First of all, let me express my pleasure at being named the David J. Theroux Chair in Political Economy. I am thrilled to join such a great team at the Independent Institute.
As we enter into 2024, there is great concern for liberty, but great opportunity as well. I like to say I’m a short-term pessimist and a long-term optimist.
What is going on in our higher education system and in our government, and how COVID was exploited to centralize power—these things and more cause me great concern.
And behind these dynamics lies a collapse in public trust in institutions of expert opinion. The academy and journalism, in particular, have squandered the public trust by wedding themselves to political activism.
Yet, here lies an opportunity. Where will people turn for good information? Good information will always be needed and desired. As scholars and citizens rightly turn away from the academy and journalism, we are there to fill the gap.
We show that classical liberal ideas are indeed well-founded and we communicate this to increasingly large and influential audiences.
This is why I was drawn to the Independent Institute and why I am so excited to join.
I know well its reputation for scholarly rigor and its widely-known publications—books and The Independent Review—which consistently publish scholarship of great explanatory power. Bob Higgs’s Crisis and Leviathan and Rich Vedder’s Restoring the Promise on higher education reform are just two of many important works sparking key intellectual conversations.
In 2024, the Independent Institute is well-positioned to address and put forth solutions to our most pressing challenges: international peace and security, higher education, K-12, and politically correct activism in academic disciplines.
Will you join with me in advancing liberty at this crucial time?
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By making your tax-deductible contribution now, you will help us be the much-needed beacon of liberty at a time when many are rethinking their views.
Thank you for your continued support and passion. I wish you and your family a Happy Holidays and I look forward to working with you throughout 2024.
 Dr. Phillip W. Magness
Senior Fellow
David J. Theroux Chair in Political Economy
Independent Institute
100 Swan Way
Oakland, CA 94621
(510) 632-1366
www.independent.org
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