A Conversation with Benjamin Powell: Anarchism as a Feasible Alternative

In an exclusive interview with Lib​er​tar​i​an​ism​.org, Benjamin Powell talked about the feasibility of anarchism. He discussed how it might be a better alternative for a lot of countries, its real world application in Somalia, and how the economics of anarchism could be applied to sweatshops.

A Conversation with Ben Powell

Benjamin Powell is the director of the Free Market Institute at Texas Tech University and a professor of economics at the Rawls College of Business.

Benjamin Powell

Benjamin Powell is the director of the Free Market Institute at Texas Tech University and a professor of economics at the Rawls College of Business. Previously he was an associate professor of economics at Suffolk University and a senior economist at the Beacon Hill Institute. Powell’s research interests include public choice theory, housing economics, political development, and political economy. He holds a B.S. in finance and economics from the University of Massachusetts Lowell and a Ph.D in economics from George Mason University.

Barbara Galletti
Senior Producer, Lib​er​tar​i​an​ism​.org

Anarchism: Can We Have Governance Without Government?

“Self-​enforcing exchange is all around us. Even when the formal rules sometimes say that certain laws can be enforced, in practice they can’t be.”

Anarchy vs. Having a Failed State: The Case of Somalia

“You can write whatever you want down on paper, but that’s not your real world alternative.”

Can Sweatshops Help Economic Development?

“I know of no country today that is rich, that didn’t go through something like a sweatshop-​stage of economic development.”