April 1, 2022
Scott Hodge has been president of the Tax Foundation in Washington, D.C., since 2000, and is recognized as one of Washington’s leading experts on tax policy, the federal budget, and government spending. Scott led the development of the Taxes and Growth Dynamic Tax Modeling project and the State Business Tax Climate Index, two projects that have changed the terms of the tax debate, encouraged competition towards pro-growth tax policies, and demonstrated to policymakers and taxpayers alike the impact of the tax code on our daily lives. He has written dozens of editorials and opeds in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, USA TODAY, the New York Post and The Washington Times. And he has conducted more than 1,000 radio and television interviews–including with NBC Nightly News, CBS Evening News, CNN, Fox, Hardball with Chris Matthews, and C-SPAN. Before joining the Tax Foundation, Scott was Director of Tax and Budget Policy at Citizens for a Sound Economy. He also spent ten years at The Heritage Foundation as a fellow analyzing budget and tax policy.
March 18, 2022
Lauren Hall is associate professor of political science at Rochester Institute of Technology. She is the author of Family and the Politics of Moderation (Baylor University Press, 2014) and the co-editor of a volume on the political philosophy of French political thinker Chantal Delsol. She has written extensively on the classical liberal tradition, including articles on Edmund Burke, Adam Smith, and Montesquieu. She serves on the executive board of the interdisciplinary journal Cosmos+Taxis, which publishes on spontaneous orders in the social and political worlds. Her current research is on the politics of birth and death, and she also writes on related areas in evolutionary theory and bioethics.
February 23, 2022
Radley Balko is an investigative journalist and a columnist for The Washington Post, where he writes about the criminal justice system and civil liberties. He was previously a senior writer and investigative reporter at the Huffington Post, and a reporter and senior editor for Reason magazine. He is author of the acclaimed book Rise of the Warrior Cop and co-authored The Cadaver King and the Country Dentist: A True Story of Injustice in the American South. His work has been cited by the Mississippi Supreme Court, and two federal appeals courts, and twice by the U.S. Supreme Court. He also occasionally writes about the music and culture of Nashville, Tennessee, where he lives.
November 11, 2021
Political philosopher Kevin Vallier will offer a powerful counter-narrative to the prevailing sense of hopelessness that dogs the American political landscape. In an unapologetic defense of classical liberalism that synthesizes political philosophy and empirical trust research, Vallier restores faith in our power to reduce polarization and rebuild social and political trust.
October 18, 2021
In the shadow of a continuing pandemic, we discussed public-policy questions that affect innovation in health care. How do government regulators find the right level of public oversight? As pharmaceutical researchers try to balance the need between saving lives and ensuring safety, some are rethinking older protocols and timelines for clinical trials. Dr. Diamond began with introductory remarks about Professor Benjamin Rogge, his mentor at Wabash.
September 21, 2021
Co-sponsored with PPE & Economics
September 16, 2021
April 21, 2021
Between the aggressive crime legislation of the 1990s, post-9/11 concerns about domestic terrorism, and continued minority discrimination in policing, many are troubled by the erosion of equal justice under the law as guaranteed by the Constitution. Conservatives and Libertarians, long committed to individual rights, are now collaborating with Progressives to question the status quo in our law enforcement and court systems, pointing towards dramatic possibilities for public-policy reform.
March 1, 2021
Is "civility" just a synonym for "politeness" or "good manners"? Oxford political theorist Teresa Bejan addressed this provocative question, based on her recent book, Mere Civility. Her argument looks back to the raucous debates and disputes of the 17th century, including the thought of philosophers Thomas Hobbes and John Locke, as well as Puritan theologian Roger Williams (and thus draws on the history of early American colonial governments). This intellectual history reminds us, too, that the oft-announced "crisis of civility" is not actually a new problem. Moving to contemporary questions, Bejan explored ways we can have controversial conversations, keep a tolerant society, and allow room for uncomfortable dissent.
The Institute sponsors events that bring thought leaders to the Wabash campus, engaging students and the wider community. See Upcoming Events.
The Institute supports students pursuing summer internships with national and international public-policy organizations aligned with its mission. Learn More.
The Institute was founded by Wabash alumnus Richard J Stephenson '62, a philanthropist and entrepreneur who is committed to a free society. Learn More.
Drawing on the experience of legendary Wabash trustee Pierre Goodrich and Economics Professor Benjamin Rogge, the Stephenson Institute celebrates Wabash's tradition of exploring ideas over ideology. Learn More.
As part of a long tradition of building free societies, including principles such as individual choice and constitutionalism, some perennial ideas about liberty resonate–from the Founding Era to our own. Learn More.
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