Should Government Control Our Lives? | Free State Project Founder Jason Sorens

What role does the state have in imposing its morality on individuals? What role should it have? How much should government control our lives?

On this episode of Liberty Curious, Kate Wand sat down with Jason Sorens, Senior Research Faculty at AIER, co-author of Freedom in the 50 States, and founder of the Free State Project, to discuss how much government interferes with our daily lives. Sorens claims that adults should be treated like adults, and not children, but the government often does the very opposite. They also talk about how to approach issues from a libertarian perspective, such as life-altering medical procedures for kids, hard drugs, tobacco, and where to draw the line on externalities. Jason also talks about the New Hampshire Free State Project, and how liberty-oriented people can foster freedom at the local level.

https://www.aier.org/article/treating-adults-like-children/

*** Please note that the opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the host and her guests. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the American Institute for Economic Research. The content presented in this show is intended for educational purposes only, and should not be considered as financial advice. ***

aier.org/podcasts

0:00 - intro

1:04 - founding debates

5:52 - relationship between government & citizens

7:49 - free state project

12:44 - red states vs new hampshire

15:13 - moral arguments for liberty

20:15 - treating adults like children

23:28 - education system trickle

26:35 - prohibition of drugs

31:32 - externalities

36:16 - rights of the majority vs individual

41:18 - family relationships trickle into society

44:24 - dealing with life-altering procedures for children

48:35 - school choice

52:34 - last thoughts