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The War on the Republic
Regressives (they call themselves “Progressives”) have long opposed the system of limited government established by the drafters of the Constitution. As one example, the Seventeenth Amendment, which established direct elections of United States Senators, was ratified in 1913 at the height of the first “Progressive” movement. Prior to that time, Senators were selected by each…
Who Owns an Idea?
For most property, ownership is a straightforward issue. We give the auto dealer money and in return we receive ownership of a vehicle. We give the grocer money and in return receive ownership of a basket of food. The exchange of values transfers ownership. Ownership in these instances is straightforward because we are dealing with…
Principles, Politics, and Planning, Part 1
In 2012, Austin began the process of rewriting the city’s land-use regulations. The project came to be named CodeNext, and it has been mired in controversy, animosity, and finger-pointing ever since. While detractors have raised numerous points about the process of developing CodeNext, they haven’t questioned the principles underlying it. And those principles are the…
The Enemies of Property Rights: Civil Asset Forfeiture
In 2014, Philadelphia police seized the home of Christos and Markela Sourovelis. Their son, who lived with them, had been arrested for selling forty dollars of drugs. The Sourovelises were kicked out of their home, the doors were screwed shut, and the utilities were cut off. Though they had done nothing wrong, they were homeless…
When “Rights” are Wrong, Part 3
In Part 2, we examined how the alleged right to choose advocated by housing advocates actually destroys the freedom to choose. In this post, we will look at the second “right” asserted by advocates: the “right” to stay. We will see how, if put into practice, this guarantee against involuntary displacement will reduce voluntary action….
The “Other Guy”
Texans are quick to defend their own property rights, but they are often willing to turn a blind eye when the property rights of the “other guy” are violated. But if they aren’t willing to defend the property rights of the “other guy,” why should the “other guy” want to defend their property rights? For…