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
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Liberty and the American West, on campus in Texas!
Learn Liberty’s parent organization, the Institute for Humane Studies, doesn’t just educate students online. IHS also hosts on-campus events at campuses across the country. The first weekend seminar of 2016 will be held at Texas Tech University on February 5. Focusing on Liberty and the American West, the event will be two days packed full […]
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Biases and Americans’ support for bombing the city from Aladdin
A recent survey showed that 30% of Republicans and 19% of Democrats said they would support bombing Agrabah. For those of you who haven’t watched Disney’s Aladdin recently, Agrabah is the fictional city in which the movie takes place. While it’s disheartening to realize the level of ignorance about geography and culture a question like this […]
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Have Wages Stagnated?
In this video professor Don Boudreaux responds directly to commentator Robert Reich on the topic of wages, particularly the claim that middle class wages have stagnated in recent decades.
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Learn Liberty on Periscope in the Week Ahead
If you haven’t checked us out on Periscope make sure to tune in this week to discuss our new video releases and help us choose our next video! Learn Liberty will be streaming on Periscope on: Thursday, January 7th @ 1:30pm EST – Learn Liberty New Video Release Q&A Friday, January 8th @ 1:30pm EST […]
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Featured On Demand Program of the Week: Financial Crises and Government
This new On Demand series will explore the history of financial mayhem caused by government intervention as it explores topics like the effectiveness of stimulus spending, the Austrian theory of booms and busts, the government response to the 2008 financial crisis, the Great Recession and more. Join professors Stephen Davies, Tyler Cowen, and others as […]
Voting
Will You Vote Well?
What should you read between now and Election Day? If you’re only going to read one political book, you should make it Jason Brennan’s The Ethics of Voting. If you’re going to read a second, I nominate Bryan Caplan’s The Myth of the Rational Voter. If you’re going to read a third, you should read […]
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Discussion Question: Policing in America
Should police officers go on trial every time they kill another person? If not, what are the appropriate considerations for police actions (and possible crimes) in the context of the line of duty, and are they used in America today? Be sure to check out our new video on police brutality in the wake of […]
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Freedom Makes Bigots Pay
The following article by professor Howard Baetjer appeared on the Freeman on December 3rd, 2015. Below is an excerpt. But suppose these kinds of legislated disadvantages were done away with, so that we had truly free labor markets and quality schooling even for the poor. Would that mean equal employment opportunity for all? Full freedom […]
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Top 5 Reasons to Support Free Speech (of 2015)
This year, Learn Liberty has discussed numerous ways that free speech is under attack and numerous reasons why it should be defended. The ways free speech is under attack are too many to count. They include “microaggressions” and “safe spaces” on college campuses as well as more explicit laws proposed by some activist groups. But […]
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Top 10 Learn Liberty videos of 2015
To celebrate the end of the year, we’re counting down the top 10 most watched Learn Liberty videos of 2015. Markets, immigration, bailouts, vaping, urinals, the death penalty — we covered it all in 2015. Check out our new top 10 compilation video and re-watch some of your favorite Learn Liberty videos of the year. […]
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Did you know that BYOB is common in restaurants in Philadelphia?
Bringing your own alcohol to restaurants is common in Philadelphia due to a combination of government rules which make it hard to obtain liquor licenses and to price alcohol reasonably in a system where the state controls the sale of all alcoholic beverages.
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The Loopiest Ideas of 2015
Every year has its own weird economic ideas which crop up. Back in 2012, there was the talk of the economic “silver lining” to the destruction caused by Hurricane Sandy (by people who are clearly not familiar enough with the parable of the broken window). 2015 had its own share of odd economic theory, and […]
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Discover liberty-advancing organizations in your neighborhood
You don’t have to go all the way to Washington, DC to find people fighting for limited government and individual liberty. There are a range of organizations all across the United States which are working to advance liberty in their home states and across the country. Just a few of these are the Mackinac Center, […]
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Is the Cost of Living Really Rising?
Bernie Sanders sure gets a lot of air time out of his class warfare rhetoric. Common arguments from him and his supports lead less knowledgeable people to believe that the middle class is at risk of an ever more exploitative wealthy elite. But is that true? Let’s take a look at just one of those […]
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Staff Profile: Liz McCaffrey
Learn Liberty: First, when did you join the Learn Liberty team and what is your role? Liz McCaffrey: I’ve worked at IHS since 2007, and I helped to found the Learn Liberty project when we launched it in 2011. This February will be 5 years that I’ve worked on Learn Liberty as a video producer. […]
Poverty & Inequality
Featured On Demand Program of the Week: Social Justice
In this On Demand Program, our professors will explain the means and ends of arguments for social justice through the lens of classical liberalism. You’ll learn more about how to adapt your own arguments to fit the critiques of markets and individual liberty that come from advocates for social justice. Then we’ll look at the […]
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Why Is Unemployment Persistently High for Low-Skilled People?
A student recently asked me why unemployment remains so stubbornly high, especially for lower-skilled people. Here’s an adaptation of my answer. No one can know for sure the precise causes of unemployment; the economy is a fantastically complex system, like an ecology but still more complex, so unemployment is sure to have a variety of […]
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Holiday Season Brings Booze (Taxes)
Christmastime isn’t just about giving presents and sleeping in all morning. For many, it means boozy holiday parties and a chance to kick back a beer (or three) with family and friends. But holiday brews aren’t cheap—and it’s not the alcohol that makes them so expensive. In the video below, George Mason University Professor Christopher […]
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Discussion Question: Vaccines
A 1998 study by Andrew Wakefield claimed that vaccines to common viruses, such as the measles, were linked to causing autism. Based on this (widely discredited) study, many parents have not let their children receive vaccinations. Should parents have the right to do this? Should parents have the right to keep their children from receiving […]
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Star Wars Proves the Road to Dictatorship is Democratic
The newest Star Wars movie is smashing box office records. But it’s not just a science-fiction tale of lightsabers and Sith lords. “The Force Awakens” continues the story of a democratic republic that succumbs to ruthless dictatorship when its citizens give up their civil liberties. Promising security, Emperor Palpatine didn’t simply proclaim himself supreme ruler—he […]
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Did you know Hollywood blockbusters are often subsidized by government?
States compete with each other to attract film studios with subsidies that make the cost of filming cheaper. While politicians sell these subsidies as good for economic development, they often cost taxpayers quite a bit of money. This is one of the reasons that many shows and movies which take place in Washington, D.C., like […]
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New Hampshire Legislators Join the Free Speech Movement
While students are enjoying their break from classes, New Hampshire legislators are standing up for their free speech rights on campus. A pair of state representatives recently introduced two bills to protect academic freedom at New Hampshire’s public colleges and universities. They’re not alone: Learn Liberty has launched a new website encouraging students to #SpeakFreely […]