Why Naïve, Pro-Democracy Classical Liberalism Doesn't Work
From Radio Rothbard by Mises Institute
April 3, 2026 · Episode 227
About this episode
Ryan McMaken discusses the failures of classical liberalism and the need for a more realistic view of the state.
In this lecture from the 2026 Libertarian Scholars Conference, Ryan McMaken looks at how the old classical liberal program of democracy and constitutions has failed, and why we need a more realist view of the state and its many crimes. Be sure to follow Radio Rothbard at https://Mises.org/RadioRothbard Radio Rothbard mugs are available at the Mises Store. Get yours at https://Mises.org/RothMug PROMO CODE: RothPod for 20% off
People in this episode
Host: Radio Rothbard
Guest: Ryan McMaken
Topics covered
- classical liberalism
- democracy
- realism
- state crimes
- political theory
Keywords
- classical liberalism
- democracy
- politics
- state
- realism
- Libertarian Scholars Conference
Sponsors
Mises Store
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Mises Institute, Mises Store
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