The state of The Path Not Taken

Dear all,

Happy New Year and I hope that you and yours are well. Over two years after the foundation of this Substack, I’m delighted with reaction to it. I have over 1,200 subscribers in 58 countries, some of whom are major figures in academia and the media.

I was happy with my output in 2023. I devised the concept of low liberalism, elaborating this in book reviews and statistical analysis of the British electorate. I expressed concerns about the anti-woke right, reviewing the Battle of Ideas festival and Matthew Goodwin’s Values, Voice and Virtue. I worried about free speech in universities and the Celtic nations, the latter essay being discussed in the New York Times. The year ended with some nice professional news; I was promoted to professor.

In 2024, the model won’t change much. I’ll continue writing about politics through the lens of institutional theory. Given this year’s UK and US elections, continued threats to freedom of speech and changes in academia, material should be abundant! The Path Not Taken will remain completely free, unlike most Substacks.

But I do have one thing to ask.

If you’re enjoying this Substack, please think about recommending it to others. Though I don’t receive income from The Path Not Taken, the considerable time I invest in it means that I love seeing it grow. Recommendations on social media would be wonderful and, if you write your own Substack, consider including me on your ‘recommendation’ tab. Anything would be immensely appreciated 😊

That’s all for now. Have a great start to 2024 and, next week, I’ll send out my first essay of the year.

Tom