As someone who spent his youth shooting baskets, drinking beer in the park, goofing off in school and getting into neighborhood scraps, I never thought I would become a writer.
So, have recently gone through fifty years of files, my intern and I are working on a complete bibliography.
Don't ever let people tell you can't do something.
Thanks in particular to Roy Childs, who, at the bus station leaving Dartmouth in 1980 (Cato Summer Conference), explicitly encouraged me to start writing. At the time, I had zero publications. Ten years later, he got me a gig at Cato where I wrote one of their best-read policy studies on the drug war.
Voila.
BIBLIOGRAPHY OF JAMES OSTROWSKI(Updated with all additions as of May 2026)
Books
Ostrowski, J. (2004). Political class dismissed: Essays against politics, including “What’s wrong with Buffalo.” CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.
Ostrowski, J. (2009). Government schools are bad for your kids: What you need to know. Civic Research Institute.
Ostrowski, J. (2010). Direct citizen action: How we can win the second American revolution without firing a shot. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.
Ostrowski, J. (2016a). The impeachment of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton: For high crimes in Syria and Libya. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.
Ostrowski, J. (2016b). Progressivism: A primer on the idea destroying America. Cazenovia Books. (Also available via Mises Institute.)
Ostrowski, J. (2019). How we can revive the liberty movement and defeat the progressive state of America [Kindle]. Amazon Digital Services.
amazon.com/stores/James-Ostr…
Ostrowski, J. (2020). The second amendment works!: A primer on how to defend our most important right [Kindle]. Amazon Digital Services.
Ostrowski, J. (2021). A Crime Against Humanity: Essays Against the Lockdown [Kindle]. Amazon Digital Services.
amazon.com/Crime-Against-Hum… (Also in Audible.)
Ostrowski, J. (2021). The Libertarian Devil's Dictionary [Kindle]. Cazenovia Books / Amazon Digital Services.
amazon.com/Libertarian-Devil… (Also in Audible.)
Ostrowski, J. (2022). Free the children: How red state Americans can liberate their children from government schools [Kindle]. Amazon Digital Services.
Ostrowski, J. (n.d./2023). A Libertarian Solution to the Immigration Crisis [Kindle]. Cazenovia Books / Amazon Digital Services.
amazon.com/Libertarian-Solut… (Based on 2023 Porcfest speech; also in Audible.)
Ostrowski, J. (2024). Exposing the Two Big Lies of the Gun Control Movement: Replacing Gun Control With Violence Control. Cazenovia Books / Amazon.
amazon.com/Exposing-Two-Lies… (Paperback and Kindle; sequel to The Second Amendment Works!.)
Amazon Author Page:
amazon.com/stores/James-Ostr…
Articles & Essays (Selected)
Ostrowski, J. (1987). “Why Cocaine and Heroin Should Be Decriminalized.” Report of the Committee on Law Reform of the New York County Lawyers Association (August).
Ostrowski, J. (1988). “On Drug-Related AIDS and the Legal Ban on Over-the-Counter Hypodermic Needle Sales.” Report of the Committee on Law Reform of the New York County Lawyers Association (March).
Ostrowski, J. (1989, May 25). “Thinking About Drug Legalization.” Cato Institute Policy Analysis No. 121. (Also published in The Crisis in Drug Prohibition, David Boaz, ed., Cato Institute, 1990.)
Ostrowski, J. (1990). “The Moral and Practical Case for Drug Legalization.” Hofstra Law Review, 18, 607 (Winter).
Ostrowski, J. (1990). “Answering the Critics of Drug Legalization.” Notre Dame Journal of Law, Ethics & Public Policy, 5(3), 401. (Also published in Searching for Alternatives: Drug Control Policy in the United States, M. B. Krauss & E. P. Lazear, eds., Hoover Institution Press, 1991.)
Ostrowski, J. (1990, July). “Has the Time Come to Legalize Drugs?” USA Today (magazine).
Ostrowski, J. (1991, June/July). “A Letter to the President of IBM.” The Free Market (Ludwig von Mises Institute).
Ostrowski, J. (1991, December). “The Most Lethal Agency.” The Free Market (Ludwig von Mises Institute).
