Religion & Liberty Online Archives

Government

February 22, 2021

Law and morality: not a simple affair

The role of the state, in spheres ranging from public morality to the economy, is one of several axes around which debates about the conservative movement’s future are presently revolving. In a 2020 article, I critiqued common-good constitutionalism for its misreading of how the natural law tradition treats the role of the state and law vis-à-vis morality. Continue Reading...
January 22, 2021

The death and resurrection of ‘The 1776 Report’ (full report text)

While I was reading The 1776 Report, it disappeared. The publication commissioned to “enable a rising generation to understand the history and principles of the founding of the United States,” which found itself memory-holed by one of the initial executive orders President Joe Biden signed during his first day in office, expertly explains the American philosophy of liberty and applies it to the most threatening modern-day crises. Continue Reading...
December 14, 2020

Checks and balances were built for today

First, a truism: Checks and balances are at the foundation of our national government. Second, a cliché: The U.S. is increasingly polarized. Combining these two, many commentators have been eager to forecast the end of checks and balances in a time of political jockeying. Continue Reading...