The Legacy of Robert Higgs

For over half a century, Robert Higgs has been a trailblazer in the fields of economics and political economy, challenging the conventional paradigm of government intervention with incisive critique and rigorous theoretical and historical analysis. As the founding editor of The Independent Review, Higgs carved out an intellectual space for a freer exploration of pressing issues in political economy and policy. Over the course of a distinguished academic career, including professorships at the University of Washington, Lafayette College, and Seattle University, Higgs has authored more than a dozen influential books and over 100 scholarly articles, reviews, and policy studies. Higgs's scholarship provides unique insight into the nature and impact of real-world government policy, revealing how policies that are justified as serving the public interest can also be discriminatory and coercive. He explores the tensions and balance between safety and freedom, the manipulative use of fear to achieve policy goals, and the perils of entrusting societal well-being to "experts." Higgs's "ratchet effect" framework explains how crises can lead to permanent expansions of government power, and his concept of "regime uncertainty" offers a fresh understanding of prolonged economic stagnation during the Great Depression. This volume gathers essays contributed by esteemed colleagues and scholars that demonstrate the relevance of Higgs's ideas and insights to today's most pressing issues. The volume explores matters of oppression and repression, of market competition and empowerment, and of the warfare state's costs and consequences. The Legacy of Robert Higgs will be of interest to students, to scholars, and to anyone with a stake in human freedom and flourishing.