Cato Event Podcast: Recent Episodes
Cato Institute
Podcast of policy and book forums, Capitol Hill briefings and other events from the Cato Institute
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The Cato Institute’s new edited volume, A History of Repeated Injuries, explores simple but profound questions: 250 years after the Declaration of Independence, how successful have we been in escaping tyranny? Are we entirely free of the “injuries and usurpations” of which the Framers complained? Or have modern analogues of old tyrannies crept into our own government, leading to losses of liberty akin to those suffered by the colonists? Four authors of different chapters in the book will discuss these questions with respect to jury rights, taxation, immigration policy, and foreign policy.
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The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has long exercised significant authority over broadcast media beyond what is typically tolerated under the First Amendment. Under various chairs and presidential administrations, the FCC has overstretched its authority. Recent actions have drawn particular attention, such as when Chairman Brendan Carr publicly pressured and threatened to punish ABC/Disney over a comment on Jimmy Kimmel Live. That incident does not exist in isolation, with friction between the commission and broadcasters steadily rising over the past 12 months over myriad issues including the unprecedented early review of ABC’s broadcast licenses. The FCC points to the public interest standard and policies such as news distortion and the equal-time rule to justify its actions.
How should such policies be considered in light of today’s media ecosystem and the broader values of free expression? Please join us for an event that will discuss how the FCC’s actions toward broadcast media are affecting free expression, what challenges these actions might face in courts, and how policymakers could prevent such abuse.
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What does life on the front lines of criminal justice actually look like—and what can it teach us about the state of American law today? Please join us for a discussion with Randy Barnett on his new memoir, Felony Review: Tales of True Crime and Corruption in Chicago, a gripping behind-the-scenes account of his years as a young prosecutor in the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office during the late 1970s and early 1980s.
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In the recently published No Compulsion in Religion—No Exceptions: Islamic Arguments for Religious Freedom, Cato senior fellow Mustafa Akyol collaborated with a team of international Muslim scholars to articulate a noncoercive vision of Islam. Among the issues addressed in the book are blasphemy laws that restrict free speech in dozens of countries—with Pakistan often regarded as home to some of the most troubling cases.
Akyol will discuss the issue with two Pakistani scholars: Husnul Amin, author of the book’s chapter on blasphemy, and Muhammad Khalid Masud, the book’s academic adviser and a distinguished scholar of Islamic law and theology. The three will also explore how a reformist reading of the Qur’an and other Islamic sources can help build a case against blasphemy laws.
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Many Americans think they understand today’s Supreme Court: six conservative justices appointed by Republicans, three liberals appointed by Democrats, and predictably partisan outcomes, especially in the “big” cases. But Sarah Isgur, host of the Advisory Opinions podcast, editor of SCOTUSblog, and one of the savviest Court-watchers in the country, is here to tell you that’s wrong.
In Last Branch Standing, Isgur argues that the conventional left-right framing fundamentally misconceives how the justices decide questions—not cases!—and that once you understand how they really think, the Court looks far more like a 3–3–3 institution than a 6–3 one. She also takes readers inside the building itself: the personalities, the quirks, the clerk culture, and the institutional dynamics that shape outcomes far more than partisan affiliation alone.
Isgur’s account of the Court’s role in our current constitutional moment is equally illuminating. With Congress having largely abdicated its lawmaking responsibilities, presidents of both parties have rushed to fill the resulting policy vacuum through executive action—often setting themselves on a collision course with SCOTUS. And while the shadow docket creates a misleading impression of unremitting executive branch success, the full picture of how the current administration actually fares before the Court may surprise you.
Join us for a conversation with Sarah Isgur about what may be the last constitutionally functioning branch of American government.
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Does the Fourteenth Amendment guarantee birthright citizenship to persons born in the United States to parents without permanent immigration status? Please join us for an insightful discussion with a group of scholars who will break down Trump v. Barbara, consider the recent Supreme Court oral argument, and explore the approaches the Court might take as it reaches a decision.
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President Trump has repeatedly promised to withdraw US forces from Europe in an ongoing debate over America’s role in NATO. Earlier this month, the Pentagon announced that 5,000 troops will be withdrawn from bases in Germany over the next 6 to 12 months, out of roughly 36,000 US personnel based in the country. Although the justification was ostensibly Germany’s unwillingness to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a withdrawal is consonant with Trump’s prior statements and his effort to withdraw 12,000 troops from Germany in 2020. More than 75 years after the founding of NATO, is a US withdrawal from Germany warranted? What will be the likely consequences? And can the administration sustain a burden-shift to Europe? Please join our panel of distinguished experts on transatlantic security to discuss these questions.
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The Summer of Our Discontent confronts the breakdown of civility in American society. Civil discourse has given way to identitarianism, altering our media, education, policing, and the ambient language and culture we use to make sense of our lives. In his book,Thomas Chatterton Williams chronicles the transformation of social justice activism following the summer of 2020. He explores how a culture of racial identitarianism undermines individual agency and empowerment.
Join Williams for a discussion with Cato research fellow Erec Smith about the existential crisis facing American liberalism, and how we might move beyond the current impasse toward a more integrated and resilient public square.
