The Freeman magazine was the flagship publication of the Foundation for Economic Education and one of the oldest, most respected journals of liberty in America. It was founded in 1950 through the efforts of John Chamberlain, Henry Hazlitt, Isaac Don Levine, and Suzanne La Follette. FEE acquired it in 1956, and within two years it had reached 42,000 subscribers.

Through its articles, commentaries, and book reviews, several generations of Americans have learned about the consequences and contradictions that flow from the illiberal policies of collectivism, interventionism, and the welfare state. For 66 years, The Freeman uncompromisingly defended the ideals of a free society.

FEE announced in September 2016 that the Fall 2016 issue would be the final edition of The Freeman magazine. Selected back issues are available at the FEE Store, and all issues are available here as downloads.

In June 2025, The Freeman was relaunched, but this time for the modern era on Substack. Subscribe for articles on markets, liberty, and culture from the perspective of anti-anti-anti-Communists.

Copyright Notice

Unless otherwise noted, and with the exception of John Stossel’s “Give Me a Break!” columns, all works published on FEE.org and FEE.org/freeman are published under a Creative Commons Attribution International License 4.0.

Feel free to share and copy as long as you credit FEE as the source.

Print Issues Archive

Filter by Year

coverjan80 - Home

The Freeman: January 1980 Volume 30, 1980

This issue of The Freeman explores the economic problem of scarcity, price controls and shortages, the origins and incentives behind American labor unions, principles of individual responsibility and limited government, and the market process in everything from beef prices to public policy debates.

coverfeb80 - Home

The Freeman: February 1980 Volume 30, 1980

This issue of The Freeman explores the moral and cultural decline of the modern age, the destructive effects of price controls and inflation, the meaning of American liberty, the dangers of government intervention in the economy, the ethics of personal responsibility, the roots of crime and failed rehabilitation, and the ideological foundations of labor unions.

covermar80 - Home

The Freeman: March 1980 Volume 30, 1980

This issue of The Freeman explores the economic and moral consequences of inflation, the dangers of public-sector expansion, the philosophical foundations of individual liberty, the nature of voluntary vs. coercive exchange, and the political incentives that drive government growth. It also examines themes such as constitutional interpretation, consumer sovereignty, and the contrast between free-market coordination and bureaucratic administration.

coverapr80 - Home

The Freeman: April 1980 Volume 30, 1980

This issue of The Freeman explores the relationship between advertising and property rights, principled resistance to government aid, the psychology behind modern cultism, parental choice as a path to educational improvement, the nature of free enterprise and individual initiative, the importance of human inequality for progress, the harmony produced by market cooperation, and the dangers of politicized liberation movements. It also includes Ludwig von Mises on foreign investment and several book reviews.

covermay80 - Home

The Freeman: May 1980 Volume 30, 1980

This issue of The Freeman explores the tension between macroeconomic planning and individual responsibility, the case for free-enterprise solutions in health care, the moral linkage between rights and duties, the personal habits and incentives that shape medical outcomes, and how price controls distort energy markets. It also examines gold’s enduring monetary role, the influence of economic ideas on political events, and the limits of government cost-benefit analysis.

coverjun80 - Home

The Freeman: June 1980 Volume 30, 1980

This issue of The Freeman examines the dangers of relying on others’ property through political means, the constitutional roots of limited government, the tension between utopian ideals and real-world incentives, and the importance of personal stewardship. It also explores how regulations distort labor markets, why inflation fuels economic conflict, how moral character underpins free societies, and why political rather than economic forces often drive public-sector expansion.