Political Theory
Those Who Fear Disease Most Are Most Likely to Prefer Authoritarian Regimes
Researchers have suggested for years that "pathogen prevalence" can be used to predict the public's embrace of despotism.
The Impossibility of “Taxation with Representation”
The slogan "taxation without representation" implies that taxation with representation is both possible and moral. But the idea of political representation is fraught with errors.
America’s Elites—Not Trump—Are Responsible for Undermining American Democracy
It appears that 2020 may be the year that finally proves that the façade of democracy is not enough to maintain a unified political body.
California’s Tax-Limiting Prop. 13 Survives Yet Another Attack
Remember savings bonds? They were popular before the central bank made sure that safe, low-interest investments became a thing of the past.
The Fight for Freedom Needs Both Scholars and Political Activists
Murray Rothbard was enthusiastic about fighting for laissez-faire and freedom through both scholarship and political activism. He wasn't afraid to push freedom and free markets with everyone he could, including academics, politicians, the media, and the public.
California’s Tax-Limiting Prop. 13 Survives Yet Another Attack
Prop. 15’s attempt to undermine California Prop. 13’s property tax protections for businesses has apparently failed.
Talk of “Unity” Is Both Hypocritical and Delusional
Grand invocations that "I will unify us" are actually shorthand for "We mean to get our way, regardless of others' well-being and desire."
Election 2020: Choking on the Political Red and Blue Pills
Election 2020 is the same as every other election, only the state’s mask of legitimacy is slipping.
Rothbard and the Problem of Rules
It makes sense that individual ethics can vary within a natural law framework: the nonaggression principle isn't so much a rule to be applied as a norm to be followed. It's the foundation that makes life among other people possible.