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The Trump administration has elevated the strategic importance of the Western Hemisphere to the United States at a time when countries in the region are turning away from leftist populism. Can dollarization play a key role in achieving stability and growth in Latin America? John Cochrane, David Malpass, and Emilio Ocampo will discuss the benefits of dollarization to Latin American countries with a history of bad monetary policy, why dollarization in the Americas would be good for the United States, and how adopting the dollar as the legal currency has worked out in Panama, Ecuador, and El Salvador. The speakers will discuss ways of dollarizing and why that reform is especially relevant to Argentina and Venezuela today.
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A free, open, and civil society depends on the freedom of individuals and institutions to direct private resources toward the causes they value. Today, that freedom faces growing pressure as the federal government seeks to use nonprofit status as a lever of political control.
Join us for a conversation with President and CEO of DonorsTrust Lawson Bader, Cato Senior Fellow Walter Olson, and President of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation John Palfrey on the importance of philanthropic freedom and what’s at stake when the state asserts authority over private giving.
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Secretary of Energy Chris Wright is charged with leading the Department of Energy through unprecedented changes. His mandate to unleash energy dominance—often through deregulation that expands the supply and types of energy available by allowing markets to function more freely—is solidifying the United States as the global leader in energy production. Secretary Wright draws inspiration from a rare mix of academic training, political acumen, and private sector entrepreneurship.
Still, deregulation faces significant domestic and international headwinds, and many stakeholders want the government to play an increased role in the energy sector. Join us for a special fireside chat to discuss the current state of energy policy and the energy revolutions to come.
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Social Security is widely portrayed as a self-financed program with a long-term trust fund solvency problem. But for more than a decade, the program has already been financed in part through federal borrowing. The trust fund is a political construct, not a true repository of savings or investments. Since 2010, the Treasury has borrowed more than $1.5 trillion to pay Social Security benefits, and borrowing is projected to rise sharply even before the trust fund is exhausted in 2032. Over the next 75 years, the program’s cash-flow shortfall will exceed $28 trillion in present-value terms.
This event will examine how trust fund accounting masks Social Security’s growing contribution to federal debt, why economic growth cannot solve the problem on its own, why lifting the payroll tax cap will not sustainably close the program’s funding gap, and how current benefit design fuels immediate deficits and long-term fiscal imbalance. Experts will discuss reform strategies that address the program’s structural flaws and prevent Social Security from worsening the debt crisis.
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As America approaches the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, Proclaiming Liberty revisits the revolutionary summer of 1776 through the minds of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, two men whose words and ideas gave birth to modern liberty. Timothy Sandefur’s engaging narrative brings to life the “American mind” of those extraordinary Founders—their arguments, ideals, and dedication to natural rights and self-government, all of which coalesced in America’s Declaration of Independence.
Join us for a rich conversation about liberty and the enduring promise of 1776.
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What does life on the front lines of criminal justice actually look like—and what can it teach us about the state of American law today? Please join us for a discussion with Randy Barnett on his new memoir, Felony Review: Tales of True Crime and Corruption in Chicago, a gripping behind-the-scenes account of his years as a young prosecutor in the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office during the late 1970s and early 1980s.
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The Future of Free Speech confronts a stark truth: The right to speak freely is under siege. Once celebrated as a cornerstone of democratic societies, free expression is now met with growing suspicion and retaliation across the globe.
In this book, Jacob Mchangama and Jeff Kosseff present a panoramic view of how we arrived at this pivotal moment. They argue for a reinvigorated, global commitment to open dialogue and civic-minded solutions.
Join Mchangama and Kosseff for a discussion with moderator David Inserra on how free speech can meet modern challenges without abandoning its foundational role in sustaining democracy, human rights, and shared understanding.
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The Federal Reserve, established in 1913, has evolved far beyond its original mandate, becoming one of the most debated institutions in the United States.
Some critics blame it for economic instability and want it abolished, while some supporters advocate expanding its powers. Over time, the Fed has taken on more responsibilities like achieving specific macroeconomic goals, providing fiscal support to the federal government, and regulating thousands of banks and other financial institutions. This expansion has led to greater government involvement in individuals’ economic lives. As the Federal Reserve is on the cusp of a new leadership regime, the opportunity for reform is greater than ever.
Cato Institute scholars Jai Kedia, Research Fellow, and Norbert Michel, Vice President and Director of the Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives, were joined for a timely conversation on their Reforming the Fed series. The discussion was moderated by Eleanor Mueller, Economy Policy Reporter at Semafor, and explored proposals to reshape the Federal Reserve, the challenges facing U.S. monetary policy, and what meaningful reform could look like in practice.
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In the wake of the February 2026 Supreme Court ruling on the legality of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) tariffs, the Trump administration has used alternative authorities to reimpose tariffs, including a 10 percent global tariff under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974.
As written, Section 122 allows the president to impose a temporary import tariff of up to 15 percent to: (1) deal with large and serious US balance of payments deficits, (2) prevent an imminent and significant depreciation of the dollar in foreign exchange markets, or (3) cooperate with other countries in correcting an international balance-of-payment disequilibrium. Many experts have questioned, however, whether any of these conditions apply today and thus whether the administration’s new tariffs are, like the IEEPA levies, unlawful.
This policy forum will feature a fireside chat with Representative Jimmy Panetta (D‑CA) and the Cato Institute’s Clark Packard on Section 122 and congressional tariff authorities, followed by an expert panel discussion on the legality of Section 122, whether its conditions exist today, and the role of Congress in reforming executive branch tariff authority.
