Learn Liberty Blog
Featured Learn Liberty Blog Posts
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, American values such as faith, capitalism, and individualism. Today, I assert that institutions of higher schooling everywhere undermine — or fail to instill — other crucial values; values that underpin the very idea of higher education. In particular: appreciation for freedom of speech, academic freedom, open debate, and fearless, intellectual rigor. For more on freedom of speech, see Prof. Peter Jaworski’s Learn Liberty Video, The
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
Democracy and Voting
The Soviet Union’s terrible legacy on democracy and minority rights
From the series: Debunking Myths about the Soviet Union Since they first seized power, Soviet leaders have claimed their “democracy” to be
All Learn Liberty Blog Posts
Uncategorized
College, the way it should be: IHS Summer Seminars.
If you’re a fan of Learn Liberty, you’re probably interested in learning more about libertarian ideas and discovering the libertarian perspective on topics like history, economics and philosophy. But did you know you can learn more and discuss and debate those ideas with other students and Learn Liberty professors? IHS Summer Seminars are week-long summer […]
Voting
Super Tuesday: 4 Traps American Voters Need to Avoid at All Costs
It’s election season and you’re ready to vote. You’ve carefully researched the candidates and their platforms, so you’re pretty certain your vote will be an informed one. But before you cast your vote at the polls, take some time to reflect on these four cognitive biases, or traps, and how they impact your voting decisions. […]
Uncategorized
The Red Rising Trilogy, A Review
The Red Rising trilogy is a “must read” for those who follow young adult dystopias, dystopian fiction in general, and contemporary science fiction, as well as those interested in “big idea” fiction about individualism and liberty. Red Rising owes a debt to many science fiction works that came before it, from Frank Herbert’s Dune and […]
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Understanding the 2008 Financial Crisis and Beyond
If you’ve ever wondered about the 2008 financial crisis and the ensuing “Great Recession,” you’re not alone. It’s not hard to point fingers at banks, financial institutions, and regulators—but do you know the underlying causes of financial crises? In our new On Demand program, Financial Crises and Government, we team up with professors like Stephen […]
Uncategorized
What Caused the Financial Crises: Bankers or the Government?
Now that we’ve had eight years to digest the most recent financial crisis, the accepted narrative puts the blame squarely on the private banking sector. The conventional wisdom goes that the greedy banksters on Wall Street – not regulated thoroughly enough – took some risky bets on sub-prime mortgages and collapsed the housing market. It’s […]
Education
If You Want to Change Society but Don’t Know How, Here’s a Helpful Resource
According to a recent Reason-Rupe poll, 58 percent of Americans ages 18-24 view socialism favorably. But according to the same poll, young Americans strongly favor a “free-market” economy versus a government-controlled system by a margin of 32 percentage points. How is that possible? A Concerning Trend Many young Americans view “socialism” in terms of free […]
Uncategorized
We're Still Haunted By the Labor Theory of Value
This post by Professor Steve Horwtiz originally appeared on the Foundation for Economic Education’s blog back in November of 2015. The following are excerpts. What Menger and others argued was that value is subjective. That is, the value of a good is not determined by the physical inputs, including labor, that helped to create it. […]
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What Does It Mean To Learn Liberty?
For over five years, the team here at Learn Liberty has been producing content for YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and even on our own gamified website. We’ve reached millions of students with videos, blogs, and graphics discussing topics from Star Wars to the Cold War. We have done these things for a specific reason: to ask questions, challenge the […]
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Discussion Question: Police Encounters
Should police officers be obligated to inform suspects when they can refuse to be searched? Why might it be wise to refuse to consent to a search, even if the person being searched is not guilty of a crime and has ‘nothing to hide?’
Education
Can We Really Learn From Hate Speech?
When Williams College President, Adam Falk, cancelled John Derbyshire’s campus speech, many in the school community hailed the decision. The controversially conservative writer is known for his strong, and sometimes abrasive, stances on issues like multiculturalism and immigration. But unlike his classmates, sophomore Zachary Wood called the President’s decision “not merely injudicious, but undemocratic, irresponsible, […]
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Racial discrimination in the U.S. criminal justice system: did you know?
