CATEGORY: ECONOMY (11 MIN)

Setting an example

American workers and industries have been frustrated with the constant unfair play in world trade when competing with countries like China. Many on the right have suggested protective tariffs to level the playing field against the highly subsidized Chinese. But others believe free trade could eventually outlast mercantilist powers.

Samuel Gregg, writing in Law and Liberty, makes the case for a return to full free trade in American economic policy. He couches his argument not merely in the general past success of the free trade model but also in the benefits he thinks it could bring America. Gregg first lays out the idea that trade liberalization usually results in GDP growth, and he then pivots internationally.

Gregg advocates “free trade with free people,” and he even says that in a world of not-so-free people, free trade encourages other people to become freer. He believes that the Chinese neo-mercantilist system is doomed to eventual failure (and is already showing signs of it), and he argues for America to stand as a model to other nations of true free trade which leads to economic success. American businesses, Gregg says, can profit off this model and potential newfound goodwill.

Read his entire argument right here.

CATEGORY: PODCAST EPISODE

Fighting Gender Ideology | Jay Richards

In this episode, Jay Richards joins the podcast to talk about:

• the political machine that drives the transgender ideology that has captured the American public square
• how fighting gender ideology offers an opportunity for conservatives to make allies with others across the political spectrum to defend reality
• practical advice for how to become an expert in any topic

Texts Mentioned:

• Chloe Cole testimony before Congress
• Irreversible Damage by Abigail Shrier
• Cass Report
• “gender unicorn” diagram
• Book of Joel
• Buck v. Bell
• ​​​​​When Harry Became Sally by Ryan Anderson
• The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self by Carl Trueman
• Strange New World by Carl Trueman
• Love Thy Body by Nancy Pearcey

ISI’s 70th Anniversary Gala &
Linda L. Bean Center Dedication​​

September 28th, 2023

This fall, join us at our 70th Anniversary Gala featuring Tucker Carlson, Kevin Roberts, the president of the Heritage Foundation, and Linda Bean, entrepreneur and philanthropist. Together these are some of the most influential figures in America today. 

We will also host a pre-event panel featuring longtime friends of ISI including Annette Kirk (Russell Kirk Center), Gene Meyer (The Federalist Society), Ed Feulner (The Heritage Foundation), and Dan McCarthy (ISI), discussing the 70th anniversary of three conservative classics: Russell Kirk’s The Conservative Mind, Leo Strauss’ Natural Right and History, and Robert Nisbet’s The Quest for Community.  

We will have a lobster dinner in honor of Tucker and Linda’s mutual connection to the state of Maine, and seating will be limited to 150 guests. Our VIP ticket holders will have the chance to meet ISI trustees and event speakers in a private reception beforehand.  

Reserve your tickets here!

Join us in Wilmington, DE >>>

Because our student editors and writers are bravely bringing conservative ideas to their campuses, we’re highlighting their efforts here.

Who is the New (Interim) President of Connecticut College? via The Conntrarian
“[Interim President Les] Wong allowed for the ostracization of Jewish students, including improperly excluding Hillel from SFSU events.”

An Interview with Doug Roszhart via The Texas Horn
“When the Texas House voted unanimously to expel State Representative Bryan Slaton, it left the citizens of Texas House District 2 (HD 2) unrepresented in the State Legislature. Now, Governor Abbott has called for a special election to take place to fill the void left by Slaton’s departure. Doug Roszhart is one of the candidates running to fill that void.”
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CATEGORY: POLITICS (18 MIN)

Where do we go from here?

Donald Trump sat out of last night’s presidential debate, choosing instead to join Tucker Carlson for an exclusive interview which aired as his rivals took the stage. But Trump’s influence can be felt all across the conservative movement, as can the continued energy of his supporters. 

In this week’s Intercollegiate Review archive, F. H. Buckley discusses the Trump phenomenon and its effect on the conservative movement. Buckley lays out what he considers to be the four pillars of the movement: mobility, jobs, religion, and nationalism. He says that the seeds of this movement were clear in the dissatisfaction of Americans throughout the 21st century. 

Buckley traces the roots of this dissatisfaction with the Republican Party to a restriction of religious principles’ operation in politics and the heartless victim-blaming relationship between candidates and those in poverty. 

“In all these ways, the conservative establishment failed to understand the ideas that elected Donald Trump,” Buckley writes. “But it was the establishment’s principles that were wanting, and that were forever repudiated by Republican voters.”

Buckley now hopes for a “new conservatism” to lead us from the mistakes of our past. Do you agree? Read his article here.​​​

Join ISI’s new Alumni Giving Club

It’s never been easier for you to support our mission—and stay part of our community—with ISI’s new Alumni Giving Club! 

For just $19.53 a month, you can join the fight and “pay it forward” by educating the next generation for ordered liberty.