The English-speaking world has long enjoyed free speech rights unheard of in other parts of the world. But where did this legal regime come from? And as partisan strife becomes more heated on both sides of the Atlantic, what does free speech's future hold? In his new book, Law & Liberty contributing editor Adam Tomkins argues that understanding the history of our rights is essential to maintaining a free constitution. He joins James Patterson on the podcast to discuss his book, On the Law of Speaking Freely, as well as several pressing current free speech cases in the United Kingdom.

On the Law of Speaking Freely by Adam Tomkins
"The UK's Speech Problem," by Adam Tomkins
"From Heresy to Hate Speech," a book review by Helen Dale
Cato's Letters by John Trenchard and Thomas Gordon
Areopagitica by John Milton
Adam Tomkins's Law & Liberty author page
GB News v. OfCom

For most of the twentieth century, conservatives argued for a strong Congress whose closer connection to voters could check the grand delusions of presidential administrations. Now, however, everyone seems to have opted for Wilsonian, top-down executive leadership. Philip Wallach explains how we got here, why Congress remains indispensable for republican self-government, and what sort of structural reforms could help it reclaim its place in our constitutional system.

Philip Wallach, Why Congress (2023)
Philip Wallach, "Choosing Congressional Irrelevance," Law & Liberty
Yuval Levin, "Congress Is Weak Because Its Members Want It to Be Weak," Commentary (2018)