Mark T. Mitchell is the co-founder of Front Porch Republic. He is the Dean of Academic Affairs at Patrick Henry College and the author of several books including Plutocratic Socialism, Power and Purity, The Limits of Liberalism, The Politics of Gratitude, and Localism in Mass Age: A Front Porch Republic Manifesto (co-editor).
Mark T. Mitchell
Articles by Mark T. Mitchell
Engagement vs. Efficiency
The Atlantic has a piece describing how the standards of the machine have wrongly been applied to human performances. It's time to rethink productivity. More output, produced faster may be…
FPR Fall Conference: Save the Date!
This year's conference will be held on September 20-21 on the campus of Pomona College in Claremont, CA. We will begin on the evening of Friday the 20th with a…
Hipster Communities, Traditionalists, and the Place of Faith
The Washington Times has a piece by Ryan James Girdusky suggesting that traditionalist conservatives have something to learn from hipsters. And vice versa. Traditionalist conservatives should emulate hipsters. In many…
Rand Paul in The New Republic
The New Republic has a cover story on Rand Paul. The author takes it upon herself to 1) show how quickly Paul is becoming a major player with real White…
Privacy? What Privacy?
Is there such thing as a private email? Are there limits to what the government can access? From The Washington Post: The National Security Agency and the FBI are tapping…
The Cost of Community
Community isn't easy: In college I took political theory classes that routinely covered the subject of community. The classes even emphasized our era’s tragic shortage of intergenerational concern. It makes…
Kirkpatrick Sale on Nullification
TAC has a review by Sale that champions nullification and (perhaps) secession. Nullification acts have been introduced in state legislatures all across the country, particularly in the last few months:…
Some Good Reasons to Buy Local
Here's an article that makes a good case for spending your money close to home. An excerpt: At the most basic level, when you buy local more money stays in…
Walmart Produce: Local and Sustainable?
Walmart is attempting to capitalize on the interest in fresh, local produce. Will their 100% no questions money back guarantee put them at the head of the new local food…
The Localist and the Big Box Store
Hidden Springs Lane. Should a localist shop at Home Depot? Or Walmart? The question, as I’ve stated it, should taste slightly off, like milk that is just on the verge…
The Limits of Place
Hidden Springs, VA. Recently Ross Douthat commented on Rod Dreher’s new book in a column devoted to the rising incidence of suicide and the problem of loneliness. In a follow-up…
The Modest Republic: Just Published
A book I've co-edited with Michael Federici and Richard Gamble has just been published. It's titled The Culture of Immodesty in American Life and Politics: The Modest Republic. Here's the description…
Harassed by the IRS? Don’t be Surprised.
Hidden Springs Lane. Americans have recently learned that certain groups seeking non-profit status were subjected to, ahem, "heightened scrutiny" by the IRS. It seems that groups that used words like…
Dana Gioia, Bill Kauffman in Pomona. Save the Date.
FPR's Third Annual Conference is shaping up to be a fantastic event. It will be held at Pomona College on September 20-21. The conference will kick off on Friday evening,…
Twitter and the Decline of Civilization
Here's a rather satisfying screed on the baleful effects of Twitter. A taste: If you haven’t gathered by now, I’m not a Twitter fan. In fact, I outright despise the…
Localism in Britain
Daniel Hannan (Member of the European Parliament for South-East England) sees the beginning of a localist revolution. We've still got a very long way to go, of course. But give…
Localist Philanthropy
Philanthropy Daily has an interesting piece arguing that "philanthropy is at its best when it leverages local resources." See how this works in one California county.
Unsolicited Advice for the Republican Party
Hidden Springs Lane. It is clear that the GOP is in disarray. The recent CPAC conference only served to highlight that the Republicans are bereft of ideas. Railing against “big…
Tocqueville for Tax Day
It seems if despotism came to be established in the democratic nations of our day...it would be more extensive and milder, and it would degrade men without tormenting them....I see…
Mitchell Video: Human Scale and Humane Politics
Here's a link to the video of my talk at Villanova. Thanks to James Matthew Wilson and Douglas Minson for making it such an enjoyable time.
How to Lose a Republic
Long before our own time, the customs of our ancestors moulded admirable men, and in turn these eminent men upheld the ways and institutions of their forebears. Our age, however,…
Biometric ID Cards Coming Your Way (Maybe)
Chuck Schumer and Lindsey Graham are pushing for national biometric ID cards as part of their comprehensive immigration reform plan. Writing an opinion piece in The Washington Post, the senators…
Neighbor Day
A friend sent this link announcing "NeighborDay." Here's a description: It’s crazy how few of us know our neighbors: their names, their phone numbers, what they’re about. The explosion of…
Ayn Rand Called C.S. Lewis an “Abysmal Bastard”
First Things has a piece on Ayn Rand's marginalia in her copy of The Abolition of Man. Ayn Rand was no fan of C.S. Lewis. She called the famous apologist an…