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The universal human drive to matter—to feel our lives hold genuine significance—fuels both our greatest achievements and our deepest divisions. It inspires innovation, care, and cooperation while giving rise to ideological extremism, tribalism, and zero-sum conflicts that can challenge individual liberty and peaceful coexistence.
MacArthur Fellow and National Humanities Medalist Rebecca Newberger Goldstein joins us to discuss her latest book, The Mattering Instinct: How Our Deepest Longing Drives Us and Divides Us. Through real-life stories of individuals pursuing meaning—from artists and thinkers to everyday heroes and reformed extremists—Goldstein illustrates how the uniquely human need for meaning inspires “mattering projects” that drive both progress and polarization.
Cato research fellow and psychologist Adam Omary will moderate the discussion and offer commentary on the book’s implications for addressing the contemporary crisis of meaning, defending civil liberties, and advancing human progress.
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In June 2025, when stepping into the Federal Reserve Board’s role of vice chair for supervision, Michelle W. Bowman announced a comprehensive review of the bank capital framework. Since that time, she has introduced changes to two of the framework’s four pillars, the supplementary leverage ratio and the stress-testing regime. As a next step in the comprehensive review, the Federal Reserve, together with the other federal bank regulatory agencies, will introduce proposed changes to the risk-based bank capital requirements.
Join Vice Chair for Supervision Bowman at the Cato Institute as she details her comprehensive review and what is next for bank capital requirements and Basel III.
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President Trump has launched a war with Iran, leaving the American public with more questions than answers. Great uncertainty remains around the war’s strategic objectives, the duration of the campaign, and its long-term impacts on the United States, Iran, and the Middle East. Join us for a conversation with leading experts who will examine the possible trajectories of Operation Epic Fury and its broader consequences for the region and beyond.
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As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, many of us think about the heroic figures who formed the foundation of our democracy. The Prohuman Foundation and Sphere Education Initiatives are excited to support you in thinking about these brave Americans by highlighting five unsung heroines who greatly influenced America’s Founding: Elizabeth Freeman, Anna Smith Strong, Nanyehi (Nancy Ward), Deborah Sampson, and Esther de Berdt Reed. During this webinar, we will dive deep into five lessons that encourage students to discover character strengths such as curiosity, courage, humanity, grit, and compassion while developing key skills in literacy and civil discourse. You will hear from the Prohuman Foundation and Sphere about the various ways to engage with these women’s stories in helping your students learn to recognize their own capacities for developing character strengths in their own lives.
The webinar will consist of two parts. The first part will include a conversation between the Prohuman Foundation and Sphere to set the stage for understanding the unique opportunities presented by this collaborative effort. The second part will include deeper dives into the lessons themselves and the practical, tangible tools that can be applied in secondary classrooms. Educators will be empowered to use these resources to help their students develop a growth mindset, cultivate positive connections, engage in civil discourse, and respect viewpoint diversity.
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Thirty years ago, as part of the 1996 Telecommunications Act, Section 230 became law. The law was the result of a bipartisan effort that saw the potential of the internet and sought to encourage innovation and opportunities for online speech. Thirty years later, the law remains crucial to users and innovators of all sizes; however, it has been criticized by both the left and the right.
Join us for a day featuring panels on the history of Section 230, the current impact, debates, and legal challenges around the law, and how it might interact with future content moderation strategies including decentralization and technologies such as artificial intelligence. The event will also feature a live virtual conversation with one of Section 230’s co-authors, Senator Ron Wyden (D‑OR).
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Thirty years ago, as part of the 1996 Telecommunications Act, Section 230 became law. The law was the result of a bipartisan effort that saw the potential of the internet and sought to encourage innovation and opportunities for online speech. Thirty years later, the law remains crucial to users and innovators of all sizes; however, it has been criticized by both the left and the right.
Join us for a day featuring panels on the history of Section 230, the current impact, debates, and legal challenges around the law, and how it might interact with future content moderation strategies including decentralization and technologies such as artificial intelligence. The event will also feature a live virtual conversation with one of Section 230’s co-authors, Senator Ron Wyden (D‑OR).
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thirty years ago, as part of the 1996 Telecommunications Act, Section 230 became law. The law was the result of a bipartisan effort that saw the potential of the internet and sought to encourage innovation and opportunities for online speech. Thirty years later, the law remains crucial to users and innovators of all sizes; however, it has been criticized by both the left and the right.
Join us for a day featuring panels on the history of Section 230, the current impact, debates, and legal challenges around the law, and how it might interact with future content moderation strategies including decentralization and technologies such as artificial intelligence. The event will also feature a live virtual conversation with one of Section 230’s co-authors, Senator Ron Wyden (D‑OR).
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thirty years ago, as part of the 1996 Telecommunications Act, Section 230 became law. The law was the result of a bipartisan effort that saw the potential of the internet and sought to encourage innovation and opportunities for online speech. Thirty years later, the law remains crucial to users and innovators of all sizes; however, it has been criticized by both the left and the right.
Join us for a day featuring panels on the history of Section 230, the current impact, debates, and legal challenges around the law, and how it might interact with future content moderation strategies including decentralization and technologies such as artificial intelligence. The event will also feature a live virtual conversation with one of Section 230’s co-authors, Senator Ron Wyden (D‑OR).
