In a world of economic confusion and political noise, Veronique de Rugy is a rare voice of clarity, courage, and conviction.
Born and raised in France, Veronique didn’t grow up surrounded by the ideas of limited government or economic freedom. She grew up in a country where the state was everywhere—and innovation often came last. But she always sensed something was off. The conversations she heard didn’t sit right. The assumptions didn’t add up.
Then one day, in a microeconomics class in her third year of college, everything changed.
Her professor wasn’t just talking about equations—he was connecting ideas to the real world. He was showing how economics wasn’t just theory. It was a tool to understand life, progress, innovation, and ultimately, human freedom. Veronique was hooked. It opened her eyes to the power of free people and free markets. And it changed the course of her life.
Going Big by Choosing a New Country
Veronique made the boldest move of all: she left the country she knew to come to one she believed in. She became an American citizen because she saw something special in the United States—a nation built on the revolutionary idea that government’s role is to protect freedom, not control it.
She saw that in America, you could speak up, stand out, and pursue truth, no matter where you started. And she did just that.
Today, Veronique serves as the George Gibbs Chair in Political Economy and a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. She’s a syndicated columnist, a Capitol Hill expert, a trusted scholar, and a fearless advocate for economic freedom. But more than that, she’s a truth-teller in a time when we desperately need one.
Challenging the Myths. Clearing the Fog.
Veronique challenges some of the most dangerous myths we believe about government:
That debt doesn’t matter.
That tariffs protect jobs.
That spending more always helps more.
She reminds us that every dollar borrowed is a promise made on someone else’s behalf—often without their consent. That tariffs are taxes on American consumers. That massive government spending doesn’t unleash progress—it stifles it.
She speaks boldly about how government interference—even when well-intentioned—often punishes the innovators, slows economic growth, and locks people out of opportunity.
But this isn’t just a message of warning—it’s a message of hope.
Freedom Still Works
Veronique believes, deeply, that the American experiment is worth defending. That our Constitution is unique in the world. That our culture of generosity, innovation, and optimism is still alive—and still capable of amazing things.
Her call is simple: don’t give up.
Even when freedom feels under attack, even when the path forward feels uncertain, even when the numbers look daunting—don’t give up.
Why? Because ideas matter. Because truth matters. Because people matter.
Because when we unleash freedom, we unleash opportunity—for everyone.
Going Big Is a Choice
Veronique could have stayed silent. She could have chosen comfort over conviction. But she didn’t.
She went big—by leaving home, embracing truth, and dedicating her life to helping others see what she discovered: that economic freedom isn’t cold or abstract. It’s personal. It’s powerful. And it’s the foundation for human flourishing.
May her courage inspire us to challenge bad ideas, defend what’s right, and—above all—to keep going big.
