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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
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Quote of the Day
For more from Hayek on what he and fellow Austrian economists referred to as the knowledge problem be sure to check out Hayek’s seminal essay, “The Use of Knowledge in Society.”
War on Drugs
Featured On Demand Program of the Week: The War on Drugs Part One
Can you imagine which country would imprison more of its citizens than China or Russia? If you’re an American, you’re living in it. In fact, more people are in prisons in the United States than in all other developed countries combined. In this program, we’ll show you how the criminal justice system is becoming an […]
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On Artificial Intelligence, the Knowledge Problem, and Consumerism
Learn Liberty recently released a video titled “What if There Were No Prices? Railroad Thought Experiment” with Professor Howard Baetjer of Towson University. The video argues that market prices communicate the value of goods and services in the economy so that those goods and services are allocated to their most productive (and value generating!) uses. […]
Environmentalism
Hydraulic Fracturing and the Ultimate Resource
One of the most valuable economic insights is that human creativity is The Ultimate Resource. (The great economist Julian Simon wrote a book by that name.) It follows that as long as we are free to use our creativity, we don’t have to worry about running out of resources. Truly, human creativity makes resources of […]
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Libertarians Can’t Believe in Closed Borders
This piece by Christopher Freiman originally appeared in Bleeding Heart Libertarians on October 28th, 2015. Read an excerpt below but be sure to head over to BHL to read the whole thing. Patrick Lynch wrote an interesting and provocative piece the other day arguing that immigration restrictions are consistent with libertarianism. An earlier post of […]
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Trivia: What's in a name?
Did you know Frederick Douglass took his name from the hero of Sir Walter Scott’s epic poem, The Lady of the Lake, the leader of the Scottish clan Douglas? Born Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, Frederick changed his last name to Johnson to avoid being discovered and returned to slavery, then later changed his last name […]
Education
Trans Freedom
With Caitlyn Jenner dominating headlines and actress Laverne Cox’s pivotal rise, now is the perfect time to address gender freedom and its role in a free society. With that in mind, Learn Liberty is introducing a new three-part video series called Trans Talks, which explores transgender rights and features University of Illinois professor and transgender […]
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How to Truly Honor Veterans on Veterans Day
Today is Veterans Day, which honors all who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces and the sacrifices they have made. But one aspect of Veterans Day that is often overlooked is its celebration of nonviolence. According to the text of the 1938 Congressional Act making the day a legal holiday, it is “a day […]
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How Bitcoin Can Help Get Money to Refugees in Need
This post by Kevin Boyd originally appeared on R Street on October 19th, 2015. Below is an excerpt. Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies have grown in influence and usage the past few years. People looking for an alternative to government-issued fiat currencies, or who simply don’t trust having their spending tracked by banks, have flocked to them. Bitcoin […]
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IHS events are coming to a campus near you.
Our parent organization, the Institute for Humane Studies, brings the ideas of liberty to students in more ways than just online education like on Learn Liberty. They also provide funding, career advice, and more to help educate students about the principles of a free society. And now, IHS is coming to your neighborhood with On-Campus events! […]
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Quote of the Day
Do you agree with F.A. Harper’s assessment? Can you think of any historical examples?
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What Caused the Economic Boom of Wealth?
In this video Professor Deirdre McCloskey explains how property rights and economic freedom has resulted in a dramatic explosion in overall wealth. Why then do you think free markets and capitalist are derided so much in society? Let us know what you think in the comments!
Poverty & Inequality
Featured On Demand Program of the Week: Does Inequality Matter?
If you want to get the full picture of the topic of income equality check out this Learn Liberty On Demand program. We’ve pulled together a list of mind-blowing videos, featuring professors like Sean Mulholland, Steve Horwitz and others who explore the subject from many perspectives. We’ve made sure that each video builds on what […]
Justice
In Defense of Affirmative Consent
In September, 2014, Governor Jerry Brown signed Senate Bill 967 in to law, requiring colleges in California to adopt certain policies dealing with campus sexual assault in order to maintain their eligibility for state funding. One of the most controversial requirements of the bill was a mandate that campuses adopt a policy of “affirmative consent” […]
Economics
High Prices Convey Information, not Criminality
Last month’s record flooding in South Carolina brought renewed crackdowns on price gouging. But higher prices simply convey information – in this case that consumers should conserve and producers should produce. In this way, prices allow the shortages that occur in natural disasters to be alleviated. In the new Learn Liberty video below, Towson University […]
Economics
Food for Thought: Protectionism
Some countries heavily subsidize companies within their own borders. Does this justify equally large subsidies in America? How else can companies compete internationally if they do not receive government funds, but their rivals do? Let us know what you think in the comments!
Economics
Libertarian Trivia
Did you know that Milton Friedman won the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics in 1976?
Economics
Vote or Die: 2015 Edition
Yesterday was Election Day and many exit polls reported historically low voter turnout. This follows a trend of low-voter turnout in recent elections. In 2014, for instance, voter turnout was the lowest since World War Two. In the video below, Georgetown economist Jason Brennan explores whether citizens should be forced to vote in order to […]
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Opportunity Alert!: The Mercatus Center Needs an Intern
The Mercatus Center at George Mason University seeks a dynamic and motivated individual to join the Academic and Student Programs team as a paid intern. This is a great opportunity for someone interested in learning basic non-profit operations and management. We have a flexible, professional, open office environment that encourages innovation and entrepreneurship and provides […]
Economics
Richard Epstein: The Continuing Relevance of Hayek's "The Constitution of Liberty"
Richard A. Epstein is the inaugural Laurence A. Tisch Professor of Law and Director of the Classical Liberal Institute at the New York University School of Law. He is also the James Parker Hall Distinguished Service Professor of Law Emeritus and senior lecturer at the University of Chicago. He served as editor of the Journal […]
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Staff Profile: Cory Eucalitto
Learn Liberty: First, when did you join the Learn Liberty team and what is your role? Cory Eucalitto: Spring 2014. I was originally hired to produce Learn Liberty videos, but now work on our Learn Liberty programs team. There, I help create online courses and programs, and am thinking about ways to re-shape the Learn […]
Civil Liberties
Quote of the Day
This quote is taken from Lysander Spooner’s, “An Essay on the Trial by Jury,” published in 1852. Jury nullification, according to Spooner, was a final bulwark against encroachments from the state on individual liberty. Spooner argued in this essay that the role of the jury is not only to rule on the facts of the […]
Debt and Spending
A Five Minute Crash Course on the Greek Crisis
The economic and financial turmoil in Greece has been in and out of headlines frequently over the last few months. The Greeks claim austerity measures have only made things worse, while the EU claims Greece continues to fail the austerity measure put in place to receive future bailouts. In this video, we explain what has […]
Debt and Spending
Greece Should Default
Newly reelected Greek Prime Minister Alex Tsipras expects that by early 2017 Greece will be able to access bond markets, from which it has been virtually cut off since it lost investor confidence in 2010. If it is unable to meet this timeline, it will be forced to rely on further bailouts or go bankrupt. […]