[Reinterpreting Libertarianism: New Directions in Libertarian Studies
Edited by Łukasz Dominiak, Igor Wysocki, Stanisław Wójtowicz, and Dawid Megger
Routledge, 2026; x + 245 pp.] 

This article is adapted from a lecture presented at the Mises Student Circle “Why the Economy Is Failing Generation Z” on November 1, 2025, in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

We live in politically interesting times.

The popularity of Donald Trump as a candidate and his two victories has been framed as a big shift on the American right, mirrored by the same shift on the left with the popularity of figures like Bernie Sanders, AOC, and now Zohran Mamdani. So what’s causing this? What factor or central dynamic lies at the core of all this change?

This article is adapted from a lecture presented at the Mises Student Circle “Why the Economy Is Failing Generation Z” on November 1, 2025, in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

I teach at Ferris State University and most of my students are members of Generation Z. When I ask them what they are stressed about, they often mention passing my course, of course—but beyond that, it seems that they are stressed about dismal economic prospects regarding jobs and housing. In many cases, this concern is understandable. They face serious challenges.

Britain and the United States are often described in the same breath: advanced economies that have moved beyond industry into services, finance, and knowledge work. On paper, the similarity looks strong. Services dominate employment and output in both countries, manufacturing has receded, and global cities anchor national growth. Yet the resemblance is superficial. The kinds of services each country produces, and the economic roles those services play, are profoundly different.

This article is adapted from a lecture presented at the Mises Student Circle “Why the Economy Is Failing Generation Z” on November 1, 2025, in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

We live in a time of great gaslighting on the state of the economy in the United States. President Donald Trump tells us that we are living in a “golden age” of economic prosperity. Trump has also said that if he were to give himself a grade on his economic policy, he’d give himself an “A-plus-plus-plus-plus-plus-plus.”

[The Idea of a Social Science and its Relation to Philosophy by Peter Winch (Routledge, 2008 [1958]; xxix  +136pp.)]

The Supreme Court has struck down the Trump tariffs that he has been setting in the past year, claiming emergency powers. The majority found that the Constitution “very clearly” gives Congress the power to impose taxes, which include tariffs.