The World's Shortest Political Theory Article

Posted 9/23/2021

Exploring the Relationship between Democratic Government and Individual Liberty

by John Hasnas*

If a slave got to choose his master every two years, would that make him free?

*J.D., Ph.D., LL.M., Professor of Business at Georgetown's McDonough School of Business, Professor of Law at Georgetown University Law Center, and Executive Director, Georgetown Institute for the Study of Markets and Ethics. The author wishes to thank Mrs. Braun and Miss Kass, his 5th and 6th grade teachers at Public School #6 in Woodmere, NY, all of his social studies teachers at Lawrence Junior High School and Lawrence High School in Lawrence, NY, his government professors at Lafayette College in Easton, PA, his philosophy and law professors at Duke University Graduate School and Law School, and a host of professional colleagues too numerous to mention for stimulating his thinking on this subject, Jacob Levy of McGill University for a critical proofread of a draft of the article, and Annette Hasnas of Georgetown University and Ava Hasnas of the New School Northern Virginia for teaching him the importance of making careful distinctions.