The Logic of Voting for a Lesser Evil - and Other Writings on the Ethics of Voting
Compendium of links to some of my writings on the morality of voting.
Political Ignorance
Federal Court Rejects Trump Lawsuit Seeking to Block Certification of Alaska Senate Election Results
The court found the administration lacked standing to bring the suit. But there are also major substantive problems with Trump's position.
Creating Voter Confusion About Candidates' Names is Bad - But Exploiting Voter Ignorance About Policy Issues is a Much Bigger Problem
Democrats' apparent effort to confuse Alaska voters about candidates' names is reprehensible. But politicians' routine lying and exploitation of ignorance about policy issues is much worse.
Trump Sues to Block Alaska Senate Election Results Because of Potential Voter "Confusion"
The administration claims voters might be confused between two candidates named "Dan Sullivan."
Libertarianism and Democracy Revisited - A Rejoinder to Matt Zwolinski
We agree on many key points, but have a few notable differences.
Who Should Defend Democracy?
Matt Zwolinski responds to my critique of his earlier article on libertarianism and democracy.
Libertarianism and Democracy
Matt Zwolinski is right to emphasize that democracy is generally superior to authoritarianism, but wrong to suggest it should be a central libertarian commitment. Moreover, recent events highlight the validity and importance of longstanding libertarian critiques of democracy's weaknesses.
Justin Wolfers Recognizes His "Libertarian Friends Were Right" About Government Power
Wolfers is the latest of several prominent left-liberals to make similar admissions.
Reconciling Hayek and Mill's Divergent Defenses of Liberty
As Cass Sunstein points out, Hayek and Mill had widely divergent rationales for liberty. But the two can be reconciled.
Voter Ignorance and the Problem of Confusion Caused by Candidates With Similar Names [Updated]
Voter confusion caused by candidates with similar names - as in the current Alaska Senate race - is part of the much larger problem of political ignorance.
New Survey Data on Public Perceptions of the Supreme Court
A detailed Marquette Law School poll finds public views of the Court are modestly negative, but most major recent decisions enjoy majority public support.
The "Free Market" is More Popular than "Capitalism"
Such anomalies are common when polling often-ignorant voters. But libertarians would do well to take note, anyway.
My New Liberalism.Org Article on "Liberalism's Uneasy Relationship with Democracy"
The article addresses the interlinked problems of widespread voter ignorance, tyranny of the majority, and illiberal anti-democratic movements coming to power through elections.
A Modest Uptick in Supreme Court Popularity
A recent YouGov poll shows the Court is likely less unpopular than before. The tariff ruling may have given it a boost. The poll has several other notable findings, as well.
The Origins and Influence of Zero-Sum Thinking
A new study highlights the power of zero-sum thinking as a determinant of political views - and also should lead some to rethink immigration.
NYU Democracy Project Article on How to "Strengthen Democracy by Empowering People to Vote with their Feet"
It is part of their series of essays addressing issues facing American democracy.
Buckley v. Valeo is Not What Ails American Democracy
Those who blame Buckley for our current problems are wrong to do so. A contrary decision would have made things worse.
Reflections on a Visit to Israel
I spent two weeks teaching and lecturing in Israel. Here are some tentative impressions.
Reflections on Lecturing in Mexico
My first-ever visit to Mexico gave me some perspective on America's crucial southern neighbor.
Updated Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy Overview of "The Ethics and Rationality of Voting"
Written by Georgetown Prof. Jason Brennan.
How Political Ignorance Helped Cause the January 6 Attack and Trump's Subsequent Political Comeback
Voter ignorance and bias in evaluating political information were major factors in both.
The Election Wasn't a Realignment - or a "Mandate"
Trump's victory was narrow and largely caused by public anger at inflation and price increases.
Political Ignorance is an Even Worse Problem than I Thought
I've long warned about the dangers of voter ignorance. But the Trump era and the current election reveal that, on one crucial point, I was actually too optimistic.
Draft Chapters on Education and Corporate Law for the Forthcoming Routledge Handbook of Classical Liberalism
The education chapter is written by Williamson Evers, and the corporate law chapter by Robert T. Miller.
Harris Scales Back Harmful Price Control Proposal
The narrower version put forward by her campaign is still bad, but much less so than the much broader one floated earlier.