You’ve probably heard about racial disparity in the U.S. criminal justice system. With the deaths of Michael Brown in Ferguson and Eric Garner in New York in the last few years, national attention has been brought to racial injustice in policing. But it’s not just the police who are responsible for racial discrimination in the […]
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Donald Trump, NASCAR Driver: Success in Business vs Economic Knowledge
Professor Donald Boudreaux has an excellent piece over at Cafe Hayek, where he rebuts a common argument he’s been hearing lately in support of Donald Trump: Trump has proven time and again he knows his stuff when it comes to economics. He has a personal wealth of $10Billion proving his understanding. Hard to argue with […]
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Graduating soon? Consider this paid D.C. fellowship opportunity.
Are you just starting your career? Just graduated, or working entry level jobs? Do you want to learn more about the ideas of freedom, or work at an organization which advances those ideas? Consider applying for the Public Interest Fellowship. The D.C.-based fellowship offers full-time, paid employment for two years. Fellows rotate through a number […]
Uncategorized
Lysander Spooner on the Social Contract
For more of Spooner’s libertarian anarchist criticism of the US Constitution, check out his “No Treason: The Constitution of No Authority.”
Voting
Why Do All Politicians Sound the Same?
As the election cycle starts to heat up you may begin to realize that most politicians sound the same, except for a few rhetorical differences. Why is that? Professor Diana Thomas investigates.
Education
How to Get Funding for Your PhD
Grad school is difficult enough without worrying about money. We’ve put together a list which should help you think less about your budget and more about your research. Fully Funded Degree Programs If you’re still applying to grad school, you might be interested in this list of fully-funded degree programs from ProFellow. IHS PhD Fee […]
Uncategorized
Your City Probably Doesn’t Need a Government-Financed Stadium or Convention Center
The first time I ever voted, I voted badly: I voted for a plan to use government money to build a soccer stadium and hockey arena in Columbus, Ohio, where I grew up. A few months later, I moved to Tuscaloosa to start college. Along the way, I stopped in Birmingham for a few days […]
Education
Featured On Demand Program of the Week: Getting Politics Out of Education
Is it unjust that some people receive a good education because they live in a good neighborhood, while those in poor neighborhoods are sent to failing schools? “School choice” is a means to break free from the restrictive location-based public school system, giving parents the freedom to choose the school that is right for their […]
Education
8 Great Economics PhD Programs to Check Out
Want to apply to grad school, but not sure which degree programs are right for you? We’ve put together a list of 8 great degree programs for those interested in classical liberal ideas to help you on your path to your PhD: George Mason University The economics PhD program at George Mason is a great […]
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Know Your (Bill of) Rights
Did you know that the Bill of Rights is the first ten amendments to the Constitution? Okay, maybe you did. But can you name all the amendments, and what they protect? You’re probably familiar with the First, Second, and Fifth Amendments, which are commonly referenced and protect free speech, the right to bear arms, and […]
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Discussion Question: On Intellectual Property
Suppose Daniel, a singer, writes a song that becomes very popular. After listening to the song, Josh, another singer, performs it with his own band. How would you respond to Daniel’s complaints that Josh stole his song? If Josh makes money from performing the song, does Daniel deserve a fraction (or all) of Josh’s earnings? […]
Education
3 Things to Consider When Applying for Graduate Programs
After careful consideration of all of the factors listed, you’ve decided grad school is for you. Now what? Narrow in on a topic or program. This may seem like an obvious first step, but it is easy to overlook in the frenzy to find the right school. Which program is right for you, though, depends on […]
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Jumpstart Your Career: Intern with the Reason Foundation
Are you interested in a career in public policy, journalism, video production, or fundraising? The Reason Foundation, which produces Reason Magazine, is looking for summer interns. An internship with the Reason Foundation is an excellent way to get your foot in the door—previous interns have gone on to work at such places as The Wall […]
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Periscope Schedule for the Week
If you haven’t checked us out on Periscope make sure to stay tuned this week, to discuss our new video releases and help us choose our next video! These are our scheduled streams for this week: Wednesday, February 17th @ 2pm EST – Learn Liberty Video Pitch Periscope Friday, February 19th @ 2pm EST – […]