In just under two weeks the U.S. Congress will vote on whether or not to grant the Office of the Comptroller General of the United States the power to conduct an audit of the Federal Reserve’s balance sheet. The Federal Reserve and the conduct of its monetary policy has grown under increased scrutiny over the […]
Join our professors Peter Jaworski, Howard Baetjer, and Matt Zwolinski as they take you into a world of thought experiments that will literally blow your mind as they expand your normal cognitive processes and your worldview. Then take on the thought-provoking questions after each video. Trust us, after completing this course nothing but nothing will […]
Tensions between police and the citizens of Chicago are continuing to rise after CPD Officer Jason Van Dyke was charged in the fatal shooting of Laquan McDonald in November. Even calls for the mayor’s resignation have begun echoing across the United States. Now, a top Chicago lawyer has stepped down after being accused of hiding evidence in another fatal […]
In order to run a taxi in New York, you need a medallion. Because the number of medallions is restricted by the government (artificially restricting the supply, and thus, competition), getting your hands on a medallion can be extremely expensive. As Bloomberg Business explains: “To own a cab in New York, you need a medallion—a […]
What is the best way, if at all, for medication to be regulated? How do you balance the right of consumers to purchase what they want with protection of consumers from dangerous or fraudulent medical treatments? Be sure to check out this video on the current government monopoly on prescription drug approval.
Learn Liberty’s parent organization, the Institute for Humane Studies, doesn’t just educate students online. IHS also hosts on-campus events at campuses across the country. The first weekend seminar of 2016 will be held at Texas Tech University on February 5. Focusing on Liberty and the American West, the event will be two days packed full […]
A recent survey showed that 30% of Republicans and 19% of Democrats said they would support bombing Agrabah. For those of you who haven’t watched Disney’s Aladdin recently, Agrabah is the fictional city in which the movie takes place. While it’s disheartening to realize the level of ignorance about geography and culture a question like this […]
In this video professor Don Boudreaux responds directly to commentator Robert Reich on the topic of wages, particularly the claim that middle class wages have stagnated in recent decades.
If you haven’t checked us out on Periscope make sure to tune in this week to discuss our new video releases and help us choose our next video! Learn Liberty will be streaming on Periscope on: Thursday, January 7th @ 1:30pm EST – Learn Liberty New Video Release Q&A Friday, January 8th @ 1:30pm EST […]
This new On Demand series will explore the history of financial mayhem caused by government intervention as it explores topics like the effectiveness of stimulus spending, the Austrian theory of booms and busts, the government response to the 2008 financial crisis, the Great Recession and more. Join professors Stephen Davies, Tyler Cowen, and others as […]
Should police officers go on trial every time they kill another person? If not, what are the appropriate considerations for police actions (and possible crimes) in the context of the line of duty, and are they used in America today? Be sure to check out our new video on police brutality in the wake of […]
The following article by professor Howard Baetjer appeared on the Freeman on December 3rd, 2015. Below is an excerpt. But suppose these kinds of legislated disadvantages were done away with, so that we had truly free labor markets and quality schooling even for the poor. Would that mean equal employment opportunity for all? Full freedom […]
This year, Learn Liberty has discussed numerous ways that free speech is under attack and numerous reasons why it should be defended. The ways free speech is under attack are too many to count. They include “microaggressions” and “safe spaces” on college campuses as well as more explicit laws proposed by some activist groups. But […]
To celebrate the end of the year, we’re counting down the top 10 most watched Learn Liberty videos of 2015. Markets, immigration, bailouts, vaping, urinals, the death penalty — we covered it all in 2015. Check out our new top 10 compilation video and re-watch some of your favorite Learn Liberty videos of the year. […]
Learn Liberty’s top 10 best videos of 2015 countdown reviews the videos viewers loved most.. From markets in kidneys to spiders in urinals, 2015 was a great year for learning about the ideas of freedom- and also having some fun.
Bringing your own alcohol to restaurants is common in Philadelphia due to a combination of government rules which make it hard to obtain liquor licenses and to price alcohol reasonably in a system where the state controls the sale of all alcoholic beverages.
Every year has its own weird economic ideas which crop up. Back in 2012, there was the talk of the economic “silver lining” to the destruction caused by Hurricane Sandy (by people who are clearly not familiar enough with the parable of the broken window). 2015 had its own share of odd economic theory, and […]
You don’t have to go all the way to Washington, DC to find people fighting for limited government and individual liberty. There are a range of organizations all across the United States which are working to advance liberty in their home states and across the country. Just a few of these are the Mackinac Center, […]
Bernie Sanders sure gets a lot of air time out of his class warfare rhetoric. Common arguments from him and his supports lead less knowledgeable people to believe that the middle class is at risk of an ever more exploitative wealthy elite. But is that true? Let’s take a look at just one of those […]
Learn Liberty: First, when did you join the Learn Liberty team and what is your role? Liz McCaffrey: I’ve worked at IHS since 2007, and I helped to found the Learn Liberty project when we launched it in 2011. This February will be 5 years that I’ve worked on Learn Liberty as a video producer. […]
A student recently asked me why unemployment remains so stubbornly high, especially for lower-skilled people. Here’s an adaptation of my answer. No one can know for sure the precise causes of unemployment; the economy is a fantastically complex system, like an ecology but still more complex, so unemployment is sure to have a variety of […]
Christmastime isn’t just about giving presents and sleeping in all morning. For many, it means boozy holiday parties and a chance to kick back a beer (or three) with family and friends. But holiday brews aren’t cheap—and it’s not the alcohol that makes them so expensive. In the video below, George Mason University Professor Christopher […]
A 1998 study by Andrew Wakefield claimed that vaccines to common viruses, such as the measles, were linked to causing autism. Based on this (widely discredited) study, many parents have not let their children receive vaccinations. Should parents have the right to do this? Should parents have the right to keep their children from receiving […]