Ostrowski, J. (1992, April). “Local Option.” Reason, p. 56 (book review of Undoing Drugs: Beyond Legalization, by D. K. Benjamin & R. L. Miller).
Ostrowski, J. (1992, May). “The Everything Clause.” The Free Market (Ludwig von Mises Institute).
Ostrowski, J. (1992, September). “War on Drugs, War on Progress” (cover article). Liberty, Vol. 6, No. 1.
Ostrowski, J. (1992/1993). “In Freedom’s Way.” Liberty.
Ostrowski, J. (1993, February). “Imagine There’s No Property Rights.” (Published version in The Free Market or related outlet.)
Ostrowski, J. (1993, April). “Free the Landlord.” The Free Market, Vol. 11, No. 4 (Ludwig von Mises Institute).
Ostrowski, J. (1993). “Save the Landlord.” The Free Market (Ludwig von Mises Institute).
Ostrowski, J. (2001, Spring). “The Rise and Fall of Jury Nullification.” Journal of Libertarian Studies, 15(2), 89–115.
Ostrowski, J. (2001, October). “A Real Education.” The Free Market (Ludwig von Mises Institute).
Ostrowski, J. (2003, January 6). “Chomsky’s Economics.”
Mises.org (Mises Daily).
mises.org/mises-daily/chomsk…
Ostrowski, J. (2003, December 1). “What’s Wrong with Juries.”
LewRockwell.com.
Ostrowski, J. (2011, September 23). “Intellectual Roots of Terror.”
Mises.org (Mises Daily).
mises.org/mises-daily/intell…
Ostrowski, J. (2014, June 17). “Why Progressivism Fails: A Historical Perspective.”
LewRockwell.com.
Ostrowski, J. (2021, March 10). “The Myth of Government Efficiency.”
LewRockwell.com.
Free New York / Free Buffalo News Alerts (2005–2008)
Archived index:
web.archive.org/web/20111021…
Ostrowski, J. (2005, May 11). The Bass Pro Memorandum of Understanding Raises More Questions Than it Answers (News Alert No. 1). Free New York / Free Buffalo. Archived:
web.archive.org/web/20111021…
Ostrowski, J. (2005, August 12). “Inartful Drafting” Raises $35 Million Question About Bass Pro Deal (News Alert No. 2). Free New York / Free Buffalo. Archived:
web.archive.org/web/20111021…
Ostrowski, J. (2005, August 30). High Taxes Are Closing Catholic Schools (News Alert No. 3). Free New York / Free Buffalo. Archived:
web.archive.org/web/20111021…
Ostrowski, J. (2005, September 8). “Price-Gouging” is a Myth (News Alert No. 4). Free New York / Free Buffalo. Archived:
web.archive.org/web/20111021…
Ostrowski, J. (2006, March 8). Free Buffalo Forms Committee to Review Amherst Budget (News Alert No. 5). Free New York / Free Buffalo. Archived:
web.archive.org/web/20111021…
Ostrowski, J. (2006, March 22). Public Authorities Have Failed the Public (News Alert No. 6). Free New York / Free Buffalo. Archived:
web.archive.org/web/20111021…
Ostrowski, J. (2006, March 27). What’s the Big Secret? How State Trial Judges Are Selected In Western New York (News Alert No. 7). Free New York / Free Buffalo. Archived:
web.archive.org/web/20111021…
Ostrowski, J. (2006, April 11). Should We Revive the Old Board of Supervisors? Free Buffalo asks for comment on ideas to revise the county charter (News Alert No. 8). Free New York / Free Buffalo. Archived:
web.archive.org/web/20111021…
Ostrowski, J. (2006, April 6). The New York State Budget is a Disgrace (News Alert No. 9). Free New York. Archived:
web.archive.org/web/20111021… na 9--The Budget.pdf
Ostrowski, J. (2006, May 25). Comptroller’s Audit Proves IDAs Must be Abolished (News Alert No. 10). Free New York. Archived:
web.archive.org/web/20111021…
Ostrowski, J. (2006, June 3). Who Runs Buffalo? (News Alert No. 11). Free New York / Free Buffalo. Archived:
web.archive.org/web/20111021… New York News Alert No. 11--Who Runs Buffalo.pdf
Ostrowski, J. (2006, July 1). Where Have All the Candidates Gone? (News Alert No. 12). Free New York. Archived:
