essays
Tensions in Early American Political Thought
Liberalism and republicanism together made for a stronger worldview.
Explore
essays
“A Latent Leaning Towards Texas:” Republicanism vs. Empire
“Let Texas go to Great Britain if she pleases. She has a right to be a slave in her own way.”
encyclopedia
Constitutionalism
Constitutionalism binds the government to a pre-decided set of rules and is favored as a form of limiting government expansion.
essays
How Well Do You Know Libertarian History?
Smith interrupts his usual series with a 30-question trivia quiz.
columns
How to Topple Tyrants: Gene Sharp and Tactical Nonviolence
A short profile of the ideas of Gene Sharp, the foremost scholar of nonviolent resistance.
essays
Hobson, “Serpent in Eden”
Carl Bode reviews Hobson’s Serpent in Eden.
essays
Liberty at the Movies
David Boaz highlights movies with strong themes of liberty.
encyclopedia
Urban Planning
Libertarians support competition-based private planning of urban areas, rather than solutions that hinge on the government controlling property.
essays
“A Mere Monopoly of Men:” A Slave Writes to Thomas Jefferson
“O! Thomas, you have had a long nap, and spent a great number of years in ease & plenty, upon our hard earned property.”
essays
The Influence of America on the Mind, Part III
Ingersoll concludes by examining religious liberty in America. He goes so far as to single out Catholics for their enormous contributions to American life.
columns
A Review of Culture and Liberty: The Writings of Isabel Paterson ed. Stephen Cox
Paterson’s prose is a joy to read, and her insights into human freedom have enduring relevance, writes Presley.
encyclopedia
Nock, Albert Jay (1870-1945)
Albert Jay Nock was an influential writer who criticized political action and protested state interventionism at all levels.
essays
You Are a Man And So Am I
Frederick Douglass argues that slavery “destroys the central principle of human responsibility” and violates the Constitution in three short essays.
Prototype
Practical Problems with Regulating Tech in the Public Interest
Calls to regulate social media in the public interest fail to grapple with the messy details of policymaking, or the disparate desires of internet users
Everything Wrong with the Presidents
Everything Wrong with the Van Buren Administration
Although Van Buren himself was an effective politician, his years as president prompted scholars to rank Van Buren’s presidency as average, grouped among some of the least-effective and forgettable presidents in U.S. history
columns
Liberty Against Privilege: The Life and Thought of Lysander Spooner
Zwolinski discusses what makes Lysander Spooner his favorite libertarian.