Editing David Boaz

{{Short description|American libertarian author and editor (1953–2024)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}

{{Use American English|date=June 2024}}

{{Infobox writer
|name = David Boaz
|image = David Boaz by Gage Skidmore.jpg
|caption = Boaz in 2018
|birth_name = David Douglas Boaz
|birth_date = {{birth date|1953|8|29}}
|birth_place = [[Mayfield, Kentucky]], U.S.
|death_date = {{death date and age|2024|6|7|1953|8|29}}
|death_place = [[Arlington County, Virginia]], U.S.
|occupation = {{hlist|Writer|editor}}
|subject = [[Libertarianism in the United States]]
|alma_mater = [[Vanderbilt University]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])
|partner = Steve Miller
}}

'''David Douglas Boaz''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|b|oʊ|z}}; August 29, 1953 – June 7, 2024) was a [[Libertarianism in the United States|libertarian]] author, philosopher and editor. He was a distinguished senior fellow and the executive vice president of the [[Cato Institute]], an American libertarian [[think tank]]. Boaz was a prominent advocate for [[Civil liberties|individual liberty]], [[limited government]], [[Free market|free markets]], and [[Non-interventionism|non-interventionist]] foreign policy.

Boaz authored several works on libertarian philosophy, including [[The Libertarian Mind: A Manifesto for Freedom|''Libertarianism: A Primer'' and ''The Libertarian Mind: A Manifesto for Freedom'']].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-12-12 |title=David Boaz, a Leading Voice of Libertarianism, Dies at 70 - The New York Times |website=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/11/us/politics/david-boaz-dead.html |access-date=2024-12-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241212054115/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/11/us/politics/david-boaz-dead.html |archive-date=December 12, 2024 }}</ref> He was an early proponent of [[civil liberties]], [[Same-sex marriage|marriage equality]], [[Drug liberalization|drug policy reform]], and [[school choice]], contributing to the mainstream acceptance of these issues in public discourse.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-04-13 |title=David Boaz on Libertarianism, Ronald Reagan, and the 2024 Election |url=https://www.yahoo.com/news/david-boaz-libertarianism-ronald-reagan-100038352.html |access-date=2024-12-23 |website=Yahoo News |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Shackford |first=Scott |date=2015-07-01 |title=Is This Where Libertarians and the Gay Community Part Ways? |url=https://reason.com/2015/07/01/is-this-where-libertarians-and-the-gay-c/ |access-date=2024-12-23 |website=Reason.com |language=en-US}}</ref> Boaz is regarded as a key figure in the development and promotion of modern libertarian thought.

==Background==
Boaz was born on August 29, 1953, in [[Mayfield, Kentucky]].<ref name = Langer>{{Cite news |last=Langer |first=Emily |title=David Boaz, leading voice of libertarianism, dies at 70 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/obituaries/2024/06/07/david-boaz-libertarian-cato-dead/ |access-date=June 8, 2024 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date = June 7, 2024 |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}}</ref> His father was a judge, and one of his uncles, through marriage, was [[Frank Stubblefield]], who served as a [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] member of the U.S. House of Representatives.<ref name = Roberts>{{cite news|url = https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/11/us/politics/david-boaz-dead.html|title = David Boaz, a Leading Voice of Libertarianism, Dies at 70|last = Roberts|first = Sam|authorlink = Sam Roberts (journalist)|date = June 11, 2024|accessdate = June 11, 2024|newspaper = [[The New York Times]]|url-access = limited}}</ref> Boaz studied history at [[Vanderbilt University]] from 1971 to 1975, and as a young man was involved with the [[Young Americans for Freedom]] and the [[College Republicans]].<ref name = Roberts/><ref name=RIP>Doherty, Brian [https://reason.com/2024/06/07/david-boaz-rip/ David Boaz, RIP], ''[[Reason (magazine)|Reason]]''.com. Retrieved June 11, 2024.</ref>

==Career==
Boaz eventually parted with the conservative movement, and worked on [[Ed Clark]]'s campaigns for governor of California in [[1978 California gubernatorial election|1978]] and for president in [[1980 United States presidential election|1980]].<ref name = Roberts/> Around this time, he joined the [[Cato Institute]].<ref name = Roberts/>