web.archive.org/web/20111021… New York News Alert No12.pdf
Ostrowski, J. (2006, September 26). A Simple Proposal to Abolish Gerrymandering (News Alert No. 13). Free New York. Archived:
web.archive.org/web/20111021… Alert No. 13--gerrymandering.pdf
Ostrowski, J. (2006, November 12). A Proposal to Eliminate School Districts (News Alert No. 14). Free New York. Archived:
web.archive.org/web/20111021… New York News Alert no. 14--school districts.pdf
Ostrowski, J. (2007, July 17). Corporate Welfare is Public Enemy No. 1 (News Alert No. 15). Free New York. Archived:
web.archive.org/web/20111021… Alert No. 15--Bass Pro.pdf
Ostrowski, J. (2008, April 14). New York’s Pension Scams Must End Now (News Alert No. 16). Free New York. Archived:
web.archive.org/web/20111021… Alert No 16--Pension Scams.pdf
Ostrowski, J. (2008, April 18). The Useful Myth of Running Government Like a Business (News Alert No. 17). Free New York. Archived:
web.archive.org/web/20111021… Alert No. 17--Running government like a business.pdf
Free New York Policy Reports (2005–2006)
Archived index:
web.archive.org/web/20111106…
Ostrowski, J. (2005, September 29). The Partnership Goes Far, But Not Far Enough (Policy Report No. 1). Free New York, Inc. Archived:
web.archive.org/web/20111106…
Ostrowski, J. (2005, October 25). How to Convert a Deficit into a Tax Cut and “Pay Raise” for 440,000 Workers (Policy Report No. 2). Free New York, Inc. Archived:
web.archive.org/web/20111106…
Ostrowski, J. (2006, March 16). Economics in Five Lessons (Policy Report No. 3). Free New York, Inc. Archived:
web.archive.org/web/20111106…
Ostrowski, J. (2006, May 30). Bass Pro and Buffalo (Policy Report No. 4). Free New York, Inc. Archived:
web.archive.org/web/20111106…
Ostrowski, J. (2006, November 21). How to help low-wage workers (without raising the minimum wage) (Policy Report No. 5). Free New York, Inc. Archived:
web.archive.org/web/20111106…
Ostrowski, J. (2006, February 9). Free Buffalo 2005 Annual Report (Policy Report No. 6). Free New York, Inc. Archived:
web.archive.org/web/20111106…
Free New York main archived site:
web.archive.org/web/20111106…
Additional Selected Articles, Remarks & Essays (from portfolio collection)
“They Shall Overcome” and “Coup d’Election – Cast of Characters” (2000 election cycle). “Political Snow Job” (Buffalo News). “Cuomo Sends Up a Smoke Screen in Opposing Drug Legalization” (Viewpoints column). “Flag-Burning Amendment Is Deeply Flawed.” “Rhetorical Terrorism Threatens Free Speech.” “It’s Really Time to Reform Government” (Legislative Gazette, Albany). “The Decline of America and Why We Can’t Stop It” (remarks, SUNY Buffalo School of Law, 1993). “Back to the Libertarian Party” (Liberty). Numerous op-eds, letters, and remarks on drug policy, jury nullification, government schools, progressivism, local Buffalo issues, and libertarian strategy (1986–2018 ).
Op-Ed Pieces (selected)
Legislative Gazette (Albany), March 15, 1993. Cleveland Plain Dealer, May 28, 1992. Democrat and Chronicle (Rochester), February 28, 1992. Buffalo News, February 20, 1992. The Post-Standard (Syracuse), February 19, 1992. Wall Street Journal, April 4, 1991. Buffalo News, January 30, 1990. Corpus Christi Caller-Times, September 25, 1989.
Miscellaneous
“What’s Wrong with Buffalo” (essay, reprinted in Political Class Dismissed, pp. 45–67). Various internal memos, testimony, and speeches to Libertarian Party, Free New York, Inc. / Free Buffalo, Erie County Bar Association, and other groups (1986–2012). This includes the complete set of News Alerts and Policy Reports listed above.