Dr. Bruce Yandle published his original paper, “Bootleggers and Baptists” in 1983. Looking back on the last 30 years and this important theory of regulation Dr. Yandle was gracious enough to talk with IHS Economics Program Officer Mario Villarreal-Diaz about the legacy of this theory, it’s current applications, and to share encouraging words for young classical liberal scholars in their [...]

February 12 is President Abraham Lincoln’s birthday. To commemorate we have put together a collection of libertarian history readings on Lincoln as a president and the American Civil War. Included in this collection are essays and interviews that were published here on Kosmos as well as other suggested reading from our History Program Officer Phillip Magness. In these writings you [...]

Is it okay for the government to shape your decisions for your betterment? Dr. Bill Glod, IHS Program Officer in Philosophy interviews Dr. Glen Whitman about New or Libertarian Paternalism and behavioral economics. In this Kosmos Online podcast, they discuss the behavioral economics knowledge problem, positive and negative liberty, nudge, and the challenges of new paternalism for individual liberty in government policy. [...]

Last week, January 1, 2013 marked the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation. For those of you who missed Phil Magness’ webcast last month, our in house Civil War and Lincoln historian has written up a reflection on the Emancipation Proclamation that we’ve republished with his permission. ***** On September 22, 1862 Abraham Lincoln issued what has since become known as the [...]

Recently, I attended and presented research at a fairly big national conference. As a graduate student, one already feels somewhat like an outside at a conference attended mainly by faculty. But at this conference, I felt even more like an outsider as a classical liberal because anti-market and even anti-liberal (small “l”) positions were very frequently voiced both in presentations [...]

Some quick thoughts and questions about this recent post from The Chronicle of Higher Ed, “For Whom is College Being Reinvented.” The authors of the article bring up several good points, including the crucial questions that MOOCs face. How legitimate is online education? How will online ed overcome the fact that face to face classroom time is crucial for learning [...]

During my recent IHS webcast and post on being a public intellectual and getting involved with the media, I suggested a few strategies for getting started. Here’s an example of a versatile issue where everyone can get involved: government financing for stadiums and arenas. They very clearly benefit special interests, but research by economists like Dennis Coates and Brad Humphreys suggests that [...]

When you’re up for tenure, you will be evaluated on the basis of your teaching, your research, and your service. Why, then, should you do public intellectual work like speaking to local organizations, appearing on TV and radio, and writing occasional articles, op-eds, and letters to the editor of your local newspaper? If you already have a solid tenure file, [...]

A few years ago, my wife and I moved. Both of us are avid readers and moving our vast – and heavy – collection of books convinced us to get ebook readers (I got a Barnes & Noble Nook, she an Amazon Kindle).  Not only did they prove to be a convenient way not to add more to our overflowing [...]

Philosophy Program Officer Bill Glod sat down to talk with Georgetown professor and Bleeding Heart Libertarian blogger Jason Brennan about Dr. Brennan’s new book, Libertarianism: What Everyone Needs to Know (Oxford University Press). Over the course of the interview they talked about being a libertarian, the recent rise of left libertarianism, social change, and libertarianism in academia.   Listen and watch previous [...]