The Shoulders of Ed Crane

Many people set out to be visionaries. But to be gifted with 20/20 vision is truly rare.

Ed Crane was one of the few people that possessed this. During his life, Ed founded the Cato Institute and was instrumental in the formation of libertarian politics as we know it. But what’s more, Ed predicted this very moment that we live in today.

The world is a better place because of his life and legacy.

Are we doomed for a MAGA versus “Woke” political hellscape that seems to the dominant narrative today. Are our country’s greatest days behind us? Is gridlock, partisanship, and polarization here to stay?

To these questions, Ed’s life and work answer with a resounding, “No.”

Ed Crane’s work and inherent worldview wasn’t anything new, per se. But rather, a healthy revitalization of the very ideas and principles that were present at the founding of this Republic: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Remember this phrase that we were taught in grade school? It rolls off of the modern tongue with ease and requires almost no thought. But Ed believed that we must live these ideals, both in politics and our personal lives.

Throughout my career, I’ve been fortunate enough to have Ed as my mentor. And what’s so remarkable about my time spent with him is that I can continue to return to our conversations and derive meaning from our time spent together.

Ed Crane loved referencing Thomas Jefferson in claiming that politics is about man’s relationship to the state. Thus, politics should be about maximizing human freedom and flourishing. This is the power of the individual. This is what makes our nation so drastically different than all others. And this is what can heal our political and societal fissures.

In today’s world, politics is not about asking big questions about how to maximize human flourishing and prosperity. Instead, politics is the brute force of coercion. It’s finding means to get the most people on board with your agenda. If politics in the age of Jefferson was the finesse of a quill and ink pen, politics in 2026 would be a hammer.

And yet we wonder why we’re frequently lamenting our political culture as broken.

For me, the passing of Ed Crane gives me reason to pause and reflect on this reorienting of our politics. How can we help our neighbors and ourselves maximize their freedom and dignity?

In 2026, we’re distracted from this fundamental question in favor of shiny economic projections of GDP growth, stock valuations, and the bond market. But remember: the Declaration and Constitution are not economic doctrines. They are a system of governance and ideals to promote human liberty. Our material wealth and GDP measurements are a by-product of the liberty outlined in these texts.

The two parties have reached the end of the road, primarily because of this fundamental detachment. Ed Crane saw their limits, which is why he wanted to challenge the status quo with a new third force in the late 1970s. His goal of offering an alternative to the ideological duopoly and groupthink nature of the Republicans and Democrats is needed today, now more than ever.

In a Washington Post article in the 1980s, Ed claimed “The natural constituency of libertarians are the yuppies.” He was right. But the yuppies were a relatively small demographic in the early ’80s, and they fit in comfortably within Ronald Reagan’s Republican Party. Ed was ahead of his time, but today’s Millennials are the fulfillment of this vision. They are the modern-day yuppies. They are socially tolerant and want fiscal sanity to return to Washington.

Ed Crane may no longer be with us, but his ideas and energy continue to carry this movement forward. As the two parties continue to serve their narrow interests, a new way forward is needed that centers around a fundamental respect for civil liberties and economic choice.

The potential for a course correction is there. Ed laid this path our for us. And the timing has never been better.

For those of us who were lucky to know him, he was larger than life and will be missed beyond measure.

But as we stand on the shoulders of Ed Crane and look out at the fractured country that we now live, we should see the vision for our country that he dedicated his life towards achieving.

Ed may be gone, but we can already see that his ideas will continue to shape the next generation.

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