This issue of The Freeman critiques the expanding burden of government taxation and spending, explaining how hidden taxes, inflation, and political incentives distort economic life. It defends constructive individualism, emphasizing personal responsibility and the moral role of character in sustaining freedom. Additional essays explore how power must be contained to preserve the market economy, highlight the essential role of entrepreneurs in innovation and progress, and analyze socialist arguments about labor unions and class conflict. The issue also examines the function of political parties in a free society, explains why money remains the cheapest medium of exchange, and contrasts the wealth-generating effects of markets with the stagnation of socialism. Book reviews discuss works on utopian coercion and labor union privilege.
