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Few projects in recent memory have done more to distort America’s past—and poison our present debates—than the 1619 Project. What was marketed as a serious historical reckoning quickly hardened into political dogma, shutting down debate, smearing critics, and rewriting the story of capitalism, freedom, and the American founding.
That’s why this conversation matters. In Episode 182 of the Let People Prosper Show, I’m joined by Dr. Phillip W. Magness, Senior Fellow at the Independent Institute and one of the earliest and most rigorous critics of the 1619 Project. Phil didn’t approach this debate with slogans or counter-myths. He approached it the only way serious scholarship should: with evidence, primary sources, and a willingness to follow the facts—even when they cut against the narrative. What follows is a conversation about history, yes—but also about capitalism, academic integrity, and why truth still matters in a politicized age. Subscribe to my YouTube channel and Substack newsletter with show notes at vanceginn.substack.com, and for more information, visit my website at vanceginn.com. Subscribe, share, and watch today!
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Liberty’s Long Road—and Why It Still Matters with Dr. Peter Boettke | Let People Prosper Ep. 1801/8/2026 If you’ve ever wondered why so many people assume progress is automatic, why trillion-dollar deficits barely raise eyebrows anymore, or why “economic planning” keeps making a comeback despite its long record of failure—this episode gets to the heart of the issue.
Prosperity doesn’t happen by accident. Freedom doesn’t sustain itself. And history doesn’t bend toward progress unless the rules of the game allow it to. That’s why this conversation matters. My guest is Dr. Peter Boettke, Distinguished University Professor of Economics at George Mason University and Director of the F.A. Hayek Program at the Mercatus Center. This is Peter’s third appearance (episodes 10 and 119) on the Let People Prosper Show, and every time he joins, he brings clarity to questions most policymakers avoid. Today’s discussion centers on his new book, The Historical Path to Liberty and Human Progress, which makes a simple but uncomfortable point: human flourishing depends on institutions—and bad institutions destroy progress faster than good intentions can save it. At a time of runaway federal spending, renewed industrial policy, and bipartisan refusal to confront tradeoffs, this conversation couldn’t be more timely. 🎧 Listen to the full episode of the Let People Prosper Show, and subscribe on YouTube. You can also find more of my show notes at vanceginn.substack.com and read my work at vanceginn.com. Don't miss my new book with Dr. Deane Waldman on how to empower patients by reconnecting doctors with patients in a free market healthcare system to improve patient care. You can find a link to purchase the book written for a general audience, link to our report published by Americans for Tax Reform with a deeper dive for lawmakers and experts, and two podcast episodes below.
 Originally posted at Americans for Tax Reform. Today, Americans for Tax Reform released the Empower Patients Initiative, co-authored by Vance Ginn, Ph.D., staff economist at ATR, president of Ginn Economic Consulting, and former Chief Economist at the White House Office of Management and Budget under President Trump, and Deane Waldman, M.D., M.B.A., a nationally recognized pediatric cardiologist, former Director of the Center for Healthcare Policy at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, and Emeritus Professor at the University of New Mexico. With the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) laying the groundwork for expanding Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), there’s momentum to give Americans more control over their health care. The Empower Patients Initiative builds on that foundation—offering a workable, fiscally sustainable plan to restore free-market exchanges between patients and doctors, without third parties making the decisions while taking trillions of dollars away from care. America’s healthcare crisis isn’t about a lack of money—it’s about a lack of agency. We spend over $4.8 trillion a year, yet patients face longer wait times, higher prices, and fewer choices. Government rules and third-party payers have hijacked decision-making, leaving people with “coverage” but no real choice and no timely access to care. The Empower Patients Initiative charts a better path—one that empowers people, not bureaucracies. Key reforms include: • Putting the $23,968 that employers now give to insurance companies directly into workers’ hands • Creating No-limit HSAs—a single, tax-free account with no caps, no expiration, and no federal controls • Deregulating providers and insurers to allow real competition and innovation • Replacing Medicaid’s broken funding formula with federal block grants to states, giving them the flexibility to design safety nets that serve the truly vulnerable—not bureaucrats in Washington • Eliminating BURRDEN (Bureaucracy, Unnecessary Rules and Regulations, Directives, Enforcement, and Noncompliance) that wastes up to $2.4 trillion annually This approach gets Washington out of the way and puts patients back at the center—restoring choice, driving down costs, providing care when needed, and improving outcomes. We urge legislators, congressional staff, grassroots leaders, and the public to read the full initiative on the ATR website—and the companion book, Empower Patients: Two Doctors’ Cure for Healthcare, to learn how we can finally fix American healthcare. 
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Vance Ginn, Ph.D.
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