PolicyGuy

Wednesday, January 31, 2007


Principles Matter ... Until the Public Turns Against Them?
If a majority of the population wants to repeal the Bill of Rights, shall we do that? Obviously not.

Yet states are poised to do something like that. No, there's no serious move to repeal, say, Miranda rights. But there's a move afoot to ban all smoking in "public places," including privately owned and patronized restaurants in bars.

Speed Gibson has some thoughts and a transcript of a radio conversation between an econ professor, who understands due process and the role of government, and a state representative,a Republican, who does not--or at least not enough to stand up to the nanny-state proposal.

(Sigh) Disclaimer and clarification: I'm not a smoker and never have been. I don't take money from tobacco companies.

"Justice Louis D. Brandeis'?s metaphor of the states as "laboratories" for policy experiments ... had almost nothing to do with federalism and everything to do with his commitment to scientific socialism. .... To this day, it continues to inhibit a truly experimental, federalist politics." -- Michael S. Greve

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