Self-Interest

Voters Are Ignorant, but Elitism Is Not the Answer

Most political ignorance is not the result of stupidity, but of largely rational behavior. The chance that your vote will make a difference to the outcome of an election is infinitesimally small (about 1 in 60 million for a presidential election). The best approach to mitigating political ignorance is not to give up on empowering ordinary people, but to empower them in a different way.

Protectionism Exploits Us All

Adam Smith's argument in favor of free trade and against protectionism is just as relevant and persuasive today as it was in 1776. Domestic producers and manufacturers are always better organized than the consumers, and they foster political support for protectionist trade policies that are in direct opposition to the interests and welfare of the great body of the people.