Cato Unbound
The Cato Institute has launched a new website called Cato Unbound. In their own words: bq. Each month, Cato Unbound publishes a lead essay by one of the world's leading thinkers. Then, every other day or so, a new reaction essay by one of three commentators will appear, to be followed by a more free form discussion inspired by the initial exchange of ideas. In the spaces between, we'll publish the best of your letters and blog posts, creating a hub for a broader conversation about our heady topics. The first lead essay was appropriately written by Nobel prize winner, James Buchanan of George Mason University. His challenge was to propose 3 new amendments of his choice to the U.S. Constitution. You can read the whole thing here, but I thought this was a great line: bq. Public understanding, including, importantly, that of the practicing judiciary, must embody the recognition that limiting government intrusion into the operation of markets, while imposing on government the obligation to prevent interferences with voluntary exchange, does not, in any way, amount to the constitutionalization of a particular economic theory, as sometimes alleged. Such a requirement is little more than explicit acknowledgement that persons possess the natural liberty to enter into and exit from agreements, without concern for collectively imposed constraints. Brainy words, eh? Supporting the idea of limited government isn't to subscribe to a particular economic theory. Instead, you only need to recognize that people are borne with the natural liberty to trade freely. Beautiful stuff.