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The debate about US policy toward China hinges on rarely stated judgments about the nature of the challenge. Is China mainly a revisionist or a status quo state? Should the United States keep all its international commitments amid China’s rise? What military posture can best defend those commitments? In his latest book, Retrench, Defend, Compete, Charles Glaser assesses these first-order questions and promotes an alternative US strategy toward China that would retrench from some US commitments in Asia and bolster others. Please join us as Glaser and Patricia Kim discuss the book and grapple with the range of US choices, from grand strategic judgments to specific foreign and military policies.
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The Qur’an famously declares, “There is no compulsion in religion.” Yet, various forms of religious compulsion persist today in parts of the Muslim world, including death penalties for apostates and blasphemers, legal inequalities that disadvantage women and non-Muslims, and “morality police” who enforce strict norms on society.
In this new book from the Cato Institute, Mustafa Akyol has assembled a team of Islamic scholars and intellectuals to articulate arguments against oppressive interpretations of Islam. Drawing on scriptural insights and contemporary realities, they contend that the Qur’anic principle of “no compulsion in religion” should be embraced fully, without exceptions.
At this forum, Akyol will summarize key arguments from the book. Mirwais Balkhi will offer his commentary on the book’s significance for Afghanistan and the broader Muslim world.
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As we approach the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, we recall the key principles that form America’s foundation. Of these, the “certain unalienable rights” the Founders declared are “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Yet, the Founders saw “liberty” not as the freedom to do whatever one wants—but rather the freedom to act and live in ways that promote virtue.
How does this understanding of liberty apply to our classrooms? How does civil discourse and viewpoint diversity create space for students to be free to act in ways that promote virtue?
In this webinar, we’ll explore how the Founding concept of liberty, combined with principles of civil discourse, can guide discussions of challenging topics. Topics that will be covered include the problem of self‐censorship and the challenges of teaching content that some might find controversial, such as Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. We’ll examine ways that educators can create spaces for students to courageously discuss the challenging ideas they encounter in a variety of texts (both historical and literary) while embodying the true spirit of liberty that the Founders envisioned.
This webinar will consist of three parts. The first part will be a 30‐minute discussion between Kobi Nelson and three exemplary Sphere alumni: Nancy Wickham, Shannon Edwards, and Megan Thompson. The second part will include a Q&A with participants, and the third part will dive into resources that teachers can use to facilitate healthy conversation habits that honor the principles of liberty, civil discourse, and viewpoint diversity. All who attend will leave with practical, tangible tools that can be applied in classrooms, and educators will be empowered to create democratic spaces that honor free speech in their classrooms and schools.
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For centuries, the greatest protection against unjust convictions and punishments was the institution of jury independence, including so-called “jury nullification.” The prosecutions of John Moore and Tanner Mansell illustrate a scenario in which jurors—apprised of their historic injustice-preventing powers—would have rendered a not guilty verdict. But because John and Tanner’s jurors, who appeared desperate for a way to acquit, weren’t informed of their historic prerogative to acquit against the evidence to prevent injustice, they had no option but to convict.
When the Cato Institute’s Project on Criminal Justice learned of John’s and Tanner’s plights, we took their case to the highest levels of government—ultimately resulting in presidential pardons for each of them. Please join us as we hear first-hand accounts, discuss what went wrong, explore how Cato got involved, and consider solutions to the pathology of unjust prosecutions and convictions.
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Winner of the Grand Prize for Documentary at the 2025 South by Southwest Film Festival, Shuffle is filmmaker Benjamin Flaherty’s powerful exposé of unintended consequences in American health policy. Through intimate portraits of people seeking recovery from opioid addiction, Flaherty reveals how federal mandates—particularly within the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid—have unintentionally enabled predatory rehab operators to turn human suffering into revenue streams. The federal mandates are likely even increasing and subsidizing suffering, rather than reducing it.
Join us for a screening of Shuffle in the Cato Institute’s F. A. Hayek Auditorium, followed by a discussion of what the film uncovers about the incentives that are shaping America’s addiction-treatment system and how policymakers, clinicians, and advocates can work toward more effective solutions.
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In the name of material progress, the West has sought to develop and frequently exploit the less-developed “rest.” William Easterly will draw from 400 years of history—ranging from the conquest of the Americas and the Atlantic slave trade to colonization in Asia and Africa and the invention of the Third World—to show how the West has justified different forms of intervention in the societies it has purportedly intended to improve. Easterly will explain why development based on consent, choice, and human agency is superior to an approach that neglects dignity, focuses narrowly on material improvements, and too often justifies various degrees of coercion. Deirdre McCloskey will comment on the fundamental role of freedom in development.
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As America’s debt climbs and the danger of a fiscal crisis grows, is it time to add a constitutional guardrail? In Fiscal Democracy in America, Kurt Couchman proposes a principles-based balanced budget amendment (BBA) to address the persistent deficits in Washington in a flexible and politically feasible manner. Marc Goldwein draws on his experience in fiscal commissions and provides a challenge to the BBA as a silver-bullet solution to America’s fiscal crisis.
How could a principles-based BBA work, and how would it handle entitlement programs, recessions, and crises? Why did previous attempts at a BBA fail, and what makes a principles-based BBA different? Is a BBA just a distraction from adopting specific policy reforms? And if an amendment were adopted, do other reforms need to occur to complement its implementation? Join us for a discussion with Kurt Couchman and Marc Goldwein, moderated by Romina Boccia.
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The school choice movement is often seen as a modern, partisan undermining of a cherished institution: public education. Fighting for the Freedom to Learn shows that the struggle for educational freedom is not new but an enduring part of US history. It is rooted in traditions of parents and communities shaping how children learn and perpetual struggles for people without political power to get the education they believe they need.
