The Politics of Star Wars

In honor of Star Wars Day, a roundup of links to my writings and talks on the politics of one of the world's most popular science fiction franchises.

Today is Star Wars Day! In honor of this exciting event from a galaxy far, far away, here are some links to various writings and speeches I have done on the politics of one of the world's most popular science fiction franchises:

Rogue One and the Politics of Star Wars (my take on political themes in the best Star Wars movie since the original trilogy). This is probably my personal favorite among my Star Wars-related pieces. Among other things, it discusses why it's important to think about what the Rebels are fighting for, as well as what they are against, and why, they, like many of the American Founding Fathers, are "simultaneously freedom fighters and slave owners."

The Politics of the Last Jedi (the politics of the most recent Star Wars movie)

Star Wars, Science Fiction, and the Constitution (an analysis of Cass Sunstein's well-known book The World According to Star Wars).

The World According to Star Wars (video of Cato Institute panel on Cass Sunstein's book of the same name, featuring the author and commentary by Michael Cannon (Cato Institute) and myself.

The Politics of Star Wars (audio of my December 2015 Libertarianism.org podcast on the politics of the Star Wars franchise—produced just before the release of The Force Awakens, so it only covers the development of the franchise up to just before that point).