He was the author of ''Libertarianism: A Primer'', published in 1997 by the [[Free Press (publisher)|Free Press]] and described in the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' as "a well-researched manifesto of libertarian ideas."<ref>{{cite web
|url= https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-01-19-bk-19962-story.html
|title= Neither Left Nor Right: 'Libertarianism: A Primer'
|last1= Franzen
|first1= Don
|date= January 19, 1997
|work= [[Los Angeles Times]]
|access-date=April 25, 2014}}</ref> He was also the editor of ''The Libertarian Reader'' and co-editor of the ''Cato Handbook for Congress'' (2003) and the ''Cato Handbook on Policy'' (2005). He frequently discussed on national television and radio shows such topics as [[School choice|education choice]], the growth of government, the [[ownership society]], his support of [[drug legalization]] as a consequence of the individual right to [[self-determination]],<ref>{{cite news | first1 = David | last1 = Boaz | url = https://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/drug-legalization-right-control-body | title = Drug Legalization and the Right to Control Your Body | date = October 25, 2007 | publisher = [[Cato Institute]] | access-date = June 28, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite video | first1 = David | last1 = Boaz | url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2eTALTSIQ0 | title = Should drugs be legal?  | website = Youtube | publisher = Think tank with Ben Wattenberg | language = en-US | access-date = June 28, 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191213014748/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2eTALTSIQ0 | archive-date = December 13, 2019 | url-status = live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://norml.org/david-boaz/ | title = David Boaz profile on NORML.org | archive-url = https://archive.today/20200628214841/https://norml.org/david-boaz/ | archive-date = June 28, 2020 | url-status = live | access-date = June 28, 2020 }}</ref> a [[non-interventionist]] foreign policy,<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Boaz|first1=David|date=December 22, 2014|title=Cuba, Rand Paul, and a 21st-Century Republican Foreign Policy|url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/cuba-rand-paul-and-a-21st_b_6365854|access-date=June 29, 2020|website=[[HuffPost]]|language=en}}</ref> and the rise of libertarianism. Boaz said his views were informed by [[classical liberalism]] and opposed to populism.<ref name = Roberts/> He expressed skepticism of party politics and did not join the [[Libertarian Party (United States)|Libertarian Party]].<ref name = Roberts/>

His articles were also published in ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'', ''[[The Washington Post]]'', ''Los Angeles Times'', ''[[National Review]]'', and ''[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]]''.<ref name = Langer/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.commonwealthclub.org/events/archive/podcast/david-boaz-executive-vice-president-cato-institute-author-politics-freedom-79|title=David Boaz, Executive Vice President, Cato Institute; Author, The Politics of Freedom (7/9/2008)|publisher=Commonwealth Club|accessdate=June 13, 2024}}</ref> He appeared on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]'s ''[[Politically Incorrect]]'', [[CNN]]'s ''[[Crossfire (U.S. TV program)|Crossfire]]'', [[NPR]]'s ''[[Talk of the Nation]]'' and ''[[All Things Considered]]'', [[Fox News Channel]], [[BBC]], [[Voice of America]] and [[Radio Free Europe]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fVKQAAAAQBAJ&dq=david+boaz+ABC%27s+Politically+Incorrect,+CNN%27s+Crossfire,+NPR%27s+Talk+of+the+Nation+and+All+Things+Considered,+Fox+News+Channel,+BBC,+Voice+of+America,+Radio+Free+Europe,+and+other+media.&pg=PA333|title=The Politics of Freedom|isbn=978-1-933995-26-7 |accessdate=June 13, 2024 |last1=Boaz |first1=David |date=February 25, 2008 |publisher=Cato Institute }}</ref> A graduate of [[Vanderbilt University]], he was once the editor of ''[[Young Americans for Freedom#Publication: The New Guard|The New Guard]]'' magazine and was executive director of the Council for a Competitive Economy prior to joining Cato.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.adamsmith.org/blog/david-boaz-1953-2004|title=David Boaz 1953–2024|publisher=Adam Smith Institute|accessdate=June 13, 2024}}</ref> In 2022, he retired as executive vice president of Cato and was named a distinguished senior fellow.<ref name = Roberts/> He continued to write and appear on television until shortly before his death.<ref name = Roberts/>

==Personal life==
Boaz, who was openly gay, was with his partner, Steve Miller, for over 30 years.<ref name = Langer/> He was a [[teetotaler]].<ref name = Roberts/>

Boaz died from [[esophageal cancer]] at his home in [[Arlington County, Virginia]], on June 7, 2024, at the age of 70.<ref name = Langer/><ref name = Roberts/>

==Books==
* ''Market Liberalism: A Paradigm for the 21st Century'', Editor with Edward H. Crane, 1993. {{ISBN|9780932790972}}. {{OCLC|27267709}}
* ''Libertarianism: A Primer'', Free Press 1997. {{ISBN|9780684831985}}. {{OCLC|35658010}}
* ''The Libertarian Reader'', Editor, Free Press 1997. {{ISBN|9780684832005}}. {{OCLC|35808396}}
* ''The Politics of Freedom: Taking on The Left, The Right and Threats to Our Liberties'', 2008. {{ISBN|9781933995144}}. {{OCLC|254175718}}
* ''The Libertarian Vote: Swing Voters, Tea Parties, and the Fiscally Conservative, Socially Liberal Center'', with David Kirby and Emily Ekins, 2012. {{ISBN|9781938048746}}
* ''[[The Libertarian Mind|The Libertarian Mind: A Manifesto for Freedom]]'', Simon & Schuster, 2015. {{ISBN|9781476752846}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{C-SPAN|13376}}
** [https://www.c-span.org/video/?77824-1/libertarianism-primer ''Booknotes'' interview with Boaz on ''Libertarianism: A Primer'', January 26, 1997.]
* {{IMDb name|3664175}}
* [https://www.huffingtonpost.com/author/david-boaz Archive] at [[The Huffington Post]]
* [http://www.cato.org/people/boaz.html Biography of David Boaz] at [[Cato Institute]]
* [https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4485053 David Boaz discusses the ownership society with Robert Siegel] on [[NPR]]'s [[All Things Considered]]
* [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9097651/libertarianism David Boaz's entry "libertarianism"] at the [[Encyclopædia Britannica]]
* [http://www.thepolitic.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=71&Itemid=0 "Deregulating Education"] by David Boaz, in ''[[The Politic]]''

{{Authority control}}

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