Join us to discuss this important new book!
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Since the 1930s, the federal government has used the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s (FDIC) deposit insurance to justify its increased involvement in banking. Now, in the name of supporting community banks, some policymakers have proposed raising the FDIC insurance cap from $250,000 to $10 million. They claim that in the wake of the bank failures of 2023, depositors fled from small banks and moved their money to “too big to fail” institutions that enjoy implicit government backing. Increasing the FDIC insurance cap, these policymakers argue, will encourage depositors to stay with community banks.
Yet for nearly a century, Congress and the FDIC have continued to expand and increase federal involvement in banking, creating a complex web of regulation, increasing costs for consumers, and burdening American taxpayers. Despite these changes being implemented in the name of safety, a select few institutions still clamor for special protection.
The proposed expansion will magnify all these problems, making the system more fragile and less resilient, and forcing millions of Americans to bear its cost. Sadly, this latest expansion would come at a time when an incredibly small share of depositors even need additional coverage.
Join leading policy experts for a discussion on why expanding FDIC insurance is not only unnecessary but could also ultimately harm both the economy and the community banks it was designed to protect.
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How does China’s economy affect US policy? US policymakers have responded to perceived dangers from China by using industrial policy, export controls, and attempting to reduce supply chain vulnerabilities. Some analysts have concluded that China is developing a sizable technological capacity that poses a challenge to the US economy, and potentially constrains US foreign policy. How much leverage has the Chinese economy purchased for policymakers in Beijing? What does the ceasefire in the US-China trade war tell us about the future of US-China competition? Finally, what do these questions about China’s economy tell us about the security threat China potentially poses?
Getting the answers to these questions right is essential for crafting an effective US grand strategy. This policy forum brings together two leading experts on Chinese political economy to discuss what China’s economy really looks like and what the implications are for US grand strategy.
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George White, CEO of The C.M. Paula Company—an Ohio-based holding company with businesses across several industries—recently joined Scott Lincicome to discuss the impact of the Trump administration’s tariffs on several of C.M. Paula’s affiliated companies. White discussed the intricacies of managing firms with a global network of suppliers, the costs the tariffs have imposed on the companies’ operations, and the adjustments that he and his teams have made to operate amid an uncertain business environment.
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Few people exerted as profound an influence on the postwar conservative movement and the “fusionist” project of attempting to align libertarians with traditional conservatives on issues of shared interest as William F. Buckley Jr. The founder and longtime editor of National Review, Buckley hosted the weekly PBS program Firing Line, wrote a syndicated column, and authored roughly 50 books. He also found time to run for mayor of New York City in 1965. He had no real intention of winning but rather hoped to influence the terms of the debate over how the city was governed.
Buckley commissioned Sam Tanenhaus to write his biography. The result is the comprehensive Buckley: The Life and the Revolution That Changed America. Please join us on Monday, November 17, a week before what would have been Buckley’s 100th birthday, for an online discussion of the book and a man who helped shape public discussion for more than five decades.
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How should we grapple with the legacies of complex historical figures? Join Sphere Education Initiatives and Civic Spirit for this unique virtual professional learning opportunity. The webinar will take a deep dive into building civil discourse around the Founders, who embody both profound achievements and troubling flaws. We’ll explore the challenges of avoiding oversimplification, whether by elevating figures to untouchable pedestals or by dismissing them as wholly illegitimate.
In discussion, we’ll consider the role of historical context in shaping our understanding: Does it help us balance empathy with accountability, or does it risk excusing harmful actions under the guise of “different times”? We’ll discuss strategies for teaching students to recognize human fallibility in ways that develop their critical thinking and compassion while still holding fast to their values.
The event will connect these questions to the present day, sharing resources and strategies to help educators engage their students. We’ll demonstrate how to establish an open discourse with students to explore how they perceive and judge contemporary leaders, debates around monuments and institutions, as well as other social, political, and economic challenges. All this will be done with an eye toward helping students search for a meaningful line between human imperfection and actions that demand condemnation.
The conversation will equip educators with tools to navigate the complexities of history and its enduring influence on our culture, values, and public memory.
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Are you wondering how to spark more joy and curiosity in your child’s learning—or how to make education work better for your students? In her new book, Joyful Learning, Kerry McDonald shares inspiring stories of families and educators who are reimagining education through microschools, pods, and other creative approaches. In this one-on-one conversation, McDonald will answer your questions and share practical ideas to bring more freedom and happiness to learning. Prepare to explore fresh possibilities for both parents and teachers.
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The prospect of a Chinese invasion and conquest of Taiwan is a major focus of US–China security competition. Apart from its political, economic, and moral consequences, some US experts argue that Chinese control of Taiwan would compromise the US military position in Asia, bolstering the case that the United States should commit its military to defend Taiwan’s autonomy. Jonathan Caverley and Evan Montgomery will discuss the stakes of the US commitment to Taiwan, whether preserving Taiwan’s autonomy justifies risking conflict with China, and the relationship between Taiwan and the broader military balance in the Indo-Pacific.
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Join us for the official launch of Reimagining Social Security: Global Lessons for Retirement Policy Changes by Romina Boccia and Ivane Nachkebia, a timely and urgent new book in which the authors rethink how America can safeguard retirement security for current and future generations. As the Social Security program nears a fiscal tipping point, the authors bring together expert insights, international case studies, and actionable policy solutions to show how the United States can reform its retirement system without burdening younger generations with unsustainable debt and taxes.
