What is the Rule of Law and Why Does it Matter?

The concept of the rule of law is recognized as foundational to the individual freedom and economic prosperity in the West. But this broad consensus obscures important debates over the meaning of the rule of law and the cultural and institutional preconditions for its emergence in the West and continued maintenance over time. As concept of the rule of law have come under increasing attack, it is important to rediscover the meaning of the rule of law, the historical and institutional preconditions for its emergence in the West, and its continuing relevance to the maintenance of individual freedom and economic prosperity. 

About the Speaker

Todd Zywicki is George Mason University Foundation Professor of Law at George Mason University Antonin Scalia School of Law, Research Fellow of the Law & Economics Center, and former Executive Director of the GMU Law and Economics Center. During Fall 2023 semester, Professor Zywicki will serve as the Visiting Scholar in Conservative Thought and Policy at the University of Colorado-Boulder Bruce D. Benson Center for the Study of Western Civilization. Full bio here.