Adam Smith authorized the pursuit of honest income. But what should we do with that income? Max Laraia explores whether Peter ...

In 1837, John Lewis O’Sullivan and his brother established The United States Magazine and Democratic Review in Washington, D.C., and it soon became one of the most important periodicals in American ...

Sarah Thomas surveys the recent history of mass surveillance in liberal democracies, highlighting the tension between freedom and security. A commitment to freedom through civil liberties and ...

Nick Wilson compares the political, social, and moral thought of Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. Du Bois. Booker T. Washington was born into slavery in 1856. He published his autobiography, Up from ...

Larry Reed revisits “I, Pencil” with reflections on the global market. Economist and historian Lawrence W. (“Larry”) Reed is president emeritus, Humphreys Family Senior Fellow, and Ron Manners Global ...

Did Adam Smith—celebrated hero of free trade—make a big exception for reasons of national defense? Would he support the Jones Act of today? Caleb Petitt argues that a careful reading of Smith on the ...

On top of the failure of his economic agenda, FDR had a dismal record on civil liberties, privacy, and free speech. Editor’s Note The “Everything Wrong with the Presidents” series focuses on, as the ...

Andrew Jackson conflated his own will with the will of the people, and ran roughshod over the Constitution's constraints on his power in pursuit of goals that were often contemptible. Editor’s Note ...

“There ain't no such thing as a free lunch” has been a popular libertarian slogan since the 1960s. The slogan's meaning is simple: you cannot make something from nothing. In a political context, the ...

Vincent Geloso is an assistant professor of economics at George Mason University. He holds a Ph.D. in Economic History from the London School of Economics. He is the author of Du Grand Rattrapage au ...

From “immigrants are going to take American jobs” to “they’re going to commit crimes” or “they won’t learn English,” we’ve heard it all. The Most Common Arguments Against Immigration and Why They’re ...

The 17th-century Englishman John Cooke was one of the tyranny’s greatest enemies, being the first-ever person to prosecute a head of state for crimes against humanity. In the 17th century, Europe was ...