Orthodox economics has long treated defense from threats foreign and domestic as a public good requiring provision by a central nation-state. Yet both theory and history show how polycentric defense systems, with dispersed groups of people searching for context-specific solutions, have provided collective security.
Christopher J. Coyne is a Senior Fellow at the Independent Institute, Professor of Economics at George Mason University, and Co-Editor of The Independent Review. He is the author of the new book, In Search of Monsters to Destroy: The Folly of American Empire and the Paths to Peace.
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Nathan P. Goodman is a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Economics at New York University.
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AfghanistanAsiaDefense and Foreign PolicyDefense BudgetDiplomacy and Foreign AidEuropeNorth Africa and The Middle EastTerrorism and Homeland Security
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