What does it mean to have the right to earn a living? In the simplest of terms, the right to earn a living means that people should be free to acquire income in ways that make them happy, allowing them to use their own gifts and talents, absent unreasonable interference from outside actors. While this would appear to an uncontroversial,…
Bashing the U.S. Constitution or advocating against certain Amendments has become a hobby of many in younger generations. They look across the globe and see policies they like and wonder, “Why we do not have the same ones?” But they’re missing one important step. Before looking at policy, we have to look at meta policy. The Constitution is not…
Months after passing sweeping income tax legislation lowering the national personal and corporate income tax rates for millions of Americans, members of Congress, even those in the party that voted for this legislation, are now trying to impose an internet sales tax across the states. As outlined in the Wall Street Journal, a large group of Congressmen in both the…
Americans today face a crisis of liberty. Even in Texas, where free enterprise ostensibly prospers, real freedom is in danger. Over time, a perversion of law has allowed the balance of power to shift, emboldening the government to tell citizens how they can and cannot act. Worst of all, the use of laws with the praiseworthy intent to create a…
Dozens of North Texans gathered together in a packed bar on the evening of March 1st to mark the launch of North Texas’s newest public policy think-tank, Lone Star Policy Institute. Perhaps, it was the appearance of Kevin Williamson from National Review that packed the house. The energy in the room said this was not merely a crowd to hear…
The Texas Senate State Affairs Committee Chair recently held hearings at Texas State University on whether Texas should enact legislation protecting free speech on state college campuses. The Senate Committee asked fourteen speakers to testify on registration requirements of student organizations and obstacles for students to invite speakers to appear on state campuses, such as arbitrary security expenses. In addition, the…
A North American Common Market. The idea of a North American common market dates back at least to Ronald Reagan during his 1980 presidential campaign. Despite musing that it might take one hundred years to make the North American accord a reality, the North American Free Trade Agreement went into effect on January 1, 1994. At the time of its…
We are living in an exciting time where technological innovation is changing the way we live, work, do business, and fall in love. The economy is changing, but does this means that “economics” itself will change? Some futurists say so. Writers like Kevin Kelly suggest that artificial intelligence and machine learning are inexorably leading us toward the end of work.…
At the outset of Lone Star Policy Institute, it’s necessary to explore first principles. Here we take a look at the moral case for economic freedom. The free market is the economic foundation of a free, pluralistic society. Laissez faire economics stands for the idea that the government should stand aside and let individuals do what they want or need…
Bud Kennedy should be commended for thinking big and long-term with regards to Fort Worth’s future (“Here’s How to Fix Fort Worth“). Unfortunately, his ideas mostly range from the superficial to the counterproductive. It is hard to disagree with Kennedy’s “image” suggestions: embrace a “modern west” mindset, abandon Dallas-envy, emphasize Trinity Trails, etc. However, it is difficult to imagine that…