The Indispensable Robert Higgs: A Reader (The Essential Robert Higgs)

A sweeping celebration of one of the most original and fearless voices in modern political thought.

Best known for his landmark work Crisis and Leviathan: Critical Episodes in the Growth of American Government, Robert Higgs has repeatedly reshaped how scholars and citizens understand the relationship among government expansion, economic crises, and individual liberty. This carefully curated volume brings together his most influential writings, offering readers an unparalleled look at a career that spans civil rights, wartime political economy, the military-industrial complex, the regulatory state, the Food and Drug Administration, and the long-run growth of government power.

Higgs's scholarship stands out not only for its range, but for its intellectual craftsmanship. He boldly challenged conventional economic analysis by probing the reliability of official data—questioning how statistics are gathered, what they omit, and how they shape public understanding. Refusing to treat numbers as inherently authoritative, Higgs incorporated historical evidence, institutional analysis, and human experience to illuminate the complex forces shaping political and economic life.

At its core, Higgs's work centers on the human stakes of political economy: freedom, coercion, and the conditions necessary for human flourishing. The Indispensable Robert Higgs introduces new readers to his groundbreaking insights while providing longtime admirers with a powerful reminder of his lasting influence.

Timely, provocative, and deeply insightful, this collection showcases a scholar whose work continues to shape debates about power, policy, and liberty today.

Robert Higgs is Retired Senior Fellow in Political Economy, Founding Editor and former Editor at Large of the Independent Institute’s quarterly journal The Independent Review: A Journal of Political Economy. He received his Ph.D. in economics from Johns Hopkins University, and he has taught at the University of Washington, Lafayette College, Seattle University, the University of Economics, Prague, and George Mason University. He has been a visiting scholar at Oxford University and Stanford University, and a fellow for the Hoover Institution and the National Science Foundation. His many books include Crisis and Leviathan; Depression, War, and Cold War; After Leviathan; Delusions of Power; Neither Liberty Nor Safety; Resurgence of the Warfare State; Taking a Stand; and multiple edited collections.

Christopher J. Coyne is a Senior Fellow at the Independent Institute and Co-Editor of The Independent Review, Professor of Economics and Director of Graduate Programs for the Department of Economics at George Mason University, Co-Editor of the Review of Austrian Economics, and Book Review Editor at Public Choice. He received his Ph.D. in economics from George Mason University. He has taught at the University of West Virginia and Hampden-Sydney College, and he has been the Hayek Visiting Fellow at the London School of Economics and Visiting Scholar at the Social Philosophy and Policy Center at Bowling Green State University.