# Can Anarchy Work? **URL:** **By** Peter T. Leeson, Trevor Burrus, Aaron Ross Powell **Published:** March 31, 2017 --- Peter T. Leeson joins us this week to discuss rational choice theory as it applies to self-governance. What happens in the absence of government? Peter T. Leeson joins us this week to discuss rational choice theory as it applies to self-governance. What happens in the absence of government? We discuss the difference between government and governance, what it means to be stateless, and how anarchy is perceived in the world today. **Show Notes and Further Reading** Leeson's book on this topic is [_Anarchy Unbound: Why Self-Governance Works Better Than You Think_](https://www.amazon.com/Anarchy-Unbound-Self-Governance-Cambridge-Economics/dp/1107629705) (2014). Leeson cites Ludwig von Mises's [_Human Action: A Treatise on Economics_](https://www.amazon.com/Human-Action-Treatise-Economics-Set/dp/0865976317) (1949) as highly influential to his thinking. Here are a few other Free Thoughts episodes having to do with anarchy and self-governance: - [The Distinction Between Governance and Government](https://www.libertarianism.org/podcasts/free-thoughts/the-distinction-between-governance-and-government) with Edward Stringham - [The Legacy of Roy A. Childs, Jr.](https://www.libertarianism.org/podcasts/free-thoughts/the-legacy-of-roy-a-childs-jr) with George H. Smith - [Must You Obey Government?](https://www.libertarianism.org/podcasts/free-thoughts/must-you-obey-government) - [The Problem of Political Authority](https://www.libertarianism.org/podcasts/free-thoughts/the-problem-of-political-authority) with Michael Huemer