This issue of The Freeman critiques “back-door socialism” in America, explaining how subsidies, welfare transfers, and regulatory privileges expand political power while dulling self-reliance. It examines the social pressures that lead individuals and industries to trade independence for government favors, and explores the moral and economic consequences of envy-driven politics. Additional essays analyze the role of power in social conflict, the fragility of utopian schemes, the difference between genuine charity and coerced redistribution, and the enduring value of personal responsibility. Book reviews consider works on freedom, economic education, and religious perspectives on social order.
