Philip K. Howard

Everyday freedom

Audio: https://dirtymoderate.substack.com/p/philip-k-howard

Philip K. Howard is a lawyer, author and chair of Common Good (www.commongood.org), a nonpartisan organization aimed at replacing red tape with human responsibility and agency. 

In his discussion with Adam, Philip discusses his latest book “Everyday Freedom: Designing the Framework for a Flourishing Society,” which argues that the post 1960’s legal framework which has guided government policy for 60 years has been a failure. Philip persuasively argues that humans have been disempowered and common sense has been thrown out the window. Inertia and powerlessness have overtaken our politics because so called ‘good government’ has come to be synonymous with red tape and inefficiency. Philip calls this stasis a “disease consuming the American spirit,” and that “Modern law fails because it is dehumanizing, and, however hard this may prove to be, it must be replaced by a framework that empowers everyday freedom.”

As engaging and incisive a discussion as we’ve had on this podcast, Adam and Philip’s dialogue is essential food for thought. Have a listen!

Find Philip’s book here

Explore the work being done at Common Good here