Andrew Koppelman
Professor Andrew Koppelman, a John Paul Stevens Professor of Law at Northwestern University, is the author of “Burning Down the House: How Libertarian Philosophy Was Corrupted by Delusion and Greed.” Libertarianism has deteriorated into a more doctrinaire form as espoused by Ayn Rand or Charles Koch. President Franklin Roosevelt dealt with a stock market collapse, bank failures and high unemployment which are some of the reasons for establishing a social safety net, such as Social Security. Libertarianism argues that people should be unencumbered, and shrinking the size of government and giving tax cuts will be beneficial. The climate crisis and Covid pandemic have proven these concepts inaccurate. Joe Biden has a coherent belief in both a free market and a governmental apparatus to help when the market fails. Donald Trump does not have a fixed philosophy but wants to assist his business colleagues, even if it endangers employees and the public. A balance should be reached between individual freedom and government overreach.
