University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, history professor emeritus Frederick E. Hoxie reflects on the juxtaposition of the American Independence Day holiday and the prior week’s handful of Supreme Court decisions that usurp the ideal of self-government. Professor Hoxie argues that only by accepting one another and embracing our task as members of a lively democracy can we adopt effective rules for ourselves.
UF Levin College of Law professor and economist Neil H. Buchanan points out that contrary to claims by the Republican Party over the past forty years or so, the Declaration of Independence called for more government and more taxes. Professor Buchanan describes the historical context of the Declaration and argues that taxes are necessary if we want to give Americans the best kind of future that we can possibly create.