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Cooperation and Coercion: How Busybodies Became Busybullies and What that Means for Economics and Politics
An eye-opening guide to how society and government function . . . and how they should function
There are only two ways that humans work together: they cooperate with one another, or they coerce one another.
And once you realize this fundamental fact, it will change how you see the world.
In this myth-busting book, Antony Davies and James R. Harrigan display the wisdom and talent for explaining complex topics that have attracted a devoted audience to their weekly podcast, Words & Numbers, and made them popular speakers around the country.
By looking for cooperation and coercion in everyday life, they help make sense of a wide range of issues that dominate the public debate. You’ll come away from this book with a clear understanding of everything from the minimum wage to taxes, from gun control to government regulations, from the War on Terror to the War on Drugs to the War on Poverty.
It turns out that coercion is necessary . . . sometimes. Even in a democracy, we all abide by rules, including plenty that we don’t agree with, in the name of getting along.
But in the end, Davies and Harrigan show, cooperation without question is the key to human happiness and progress. The more we encourage it, the better off we all are.
Cooperation and Coercion cuts through heated partisan debates to provide a refreshingly clear and comprehensive understanding of the way the world works.
There are only two ways that humans work together: they cooperate with one another, or they coerce one another.
And once you realize this fundamental fact, it will change how you see the world.
In this myth-busting book, Antony Davies and James R. Harrigan display the wisdom and talent for explaining complex topics that have attracted a devoted audience to their weekly podcast, Words & Numbers, and made them popular speakers around the country.
By looking for cooperation and coercion in everyday life, they help make sense of a wide range of issues that dominate the public debate. You’ll come away from this book with a clear understanding of everything from the minimum wage to taxes, from gun control to government regulations, from the War on Terror to the War on Drugs to the War on Poverty.
It turns out that coercion is necessary . . . sometimes. Even in a democracy, we all abide by rules, including plenty that we don’t agree with, in the name of getting along.
But in the end, Davies and Harrigan show, cooperation without question is the key to human happiness and progress. The more we encourage it, the better off we all are.
Cooperation and Coercion cuts through heated partisan debates to provide a refreshingly clear and comprehensive understanding of the way the world works.
256 pages, Paperback
First published March 16, 2020
21 people are currently reading
114 people want to read
About the author
James R. Harrigan
2 books3 followers James R. Harrigan teaches in the department of Political Economy and Moral Science at the University of Arizona.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
August 24, 2021
An excellent exploration of why cooperation is more conducive to human flourishing than coercion. From the war on poverty, drugs, terror, to taxes, government spending, and busybodies attempting to tax you if you don't eat your vegetables, Davies and Harrigan are fantastic guides through all this and how we can maintain our liberty even with these constant threats. An entertaining--if somewhat depressing if you love liberty--read.
Listen to our interview with Antony Davies on The Soul of Enterprise here: https://www.thesoulofenterprise.com/t...
Listen to our interview with James Harrigan here: https://www.thesoulofenterprise.com/t...
Listen to our interview with Antony Davies on The Soul of Enterprise here: https://www.thesoulofenterprise.com/t...
Listen to our interview with James Harrigan here: https://www.thesoulofenterprise.com/t...
May 3, 2020
Fantastic book and great complement to the weekly podcast.
May 21, 2020
There are many passages in this book that I found fascinating (the bit about the taxes on Cabaret venues, "war on nouns", luxury taxes and the yacht business, the jaw-dropping list that is pages 106-108), but this is, by far, the most timely:
"Busybullies combine moral superiority, zeal, and political activism to direct the government to regulate others' behavior according to their points of view. You will conform, or you will be fined, jailed or both. To assuage what limited remorse they might feel, they typically invoke the mantra of 'public healthy, safety, and welfare.'"
Published just at the height of Corona shutdowns, "Cooperation and Coercion" is an accessible, relevant, and extensively researched exploration of government scope. Throughout the text, historical examples and recent economic data illustrate the necessary balance between voluntary collaboration and use of force. Great resource for anyone interested in the basic principles of classical liberalism.
