Conservatism

Constitutional Conservatives Fail the Drug Test

by Laurence M. Vance July 13, 2018

The announced retirement of Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy from the U.S. Supreme Court (effective July 31, 2018) has conservatives salivating over the prospects of Donald Trump’s nominating a constitutional conservative to the Supreme Court. Although Kennedy was nominated to the High Court by Ronald Reagan, he has at times disappointed conservatives with some of his votes, especially ...

A Complete and Utter Failure

by Laurence M. Vance March 1, 2018

President Trump has now completed his first year in office. The Republican majorities in the U.S. House and Senate have now had a year to work with a Republican president. What is so significant about that is that it is only the fourth time since the end of World War II and the end of absolute Democratic control of ...

The Problem with Conservatism

by Laurence M. Vance December 1, 2017

Nikolai G. Wenzel has a problem with conservatism. A libertarian, Wenzel is a Research Fellow at the University of Paris Law School’s Center for Law & Economics and the coauthor (with conservative Nathan W. Schlueter) of Selfish Libertarians and Socialist Conservatives? The Foundations of the Libertarian-Conservative Debate (Stanford Economic and Finance, 2017). This book is the only “debate book” between ...

Building a Republican America

by Laurence M. Vance September 8, 2017

The congressional show known as the budget process is taking place on the national stage. The show is a little late this year because of the inauguration of a new president. Normally, the president must submit his proposed budget for the next fiscal year (which begins on October 1) no later than the first Monday in February. However, a new ...

The Conservative Mantra

by Laurence M. Vance April 1, 2017

Conservative godfather Russell Kirk (1918–1994) wrote lengthy philosophical treatises on “the six canons of conservative thought” and “ten conservative principles.” Throughout his writings on conservatism he praised natural law, order, virtue, restraint, custom, convention, continuity, tradition, prudence, permanent things, an enduring moral order, property, and voluntary community, while he disdained hasty innovation, collectivism, uniformity, egalitarianism, utilitarianism, and those who ...

Republican Medicaid Wars Miss the Real Issue

by Laurence M. Vance January 20, 2016

Republicans are at it again. Just as they battle with Democrats over things that are relatively unimportant, so they fight with each other. But, as usual, they miss the real issue. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as the PPACA, the ACA, or Obamacare, was signed into law by Barack Obama on March 23, 2010, after the ...

Carson’s Comments

by Laurence M. Vance November 19, 2015

Republican presidential candidate Benjamin “Ben” Carson was director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Maryland from 1984 until he retired in 2013. As recently as 2013, he was not affiliated with any political party, even though in a book of his published the same year, he wrote that he believed “it is a very good idea for ...

Republican Hypocrisy on Planned Parenthood

by Laurence M. Vance August 24, 2015

Planned Parenthood is the largest abortion provider in the country. Although the organization also provides sexual and reproductive health care, education, and information to 2.7 million women (and men) annually through its approximately 700 health centers throughout the United States, Planned Parenthood is generally criticized by Republicans — the vast majority of whom are pro-life — only ...

Conservatives Miss the Real Issues on Health Care

by Laurence M. Vance March 9, 2015

Conservatives are incensed over some of the latest medical research grants doled out by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Libertarians are infuriated as well, but not for the same reasons. Last year it was the $237,750 grant to George Washington University “to study whether the use of telemedicine can help overcome barriers to care for transgender women ...

Conservative Hypocrisy on Oliver Stone

by Jacob G. Hornberger February 11, 2015

One year ago, The Future of Freedom Foundation presented what we called “a conference within a conference” at the annual conference of the Students for Liberty, a student-run libertarian group that is, once again, holding their annual conference in Washington, D.C., this coming weekend — February 13-15, 2015. The theme of our mini-conference last year was “Civil Liberties and the ...

Conservatives Just Don’t Get It on Taxes

by Laurence M. Vance January 8, 2015

Now that the Republicans have regained the control of the Senate that they lost in the 2006 midterm election, conservatives are salivating about the prospect of “real” or “genuine” tax reform. Conservatives believe that reforming the tax code by making it more efficient, more coherent, more transparent, and more equitable; eliminating the double taxation that discourages saving and investment; eliminating ...

Distinctions without Differences

by Laurence M. Vance June 26, 2014

The stunning defeat of Republican House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in a Virginia primary election by political newcomer and professor at Randolph-Macon College, Dave Brat, has left political pundits scratching their heads. No primary challenger has ever ousted a sitting House Majority Leader since the position was created in 1899. Yet, the Sunday after his defeat, Cantor said ...