Virtual Event: "The Seven Sound Principles of Public Policy"

Join the Federalist Party of the Yale Political Union for a lecture with Larry Reed of the Foundation for Economic Education, titled "The Seven Sound Principles of Public Policy". Pearce argues that laissez-faire principles promote liberty and responsibility.

R: The World Needs More Nationalism (Alumni Debate)

Nationalism is a conception of national identity that motivates people to pursue the good of their own nation over the interests of other nations. Nationalism can originate in a strong sense of regional identity, as is the case in places like Catalonia and Quebec. It can also stem from a desire to meld disparate local and ethnic identities into a broader concept of nationhood, such as in post-Imperial China or Francoist Spain. Nationalism sometimes takes the form of independence movements, which the Balkans witnessed to devastating effect during the 20th-century. At other times, nationalists seek to recover lost territories that are believed to be part of one's national heritage, such as in modern-day Israel and Palestine, or in pre-World War II Germany and Italy. Nationalistic movements are not always violent. Composers like Antonin Dvorak and Ralph Vaughan Williams can be considered nationalists, for using folk melodies and seeking to develop distinctive musical textures for their respective nations. Trade protectionism, language preservation programs, and the promotion of traditional festivals can all stem from nationalistic impulses.

 

Would the world benefit from an increase in nationalistic sentiment? Many commentators in the Western media suggest that nationalism is to blame for China's increasing aggression, the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union, and the Trump Administration's uncooperative attitude towards many countries. Indeed, one might wonder whether nationalism can thrive independently from arrogance and conflict? On the other hand, globalism would seek to detach people from their connections to a homeland, thus depriving them of an important source of identity and community. Theresa May once remarked, "if you believe you are a citizen of the world, you are a citizen of nowhere." But is nationalism an acceptable alternative to globalism?

 

Please join us on Friday, October 30 at 8 pm ET, as the Federalist Party debates R: The World Needs More Nationalism.

Virtual Event: "Small is Still Beautiful"

Join the Federalist Party of the Yale Political Union for a lecture with Joseph Pearce on his book "Small is Still Beautiful: Economics as if Families Mattered." Pearce explains the benefits of small-scale capitalism as opposed to large concentrations of economic and political power, arguing for an economics informed by ethics.

R: Avoid the News

At times, it can be difficult to escape the 24-hour news cycle. There always seems to be some breaking story demanding our attention, whether it's a natural disaster tugging at our fears and sympathies, or some politician whose latest statement makes us feel oh-so-outraged. Of course, this situation is precisely what the news media wants to achieve: in a never-ending race for clicks and advertisement views, all the incentives point towards news outlets being a black hole of attention. Perhaps we would feel more peaceful and less stressed if we averted our eyes from all the talking heads and endless news feeds, to instead focus on loving our families and serving our communities. Rather than listen to the same talking points on repeat, why not think through one's beliefs in quiet solitude, or in the company of respected friends?

 

Yet, despite their faults, today's news outlets are a far cry from the yellow journalism of late 19th-century America. MSNBC and Fox News may be superficial and biased at times, leading them to cover silly stories or emphasize a certain version of events, but little of what they present is really erroneous. And not all news is useless. Indeed, a political system that holds powerful figures accountable to the public requires that the public be informed. Why have freedom of the press, if nobody pays attention to what the press says? Perhaps we should not blame news outlets for overwhelming us with insignificant drivel, but rather reflect on how we might better filter our news consumption to identify information that is truly important.

 

Please join us on Wednesday, October 14 at 8 pm ET, as the Federalist Party debates R: Avoid the News.

R: Free Trade Enslaves the World

In 2016, a University of Chicago poll of 50 prominent economists found that 92% agreed or strongly agreed with the statement that "Freer movement of goods and services across borders within Europe has made the average western European citizen better off since the 1980s." This positive disposition towards free trade is similar to that of classical economists like Adam Smith and David Ricardo. Ricardo based his support for free trade on the idea of comparative advantage, which he describes as follows:

"Under a system of perfectly free commerce, each country naturally devotes its capital and labour to such employments as are most beneficial to each. This pursuit of individual advantage is admirably connected with the universal good of the whole. By stimulating industry, by regarding ingenuity, and by using most efficaciously the peculiar powers bestowed by nature, it distributes labour most effectively and most economically, while, by increasing the general mass of productions, it diffuses general benefit, and binds together by one common tie of interest and intercourse, the universal society of nations throughout the civilized world." (On the Principles of Political Economy and Taxation, Ch. 7: "On Foreign Trade")

According to Ricardo, free trade not only raises standards of living by promoting local specialization, but it also promotes international peace by bringing nations into mutual interdependence. Yet, this rosy view of free trade may seem to contradict what happens when countries actually open their borders to foreign trade. While formal slavery may not always be prevalent, laborers in developing countries often suffer unconscionable working conditions and dirt-cheap wages. In 2010, 14 workers commited suicide at Chinese factories belonging to Foxconn, an electronics manufacturer for multinational giants like Apple, Microsoft, Sony, and Intel. A report by Chinese academics later found widespread abuse and illegal overtime at Foxconn factories. Nor are complaints against free trade limited to the developing world. In America's Rust Belt, communities have become increasingly dependent upon welfare as their jobs get outsourced away. These despondent areas are also some of the hardest-hit by the opioid crisis, and they are often credited for winning Donald Trump the presidency in 2016.

Is free trade oppressive? How should countries, both rich and poor, approach the question of trade policy? What responsibilities do consumers in wealthy countries have when deciding what to buy? Please join us in considering questions like these, on Wednesday, October 7 at 8 pm ET, as the Federalist Party debates R: Free Trade Enslaves the World.