''The Declaration of Independents: How Libertarian Politics Can Fix What's Wrong with America'' is a 2011 non-fiction book by American political writers

Matt Welch Matthew Lee Welch (born July 31, 1968) is an American blogger, journalist, author, and libertarian political pundit. Early life Welch was born on July 31, 1968 in Bellflower, California. He was raised in Long Beach, California. He attended U ...

and

Nick Gillespie Nicholas John Gillespie (; born August 7, 1963) is an American libertarian journalist who was editor-in-chief of ''Reason'' magazine from 2000 to 2008 and editor-in-chief of Reason.com and Reason TV from 2008 to 2017. Gillespie originally joined ...

. Welch is the former editor-in-chief of ''

Reason Reason is the capacity of consciously applying logic by drawing conclusions from new or existing information, with the aim of seeking the truth. It is closely associated with such characteristically human activities as philosophy, science, ...

'', a position Gillespie also held from 2000 to 2008. The authors discuss the nature and influence of

libertarianism in the United States In the United States, libertarianism is a political philosophy promoting individual liberty. According to common meanings of conservatism and liberalism in the United States, libertarianism has been described as '' conservative'' on economi ...

. It is published by PublicAffairs, an imprint of the Perseus Books Group. The title is a pun referring to both the

U.S. Declaration of Independence The United States Declaration of Independence, formally The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen States of America, is the pronouncement and founding document adopted by the Second Continental Congress meeting at Pennsylvania State House (l ...

and independent voters.

The authors criticize contemporary American politics and the

two-party system A two-party system is a political party system in which two major political parties consistently dominate the political landscape. At any point in time, one of the two parties typically holds a majority in the legislature and is usually refe ...

of Republicans versus Democrats. They argue that the emphasis on a horse-race between figures on either side is essentially pointless since in their view both parties fundamentally act the same way. They write that a system in which "a majority, however slim, acquires the right to control the lives and property of the minority" creates ever more government spending and control over individuals. They write, "To assume that the hungry will starve, the naked will go unclothed, and the ignorant will remain uneducated if government spending declines as a percentage of GDP is as misguided as assuming no one would go to church absent a state religion."

Reviews

Economist

Tyler Cowen Tyler Cowen (; born January 21, 1962) is an American economist, columnist and blogger. He is a professor at George Mason University, where he holds the Holbert L. Harris chair in the economics department. He hosts the economics blog ''Marginal R ...

praised the book in his blog ''Marginal Revolution'' as "well written throughout", and he stated that it "never ventures into the absurd or makes indefensible claims." He wrote, "This is the up-to-date statement of libertarianism. Not warmed-over right-wing politics, but real, true-blooded libertarianism in the sense of loving liberty and wanting to find a new path toward human flourishing." Cowen also criticized the "murky" recommendations and lack of specific detail on issues such as health care reform. '' Kirkus Reviews'' summed up the book as "An enthusiastic, entertaining libertarian critique of American politics, brimming with derision for the status quo and optimism for the future and confident of the right direction, but disappointingly silent about which roads to take." The review argued as well that, despite the "rambunctious" criticism of the current two party system, the authors "leave unstated" many reform concepts, and other proposals for changing

education Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty ...

and

social insurance Social insurance is a form of social welfare that provides insurance against economic risks. The insurance may be provided publicly or through the subsidizing of private insurance. In contrast to other forms of social assistance, individuals' ...

seem "discouragingly shopworn".

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Declaration Of Independents 2011 non-fiction books Libertarian books Collaborative non-fiction books PublicAffairs books

Contents

Reviews

See also

References