An IPS Essay By Michael R. Winther, President of the Institute for Principle Studies Five Principles At this time in our nation’s history, it is increasingly difficult to write about a political or economic issue without invoking some reference to our faltering economy and the increasingly enormous government bailout expenditures. These economic circumstances represent an excellent opportunity for teaching the principles of good government, so I want to add some important principle analysis to these events. Most of my readers are very familiar with the “$700 billion” legislation that authorized the federal government to bail out failing financial institutions, but … Read More
In Defense of Speculation
By Michael R. Winther, President An IPS essay, published September 2008 In Defense of Speculation Whenever there is a shortage of any particular commodity, the media is sure to draw our attention to profits being made by “greedy speculators” who reap their windfalls while the ordinary citizens struggle to survive. The recent run-up in the prices of crude oil and gasoline has, predictably, resulted in calls for regulations to limit the activities of speculators in the oil market. Should we allow government to “protect” us from this speculation? Let’s take a deeper look. Let me start by saying that the … Read More
Symbols, Symbolism, and Flag Burning
An IPS Commentary By Michael R. Winther, President of the Institute for Principle Studies Symbols, Symbolism and Flag Burning I just watched a video clip of baseball player, Rick Monday, saving the American flag from the match of a protestor at a major league baseball game in 1976. As I watched, it occurred to me that there are millions of patriotic Americans who have great respect for the American flag. These Americans would join us in applauding this video and Rick Monday’s actions. Most, if not all, of these good, old-fashioned Americans would do exactly as Rick Monday did. This … Read More
The Central Question of Political Science
An IPS Commentary By Michael R. Winther, President of the Institute for Principle Studies The Central Question of Political Science The central question in the study of government and politics is this: “What is the proper role of government?” What should government do about the poor? Should government ban abortion, or should government protect the practice? What should government do about health care? What should be done with the environment? How should this or that parcel of land be zoned? Should we have a military draft? The answer to each of these questions depends on our view of … Read More
The Importance of Principles
An IPS Commentary By Katie Herche The Importance of Principles During my first year at Las Positas Junior College I decided to take an economics course. The class was microeconomics, and my professor was a well-educated woman who earned her Ph.D. at Berkeley. Because I had debated in high school, I already knew that economists had differing views and that many theories were widely debated. Understanding this, I approached my professor. My question was simple: I wanted to know which school of thought she subscribed to and would be teaching from. Her answer surprised me. “This is an introductory … Read More
Government and Ethics: Less is More
An IPS Commentary By Michael R. Winther, President of the Institute for Principle Studies Government and Ethics: Less is More In an effort to curb truly unethical behavior, we have created a mountain of laws and regulations that make previously ethical and acceptable actions illegal. Income reporting requirements and limitations on honoraria are just a few examples of regulations designed to prevent or reveal unethical behavior. Violations of these prophylactic regulations now make criminals out of even greater numbers of government officials. In an effort to curb truly unethical behavior, we have taken ethical behavior and made it criminal. This … Read More
Why the Fluoride Debate Misses the Point
By Mike Winther, President of the Institute for Principle Studies Why the Fluoride Debate Misses the Point This article addresses the issue of community water fluoridation, not from a medical or scientific standpoint, but from the perspective of individual rights and liberty. This commentary ignores the issues relating to the safety or efficacy of fluoride. I will leave the medical and scientific merits of the issue to those who are far more knowledgeable in those disciplines. What I intend to demonstrate in this article, however, is that forced fluoridation is wrong regardless of its health effects. I suspect that many who … Read More
Why Conservatives and Christians Lose Elections
An IPS Commentary By Michael R. Winther, President of the Institute for Principle Studies Why Conservatives and Christians Lose Elections The 2006 elections are over. Conservatives, Christians, and those with traditional values won a few, but lost many, many more. There were many hotly contested races—races in which Christians and conservatives invested fortunes of time and money… but still lost. Was this time and money wasted? Not necessarily, but in most cases, it means that conservative Christians are not in touch with the voters. That’s right, conservative Christians are the ones that are out of touch with voters. This is … Read More