Issues

Click to read more about the positions that the Adam Smith Foundation was created to defend:

• Judicial Reform
• Government Accountability
• Education Reform
• Tax & Spending Reform
• Protecting Private Property

HIGHLIGHTS from the BLOG:

An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations is the magnum opus of the Scottish economist Adam Smith, published on March 9, 1776 during the Scottish Enlightenment. It is a clearly written account of a political economy at the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, and is widely considered to be the first modern work in the field of economics. The work is also the first comprehensive defense of free market policies. It is broken down into five books between two volumes.

The Conservative Mind, by Russell Kirk
The Conservative Mind is considered the cornerstone of the modern conservative movement. Russell Kirk's unparalleled essay is the classic synthesis of American conservative tradition and its English roots. To this day, it makes clear the significance of the word "conservative" and the importance of conservative values.

Coercing Virtue: The Worldwide Rule of Judges, by Robert Bork
Bork's text makes a strong case that judges, rather than legislators, are making and repealing the laws, in not only America, but other countries as well. The book has several case studies, including Canada and Israel, which show that many judges are using ideology and not the letter of the law to determine a case's outcome. The text highlights the surge of activism on the bench, an aspect of law that Bork writes to be growing at an alarming rate.

David's Hammer: The Case for an Activist Judiciary, by Clint Bolick
Judicial activism is condemned by both right and left, for good reason--lawless courts are a threat to republican government. But challenging conventional wisdom, constitutional litigator Clint Bolick argues in David's Hammer: The Case for an Activist Judiciary that far worse is a judiciary that allows the other branches of government to run roughshod over precious liberties. For better or worse, only a vigorous judiciary can enforce the limits on executive and legislative action, protect constitution-al rights, and tame unelected bureaucrats. David's Hammer reclaims for the judiciary its intended role as the ultimate safeguard of a free society.

Capitalism and Freedom, by Milton Friedman
Perhaps one of the greatest economists of our time, Milton Friedman, clearly outlines how important a free society is in the stimulating text "Capitalism & Freedom." He explains that many have difficulty understanding how free our society could be because of their lack of belief in freedom itself. Friedman writes a case for capitalism in its truest, competitive form, and each section covers an aspect of society, from school choice to limited government. Friedman's economic understanding and logic validates that when there is more free enterprise and competition in the market, hence, more freedom to choose, civil society thrives.

Voucher Wars: Waging the Legal Battle Over School Choice, by Clint Bolick
Voucher Wars is the firsthand account of Bolick's litigation experiences on behalf of school choice programs. The book is written chronologically, beginning in 1990 with the nation's first urban school choice program in Milwaukee, and ending in 2002 with the Cleveland school choice program.

A Matter of Interpretation: Federal Courts and the Law, by Justice Antonin Scalia
Supreme Court Justice Scalia, in his essay on the judiciary's duties, focuses on the philosophy of why our laws shall be interpreted as the Constitution's original letter of the law. Following his essay, several legal scholars comment on this philosophy, and together, the book makes an excellent case against judicial activism.

The Roots of American Order, by Russell Kirk
"The Roots of American Order," by Russell Kirk seeks to answer the value of order's puzzling question: how society can maintain the balance between freedom and license, community and individual. The book traces the concept of order from the beginning to the nineteenth century in America, while pointing out that our founding fathers were practical individuals who wanted to preserve the heritage of our English culture.

Edmund Burke: Selected Writings and Speeches, collected by Dr. Peter Stanlis
Edmond Burke, political philosopher and constructionist of modern conservatism, was an elegant, prose stylist that wrote and advocated conservative principles we personify today. His classic letters, drenched with passion and profound insight, yield a collection of intriguing texts that are sure to be read for many years to come.

The Road to Serfdom, by F.A. Hayek
"The Road to Serfdom" has been reprinted twice since its original text in 1944. Hayek, who is placed in the same caliber as John Stuart Mill, George Orwell, and Alexis de Tocqueville, makes the timeless correlation between liberty and government authority. Originally written to explain how socialism came along in Western Europe, the book has shown to hold validity throughout much of our changing political landscape. Arguing against socialism and for individualism, Hayek's novel holds one of the greatest and timeless arguments for economic, social, and political freedom.

The Law, by Frederic Bastiat
French statesman and economist, Frederic Bastiat, wrote "The Law" during the late 1800s when France was turning towards socialism. He argues that socialism turns into communism, pointing out the fallacious reasoning that Frenchmen used to persuade its citizens into a socialist revolution. Bastiat adequately predicted that his pamphlet would be read "one hundred years from now." Today, the arguments Frederic makes against these hazardous values certainly apply in America. The liberal ideologues turn toward this behavior more and more as extremism becomes paramount in their philosophy. "The Law" holds something for every true conservative adhere to.

Free To Choose, by Milton Friedman
Friedman's work, once again, provides an outstanding argument for more economic choice and why Keynesian policy of increased government spending is flawed. Additionally, Milton Friedman covers how a market works and gives excellent argumentation against specific laws that are geared toward controlling our freedom to choose.

Seven Fat Years, by Robert Bartley
By the editor of the Wall Street Journal, Robert Bartley gives the argument and history for supply-side economics. Bartley makes the case for "seven fat years" of a thriving economy, again, if taxes are lowered and consumers have more disposable income. Using the economic minds that fathered the New Classical Economics, Bartley provides logical reasons why government should reduce inefficient taxation.

Report Government Waste!

The national debt is rising and politicians are promising to cut waste, but government spending remains out of control. Do you have an example of government waste or irresponsible spending that you would like to report? Please tell us about it at info@adamsmithfoundation.com