"Busybullies combine moral superiority, zeal, and political activism to direct the government to regulate others' behavior according to their points of view. You will conform, or you will be fined, jailed or both. To assuage what limited remorse they might feel, they typically invoke the mantra of 'public healthy, safety, and welfare.'"
Published just at the height of Corona shutdowns, "Cooperation and Coercion" is an accessible, relevant, and extensively researched exploration of government scope. Throughout the text, historical examples and recent economic data illustrate the necessary balance between voluntary collaboration and use of force. Great resource for anyone interested in the basic principles of classical liberalism.
August 23, 2021
Please keep in mind I reserve five star ratings for books that changed my life. While this one falls short of that, it is still excellent. It is a concise and well argued case for minarchy. Antony and James are great minds.
October 7, 2020
I actually listened to the audiobook (which is sadly not done by the authors), but this is definitely as good as any episode of Words and Numbers.
January 18, 2021
Very good high level coverage of the difference between "We should do something about that" and "There should be a law about that"
October 23, 2025
4.5 stars
Introduction
“government exists to protect the rights of individuals. It does not exist to protect society, least of all from itself. This is because society is not something that can be protected. Society emerges from the interactions of its members over time. “Protecting society” has no real meaning, precisely because society is always a work in progress.”
“The essence of government is force. From waging war to issuing parking tickets, every government action manifests either violence or the threat of violence for those who do not comply. Voluntary association is the tool society uses when its members are free to behave as they will. Government is the tool society uses to force its members to behave in certain ways. Cloaking the tool in the civility of democracy does not change its essence. Government is a necessary and often useful tool—but it is also an extremely dangerous one.”
“The operative question, always, is when should we coerce our fellow citizens and when should we step back and allow them to cooperate. There is no hard and fast rule that will answer this question in every instance, but as we will see, patterns of human behavior do, in fact, emerge. Those patterns clearly indicate that when government limits its force to preventing people from harming one another, people have the maximum ability to cooperate. And although coercion is sometimes necessary, ultimately cooperation is the key to human progress. The more we encourage cooperation, the better off we all will be.”
Table of Contents
Part 1: How We Got Here
Ch. 1: The Knowledge Problem
I, Pencil
I, Toaster? I, Sandwich?
> Unintended Consequences
Snakes & Rats
Seatbelt Laws
Americans with Disabilities Act
Hoy No Circula (similar to "odd/even" car usage policy)
Venezuela's Downward Spiral (good example of how controls breed controls)
Ch. 2: Rights and Wrongs
Ch. 3: The Magic Wand (Public Choice Theory)
Part 2: Cooperation and Coercion in Everyday Life
Ch. 4: The Minimum Wage
Ch. 5: Gun Control
Ch. 6: Wars on Nouns
Ch. 7: Taxes
Ch. 8: Debt
Ch. 9: Busybullies (on moral policing)
Ch. 10: Cooperation (Economic Freedom leads to Prosperity & Flourishing)
Introduction
“government exists to protect the rights of individuals. It does not exist to protect society, least of all from itself. This is because society is not something that can be protected. Society emerges from the interactions of its members over time. “Protecting society” has no real meaning, precisely because society is always a work in progress.”
“The essence of government is force. From waging war to issuing parking tickets, every government action manifests either violence or the threat of violence for those who do not comply. Voluntary association is the tool society uses when its members are free to behave as they will. Government is the tool society uses to force its members to behave in certain ways. Cloaking the tool in the civility of democracy does not change its essence. Government is a necessary and often useful tool—but it is also an extremely dangerous one.”
“The operative question, always, is when should we coerce our fellow citizens and when should we step back and allow them to cooperate. There is no hard and fast rule that will answer this question in every instance, but as we will see, patterns of human behavior do, in fact, emerge. Those patterns clearly indicate that when government limits its force to preventing people from harming one another, people have the maximum ability to cooperate. And although coercion is sometimes necessary, ultimately cooperation is the key to human progress. The more we encourage cooperation, the better off we all will be.”
Table of Contents
Part 1: How We Got Here
Ch. 1: The Knowledge Problem
I, Pencil
I, Toaster? I, Sandwich?
