Turning Ideas into Impact
Put the Principles of Liberty to Work
Each of the topics will have two components: the philosophical principles underlying the topic and their practical application in a policy-making setting. Thus, experts on each topic component will be broken down into two main pieces:
1) Philosophy
2) Application
This two-part structure will provide the philosophical underpinning of the topic and case studies for how those principles are applied in policy-making.
These free seminars will take place in-person and later be posted online. In-person participants will be given credit for attending. Those unable to make the in-person seminars will be asked to complete the video and submit an executive summary-style essay on the topic to ensure maximum participation.
Interested? Apply for the next cohort!
APPLY TODAY
A Republic, If You Can Keep It
Date:
January 24, 2026
Location:
Zoom – Online
Larry Reed has decades of leadership in the liberty movement, and has authored many books and essays on the subjects of free markets and liberty. He brings this experience and wisdom to our first cohort!
In this inaugural session, Mr. Reed will set the stage for the cohort by outlining the principles of a constitutional republic and a republic(an) form of government.
Why Freedom?
Date:
February 28, 2026
Location:
Johnson County, KS
“Liberty is not a means to a higher political end. It is itself the highest political end.”
-Lord Acton
Why Freedom? Freedom is a human ideal, but why is this so? What makes freedom desirable, and what about human beings makes it the case that we ought to be free? Finally, what are the components of freedom?
Polling data, focus groups, etc. on why the “message” of freedom still resonates w/ Kansans
Limited Government
Date:
TBD
Location:
TBD
“That government is best which governs least.” -Thomas Jefferson.
The U.S. government is intentionally structured to be minimal. Why did the founders insist on the principle of federalism (or decentralization) in the architecture of our government, and what is so important about the rule of law for long-term stability?
Polling data, focus groups, etc. on why the “message” of freedom still resonates w/ Kansans
Free Speech
“Without Freedom of Thought, there can be no such thing as Wisdom; and no such thing as public liberty, without Freedom of Speech.” -Benjamin Franklin
The 1st Amendment provides the grounding for the right to free speech in the U.S. Free speech is necessary for people to generate, share, and critique ideas both inside and outside the status quo. Why is this important, and in what ways is free speech legitimately curtailed?
Religious liberty, public v. private action, and modern 1st Amendment jurisprudence
Economic Freedom I
“Well-defined and well-protected property rights replace competition by violence with competition by peaceful means.”
-Armen Alchian
The success of free market economies is built on the existence of individual rights to private property and free exchange. What are individual property rights, and how do they enable necessary competition and cooperation in our country?
Why do private property and free trade lead to increased well-being?
Where are the current policy battles shaping up in regulatory reform, licensing, and trade
Economic Freedom II
“Little else is requisite to carry a state to the highest degree of opulence from the lowest barbarism, but peace, easy taxes, and a tolerable administration of justice.”
-Adam Smith
What is the evidence that economic freedom promotes human flourishing? How do fiscal policy, monetary policy, and international trade policy impact economic freedom and outcomes such as poverty, healthcare, and life expectancy?
States that spend less, tax less, and grow fastest
A Culture of Freedom I
“Americans believe their freedom to be the best instrument and surest safeguard… to secure for themselves a government which will allow them to acquire the things they covet and which will not debar them from the peaceful enjoyment of those possessions.”
-Alexis de Tocqueville
Individual freedom has been a key and distinctive component of American culture throughout its history. What features of American life safeguard this individual freedom in a world where it is under constant threat of erosion?
Legal review of fracture points in American political life
A Culture of Freedom II
“Political freedom cannot exist in any land where religion controls the state, and religious freedom cannot exist in any land where the state controls religion.” — Sen. Sam J. Ervin Jr.
Our legal system provides particular protection and guidelines for the freedom of groups (e.g., religious groups and business groups).
How do individual freedoms change when people begin to organize into groups? Do groups have more privileges or responsibilities than individuals? What happens when some groups have inappropriate (or disproportionate) power in the legislative realm?
Legal review of fracture points in political life
Freedom and Technology
“We shape our tools, and thereafter our tools shape us.” -Marshall McLuhan
Technology is a double-edged sword. Advances in technology help individuals and groups assert, acquire, and maintain their independence and freedom. Advances in technology can also enable new forms of surveillance, coercion, and control. What does our expanding technological frontier mean for the future of freedom?
Is there a role for state-based reform/engagement w/ national, indeed global, technology?