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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
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Uncategorized
Do States Have the Power to Bar Syrian Refugees?
The following post by Ilya Somin, Professor of Law at George Mason University School of Law, appeared at the Volokh Conspiracy on November 25, 2015. Below is an excerpt. Do they have the legal authority to do so? Under current Supreme Court precedent, the answer is a clear “no,” though things might be different under the […]
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Don Boudreaux on a Good Economics 101 Course
This post originally appeared on Don Boudreaux’s blog Cafe Hayek on November 25th, 2015. Below is an excerpt: But a well-taught principles course – a course taught, for example, by the likes of Deirdre McCloskey, by my colleague Walter Williams, by Dwight Lee, or by the late Armen Alchian – is one that teaches, and […]
War on Drugs
What You Need to Know About Mandatory Minimums
Mandatory minimums are a chief culprit in the rise of the United States’ obscene prison population. Here’s what you need to know about them.
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Explaining the Paris Terrorist Attacks in 90 Seconds
The world is still reeling from the recent ISIS terrorist attack in Paris that left 130 dead and 352 injured. Many are left wondering, why did this happen? and what are the ramifications? In the video below, George Mason University professor Christopher Coyne attempts to answer these questions in 90 seconds. He argues that the […]
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Featured On Demand Program of the Week: Mythbusters
Did World War II really end the Great Depression? Does the minimum wage actually help low-income workers? Do violent video games cause violence? Modern society perpetuates many myths; in economics, history, and even personal behavior. Some sound plausible, and others are simply repeated so often that people accept them as true without really thinking. To […]
Education
Transformative Trans Talks
The third and final edition of Trans Talks, a conversation with transgender economist Dierdre McCloskey, was released this week. This video describes some of McCloskey’s challenges as a transgender economist and highlights her speech at the Students for Liberty conference. “When you have equal dignity,” says McCloskey, “you get equal inventiveness; you allow people to […]
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Discussion Question: Immigration
What might be reasons to restrict immigration to the United States? Can we justifiably refuse entry to immigrants on the fear that they will receive welfare but not work in return? Would that, then, justify kicking American citizens out of the country if they do not meet a certain standard? Give us your two cents […]
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Did You Know?
Did you know that selling milk for less than the government’s imposed price floor could land you in jail? Prison time isn’t the only drawback of minimum prices for milk. Prices are the miraculous mechanism by which complex market information about supply and demand are communicated throughout the economy. When government policies artificially raise or […]
Education
Free Speech Challenge on Campus
The issue of free speech has exploded on college campuses in recent weeks, with students and faculty at numerous schools nationwide calling for restrictions of free expression in the name of tolerance, and calling for conformity in the name of diversity. In the video below, Towson University professor Howard Baetjer tries to confront college students […]
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Value is Subjective: The Copernican Revolution in Economics
What makes something valuable? Today, we know that value is in the eye of the beholder—that is, value is subjective. But for many years, people subscribed to the theory that the value of goods came from the amount of work that went into creating them: the “labor theory of value”. Professor Steven Horwitz explains it […]
Education
Freedom of Speech on Campus: Help from FIRE
Freedom of speech on college campuses is getting a lot of attention lately. With the recent student protests at Mizzou, people are concerned about freedom of speech not only for students, but also for professors and even journalists on campus. While student protests are one way of effecting change on campus, did you know that […]
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Social Cooperation: Why Thieves Hate Free Markets
In this video Professor Aeon Skoble explains how market competition and spontaneous order result in the emergence of a civil order that discourages stealing and other harmful behaviors. This concept is often overlooked or ignored or just plainly misunderstood by critics of free markets. Can you think of other areas where competitive markets results in […]
Liberty
Quote of the Day: Mill's Harm Principle
In this bite sized quote, J.S. Mill perfectly encapsulates his Harm Principle put forth in his political treatise, “On Liberty.” The state, acting as an institution with the legal monopoly on the use of coercion, should only use force to prevent harm done to others. What would the world look like today if the government […]
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Steampunk Political Thought, Anyone?
In The God of the Machine, journalist Isabel Paterson (January 22, 1886, – January 10, 1961) offers an original theory of history based on the metaphor of the machine, with humanity as the dynamo. That’s right: one might venture to call this “steampunk political theory.” As one of the “big three” publications of feminist-individualist thought […]
War on Drugs
Featured On Demand Program of the Week: The War on Drugs Part 2
Can you believe that drugs in the US were initially banned partly because of fears of miscegenation (interracial relationships)? But that’s not the only reason. Other reasons included alarmist films like Reefer Madness (see program image!), fear of conspiracies, and the notion that government has a right to determine the productivity of its citizens. If […]
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Discussion Question of the Week: On Social Contracts
Does a ‘social contract’ between the people and their government truly exist? If so, what is contained in the social contract, and does it justify the size and scope of our current government?. If not, what is the best justification for government, and does it apply to our current government?
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Libertarian Movies You Don't Want to Miss This Fall
Check out the whole post at Rare. Looking for a list of fall movies that are actually worth your time? Look no further. These four flicks—two true stories, one historical fiction, and one a Bill Murray comedy—are the cream of fall 2015’s crop, each offering a unique liberty-friendly message. First up is Suffragette, giving the […]
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That Time Ludwig von Mises Called Milton Friedman a Socialist…Really.
Did you know that one time in a meeting of economists in 1947 Mises shouted at Milton Friedman, among others, that they were socialists? Check it out in the clip below. What do you think? Tell us in the comments. Be sure to check out “Commanding Heights”, the documentary this clip is excerpted from.
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Fight for $15 Needs More Brain Less Brawn
This week, another round of fast food protests occurred in major cities nationwide. The protests are part of the broader “Fight for $15” movement that seeks to more than double the existing federal minimum wage to $15 an hour. While such a policy sounds like it could help low-wage employees, it would actually end up […]
Education
Trans Talks Part Two
Part one introduced professor Deirdre McCloskey, a transgender University of Illinois economics professor, who explains her gender transition and highlights the educational aspects of the transitional experience. Part two below explores how best to reduce (often state sanctioned) violence against and secure the rights of the transgender community. McCloskey explains that while better laws and […]
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Save the Date: International Students For Liberty Conference 2016
Every year, thousands of student leaders from around the world descend on Washington, D.C. to discuss and debate strategies for creating a freer future. This year ISFLC2016 is the weekend of February 26th. Mark your calendars! This is a great opportunity for students passionate about the ideas of liberty. Whether you’re a student looking to […]
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Bernie Sanders and the Fixed Pie Fallacy
Senator Bernie Sanders isn’t the only one saying it—today you can’t go very long without hearing about how “the rich are getting richer while the poor are getting poorer.” But is that really true? Chelsea German over at HumanProgress.org says “no”: “Senator Sanders is half right: the rich are getting richer. However, his assertion that […]
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Equality and Respect: How You Are Equal to Hugh Jackman
Being equal in the eyes of the law is something most if not all can agree on, but do you think governments should strive to assure at least a minimum level of equality in certain aspects of life? For example, everyone should have free drinking water, basic health care or some other necessity? Professor Aeon […]