Trump Disregards Democracy, While Biden Ignores Its Dangers
The president's attack on the "extreme ideology" of "MAGA Republicans" elides the tension between majority rule and individual freedom.
Democracy
Biden's Presidential Address Was Actually a Campaign Speech
Plus: Backpage appeal hits the 9th Circuit today, E.U. petition would ban anyone born after 2010 from ever buying nicotine products, and more...
Not Everything Bad is "Anti-Democratic" - and that which is Democratic isn't Always Good
Tyler Cowen explains why it's a mistake to conflate democracy with what is good and just.
Guardrails of Democracy, Extended: Comparing Notes On The Team Libertarian Report
Fifth post in the symposium on the National Constitution Center "Restoring the Guardrails of Democracy" project. Walter Olson of Team Libertarian comments on similarities and differences between the three reports.
An Upgrade, not a Rebuild
Fourth post in the symposium on the National Constitution Center "Restoring the Guardrails of Democracy" project. David French presents the Team Conservative Report.
Restoring the Guardrails of Democracy: A Libertarian View
Third post in the symposium on the National Constitution Center "Restoring the Guardrails of Democracy" project. Walter Olson presents the Team Libertarian Report.
Three Reforms to Protect Democracy from Election Denialism
Second post in the symposium on the National Constitution Center "Restoring the Guardrails of Democracy" project. Edward Foley outlines the Team Progressive Report.
The National Constitution Center's "Restoring the Guardrails of Democracy" Initiative
First post in the Volokh Conspiracy symposium on the NCC "Restoring the Guardrails of Democracy" project.
Volokh Conspiracy Symposium on the National Constitution Center "Restoring the Guardrails of Democracy" Project
The symposium will include representatives of all three teams that drafted reports for the project: conservative, libertarian, and progressive.
The "Good Government Trilemma": Why We Can't Have Democracy, Accountability, and Big Government all at Once
Canadian legal scholar Leonid Sirota outlines some reasons why.
My New Book Chapter on "Top-Down and Bottom-Up Solutions to the Problem of Political Ignorance""
It is now available for download on SSRN. The chapter is part of a forthcoming volume on "The Epistemology of Democracy," edited by Hana Samaržija and Quassim Cassam.
Redistricting in New York Will Cost a Longtime Democrat a House Seat
Despite an overwhelming sense that the country is headed in the wrong direction, the only way most voters will fire an incumbent is by voting for a different incumbent instead.
Gerrymandering Is Making Elections Less Competitive
Cynical single-party gerrymandering contributes to and is driven by the hyperpartisanship that defines American politics right now.
The Democratic Establishment Teamed Up With Trump To Oust Peter Meijer
Michigan's 3rd district has produced two consecutive freedom-oriented Republican lawmakers. Tuesday's results ensure that there won't be a third.
The Senate's Election Reform Bill Is Surprisingly Logical and Bipartisan
Former President Trump's attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election relied on three potential pressure points. This bill addresses all three.
If Ukraine Wants To Stand for Liberty and Democracy, It Should Rethink Some of Its Wartime Policies
We can condemn the actions of Moscow without forfeiting the right to point out missteps in Kyiv.
A Guide to Fixing the Electoral Count Act
Andy Craig of the Cato Institute has an excellent overview of this important issue.
Conservative Legal Luminaries Release Report Entitled "Lost, Not Stolen: The Conservative Case that Trump Lost and Biden Won the 2020 Presidential Election"
The authors include big-name conservative former federal judges Michael Luttig and Michael McConnell, former Bush Solicitor General Ted Olson, and others.
More on the National Constitution Center "Restoring the Guardrails of Democracy" Project
Video of presentations by the leaders of the Conservative, Libertarian, and Progressive Teams. Plus, my thoughts on a comparison of the three reports by Progressive Team leader Ned Foley.
Team Libertarian Report from National Constitution Center "Restoring the Guardrails of Democracy" Project Now Available on SSRN
I coauthored the report with Clark Neily and Walter Olson, both of the Cato Institute.
National Constitution Center Releases Reports on "Restoring the Guardrails of Democracy"
The project includes reports by conservative, libertarian, and progressive teams. I am coauthor of the Team Libertarian report.
How Socialism Leads to More Domination of Workers than Free Markets
Political philosopher Chris Freiman makes the case.
Can the January 6 Committee Hearings Break Through the Barriers of Political Ignorance and Bias Underpinning the Big Lie?
