John Samples

John Curtis Samples (born c. 1950s) is an American political theorist, author, and vice president of the Cato Institute.

As of 2021[update], he serves as a member of Facebook's independent Oversight Board.

[3][4] Samples has been described as a "public intellectual" who "writes extensively on social media and speech regulation",[4] and who "advocates against restrictions on online expression".

[3] His 2002 edited book, James Madison and the Future of Limited Government, was reviewed by The Independent Review as "a debater’s handbook", in which Samples' piece "introduces us to Madison the advocate of direct democracy".

[6] In May 2020, he was selected to serve as one of the 20 founding members of Facebook's Oversight Board.