sometimes used to persuade governments to give special privileges to those who practice macho arts like manufacturing lest we be reduced to a nation of shopkeepers, or worse, dry […]
Role of Government
On Loyalty Day, Here’s What We Really Need to Be Remembering
Sunday is Loyalty Day, which celebrates loyalty, responsibility…and subservience to the country. That’s right—Loyalty Day is a day set aside as a time for the “reaffirmation of loyalty to America.” A little creepy, right? Many Americans are rightly proud of their country and loyal to it—up to a point. Loyalty Day gives us the opportunity […]
Basic Economics
The Minimum Wage Experiment
In a recent post at Cafe Hayek, Professor Donald Boudreaux answers the question, “Why not regard minimum wages as social experiments? If they succeed, great. If not, they can be undone.” There are a number of reasons Professor Boudreaux cites for why this isn’t a practical way to look at the minimum wage, including politician’s […]
Uncategorized
Thought Experiments: When Small Decisions Mean So Much More
What are thought experiments? They are the consideration of particular—usually practical—issues that encompass broader, philosophical ideas. For example, the practical decision about whether to keep our dog in a crate or loose in the backyard can be viewed as a thought experiment about the nature of life and the trade-offs between freedom and danger and […]
Free Speech
What Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission Means for Free Speech Today
OK, so let’s say the $h!t finally hits the fan. Imagine that whomever you think would be the worst possible president has just been elected. Further, imagine that he has made clear, “Don’t think we’re not keeping score, brother,” or that anyone who didn’t cooperate with his plans would “pay a big price.” Would you […]
History
What J.K. Rowling Does And Doesn't Do for Native Americans
The ControversyIn preparation for the November 2016 release of her upcoming film, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (which is set in 1920s New York City and features MACUSA, the Magical Congress of the United States of America), J.K. Rowling has shifted her focus from Harry Potter’s Great Britain to North America. Last month […]
History
This Year’s Passover Is an Especially Good Time to Celebrate Freedom from Slavery
This week marks the Jewish holiday of Passover, which, at least in part, celebrates freedom from slavery. As we observe it, let’s not forget those who fought for freedom in our own country. For instance, this year’s Passover follows last week’s announcement from the U.S. Treasury that abolitionist Harriet Tubman will be featured on the […]
Uncategorized
The Supreme Court Will Rule on Your Fourth Amendment Rights
It all comes down to one question: where do we draw the line between citizens’ Fourth Amendment rights and the rights of the government to conduct warrantless searches?
Immigration
Supreme Court Questions Constitutionality of Obama’s Executive Action on Immigration
The Supreme Court is currently considering the legality of President Obama’s executive action on immigration that grants legal status to an estimated four million undocumented immigrants who have children who are U.S. citizens and no criminal record. The debate has divided those who love liberty, because while the policy—ending forced deportations of upstanding parents of […]
Uncategorized
Summer Jobs and Internships: How to Succeed in Interviews
Summer’s just around the corner, which means the job search is on for all of you looking for summer jobs or internships, or entering the workforce for the first time after college. Want to make yourself stand out from the pack? Jeffrey Tucker’s recent article for the Foundation for Economic Education gives eight great tips […]
Justice
Universities Insist on Genetic Diversity While Ignoring Diversity of Viewpoints
For over 40 years, American universities have been working to increase the diversity of their faculties. Now, in response to last fall’s wave of protests from student groups representing people of color, women, and LGBT individuals, many universities are redoubling their efforts in this regard. For example, Yale’s response to the student protests includes a […]
War on Drugs
How One Bridge Can Mean Three Different Things to a Pot Smoker
The Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge, which crosses the Potomac River, serves as the tripoint for the Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. borders, allowing drivers pass through each jurisdiction within a few seconds of each other. This matters for people who smoke pot.
Uncategorized
Drug Laws Vary Across State Borders, and Here’s Why That’s a Good Thing
Every year, when the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) releases its annual arrest statistics, news outlets buzz about the still staggeringly high number of marijuana arrests. Despite support for marijuana legalization now above the 50 percent mark, police made over 620,000 marijuana possession arrests in 2014. This number is striking, and an important data point. […]
Role of Government
The Game of Thrones Must Be Stopped
What does the hit HBO series Game of Thrones tell us about political science and the incentives faced by people in positions of power? Professor Matt McCaffrey explains in the following Learn Liberty video.
Free Speech
Is Drawing a Penis Sexual Misconduct?
Like it or not, drawing penises is a time-honored college tradition just like pulling all-nighters and playing drinking games. But when a University of Delaware student drew a penis on a giant beach ball in a free expression exercise, he was told by campus police that it violated the school’s sexual misconduct policies. It’s certainly […]