Today, Ben Sasse joins Russ Roberts for a wide-ranging conversation on facing death, the meaning of family and faith, and the future of the American republic; Patrick McLaughlin explains the relationship between declining religious adherence and civic involvement on the one hand and an expanding rule-making administrative state on the other; and, continuing his series of letters in the voice of Adam Smith, Ross Levine reflects on the role of the “impartial spectator” in an age of algorithmically induced partisan tribalism.
Philosophy
When time is short, what really matters? How can one continue to live well, and for others, when illness closes in?
The Big Idea: Amid his struggle with a stage-four pancreatic cancer diagnosis, former US senator from Nebraska Ben Sasse joins EconTalk’s Russ Roberts to reflect on how faith, family, marriage, and civic duty continue to provide him meaning in life. Funny, unflinching, and deeply human, Sasse closes with a meditation on raging against the dying of the light while walking with your head bowed. Watch or listen here.
Politics, Institutions, and Public Opinion
Writing at The Miami Herald, Research Fellow Patrick A. McLaughlin examines the impact of the decline in Americans’ voluntary participation in civic associations on the size and scope of government bureaucracy. McLaughlin argues that for decades, churches “and other sources of moral formation, security and local solidarity have been hollowing out. As they wither, Americans ask Washington to fill the void.” McLaughlin notes that secularization did not create the regulatory state but has provided fertile conditions for the expansion of administrative power. “A healthy republic needs strong institutions to occupy the space between the isolated individual and the clumsy, centralized state,” McLaughlin says, calling for both thoughtful deregulation as well as the revitalization of “families, congregations, charities, markets and local governments to solve problems before they become federal cases.” The scholar of American regulation concludes that America’s future economic and political health depend on restoring a proper balance among individuals within a respectful pluralism, smaller-scale institutions, and a right-sized bureaucratic state. Read more here.
Freedom Frequency
Continuing his series “From the Hand of Adam Smith,” Senior Fellow Ross Levine examines one of the most compelling points of Adam Smith’s philosophy: the role of the “impartial spectator,” the inner judge who rules over the worthiness—or unworthiness—of people’s actions. Today, the judge’s voice is often drowned out amid an avalanche of manipulated anger and tribalism, Levine writes. The moguls of online outrage oversee an industry of stoking anger and emotional responses because it benefits them, he argues. But the damage goes far deeper than wasted time and energy, Levine says. This environment cripples a person’s ability to separate right from wrong and to exercise self-control. In the end, because “a true party-man hates and despises candor,” honest disagreements become impossible, this imagined letter from Smith to contemporary Americans warns. Read more here.
Oppressive governments have learned to use democracies’ legal tools—aimed at combating financial crimes, cyberattacks, and support for terrorism—to persecute dissidents and whistleblowers across borders. In this essay, human rights activists Jorge Jraissati and Lyudmyla Kozlovska explain how these authoritarian regimes take advantage of Western enforcement tools that prioritize quick action and minimal pretexts for investigation. In one legal case they describe, Kazakh government figures manipulated a court proceeding in Belgium to try to surveil and silence critics of the country’s security services, which had been implicated in shooting peaceful protesters. Even though this legal attack failed, the authors write, a market has now developed for “transnational financial repression” on European soil. They warn that this strategy, which can also be used to target American businesses and citizens, endangers US national security. Read more here.
Technology Policy
The Hoover Institution’s Technology Policy Accelerator is pleased to announce the launch of Nerds of the Roundtable, a monthly speaker series featuring candid, student-led conversations with distinguished fellows and scholars. This academic year’s speakers have studied the moon, informed decisions at the highest levels of government, and advanced emerging technologies. Drawing on their research, experiences, and personal stories, they will help students explore the technological and policy questions shaping our future. Follow the link to the Hoover site to see a preview of our confirmed speakers, including several Hoover fellows. Additional guests will be announced throughout the academic year. Read more here.
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