Author

Martha Ackelsberg

Martha Ackelsberg

Martha Ackelsberg is the William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Government, emerita, Smith College.

COMMENTARY

How individual rights and government regulation are both necessary for a free society

By: - December 15, 2020

I’ve been thinking a lot, recently, about the tension between demanding “individual rights” – in the sense of deciding whether or not to wear a mask – and calling for more action on the part of our government to protect us from the coronavirus pandemic. I’m a political theorist, which means I study how communities […]