> Unintended Consequences
Snakes & Rats
Seatbelt Laws
Americans with Disabilities Act
Hoy No Circula (similar to "odd/even" car usage policy)
Venezuela's Downward Spiral (good example of how controls breed controls)
Ch. 2: Rights and Wrongs
Ch. 3: The Magic Wand (Public Choice Theory)
Part 2: Cooperation and Coercion in Everyday Life
Ch. 4: The Minimum Wage
Ch. 5: Gun Control
Ch. 6: Wars on Nouns
Ch. 7: Taxes
Ch. 8: Debt
Ch. 9: Busybullies (on moral policing)
Ch. 10: Cooperation (Economic Freedom leads to Prosperity & Flourishing)
May 28, 2024
DNF @ 35% -- Dated. The book was published in the first quarter of 2020. Meaning this entire book is based off pre-COVID assumptions, economics, and business practices.
When corporations insisted that working from home or remote work would be impossible, online grocery shopping & drive up was for 'lazy' people or parents with small kids, and the "marginal" workers (a.k.a. "Essential Workers") had no collective will to strike against the powers that be.
You will have to forgive me, but I find it almost impossible to read anything that talks about economics, and presupposes to teach about it at the same time, that has not taken the year 2020 into account.
Also, he makes a ton of assumptions about people who vote, he leaves out the massive lobbying industry in his discussion of politics, and he makes the most absurd assumptions about how people choose to spend their money (eg: looking for the lowest possible cost) when that is NOT a given in the Millennial or Gen Z cohorts, who do things like purchase bamboo toilet paper in bulk shipments to their doorstep because the carbon footprint is supposedly smaller and bamboo is more renewable.
When corporations insisted that working from home or remote work would be impossible, online grocery shopping & drive up was for 'lazy' people or parents with small kids, and the "marginal" workers (a.k.a. "Essential Workers") had no collective will to strike against the powers that be.
You will have to forgive me, but I find it almost impossible to read anything that talks about economics, and presupposes to teach about it at the same time, that has not taken the year 2020 into account.
Also, he makes a ton of assumptions about people who vote, he leaves out the massive lobbying industry in his discussion of politics, and he makes the most absurd assumptions about how people choose to spend their money (eg: looking for the lowest possible cost) when that is NOT a given in the Millennial or Gen Z cohorts, who do things like purchase bamboo toilet paper in bulk shipments to their doorstep because the carbon footprint is supposedly smaller and bamboo is more renewable.
January 20, 2024
Very interesting book on just how much the government is involved in our everyday life, from debt, taxes down to how much soda we drink and cigarettes we smoke. Where a lot of time the intention is good, but the result could backfire causing a worse outcome than what was expected.
What surprised me was that according to this book, Americans actually pay progressive tax with the 1% paying a lot more than middle class residents, which I found interesting as it is so opposite of what is touted often in the media.
This book puts a lot of emphasis on the importance of cooperation between governments, citizens, corporations and everyone in between rather than through coercion, which I think was a reasonable and apt takeaway. Overall a concise and short book on US governments and how they operate, worth a read if you're looking for a different take compared to what is often talked about on social media and news outlets.
Blog: http://literaturesandmovies.com
What surprised me was that according to this book, Americans actually pay progressive tax with the 1% paying a lot more than middle class residents, which I found interesting as it is so opposite of what is touted often in the media.
This book puts a lot of emphasis on the importance of cooperation between governments, citizens, corporations and everyone in between rather than through coercion, which I think was a reasonable and apt takeaway. Overall a concise and short book on US governments and how they operate, worth a read if you're looking for a different take compared to what is often talked about on social media and news outlets.
Blog: http://literaturesandmovies.com
March 22, 2020
Like their podcast, Davies and Harrigan take a hard look at how the U.S. government conducts business and the societal impacts. While there are numerous subjects to discuss, this book only hits the surface of may pressing issues. For example, societal cooperation versus governmental coercion, minimum wage impacts, gun control, the war on poverty, drugs, and terror, taxes, debt, and governments telling people what they can and cannot do (sex, drugs, love).
The content of this book is perfect for those wanting numerous resources or just looking to better understand their own political positions. This is a good read and worth sharing with others.
