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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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Economics
When government fails — Venezuela edition
The following blog post by Abigail Hall appeared on the Independent Institute’s blog on September 3rd, 2015. Below is an excerpt. Some people look at the conditions in Venezuela and point to oil prices as the source of many of its problems. The Venezuelan government, led by President Nicolás Maduro, blames opposition leaders for the […]
Economics
The creative destruction of nudity in Playboy Magazine
This post by Sarah Skwire originally appeared on the Foundation for Economic Education on October 14th, 2015. Below is an excerpt. The disappearance of full nudity from Playboy magazine is, in other words, a perfect example of Schumpeter’s concept of creative destruction. Schumpeter wrote that the “essential fact about capitalism” is creative destruction — the […]
Uncategorized
Drug Policy Alliance Internship Opportunity in the Berkeley, CA Area!
The Drug Policy Alliance is seeking a Public Policy Intern and they want you! If you’re interested in a career in public policy then this internship may be perfect for you. Check out the details and consider applying. Internship Description The Office of Legal Affairs is looking for graduate public policy students who are interested […]
Uncategorized
Quote of the Day
This quote comes from Henry David Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience where he gives an impassioned defense of the right to say no to unjust government dictates. What do you think? Should free people resist unjust government laws at the risk of imprisonment? Let us know what you think in the comments.
Civil Liberties
V for Venezuela
Venezuela’s condition continues to deteriorate, with opposition leaders imprisoned and elections allegedly rigged, the situation looks like it will not change anytime soon. This brings up the question, when are societies justified to rise up in a violent manner against government? Check out this short Learn Liberty video and let us know what you think […]
Civil Liberties
New whistleblower reveals “the Drone Papers,” detailing Pres. Obama’s covert drone war
A “Second Snowden” leaked a cache of secret documents that has put the CIA’s and United States military’s use of unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) back into the spotlight. Drones have been used post-9/11 to carry out lethal strikes on those deemed enemies of the United States – even if the strikes take place outside of […]
Uncategorized
Featured On Demand Program of the Week: The Philosophy of Liberty
Learn Liberty On Demand offers you a series of videos on new and exciting topics in the world of policy and ideas that you can watch any time, anywhere, on your schedule. Have you ever wondered what you do or do not have a right too? If so, this is the place for you. All […]
Economics
Bureaucratic vs business management in health care
The health care debate has been long on hysterics and short on useful analysis. Incendiary and counterproductive rhetoric about socialism, Nazis, and death panels from some corners notwithstanding, critics of socialized medicine raise an important question with uncomfortable answers: in the absence of profits, losses, and prices, how will decisions about the production and allocation […]
Economics
Economic Freedom: A Humanitarian Case
Without economic freedom, we cannot exercise our other freedoms. The freedom to speak is meaningless if the government prevents us from traveling from our homes or paying for a phone call. The freedom to write is meaningless if the government prevents us from selling newspapers. The freedom to worship is meaningless if the government forces […]
Civil Liberties
Liberty 101: Principles of Libertarianism
Few people will say they are anti-liberty, so what makes the libertarian commitment to liberty stand out from the crowd? We teamed up with Students For Liberty to explain the basics of libertarian philosophy, law, and economics in our new On Demand program, Liberty 101. Check out the first video below. For more videos just […]
Economics
Octoberfest Is the Best
It’s October, which means it’s one of the best months of the year for drinking beer. Whether it’s the crisp, clean taste of an Oktoberfest or the soft, spicy kick of a pumpkin ale, the seasonal brews available this month bring us some great variety after a summer of drinking our favorites. In the three […]
Civil Liberties
My Path to Open Borders
This excellent post by Bryan Caplan, professor of economics at George Mason University, was originally featured at OpenBorders in January of 2013. Below is an excerpt. I changed my mind about proper immigration policy in my senior year of high school. The impetus, as usual for me, was not first-hand experience, but abstract argument. After […]
Economics
Medicare: The Numbers Don’t Speak for Themselves
I got a powerful reminder a few months ago of a lesson I learned in grad school: numbers don’t speak for themselves. We must interpret them alertly if we are to learn from them.The numbers I came across are these: [Medicare] spends roughly $3 on administration for each $100 of medical services it buys for […]
Civil Liberties
Open Inquiry Is Integral to the University Experience
Increasingly, the expectation of rigorous debate and discussion on controversial topics has diminished on college campuses across the nation. Students are now more content or even encouraged to coast through higher education without having to encounter beliefs or opinions that offend their preconceived notions about the world. Students are treating the college experience as less […]
Uncategorized
Intern at the Institute for Justice!
The Institute for Justice seeks a paid research intern for its strategic research program at the Arlington, VA headquarters. The internship will include data collection and analysis for research projects. The ideal candidate will have facility in mining online databases and data sources, the ability to create and manipulate spreadsheets, and persistence and good judgment […]
Uncategorized
Staff Profile: Jeffrey Pierce
This week’s staff profile comes from none other than Learn Liberty’s resident viking, Jeffrey Pierce! As Learn Liberty’s Web Projects Coordinator, Jeff makes sure that the website is up and running and that your User Experience is top-o’-the-line. LL: To start us off, when did you join the Learn Liberty team and what is your […]
Civil Liberties
What Does It Mean to Be a Libertarian?
Libertarians have a unique perspective on how government force should be used. As Jeff Miron, Director of Undergraduate Studies at Harvard University, points out in this video, libertarians consider using government force to coerce others into action to be immoral. This is what separates them from other philosophies which are more permissive when it comes […]
Civil Liberties
Quote of the Day: On Coercion and Equality
Today’s quote is brought to you by none other than F.A. Hayek from his book The Constitution of Liberty: “If one objects to the use of coercion in order to bring about a more even or more just distribution, this does not mean that one does not regard these as desirable. But if we wish […]
Economics
Inequality For Some
At tonight’s presidential primary debate, the topic of income inequality is almost guaranteed to come up. The widening gap between the rich and the poor is shaping up to be one of the defining themes of this election cycle. A recent, high-profile documentary called “Inequality for All” makes the case that this is a foremost […]
Economics
Uber and the sharing economy: a new way of living
Earlier this year, I was making travel arrangements for a trip to Charleston. I booked my flight and hotel, and was about to book a rental car when I thought “wait a second. Charleston has Uber, doesn’t it?” It does, and I took UberX—the service that allows anyone who meets Uber’s requirements to drive for […]
Uncategorized
Welcome to the Learn Liberty Blog!
Welcome to Learn Liberty’s shiny new blog! We’re excited to introduce this new way for us to deliver you even more timely, thought-provoking content. Just like our classic videos, our blog will explore libertarian ideas through the lenses of economics, philosophy, and other academic disciplines. So, what kind of content can you expect from the […]
Uncategorized
Did You Know?
Did you know, during World War Two, John Maynard Keynes and Friedrich Hayek spent all night together, alone, on the roof of the chapel of King’s College, Cambridge. Their task was to gaze at the skies and watch for German bombers aiming to pour incendiary bombs upon the small, picturesque cities of England. This and […]