This is Hypertext

A new journal of liberalism, political economy, and policy from the Niskanen Center.

From its founding in 2015, the Niskanen Center has been a think tank that defies the tired dichotomy between left and right and injects bold ideas into the public conversation. Now, we are continuing this work with our new journal, Hypertext.

Hypertext is a forum for linking ideas and people in ways that surprise and inspire while engaging with the Niskanen Center’s broad vision: an America where competitive markets, robust public goods, and an effective state reinforce one another. 

Ted Nelson, the information-technology pioneer who coined the term “hypertext,” wrote that he intended “hyper” to be “used in the mathematical sense of extension and generality…rather than the medical sense of ‘excessive.’”

But that meaning of “hyper” is virtually lost to us now. Hypertext itself has become associated with a culture of online excess: too many shallow interactions, too much information, and too much isolation and division. By publishing thoughtful essays that bring people into dialogue, we hope to help restore the original promise of hypertext in a country that desperately needs to come together around new ideas.