The content of this book is perfect for those wanting numerous resources or just looking to better understand their own political positions. This is a good read and worth sharing with others.
May 20, 2020
An engaging and easy to read consideration of how we should conduct ourselves as a society. How much coercive power should our government world and how much should we rely on cooperation. Thoughtful examples are supported with detailed research.
A must read for anyone interested in being a part of the public debate on what issues our government should handle and which it shouldn't.
A must read for anyone interested in being a part of the public debate on what issues our government should handle and which it shouldn't.
December 1, 2020
A simple and concise primer on classical liberal ideals from an economic and political perspective. It's not too philosophical, nor too data intensive, but has enough meat to encourage more research if one is so inclined. It reminds me of Hazlitt's "Economics in One Lesson" which is pretty high praise.
April 10, 2022
An absolute must-read.
Relevant, logical, heavily researched, concise, and engaging. You will undoubtedly put this book down with a deeper understanding of society, government, economics, and (at the risk of sounding cliché) yourself and your own personal decisions.
Relevant, logical, heavily researched, concise, and engaging. You will undoubtedly put this book down with a deeper understanding of society, government, economics, and (at the risk of sounding cliché) yourself and your own personal decisions.
January 1, 2022
Good book for those who want to understand how to start to think about economic policies and the trade offs that are involved.
August 14, 2022
For the economically illiterate
Great book for someone who needs the basics. Well written and proposed explanations. May be too basic for someone familiar with the subject matter.
Great book for someone who needs the basics. Well written and proposed explanations. May be too basic for someone familiar with the subject matter.
November 11, 2022
Such a great book. Easy to follow and understand. Lots of notes to look up, all in order of chapters. I feel this book should be a part of the school curriculum.
October 3, 2023
As a regular Words & Numbers listener, I was not disappointed in the least! While both Antony and James are excellent at appealing to the facts and figures to make their arguments, it would have been nice for there to have been a bit more of the indignation that James can pull off so well. It's no surprise then that chapter 9 on "Busybullies" was my favorite. Not only could you pick up on a certain level of disdain when reading that chapter, but was the one place where there was a discussion of the the kinds of people drawn to government whereas the rest of the book focused on how people adapted to various forms of coercion.
This appeals to those who are more libertarian in temperament while also not being completely satisfying to those who are anarchists, but I won't dock the book for not going into something that it wasn't meant to address. One topic that I really would've appreciated hearing their perspective on is schooling since the requirement to have a K-12 education is a form of coercion — especially since both authors are heavily involved with education broadly speaking.
Don't get me wrong, I still found this to be a very compelling read, and it's clearly a good recommendation for the uninitiated to get them thinking and perhaps more motivated to continue reading further going forwards. And honestly, this somewhat reminded me of Thomas Sowell's "A Conflict of Visions" since they both introduce a binary classification, explain it with some basic principles, and then illustrate how it manifests in a variety of facets of real life. Not only is the approach reminiscent of Sowell's work, but also the quality. Those familiar with Sowell's work will understand how strong an endorsement that is.
I really hope that we can see more publications out of this duo in the future!
This appeals to those who are more libertarian in temperament while also not being completely satisfying to those who are anarchists, but I won't dock the book for not going into something that it wasn't meant to address. One topic that I really would've appreciated hearing their perspective on is schooling since the requirement to have a K-12 education is a form of coercion — especially since both authors are heavily involved with education broadly speaking.
Don't get me wrong, I still found this to be a very compelling read, and it's clearly a good recommendation for the uninitiated to get them thinking and perhaps more motivated to continue reading further going forwards. And honestly, this somewhat reminded me of Thomas Sowell's "A Conflict of Visions" since they both introduce a binary classification, explain it with some basic principles, and then illustrate how it manifests in a variety of facets of real life. Not only is the approach reminiscent of Sowell's work, but also the quality. Those familiar with Sowell's work will understand how strong an endorsement that is.
I really hope that we can see more publications out of this duo in the future!
February 24, 2024
Fantastic framework for thinking about economies, and superior to the capitalism/socialism framework. I have been entertained by these yahoos’ podcast for about a year and finally decided to read the book. It surpassed my expectations. Well done.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews