The “free rider problem,” arising from the fact that an individual may be able to obtain the benefits of a good without contributing to the cost, is discussed in a number of different contexts. In the case of a “public good” where the provider cannot exclude, a good which others provide for them- selves will also be provided to the free rider. In the public good view of charity, for example, each donor is said to have an incentive to hold down his own contribution and free ride on the redistribution from other members of the non-poor group.

Historians have examined many factors concerning American isolationism in the years 1939 to 1941. They have delved into action groups, prominent personalities, and economic and strategic rationales. Surprisingly little research, however, has been done on the role that international law played in the effort to avoid intervention. Yet here arguments on both sides were often tightly drawn and claims heavily documented, hence involving a level of debate not often seen in this period.

Volume 6, Number 1 (1982)

Joseph R. Stromberg recounts the life of John Taylor as well as his political contributions.

Volume 6, Number 1 (1982)

Ever since economists undertook an economic analysis of the law there has waged the debate as to the proper criterion to use in deciding law cases. So far two criteria have occupied center stage: efficiency and ethics. This paper seeks to closely examine each criterion in terms of its relationship to two legal-philosophical concepts. First, each will be examined in terms of its ability to satisfy the overall objective of the law. Second, and in a general tone, the contractual origins of each will be discussed.

Volume 6, Number 1 (1982)

Liberty, an international clearinghouse for libertarian ideas during the almost three decades of its existence (1881-1908), reported on and editorialized about the ideology and politics of the English individualist movement. The purpose of this paper is to bring to light some of the little known history and ideas of the movement, based on articles in Liberty and other sources.

Volume 6, Number 1 (1982)

Journal of Libertarian Studies 6, no. 1 (1982)

In recent years a new and powerful critique of our current criminal justice system has been advanced by advocates of a totally new approach to criminal justice. These advocates challenge the current paradigm of criminal justice, which emphasizes punishment of the criminal, and support instead a radically different paradigm, which emphasizes compensation or restitution to the victim for losses suffered as a result of the crime.

Volume 6, Number 2 (1982)

Volume 6, Number 2 (1982)

F. A.

On October 29, 1929, the roof fell in on the booming American economy. A nation that since World War I had come to believe material progress was inevitable and unstoppable suddenly witnessed the most surreal of spectacles: panic on Wall Street. The change in economic conditions dashed the expectations of thousands of businessmen; huge investments had to be liquidated. Unemployment averaged 4 million in 1930, 8 million in 1931, and 12.4 million in 1932.

The dislocation of established patterns of thought and behavior, under pressure of the kaleidoscopic changes that for convenience we often ascribe to the French and Industrial Revolutions, led many to turn nostalgically to the safety of precedent and custom. Others, however, looked forward expectantly to the actualization of glorious potentialities that would release society from the shackles of the past.