February 1, 2007 9:45AM

Taking on Leviathan

By Arnold Kling

I attended the Conservative Summit sponsored by National Review this past weekend. There was a strong grassroots hankering for smaller government. Ironically, the event showcased a number of leaders and ideologies that Michael Tanner shows in Leviathan of the Right to be the source of the problem with the conservative movement.


In part as a reaction to this Summit, I came up with a Request for Ideological Comment. It starts to articulate a strong, positive vision for limited government.

1. We weave a thread of self‐​reliance into a sturdy fabric of interdependence. By respecting the law, we reinforce impersonal justice. By competing intensely and fairly in an impersonal global market, we raise our standard of living through specialization and innovation. By upholding Constitutional principles for limited government, we sustain our individual freedom…

A total of ten principles are stated. I would love to have other Cato bloggers give their comments on what I call the IATF RFC.