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Politics of a Free Society

Ayn Rand

Presented at: Ayn Rand On Campus - Columbia WKCR Interviews

Date: Jan 01, 1962

In this recorded interview from December 12, 1965, Rand responds to questions about the ideal political structure of a free society. Topics addressed include the government's role as protector of individual rights, the relationship between a country's political and economic systems, the role of a written constitution, voting, the difference between a democracy and a republic, taxes, and non-coercive methods of financing government's operations.

Here are Ayn Rand's views on:

  • Government's role as protector of every individual's right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness;
  • The benefits of a constitutional republic and the dangers of unlimited majority rule;
  • Contradictions in the U.S. Constitution relating to slavery, eminent domain, and interstate commerce;
  • Government's status as the paid servant of sovereign individuals, versus the historical view of government as a ruler granting favors;
  • Possible methods of voluntarily financing government's operations, in place of coercive taxation;
  • The relevance of age and knowledge in determining a person's competency for voting;
  • The importance of federalism in delimiting the powers of government officials.

philosophy of lawlawpoliticsrights

Parts: 1

Handout: none

Publications:

  • e-Store, 2012 (En) - 28 mins
  • YouTube, 2018 (En) - 27 mins
  • Campus, 2018 (En) - 410 mins - Course contains 14 of the Columbia radio shows
  • Online, 2018 (En) - 28 mins - Audio only from the Ayn Rand Lexicon website
  • Soundcloud, 2014 (En) - 28 mins