Public Speaker Series

The Theory of Moral Sentiments was published in 1759. An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of The Wealth of Nations was published in 1776. Adam Smith then went back to revising and improving The Theory of Moral Sentiments, with the final edition coming out the year of his death, 1790. Smith was not confused about the content of the two books and saw them as part of a single body of thought. Today, we can understand it this way: Smith thought humans had two innate, natural concerns and preoccupations: 1. A concern for the welfare and opinion of others; and 2. A propensity to truck, barter, and exchange. From these two axioms, Smith derives his case for a presumption in favor of "the system of natural liberty." That case is just as strong, and perhaps even more important, as it was 250 years ago.

Michael C. Munger is Pfizer,Inc./Edmund T. Pratt, Jr. University Distinguished Professor and a professor of political science, with joint appointments in Economics and Public Policy. His primary research focus is on the functioning of markets, regulation, and government institutions. He has taught at Dartmouth College, University of Texas, and University of North Carolina (where he was Director of the Master of Public Administration Program), as well as working as a staff economist at the Federal Trade Commission during the Reagan Administration. 

Munger is currently the President of the Philadelphia Society, a group that brings together academic and political leaders. He is past President of the Public Choice Society, an international academic society of political scientists and economists with members in 16 countries. He was North American Editor of the journal Public Choice for five years. His recent books include Choosing in Groups (2015, Cambridge U Press) and Tomorrow 3.0 (2018, Cambridge U Press). Munger's most recent book, The Sharing Economy, was published in 2021 by the Institute for Economic Affairs.

Is it possible to reject big-government solutions while remaining fiercely dedicated to racial justice? Drawing from his co-authored book, Black Liberation Through the Marketplace: Hope, Heartbreak, and the Promise of America (Emancipation Books, 2022), Dr. Witcher reclaims the classical liberal tradition as a vital engine for Black independence. If we look beyond hyper-partisan rhetoric to explore how historical and modern government manipulation has stalled minority advancement, we discover why true economic freedom remains the definitive path to achieving the promise of America.

Marcus Witcher is a Teaching Assistant Professor of Economic History at West Virginia University and Manager of Undergraduate Programs for the Knee Regulatory Research Center, specializing in the history of regulation, political economy, and modern American conservatism. Author of Getting Right with Reagan (2019) and co-author of Black Liberation Through the Marketplace: Hope, Heartbreak, and the Promise of America (Emancipation Books, 2022), his work has appeared in The Washington Post and Reason Magazine.

Vance Ginn is founder and president of Ginn Economic Consulting and host of the Let People Prosper Show podcast since 2022, Dr. Ginn collaborates with more than 20 free-market organizations countrywide to craft and advocate for pro-growth solutions that impact millions of Americans. He is a nationally recognized economist and one of America’s leading advocates for free-market policies that promote economic growth, expand opportunity, and ensure fiscal responsibility. His career has been defined by a steadfast commitment to advancing policies that empower individuals, limit government overreach, and foster long-term prosperity.

His journey to economic leadership was shaped by his early life experiences. Raised in a lower-income, single-mother household in South Houston, Texas, with his dad having epilepsy, Dr. Ginn developed a deep understanding of the struggles that economic policy decisions can impose on families. This firsthand experience fueled his drive to explore solutions that remove government-imposed barriers to success. Through perseverance and hard work, he earned his doctorate in Economics from Texas Tech University, setting the foundation for a career dedicated to his God-given calling to Let People Prosper.