by Eric Schansberg, Ph.D. Over the last 30 years, Charles Murray has been one of the most influential thinkers on domestic policy matters. Murray was trained as a sociologist, but has a terrific understanding of economics and political economy. His work is multi-disciplinary, readable, relevant and often provocative. This year marks a key anniversary for two of Murray’s books. Losing Ground is 30 years old now — and was the book on welfare programs in the 1980s. Quite…

“I may have lost my heart, but not my self-control.” — Jane Austen in Emma “Self-command is not only itself a great virtue, but from it all the other virtues seem to derive their principal lustre.” — Adam Smith in The Theory of Moral Sentiments CERTAIN MEMBERS of this foundation gather every year to survey the political landscape and to enjoy each other’s company. The landscape being what it is, the latter motivation has driven…

by Andy Horning We all know that our government is corrupt. What we apparently don’t appreciate is that: Our constitutions are on our side. We have all the laws we need to quash such corruption and live in peace, prosperity, justice and freedom. We the People have all the power and accountability in the application of those constitutions. We could sweep away ungoverned government and crony corruption in a single day if we wanted to.…

by Eric Schansberg, Ph.D. The use of government for economic “development” and economic “stimulus” is quite popular. Unfortunately, its popularity greatly exceeds what it deserves, given both theory and data. The theoretical reasons are easy to understand. In terms of economics, it is difficult for government to create net economic activity by moving money from one use to another. But in terms of political economy, the benefits of government spending are usually concentrated and obvious,…

For the use of the membership only. by John F. Gaski, Ph.D. Once again, as is becoming a tedious ritual at this time of year, our country’s legal and political institutions are wrestling with the “separation of church and state” — or at least one highly visible aspect of it. This particular struggle even has a name: “the war on Christmas.” In the spirit of the season, I have some questions for those who believe…

by Andrea Neal Hoosier women have come a long way since the mid-19th century when a proposal for women’s suffrage generated more scorn than acceptance. One political leader summed up the views of the day when he noted that women already enjoyed “the rights which the Bible designed them to have in this Christian land of ours.” By 1847, married women had obtained limited property rights in Indiana, but the right to vote was still…

by Chad Davis, M.D. Indiana’s private practitioners, family doctors among them, need your help — a Code Red, if you will. Specifically, they need you to understand the economic pressures that change how your medical care is provided — and not just those changes associated with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (also known as ObamaCare). The Wall Street Journal, for instance, has warned that the pieces of legislation, both Republican and Democrat, headed…

by Jon Bingham Which system do you prefer: college basketball’s March Madness or college football’s bowls-playoff? Your answer may indicate your view of the beneficial role of government. Should the government facilitate competition or predetermine much of the outcome? March Madness relates to the free market; college football exemplifies government control. For years, college football has been plagued with debates regarding the legitimacy of its championship declarations. Such questions do not linger in college basketball.…

by Cecil Bohanon, Ph.D. In the summer of 1967, when I was about to enter the seventh grade, I watched television news reports of the Detroit riots on my grandmother’s black-and-white Philco. An elderly black woman cried on camera because she had been burned out of her apartment. My grandmother thought it was all “very ugly.” She also commented that black people had been “treated terribly.” I hoped that this would all be behind us…

(For the use of the membership only.) “Like the mandarins of old, these officials are well-educated, well-mannered, well-intentioned and wrong.” — Dan Hannan in the Dec. 8, 2014, Washington Examiner by Craig Ladwig Republican officeholders are one thing. Republican voters are another. That was made clear this week as the U.S. House voted to fund everything that the November electorate opposed. But the really bad news is that things are no better in “conservative” Indiana.…