In the wake of yet another terrorist attack, voters are putting an increasing amount of pressure on the candidates running for office this November to have a comprehensive plan to keep them safe from the threats of terrorist.
But while voters are united in this demand, candidates are divided on how to deal with it.
Republican candidates generally argue that the best way to prevent terrorism is to increase defense spending and broaden the powers of the national security apparatus. Democrat candidates, meanwhile, argue that we should focus and improve our existing capabilities.
In the new Learn Liberty video below, George Mason University Professor Donald Boudreaux points out that some candidates even argue that foreign intervention can have negative, unintended consequences that fan the flames of terrorism, making us less safe. “What would you do if your innocent loved one was killed in a drone strike by a foreign government?” he asks.
Is the best way to prevent terrorism to increase intervention, or to limit and focus it? It’s sure to be one of the defining debates of this election cycle and likely many more to come.