Liberty Evaluation:
Advocating for Individual Liberty in the
Field of Program Evaluation
“A society that puts equality—in the sense of equality of outcome—ahead of freedom will end up with neither equality nor freedom. The use of force to achieve equality will destroy freedom, and the force, introduced for good purposes, will end up in the hands of people who use it to promote their own interests”
-Milton and Rose Freidman (1990). Free to Choose: A Personal Statement, p. 148.
What is the Purpose of Liberty Evaluation?
The field of Program and Policy Evaluation is becoming increasingly influenced by theorists and practitioners who blame society’s problems on capitalism, free-markets, private property rights, the profit-motive, or structurally racist institutions. Some seek to use their position as scientists to advocate for curtailing private property rights in favor of seizing and redistributing resources for the purpose of creating a more “equitable” and “just” society.
Evaluators who oppose anti-capitalist ideologies rarely respond directly to the substance of these arguments, but instead stress the importance of maintaining a reasonable level of “objectivity” in evaluation.
The purpose of this website is to argue in favor of individual liberty and a government of limited authority. The essays on this website will discuss classical liberal principles and how they may apply to the evaluation of social programs and improving the welfare of those in greatest material need.