Justin Haskins

Justin Haskins is a New York Times bestselling author and political commentator, the president and founder of The Henry Dearborn Liberty Network, and the founder of the Emerging Issues Center at The Heartland Institute, a national free-market think tank. (His work here does not necessarily reflect the views of The Heartland Institute.) Follow him on Twitter @JustinTHaskins.

Justin Haskins national debt crisis.

Shocking Government Report Reveals National Debt Crisis Grew Much Worse Under Biden

Budget and Taxes, Opinion, Our Work /

Data included in a new report by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) shows that America’s debt crisis grew substantially worse under President Biden. Without significant changes, the United States will face unprecedented budget challenges over the next decade, difficulties that could cause a large economic crisis. In a recently published report titled “The Budget

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New Bill Would Crush Banks that Discriminate Against Conservatives and Christians

Opinion, Our Work, Politics /

Over the past decade, financial institutions have been wielding their power to silence conservatives, Christians, and anyone else who dares to challenge the prevailing leftist orthodoxy. Banks and credit unions, backed by billions in assets and special government privileges, have freely discriminated against right-leaning individuals and organizations, cutting them off from critical financial services with

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New European Union ESG Law Will Eliminate Economic Freedom, Individual Liberty, and U.S. Sovereignty

Our Work, Policy Tip Sheets /

(To read the full Policy Tip Sheet in PDF form, click here.) In May 2024, after years of intense legislative negotiations, the European Union approved a sweeping new law called the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD).[1] The CSDDD was deliberately designed to transform business practices and, by extension, social and economic activities across the

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Revising Article 8 of the Uniform Commercial Code to Protect Americans’ Property Rights

Our Work, Policy Tip Sheets /

(Click here to read the full Policy Tip Sheet in PDF form.) Important provisions in Article 8 of  the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC)  contain highly problematic elements that  undermine Americans’ individual rights  and threaten the stability of the U.S.  economy. This Tip Sheet will provide a  brief description of those troubling areas  of the UCC

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Revising the Uniform Commercial Code to Protect Americans’ Property Rights and Impede a U.S. Central Bank Digital Currency

Our Work, Policy Tip Sheets /

  Click here to view and/or download the full Tip Sheet.     Important provisions in the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) contain highly problematic elements that undermine Americans’ individual rights and threaten the stability of the U.S. economy. This Tip Sheet will provide a brief description of those troubling areas of the UCC and propose

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Protecting Private Property Rights Through the Uniform Commercial Code

Policy Papers /

  To view the full letter, click here.   Dear State Legislators and Other Elected Officials, Questions are now being raised about important laws that have been added to state codes in all 50 states over the past 25 years. These laws were deliberately designed to abrogate private property rights and could in the future

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These 15 Republican-led states use taxpayer funds to support environmental, social, and governance (ESG) causes.

These 15 ‘Red’ States Used Taxpayer Dollars to Push Businesses to Go Woke

Budget and Taxes, Environment and Climate Change, Opinion, Our Work /

Over the past decade, many of the largest corporations in the United States have adopted overtly political causes, including positions on controversial social issues. In most cases, these corporate policies have favored left-wing ideological positions. For example, in 2021 , massive companies such as American Airlines, Dell, and AT&T openly opposed state laws meant to

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UCC and central bank digital currencies

Central Bank Digital Currencies and the Uniform Commercial Code

Budget and Taxes Tip Sheets, Policy Tip Sheets /

Central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) have only recently become a widely discussed topic among influential figures in academia, media, and public policy institutions. However, initiatives to implement CBDCs around the globe have existed for years, especially in countries with autocratic governments, such as China and Russia. As of September 2023, 131 countries have said they

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Do States Have the Legal Authority to Stop ESG in Banking?

Do States Have the Legal Authority to Stop ESG in Banking?

Constitution, Environment and Climate Tip Sheets, Our Work, Policy Papers, Policy Tip Sheets /

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) metrics are a popular kind of social credit scoring, one that poses a significant threat to individual liberty and free-market economies, both in America and abroad.[1] ESG is regularly used by corporations and investors as a tool to impose values and environmental policies on other businesses, governments, families, and individuals.

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AI in Criminal Justice: Reasons for Concern and Recommendations for the Future

AI Tip Sheets, Our Work, Policy Tip Sheets /

Artificial intelligence (AI), automation powered by AI, advanced algorithms, and other emerging technologies are now being used in criminal courts across the United States, raising serious concerns about civil rights and the trustworthiness of these tools. (For a basic primer on AI, see item 1 in the Notes section.[1]) Mapping Pretrial Injustice, a website created

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