Most of those open to evidence already know that Trump tried to reverse the outcome of an election he legitimately lost. Reaching the rest is likely to be extremely difficult, at best.
Bryan Caplan on "Misinformation About Misinformation"
One of the world's leading experts on public knowledge and ignorance explains why consumers of misinformation are often as much to blame as producers.
Pennsylvania Democrats Say Doug Mastriano Is a Danger to Democracy. Why Did They Help Him Win?
Democratic gubernatorial nominee Josh Shapiro ran ads that boosted Mastriano's GOP primary campaign. There's no way this strategy could ever backfire, right?
Consistent Paternalists Should Back Restrictions on Voters, Too
In an important new article, political philosophers Jason Brennan and Christopher Freiman explain why standard justifications for paternalistic restrictions on consumers also apply to voters.
The Demand for Political Misinformation is a Bigger Danger than the Supply
Harvard Law Professor Guy-Uriel Charles has some useful insights on the problem.
Viktor Orbán's Reelection Shows Mere Democracy Is Not Enough
The less of our lives we allow to be put to a vote, the better.
Video of American Enterprise Institute Event on my Book "Free to Move: Foot Voting, Migration, and Political Freedom"
It includes commentary by housing policy specialist Emily Hamilton (Mercatus Center), and economist Filipe Campante (Johns Hopkins University).
Voting Out Incumbents Boosts Economic Growth, Decreases Corruption
A new paper makes the economic case for throwing the bums out as often as possible.
Mike Pence: 'Trump Is Wrong. I Had No Right To Overturn the Election.'
Republican party officials voted earlier on Friday to censure Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, the only two Republicans participating in the investigation of the January 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol
My New Cato Institute Paper Making "The Case Against Covid-19 Pandemic Migration Restrictions"
They cause vastly more harm than good and actually undermine health care and scientific progress in the long run.
Justice Breyer, Democracy, and Expertise
His judicial philosophy emphasized promotion of democracy, a theme in tension with his emphasis on the need for deference to expertise.
Were Biden's Election Legitimacy Remarks Dangerous or Just Stupid?
They were a bit of both.
Voters Around the World Are Cooling on Populists, Gravitating Toward Technocrats
Plus: A very blunt Senate candidate, bad news for business mergers, and more...
My New Article on "How Judicial Review Can Help Empower People to Vote with Their Feet"
The article challenges longstanding conventional wisdom claiming that judicial review of democratically enacted laws is at odds with popular political choice.
Sen. Sinema Savages Democrats' Shortsighted Filibuster Sabotage
Both parties want to kill the filibuster when they are in the majority, and that's exactly why it needs to stick around.
January 6 and the Problem of Political Ignorance
Ignorance and bias played a major role in the attack on the Capitol and in the continuing belief of many Republicans that Biden didn't really win the 2020 election. The issue is part of the broader problem of political ignorance and bias, which is by no means confined to any one side of the political spectrum.
My Beta Shepherd Website List of "The Best Books on Migration Rights and Democracy"
I picked three books I largely agree with - and two that I mostly don't.
This Year Wasn't as Bad as 2020, But We Deserve Better
It sucked for avoidable reasons.
Mindfulness Is What's Missing From the Political Arena
Politics isn’t going away, so we can at least try to make it less bad.
My New "The Week" Article on "The Case for Empowering Americans to Vote with Their Feet"
How foot voting can expand political freedom for Americans, particularly the poor and disadvantaged.
America's Divisions May Have Passed the Tipping Point
If we can’t learn to leave each other alone, the country may have a violent meltdown.
COVID-19 Made Democracies More Authoritarian and Authoritarian Regimes Even Worse
A new report says many democracies have taken steps that are "disproportionate, unnecessary, or illegal" to curb COVID.
Should We Lower the Voting Age to Six?
British political scientist David Runciman says the answer is "yes." And he makes a stronger case than you might think.
Forthcoming Revised Edition of my Book "Free to Move: Foot Voting, Migration, and Political Freedom" [Updated with Corrected Oxford Univ. Press Discount Code]
The revised edition addresses several new issues including arguments that migration must be restricted to curtail the spread of dangerous diseases, such as Covid-19, claims that immigration might generate a political backlash that threatens democracy, and the impact of remote work on foot voting.
Anthony Downs, RIP
One of the greatest political economists of the 20th century passed away earlier this month.
Bernie Sanders Thinks 48 Senators Make a Majority
The Senate's leading progressive seems to misunderstand the basic math of American democracy.
