The United States is the only country founded, not on the basis of ethnic identity, territory, or monarchy, but on the basis of a philosophy – a philosophy of representative, democratic, limited government. That philosophy, moreover, is spelled out explicitly in the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and earlier works they echo, such as Locke’s Two Treatises of Government (a “little book on government” that is “perfect as far as it goes,” in Thomas Jefferson’s words). Those documents reveal the ideas on which the Founders built this nation. They also reveal how far we have strayed from those ideas.
Economy
Austin’s Simple Fix for Soaring Housing Costs
After years of watching home prices skyrocket out of reach for first responders, nurses, and young families, in December 2023, Austin city council voted to rewrite its zoning code. The first phase of its HOME Initiative—known as HOME-1—effectively allowed up to three homes on most lots that previously could host only one. A year later,...
December 9, 2025