Public Ignorance and Misinformation About Immigration
A new study shows it is widespread on several issues, in ways that bolster restrictionism.
New Study on How to Address Public Ignorance About Housing Policy
New data shows that "housing supply skeptics" can be persuaded by evidence showing that allowing more construction reduces prices. But not clear this is a good road map for addressing the problem of public ignorance in the real world.
My New The Hill Article on How Trump and Harris Cater to Political Ignorance
Both propose awful economic policies that appeal to public ignorance.
The Logic of Voting for a Lesser Evil - and Other Writings on the Morality of Voting
Compendium of some of my work on the rights and wrongs of voting.
Trade, Public Opinion, and Political Ignorance
A new Cato Institute/YouGov survey finds contradictory attitudes on trade policy, and widespread ignorance. The survey also suggests a potentially promising political strategy for free trade advocates.
J.D. Vance, Taxing the Childless, and the Power of Framing
The controversy over Vance's advocacy of higher tax rates for childless adults illustrates the power of framing.
More Evidence that Republicans are Now the Party that Benefits From High Voter Turnout
If the trend persists, it may lead to reconsideration of traditional partisan attitudes towards mandatory voting and other policies intended to increase turnout.
Conflicting Evidence on Public Support for YIMBY Zoning Reform
Recent studies diverge on the extent to which public opinion backs policies that would deregulate housing construction. YIMBYs would do well to learn from both.
Inflation, the Economy, and Political Ignorance
Public ignorance has a big impact on voter atttudes on a major issue in the 2024 election.
New Article on "Brown, Democracy, and Foot Voting"
My contribution to the American Journal of Law and Equality symposium on the 70th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education.
Student Movements Are Often Wrong
We shouldn't assume that student political movements necessarily have a just cause. Far from it.
Increased Voter Turnout Now Benefits Republicans
Survey data shows relatively infrequent voters are significantly more likely to support the Trump-era GOP than those who vote more often. Will this change traditional left and right-wing attitudes towards mandatory voting and other policies intended to increase turnout?
Pros and Cons of Conformism - Rejoinder to Bryan Caplan
Two libertarian experts on public ignorance continue a debate about conformism.
Why I Don't Buy the Idea that You Can't Kill an Idea
Contrary to popular belief, ideas can in fact be killed. And that reality has important implications for how we should handle various conflicts, including those involving Israel and Ukraine.
Taylor Swift and Political Ignorance
A recent poll finding that 18 percent of all Americans and 32 percent of Republicans believe Taylor Swift is part of a covert conspiracy effort to help Biden win reelection. This is just one example of the broader problem of political ignorance and bias.
A Qualified Defense of Qualified Conformism
Some thoughts occasioned by economist Bryan Caplan's new book "You Will Not Stampede Me: Essays on Non-Conformism."
Don't Put too Much Stock in Survey Finding that 67% of 18-24-Year-Olds Say Jews are "Oppressors"
The much-cited Harvard-Harris poll question has flawed wording,and is at odds with other, better surveys.
Is Support for "From the River to the Sea" Based Upon Ignorance?
Younger Americans, in particular, appear to support calls for Palestinian liberation, but do they understand what a common slogan means?
New Survey Showing Public Ignorance About the Holocaust Among Young Americans
The Economist/YouGov survey indicates 1 in 5 young Americans believe the Holocaust is a "myth." The result is troubling, but less bad than it looks. It is also just one part of a broader problem of widespread ignorance about history and political issues.
Are Right-Wingers More Prone to Believe Conspiracy Theories than Left-Wingers?
An extensive new study finds that the answer is "no." Belief in conspiracy theories is about equally common on different sides of the political spectrum.
The Demand for Political Misinformation is a Bigger Problem than the Supply - Even in the Age of AI
Economist Tyler Cowen elaborates on some of the reasons why. The root of the problem is that voters have poor incentives to become well-informed and evaluate information objectively.
NYC Lawyer Dmitriy Shakhnevich Interviews Me on Wide Range of Law and Policy Issues
Topics covered include affirmative action, legacy preferences, the student loan forgiveness decision, refugee policy, indictments against Trump, Vladimir Putin, political ignorance, and more.
Juneteenth Celebrates a Great American Achievement
The emerging culture war over the holiday is misguided. In reality, Juneteenth celebrates one of the greatest triumphs of America and its founding principles.
