Background: The French economist and writer Frederic Bastiat used the simplest economic system he could think of, the duo of Robinson Crusoe and Friday, to illustrate the folly of protectionism in “Something Else,” one of a scries of essays he called Soplmmes économiques, published between 1844 and 1850. In the original story, Robinson’s protectionist instincts...

When America was closer to her democratic roots, citizens held town meetings to discuss problems and vote on policies. I was born too late to participate in any of those meetings myself, but the idea of getting together with other concerned citizens to discuss important issues has a nostalgic appeal for me. Consequently, I jumped...