In Delusions of Power , economic historian Robert Higgs calls into question our ingrained notions concerning the nature of the state and democracy. Higgs uproots the foundation stone upon which the state’s powers have rested and grown unchecked by the public. Beginning with the Founding Fathers and moving forward, Higgs reassesses the world wars, the Great Depression and the New Deal, and the financial debacle that began in 2008 with the view of demonstrating Americans’ loss of liberties. He brings together the crisis in policymaking; key political actors and events; and the impact of war on the economy and civil liberties. For Higgs, war and its costs have had a major impact on American life and freedom. Through reading Higgs’s work, one will gain a new understanding of the state’s power, democracy, and the issues threatening the pursuit of liberty. Taking a close look at the dense fabric that our government weaves between war, state power, and economics, this collection of essays reveals the growing authority—and corruption—of the American state. Covering topics from the Lyndon Johnson presidency to the provocatively titled article “Military-Economic Fascism” on the military-industrial-congressional complex, it argues that the U.S. government consistently exploits national crises and then invents timely rhetoric that limits the rights and liberties of all citizens for the benefit of the few, be they political leaders or various industrialists in the areas of defense and security. As its title suggests, this book presents a clear narrative of trends and events—from the United States’ entry into World War II to the origins of income tax—causing individuals to question whether those in power are truly blind to the effects and causes of their policies. “ Delusions of Power is an important book for our time on the nature of political power. Robert Higgs describes the government’s use of wars and real and fabricated crises to expand its power. It is history well-told and should be thought-provoking to all, whatever their political preferences.” -- Stanley L. Engerman , John H. Munro Professor of Economics and Professor of History, University of Rochester “There is no economist today who has thought more seriously than Robert Higgs about the relationship between the state and the economy. His examinations of the state are grounded in historical scholarship, rigorous analytics, and in a lively and blunt style. The reader will see many historical myths exploded and sacred cows skewered. Delusions of Power is a must read for anyone who wants to understand the permanent-war economies that have been created in the 20th and 21st centuries.” -- Peter J. Boettke , University Professor of Economics and Philosophy, George Mason University “Even James Madison asked throughout his lifetime ‘In a free society, what is the proper relationship between individuals and the state?’ Few scholars in American history have contributed more to the freedom side of that inquiry than Robert Higgs. For years, his magisterial Crisis and Leviathan was the bible for all who wished intellectual ammunition to address Madison’s quandary. Now, Bob has done what once seemed impossible: He has written another book equally as vital to the issue. In Delusions of Power , Professor Higgs has assembled a lifetime of wisdom and analysis about this continually asked question; and future generations will look here for the courageous intellectual re-power with which to challenge the federal beast that consumes our freedoms every day.” -- Judge Andrew P. Napolitano , Senior Judicial Analyst, Fox News Channel “Towering thinkers of the past have identified the risks of submitting to the authority of a state. In this impressive book, Robert Higgs shows that in modern times these risks have grown immensely because of new technologies of communication, the erosion of constitutional protections, the empowerment of coalitions dependent on the state, and, most important, ideological currents that have blinded us to the inefficiencies of expanding the scope of government. Lively throughout and based on deep historical knowledge, Delusions of Power can be read profitably by anyone interested in the fundamental controversies of economics and politics.” -- Timur Kuran , Professor of Economics and Political Science, and Gorter Family Professor of Islamic Studies, Duke University “No scholar has done more than Robert Higgs to demonstrate that a principled and powerful advocate of free markets can also be—should also be—a principled and powerful opponent of many of the most cherished notions by both liberals and conservatives regarding government power. And no notion is more cherished than the belief that the military is immune to the many problems that cause other government agencies to squander resources while failing in their alleged missions. Higgs’s careful scholarship in Delusions of Power exposes this notion as being a dangerous delusion.”