Now marking its 90th year, Social Security faces a critical moment: By 2033, the program’s trust fund depletion could trigger automatic benefit cuts of 23 percent unless Congress acts. Reimagining Social Security dives into the root causes of this crisis and explores how reforms adopted in countries including Canada, Germany, Sweden, and New Zealand can offer valuable guidance for the United States. Through original interviews and novel analysis, the authors present a compelling case for bold reforms that take a meaningful step toward fiscal sustainability while safeguarding a vital source of income for many retirees and protecting workers from undue tax burdens that reduce their choices and opportunities for a better life.
The event will feature presentations and panel discussions with leading experts in retirement and fiscal policy. Join us for a timely discussion on principled, evidence-based reforms to restore Social Security’s fiscal sustainability and to protect future generations from mounting debt and economic decline—before it’s too late.
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Join us for the official launch of Reimagining Social Security: Global Lessons for Retirement Policy Changes by Romina Boccia and Ivane Nachkebia, a timely and urgent new book in which the authors rethink how America can safeguard retirement security for current and future generations. As the Social Security program nears a fiscal tipping point, the authors bring together expert insights, international case studies, and actionable policy solutions to show how the United States can reform its retirement system without burdening younger generations with unsustainable debt and taxes.
Now marking its 90th year, Social Security faces a critical moment: By 2033, the program’s trust fund depletion could trigger automatic benefit cuts of 23 percent unless Congress acts. Reimagining Social Security dives into the root causes of this crisis and explores how reforms adopted in countries including Canada, Germany, Sweden, and New Zealand can offer valuable guidance for the United States. Through original interviews and novel analysis, the authors present a compelling case for bold reforms that take a meaningful step toward fiscal sustainability while safeguarding a vital source of income for many retirees and protecting workers from undue tax burdens that reduce their choices and opportunities for a better life.
The event will feature presentations and panel discussions with leading experts in retirement and fiscal policy. Join us for a timely discussion on principled, evidence-based reforms to restore Social Security’s fiscal sustainability and to protect future generations from mounting debt and economic decline—before it’s too late.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Join us for the official launch of Reimagining Social Security: Global Lessons for Retirement Policy Changes by Romina Boccia and Ivane Nachkebia, a timely and urgent new book in which the authors rethink how America can safeguard retirement security for current and future generations. As the Social Security program nears a fiscal tipping point, the authors bring together expert insights, international case studies, and actionable policy solutions to show how the United States can reform its retirement system without burdening younger generations with unsustainable debt and taxes.
Now marking its 90th year, Social Security faces a critical moment: By 2033, the program’s trust fund depletion could trigger automatic benefit cuts of 23 percent unless Congress acts. Reimagining Social Security dives into the root causes of this crisis and explores how reforms adopted in countries including Canada, Germany, Sweden, and New Zealand can offer valuable guidance for the United States. Through original interviews and novel analysis, the authors present a compelling case for bold reforms that take a meaningful step toward fiscal sustainability while safeguarding a vital source of income for many retirees and protecting workers from undue tax burdens that reduce their choices and opportunities for a better life.
The event will feature presentations and panel discussions with leading experts in retirement and fiscal policy. Join us for a timely discussion on principled, evidence-based reforms to restore Social Security’s fiscal sustainability and to protect future generations from mounting debt and economic decline—before it’s too late.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Join us for the official launch of Reimagining Social Security: Global Lessons for Retirement Policy Changes by Romina Boccia and Ivane Nachkebia, a timely and urgent new book in which the authors rethink how America can safeguard retirement security for current and future generations. As the Social Security program nears a fiscal tipping point, the authors bring together expert insights, international case studies, and actionable policy solutions to show how the United States can reform its retirement system without burdening younger generations with unsustainable debt and taxes.
Now marking its 90th year, Social Security faces a critical moment: By 2033, the program’s trust fund depletion could trigger automatic benefit cuts of 23 percent unless Congress acts. Reimagining Social Security dives into the root causes of this crisis and explores how reforms adopted in countries including Canada, Germany, Sweden, and New Zealand can offer valuable guidance for the United States. Through original interviews and novel analysis, the authors present a compelling case for bold reforms that take a meaningful step toward fiscal sustainability while safeguarding a vital source of income for many retirees and protecting workers from undue tax burdens that reduce their choices and opportunities for a better life.
The event will feature presentations and panel discussions with leading experts in retirement and fiscal policy. Join us for a timely discussion on principled, evidence-based reforms to restore Social Security’s fiscal sustainability and to protect future generations from mounting debt and economic decline—before it’s too late.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
It is often said that public schooling is the bedrock of democracy. It prepares children to be knowledgeable citizens, and some believe that it exemplifies democratic governance through its control by locally elected school boards. But what if such control is a bug, not a feature? What if it elevates the concerns of adults, many of whom do not even have children, over the children the schools are supposed to teach? And what if it turns education into a gladiatorial political arena rather than a peaceful realm for learning?
No Adult Left Behind sets aside the bromides, asks these tough questions, and reveals the dangerous flaws in democratically controlled education.
Join us to discuss!
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Please join us for a cocktail reception and conversation in NYC this fall. We are pleased to have New York Post columnist and author Rikki Schlott in conversation with Cato vice president for general economics and Stiefel Trade Policy Center Scott Lincicome as our featured speakers.
