There is a fault line running through classical liberalism as to whether or not democratic self-governance is a necessary part of a liberal social order. The democratic and non-democratic strains of classical liberalism are both present today — particularly in America. Many contemporary...

Introduction -- Contract: The Case Against the Human Rental Contract Based on Inalienability -- Property: The Case Against the Human Rental System Based on Private Property Rights -- Governance: The Case Against the Employment System Based on Democratic Theory -- Summary and Conclusions.

Nancy MacLean’s book, Democracy in Chains , raised questions about James M. Buchanan’s commitment to democracy. This chapter investigates the relationship of classical liberalism in general and of Buchanan in particular to democratic theory. Contrary to the simplistic classical liberal...