This issue of The Freeman examines how government interventions—from inflationary monetary policy to emergency programs, pollution rules, and building codes—distort incentives and weaken personal responsibility. It contrasts coercive approaches with voluntary market solutions, including restitution-based environmental remedies and full deregulation of utilities. Additional essays revisit the lessons of socialist Tanzania, analyze bankruptcy laws as government interventions, and reflect on life under Soviet oppression. A book review highlights a history of Congress’s role in expanding the welfare state.