Rikki and Scott will examine New York City’s mayoral race as a microcosm of a troubling trend: Gen Z’s embrace of socialist policies that purportedly fix real economic problems many Americans are facing today. Using candidate Zohran Mamdani’s surprising victory as an example, they’ll explore how economic pressures and uncertainty are driving many voters toward progressive solutions like industrial policy and rent control, even though free market approaches, including zoning reform and deregulation, offer better, proven pathways to genuine, broad-based prosperity. Why are government-centered policies gaining traction when market-based solutions have historically delivered economic growth, lower prices, and higher living standards?
As we approach Cato’s 50th anniversary in 2027, our mission is clear: to keep liberty at the forefront of national debates and ensure a freer future for generations to come. To meet this challenge, in May, Cato publicly launched the Vision for Liberty Campaign—a bold initiative to expand our impact and accelerate the spread of the ideas that drive human flourishing. Cato president and CEO Peter Goettler will discuss Cato’s policy priorities, as well as how we are developing new audiences and scaling our educational programs.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Please join us for a cocktail reception and conversation in NYC this fall. We are pleased to have New York Post columnist and author Rikki Schlott in conversation with Cato vice president for general economics and Stiefel Trade Policy Center Scott Lincicome as our featured speakers.
Rikki and Scott will examine New York City’s mayoral race as a microcosm of a troubling trend: Gen Z’s embrace of socialist policies that purportedly fix real economic problems many Americans are facing today. Using candidate Zohran Mamdani’s surprising victory as an example, they’ll explore how economic pressures and uncertainty are driving many voters toward progressive solutions like industrial policy and rent control, even though free market approaches, including zoning reform and deregulation, offer better, proven pathways to genuine, broad-based prosperity. Why are government-centered policies gaining traction when market-based solutions have historically delivered economic growth, lower prices, and higher living standards?
As we approach Cato’s 50th anniversary in 2027, our mission is clear: to keep liberty at the forefront of national debates and ensure a freer future for generations to come. To meet this challenge, in May, Cato publicly launched the Vision for Liberty Campaign—a bold initiative to expand our impact and accelerate the spread of the ideas that drive human flourishing. Cato president and CEO Peter Goettler will discuss Cato’s policy priorities, as well as how we are developing new audiences and scaling our educational programs.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The United States continues to allocate substantial military and diplomatic resources to counter Chinese influence in the Middle East. However, Beijing has shown little interest in assuming a dominant security role in the region, raising doubts about the effectiveness of framing US engagement through the lens of great-power competition. As policymakers debate the United States’ global commitments, a critical assessment of the rationale, risks, and opportunity costs of current US policy in the Middle East is necessary.
This forum will bring together leading experts to examine China’s core regional interests, the risks of overstating China’s ability and desire to dominate the Middle East, and opportunities to better align US force posture with actual interests in the region.
Join us at the Cato Institute for a timely conversation on the future of US strategy in the Middle East.
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Online platforms have created unprecedented opportunities for individuals to share ideas and reach wider audiences. Supporters of these platforms point to how they have reduced barriers to participation, providing new and creative opportunities for discourse and connection. Critics, however, raise concerns that these platforms can allow the spread of misinformation, the amplification of offensive speech, or the power of private companies to shape which voices are heard and which are silenced. The internet has become a central arena in debates about the scope and limits of free expression.
The United States has long valued the First Amendment’s broad protections, but public support is waning. A 2024 Freedom Forum poll found that only 58 percent of Americans would ratify it today—down five points in four years. Critics argue that certain types of speech, while legal, can cause harm or suppress the voices of vulnerable groups. Free speech advocates warn that narrowing protections will risk government censorship and shrink the space for open debate.
This tension raises an important question: Are current interpretations of the First Amendment sufficient to safeguard free expression in the digital age? To mark Free Speech Week, we are hosting two prominent scholars to debate this issue.
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Sphere is excited to engage our educator community in discussion about the factors that contributed to the rise and fall of some of humanity’s greatest civilizations. Through a moderated discussion with author Johan Norberg, a Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute, we will explore seven of humanity’s greatest civilizations—ancient Athens, the Roman Republic, Abbasid Baghdad, Song China, Renaissance Italy, the Dutch Republic and the Anglosphere—featured in his new book, Peak Human. We will examine their contributions to societal progress during each of their golden ages and unpack valuable lessons we can learn from them.
Following moderated discussion, we will walk through how to support student exploration of these topics with Sphere content author and alumnus Sean Kinnard.
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Since its passage in 1970, the Bank Secrecy Act has fundamentally transformed the relationship between Americans and their financial institutions, creating an unprecedented surveillance apparatus that monitors virtually every financial transaction. What began as a tool to combat tax cheats has evolved into a comprehensive system of financial monitoring that affects everyone.
This timely discussion will explore how the Bank Secrecy Act has shaped modern banking, its implications for Fourth Amendment protections, and the urgent need for reform in an era of increasing digital surveillance. Our panel will examine the intersection of financial privacy, technological innovation, and constitutional rights, offering insights into how we can restore the balance between security and liberty.
Join us for a critical examination of the Bank Secrecy Act as it reaches its 55th anniversary—a milestone that calls for urgent reflection on the state of financial privacy in America.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Congress has spent $15 trillion through emergency designations since 1991, which is equivalent to half the entire publicly held debt of the United States. Emergency designations have enabled more than $12.5 trillion in spending since 1991—comparable to the entire amount spent on Medicaid and veterans’ programs combined—and added an estimated $2.5 trillion in associated interest costs.
