Welcome back to Voices of Liberty with host Sean Themea, powered by Young Americans for Liberty.
For more than four decades, John Hood has been a leading voice for limited government, free markets, and individual liberty. As president of the John William Pope Foundation, co-founder of the John Locke Foundation, and a Duke University faculty member, Hood has spent his career building institutions and advancing the ideas of freedom.
Now, he's raising concerns about the future of American conservatism—and whether parts of the political right are abandoning the very principles that once defined the movement.
Hood shares how he helped launch the John Locke Foundation at just 25 years old, why state-level leadership can accomplish what Washington often cannot, and how North Carolina became a testing ground for tax reform, school choice, and economic freedom.
The conversation takes a deeper turn as Hood challenges the rise of national conservatism, post-liberalism, political conspiracy theories, and the growing temptation to use government power to achieve political goals. He explains why skepticism is healthy but cynicism can be dangerous, and why he believes the freedom movement must maintain its commitment to constitutional government, free enterprise, religious liberty, and equal opportunity.
Hood also discusses the Freedom Conservatism Project, the importance of building relationships and developing intellectual curiosity, and an unexpected connection between government taxation and the decline of tap dancing in America.
Can the conservative movement remain committed to limited government while navigating growing divisions within its own ranks? And what will it take for the next generation to carry the principles of liberty forward?
Learn more about the Freedom Conservatism Project at freedomconservatism.org.
Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, or YouTube, and learn more about Young Americans for Liberty at YALiberty.org.
