Assistant professor @ACUedu. Author: Community, Character, and the Governance of the Social Commons (https://xitter.cf/t.co/lilgxemWvM). Views mine.

Oklahoma City OK; Abilene, TX
Joined November 2014
Ben Peterson retweeted
Law and punishment play an "essentially moralizing, community-strengthening" role in society, reinforcing the accepted norms of society. Criminal law, as Clarence Thomas says, "serves a signaling function" that expresses "society's resolve that certain behavior will not be tolerated." Without punishment, the law sanctions crimes. On this basis, public punishment makes sense: It treats "law violators as moral agents, exhibiting the expressive and hortatory functions of the law," and "activates and reinforces the connection between the law and the community, channeling shame rather than merely physical punishment." -@ben_2_long
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New Ep of Cicero On Duties. Bk. 3, Ch 19-28 on resolving conflicts between virtue and (seeming) advantage. With hosts @ChrisAnadale, Katherine Bradshaw, @Ethan_AD_. Link to follow:
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Current take is that Star Trek had it right: if we talk to chatbots, we should address them as “Computer.” It’s polite and maintains the man/machine distinction. And (I think) it’s accurate. And we shouldn’t let’em get affectionate. youtube.com/watch?v=wnI--Fgb…
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New Ep of Cicero On Duties! Cicero, in Bk 3, Ch 7-18, evaluates Panaetius's plan, and his reasons for leaving it unfinished. Hosted by @ChrisAnadale, Katherine Bradshaw, @ben_2_long, and Coyle Neal. Link to follow:
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China reduced extreme poverty fast, but Indonesia hasn’t been far behind. China is often the poster child for rapid reductions in poverty, and for good reason. In the early 1980s, over 90% of its population lived in extreme poverty, but by the early 2020s, that number had dropped to nearly zero. Some might assume that China is the only reason why global extreme poverty has declined. But that’s wrong: many countries have seen dramatic reductions in poverty, too. Indonesia is one clear example; it’s shown alongside China on the chart. In 1984, 86% of Indonesians lived on less than $3 per day. By 2025, this had fallen to less than 4%. While it didn’t quite match China’s decline, it has still been impressive. The number of people living in extreme poverty has fallen from 140 million to about 10 million. Note that the international poverty line is extremely low, defined as people living on less than $3 per day. But Indonesia has also made progress when measuring higher poverty lines. (written by @_HannahRitchie and @parriagadap)
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Ben Peterson retweeted
It's out today! I'll be sharing a lot more about Generation Uncoupled in the coming days. But for now, I just want to express my profound appreciation to all those involved in getting here. My research team at the Survey Center, AEI colleagues, my editor at Penguin Random House, the publicity team and the 100+ young people who were willing to share their thoughts and experiences on dating, politics, family and so much more. I'm extraordinarily grateful. Read it here: penguinrandomhouse.com/books…
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I have been listening to @EconTalker for two decades. It has become such a big part of my daily commute that it is hard to imagine driving to school on Monday morning without hearing Russ’ voice through my car speakers. Thus, it makes me incredibly happy to be the guest on this week’s episode, “The Great Fertility Collapse.” I felt like a kid who, 20 years later, gets to play for his favorite football team. The talk was fun, too, and we covered some of the topics I have often emphasized here on X: the facts about fertility collapse, what we know and what we do not know, and much more. As always, we didn’t have time to cover more. So, just remember my favorite line these days: fertility and artificial intelligence are the only two issues that matter right now. I can’t think about anything else.
Birth rates are plunging around the world, including in countries once known for large families. What's driving the decline? University of Pennsylvania Professor of Economics @JesusFerna7026 joins @EconTalker to examine the mystery of falling fertility and its economic consequences. Watch a new episode of EconTalk from the @HooverInst, @Liberty_Fund, and @Econlib: plus.hoover.org/plus/researc…
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Ben Peterson retweeted
Glad to see this up in Christianity Today. I report on some data we collected where we gave people common “Christian nationalism” survey measures, then used a chatbot to ask them what they meant. Key takeaway is they do not sound very much like what you have heard about on the news. christianitytoday.com/2026/1…
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Ben Peterson retweeted
AI will probably be transformative, yes, but recognizably so, precedentedly so:
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Ben Peterson retweeted
💯 Putting all the weight of our sexual ethic on consent is simply folly
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Why is homicide declining so rapidly? A few weeks ago, I was part of a group of four dozen crime researchers convened by @CouncilonCJ to try to answer that question. We rated nearly 50 factors based on how likely they were to contribute to the drop. While I didn't necessarily agree with everyone's conclusions—I would describe CVI as "limited" at best, for example—it was a stimulating exercise, and I think useful for anyone trying to understand the drop. Read the full report here: counciloncj.org/whats-drivin…
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Ben Peterson retweeted
"The Ownership Society" by @VitaliJames is a must-read. We cannot rebuild a prosperous society simply by pulling the right economic levers. Ownership depends on a culture in which freedom and responsibility belong together. Where people are trusted to exercise judgement because they also bear the consequences but also where risk requires the possibility of recovery: of failing, repenting, making amends, and trying again. Our institutions — and a political culture on both Left and Right — have an extraordinary capacity to remember transgression and very little machinery for forgiveness. ✍️ @TheCriticMag thecritic.co.uk/issues/octob…
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New Ep of Cicero on Duties! We begin Bk 3, Ch. 1-6 with a discussion of Publius Scipio and leisure. Read along with @ChrisAnadale, Katherine Bradshaw, @ben_2_long, and Coyle Neal. Link to follow:
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Ben Peterson retweeted
The share of children who died before they were 5 years old in 1950 and 75 years later. Africa: 33% ↘ 6% Asia: 25% ↘ 2.5% Oceania: 9.3% ↘ 2% Latin America: 21% ↘ 1.5% Northern America: 3.8% ↘ 0.6% Europe: 10.5% ↘ 0.4% Globally: 23% ↘ 3.5%
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🧵(1/8)The Ciceronian Society is thrilled to announce its finalists for the 3rd Annual Herbert J. Storing Book Prize. Join us in congratulating these 5 scholars. @aier, @PennPress @Kansas_Press @EncounterBooks @uvapress #AmericanFounding ciceroniansociety.org/herber…
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Ben Peterson retweeted
"Our technology keeps getting better. Our social lives keep getting smaller... Everybody might prefer, in the abstract, a world of dinner parties, neighborhood friendships, and spontaneous gatherings. But on any given Wednesday at 7:45pm., it is easier to look at a screen than to host a party. Modernity has shifted leisure from activities that require coordination with other people toward activities that can be consumed without the permission or participation of others. Compared to TikTok, a dinner party is a terrible leisure technology. It requires matching schedules, cleaning the house, buying food, accommodating children and allergies, tolerating awkwardness, and taking the risk that the evening is mediocre. By contrast, what does television ask of us? Nothing. TikTok? Even less. We keep creating opportunities for downtime that eliminate the need for other people to be present." derekthompson.org/p/the-deat…
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Ben Peterson retweeted
What happens when the language of therapy becomes the language through which Christians understand sin, suffering, and human flourishing? In this piece, Matthew Loftus examines how modern psychology has shaped Christian thinking about the self, and argues that the Church’s task is not simply to reject therapy culture, but to tell a deeper story about healing, holiness, and transformation through Christ. Read the piece at firstthings.com/the-church-i…
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