Learn Liberty Blog
We tackle big questions about what makes society free or prosperous and how we can improve the world we live in.
Blog Posts in Focus
Free trade lets us turn corn into cars.
January 25, 2018 | Bryan Caplan
From the American point of view, technology and trade are the same. From the human point of view, trade is better.
Legends of Liberty: Lysander Spooner
November 18, 2021 | Learn Liberty Team
The organic industry is a case study in rent-seeking.
February 5, 2018 | Henry I. Miller
If businesses get government subsidies to make their products cheaper, or “capture” regulation to hurt their competitors, that’s rent seeking.
Blog Posts
The War on Drugs: Seen vs. the Unseen
October 26, 2015 |
We have lived in Providence, RI for almost four years. I still am not accustomed to the driving habits of Rhode Islanders. There are the ones I might have expected moving up here from Georgia: the honk when the light turns green but I don’t move fast enough, the infrequent use of turn signals when […]
Learn Liberty’s New On Demand Program: Liberty 101
October 23, 2015 |
Pro civil society, pro individualism, pro market process, pro rule of law, pro limited government, pro peace, pro skepticism of power, pro spontaneous order, pro toleration, and pro liberty. These are the 10 fundamental principles of a free and prosperous society that will be explored in Learn Liberty’s new On Demand program, “Liberty 101”. Led […]
Leave Maternity Leave Alone!
October 23, 2015 |
Washington D.C. council members introduced legislation that would provide 16 weeks of paid parental leave to almost all employees in the District — paid for by a new tax on private D.C. employers. The proposal has been greeted positively by the media, which frequently point out that the U.S. is one of the only countries […]
Discussion Question: Safety Nets
October 23, 2015 |
Can you support any type of social safety net and still be considered a libertarian? Do individuals born with severe disabilities deserve assistance beyond what they or their families can pay for? How will those services be provided reliably if not by government means? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
Liberty Trivia Time
October 22, 2015 |
Did you know that American anarchist, abolitionist, and lawyer Lysander Spooner started the American Letter Mail Company in 1844? It succeeded in delivering mail for lower prices, but the U.S. Government challenged Spooner with legal measures, eventually forcing him to cease operations in 1851.
The Future Day that Wasn't
October 21, 2015 |
The date of October 21, 2015 has been etched in the back of many minds for the better half of a generation. Today is the day that Marty McFly traveled to the future with Doc Brown in the Back to the Future sequel. On that date, Marty arrived in a world of automated diners, hoverboards, […]
When Government Fails—Venezuela Edition
October 21, 2015 |
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 […]
The Creative Destruction of Nudity in Playboy Magazine
October 21, 2015 |
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 […]
Drug Policy Alliance Internship Opportunity in the Berkeley, CA Area!
October 21, 2015 |
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 […]
Quote of the Day
October 20, 2015 |
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.
V for Venezuela
October 20, 2015 |
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 […]
New Whistleblower Reveals "The Drone Papers," Detailing Pres. Obama's Covert Drone War
October 19, 2015 |
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 […]
Featured On Demand Program of the Week: The Philosophy of Liberty
October 19, 2015 |
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 […]
Bureaucratic vs. Business Management in Health Care
October 19, 2015 |
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 […]
Economic Freedom: A Humanitarian Case
October 16, 2015 | Antony Davies
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 […]
Liberty 101: Principles of Libertarianism
October 16, 2015 |
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 […]
Octoberfest Is the Best
October 16, 2015 |
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 […]
My Path to Open Borders
October 15, 2015 |
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 […]
Medicare: The Numbers Don’t Speak for Themselves
October 15, 2015 | Howard Baetjer
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 […]
Open Inquiry Is Integral to the University Experience
October 15, 2015 |
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 […]
Intern at the Institute for Justice!
October 15, 2015 |
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 […]
Staff Profile: Jeffrey Pierce
October 14, 2015 |
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 […]
What Does It Mean to Be a Libertarian?
October 14, 2015 |
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 […]
Quote of the Day: On Coercion and Equality
October 14, 2015 |
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 […]