Libertarian Publications

Of all the libertarian publications I'm aware of, this is the one I would recommend most heartily. We get it every month since we donate to the Reason Foundation, which publishes it, and I'm always impressed with the quality of the writing and coverage. And the reasoning (most of the time).

Reason is the monthly print magazine of "free minds and free markets." It covers politics, culture, and ideas through a provocative mix of news, analysis, commentary, and reviews. Reason provides a refreshing alternative to right-wing and left-wing opinion magazines by making a principled case for liberty and individual choice in all areas of human activity.

Other published options from Reason include its Hit & Run blog and a variety of email newsletters you can get for free.

Given that this is the flagship publication of the Foundation for Economic Education, it should come as no surprise that names such as Ludwig von Mises, F. A Hayek, Henry Hazlitt, and Murray Rothbard have graced its pages.

The Freeman: Ideas on Liberty is one of the oldest and most respected journals of liberty in America. For more than 50 years it has uncompromisingly defended the ideals of the free society. Through its articles, commentaries and book reviews, several generations of Americans have also learned the consequences and contradictions that inevitably result from collectivism, interventionism, and the welfare state.

Along with the intellectual leaning articles, each month, you get a Tim Kelly cartoon lampooning some of the ridiculousness found in American politics. (As you might guess, he has plenty of material.)

For the Ayn Rand fan out there, The Objective Standard might be the direction to go. As the title declares, this publication is oriented towards an objectivist perspective, that being Ayn Rand's philosophy of reason, egoism, and laissez-faire capitalism.

The Objective Standard comes out quarterly and covers the wide range of libertarian topics from individual rights and law to psychology and the arts. The writing is based on the idea that for every human concern-from personal matters to foreign policy, from the sciences to the arts, from education to legislation-there are demonstrably objective standards by reference to which we can assess what is true or false, good or bad, right or wrong. The purpose of the journal is to analyze and evaluate ideas, trends, events, and policies accordingly.

You can find single issues, audio versions and a blog at the publication's website

By now, you've probably heard of Ron Paul's Revolution. And among his biggest supporters (due to a desire to be different from us old people?) are college students, out of which has sprung the Young Americans for LIberty group.

Young American Revolution is the relatively new publication to come from that group, described as being for young libertarians, conservatives, and anti-statists of all stripes. Each issue contains political, cultural, and economic writing by a rising generation of young Americans fighting the welfare-warfare state -- alongside essays and reviews by seasoned veterans of the liberty movement.

You can receive the publication by becoming a member of YAL or by making a donation to the group. Or just go to the website to read the publications online.

Not all libertarian publications show up in your mail box. Some come in your email box or your RSS feed reader or can only be found on their own websites. Here are a few I found:

Ballot Access News
Newsletter for up-to-date news about the continuing fight for fair and equitable ballot access laws.

Capitalism Magazine
A daily periodical commenting on political and cultural issues from an individual rights perspective. You can also subscribe to their email newsletter.

Journal of Libertarian Studies
The voice of scholarship in libertarian theory, the launching pad for the ideas that shaped the world of libertarianism, and the forum on revisionist historical research on war and interventionalism. The Mises Institute also has an email newsletter and another libertarian journal. The institute also produces Libertarian Papers, a peer reviewed, exclusively online interdisciplinary journal that is trying to be more accessible and less academic in scope.

Laissez Faire Magazine
Lassiez Faire is a quarterly publication incorporating the International Society for Individual Liberty's Freedom Network News and Laissez Faire Books Booklist and Review.

The Liberator Online
One of the most popular libertarian publications in the world and published by the Advocates for Self-Government. The newsletter provides breaking news, communication tips and answers to the tough questions about libertarianism.

Liberty Magazine
A journal of culture and politics written from a classical liberal point of view. Founded as a national journal of libertarian opinion, news, investigation, and intellectual exploration. For over two decades, Liberty has exemplified the richness and range of classical liberal writing. It has published the leading figures of libertarian economic, political, historical, and literary thought. It's only available online these days and you can subscribe via RSS feed.