Category:Democracy and Voting
For a freer future, we must move beyond the culture war
October 6, 2022 | Post
In the hyperpartisan culture war, increasingly radical and uncompromising political factions seek to leverage division to cement their own power
Why democracy is good for liberty
September 15, 2022 | Post
There is a growing tendency among libertarians to attack the concept of democracy, and blame it for America’s problems. But this is reckless: we need to address the issues within our system and provide alternatives instead of burning the entire thing down.
Boris Johnson and Partygate: when politicians think they’re above the law
June 21, 2022 | Post
There’s a reason why Partygate, involving senior British politicians such as PM Boris Johnson, hits a particularly raw nerve with the public
New battlegrounds: liberty in a time of realignment
May 25, 2022 | Post
The factions people ally with are going through a dramatic change, but what is driving this political realignment and what does it mean for liberty?
Dr. Tom Palmer: We must end the culture war
January 13, 2022 | Post
As ideologues on the left and right push their demands, there is an alternative to the culture war: the presumption of liberty. Live and let live
Legends of Liberty: Lysander Spooner
November 18, 2021 | Post
As we witnessed during the 2020 election season, and as we are sure to witness during the upcoming holiday season, the United States Postal Service doesn’t exactly instill confidence.
Liz Cheney proves we can’t trust the right to support free speech
May 13, 2021 | Post
Liz Cheney maintaining her position with the GOP was contingent on an unspoken agreement that she’d stop publicly disagreeing with Donald Trump over the validity of the 2020 election. Cheney did not do this. Instead, in her defiance, she has highlighted exactly why those who love and seek to protect freedom of speech shouldn’t count on the GOP or the right to maintain it.
Public Choice Theory: Why Government Often Fails
October 9, 2017 | Video
Governments don’t work the way most people think they do. Public choice theory explores how voters, politicians, and bureaucrats actually make decisions. Prof. Antony Davies explains.
Breaking up Spain: Secession and individual rights
June 30, 2017 | Post
A large region of Spain called Catalonia has announced its plans for a binding referendum on its independence from Spain. If the referendum vote succeeds, should Spain allow Catalonia to secede?
Abusive leaders threaten African progress
May 3, 2017 | Post
For Africa to remain on the path to economic growth, its governments must provide political and economic stability, protect property rights, and permit creative destruction.
How to stop politicians from gerrymandering
April 8, 2017 | Post
Voters should choose legislators, not the other way around.
How would Neil Gorsuch rule on One Person One Vote?
April 5, 2017 | Post
Judge Neil Gorsuch may soon join the Supreme Court, taking the seat formerly held by Justice Antonin Scalia. If so, Gorsuch will have an opportunity that Scalia was deprived of, to shape the future of the Court’s “One Person, One Vote” (OPOV) doctrine.
Stop toxic partisan posts: Take the social media pledge.
March 21, 2017 | Post
My own hands are dirty and my own heart is impure; however, I have seen the light. I repent.
Democracy rewards those who lust for power.
March 20, 2017 | Post
The incentives politicians face reward the concentration and consolidation of power.
The meaning of American populism
March 13, 2017 | Post
Trump is just the latest manifestation of an old American instinct.
Why congressional term limits could limit presidential power
March 3, 2017 | Post
The incentive structure of the federal government needs adjusting.
Donald Trump: The avatar of democracy
February 22, 2017 | Post
In his first month as President, Donald Trump has been the epitome of democracy.
Presidents for life and the problem of democracy
February 20, 2017 | Post
A liberal democracy is not a machine that will run itself: it is run by people.
America has a bad case of “Whataboutism”
February 18, 2017 | Post
A number of folks I respect have gone full Never Trump, and a few have come out in support of the administration, to varying degrees. But quite a few of “us” have rejected full-on support or opposition, lapsing into what I’ve come to think of as “But What About….?”-ism.
Weird election rules: The baseball hall of fame
February 18, 2017 | Post
Any variation in election rules — for president, for student body treasurer, or for anything else — allows us to examine the rules’ impact on voting outcomes.
A paradox in the theory of democracy
February 9, 2017 | Post
It is not easy being a committed democrat when your side loses an election.
He’s not my president because none of them are.
February 6, 2017 | Post
The inauguration of President Trump was immediately followed by size comparisons.
Did the democrat’s hacked emails give voters too much info?
February 2, 2017 | Post
During the primaries, commentators and academics continually decried the fact that voters had too little information about the candidates.
The Story of Brexit: A Popular Insurgency?
January 30, 2017 | Video
Almost every authority figure in Britain told them to vote for remaining in the EU. So why did 17 million people vote to leave? Dr. Steve Davies explains.