Ep. 85 - The Freedom Conservatives

What is "the Right"? Over the next several months, Giving Ventures will be exploring this question through a series of interviews with leaders in the conservative and libertarian space. From the libertarians to the traditionalists, the national conservatives and the New Right—this series will give you a sense of the scope and diversity on the American Right. In this inaugural episode, we're considering Freedom Conservatism. Launched in response to the increasingly popularity of nationalism and populism in conservative quarters, Freedom Conservatism aims to preserve a Reaganite understanding of classical liberalism. To help unpack what it means to be a "FreeCon," Peter is joined by Avik Roy and John Hood, who helped launch the Freedom Conservatism movement with a Statement of Principles in the summer of 2023. That statement boasts signers like former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, columnist George Will, and former Heritage Foundation President Kay Cole James. John Hood is president of the John William Pope Foundation, based in Raleigh, and previously spent many years running North Carolina's free-market think tank, the John Locke Foundation. Avik Roy is the founder and chairman of the Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity, a think tank focused on promoting market-based solutions to economic and social issues affecting low and middle-income Americans.