Join the Cato Institute on Tuesday, October 7, at 2 p.m. EDT for an online discussion with other congressional staffers on how Congress can rein in similar fiscal abuses. We’ll highlight bills that are now before Congress that would curb emergency spending loopholes, and we’ll explore opportunities for lawmakers to lead or join promising reform efforts. A live Q&A will follow.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Free markets are a core principle of libertarianism, and data are a central element to furthering economic freedom.
Accurate data are essential to researchers of all philosophies—liberal, conservative, and libertarian—and all researchers must rely on objective facts as a baseline to inform policy and have legitimate debate in the marketplace of ideas.
For better or worse, the federal government is currently one of the main sources of economic data, and users must be able to rely on the objectivity of its data.
Given recent events, is there a legitimate reason to rethink how government data are compiled? What is the role of private institutions? Are there changes that could be implemented to better serve the researchers who utilize the data most? William Beach and Erica Groshen, former heads of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Norbert Michel, vice president and director of the Cato Institute’s Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives, will address these questions.
Please join us for this timely and important discussion, led by these influential thought leaders, about the data that inform the government’s policies.
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Artificial intelligence is evolving quickly, shaping conversations both in policy circles and in classrooms. On one hand, policy debates continue over regulation, ethics, and the role AI should play in society. On the classroom side, teachers are examining practical ways AI could enhance learning. This webinar offers educators a chance to learn about the current policy landscape alongside considering how AI may be used to support civil discourse in the classroom. Join Sphere on October 2nd from 7:30–9:00 pm Eastern via Zoom to explore this conversation further.
Sphere invites you to join this webinar designed to bring clarity and spark conversation. In the first part of the webinar, leading scholars, Jennifer Huddleston of the Cato Institute and Tatiana Rice of The Future of Privacy Forum, will unpack the current AI policy landscape and explore the opportunities and challenges it presents. In the second part, practicing Sphere alumni educators, Kimberly Hammers of Chesapeake Public Schools and Sasha Litzenberger of Mesa Public Schools, will share how they are experimenting with AI to foster civil discourse skills
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Trade between belligerents during wartime should not occur. After all, exchanged goods might help enemies secure the upper hand on the battlefield. Yet as history shows, states rarely choose either war or trade. In fact, they frequently engage in both at the same time.
To explain why states trade with their enemies, Mariya Grinberg examines the wartime commercial policies of major powers during several conflicts in her book Trade in War. Grinberg reveals that economic cooperation can thrive even in the most hostile of times and argues that economic ties between states may be insufficient to stave off war.
Join Grinberg and Henry Farrell, with Joshua Shifrinson as moderator, for a discussion on trade during wartime and what it means for statecraft.
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Join us for a special event and live recording of Conversations with Tyler to celebrate the launch of False Dawn: The New Deal and the Promise of Recovery, 1933–1947, the highly anticipated new book by economist George Selgin.
In this groundbreaking history, Selgin examines the United States’ long and difficult road to recovery from the Great Depression—and the real legacy of the New Deal. Drawing on contemporary sources and cutting-edge economic research, Selgin challenges the conventional narratives and offers a compelling reassessment of one of the most transformative periods in American economic history.
Was the New Deal a bold success or a costly detour? What truly ended the Great Depression—and what lessons can we draw for today? Don’t miss this opportunity to hear directly from the author as he discusses his insights and the implications for economic policy and historical understanding.
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Cato’s annual Constitution Day symposium marks the day in 1787 that the Constitutional Convention finished drafting the US Constitution. We celebrate that event each year with the release of the new issue of the Cato Supreme Court Review and with a day-long symposium featuring noted scholars discussing the recently concluded Supreme Court terms and the important upcoming cases.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Cato’s annual Constitution Day symposium marks the day in 1787 that the Constitutional Convention finished drafting the US Constitution. We celebrate that event each year with the release of the new issue of the Cato Supreme Court Review and with a day-long symposium featuring noted scholars discussing the recently concluded Supreme Court terms and the important upcoming cases.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Cato’s annual Constitution Day symposium marks the day in 1787 that the Constitutional Convention finished drafting the US Constitution. We celebrate that event each year with the release of the new issue of the Cato Supreme Court Review and with a day-long symposium featuring noted scholars discussing the recently concluded Supreme Court terms and the important upcoming cases.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Cato’s annual Constitution Day symposium marks the day in 1787 that the Constitutional Convention finished drafting the US Constitution. We celebrate that event each year with the release of the new issue of the Cato Supreme Court Review and with a day-long symposium featuring noted scholars discussing the recently concluded Supreme Court terms and the important upcoming cases.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Cato’s annual Constitution Day symposium marks the day in 1787 that the Constitutional Convention finished drafting the US Constitution. We celebrate that event each year with the release of the new issue of the Cato Supreme Court Review and with a day-long symposium featuring noted scholars discussing the recently concluded Supreme Court terms and the important upcoming cases.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Noncontiguous states and territories are disproportionally harmed by the Jones Act’s restrictions on shipping competition. Rooted in 18th-century protectionism, the law significantly increases the cost of water transportation for these shipping-dependent parts of the country when trading with each other and the US mainland. Beyond these economic costs, the Jones Act has also proven to be ineffective in meeting the country’s national security needs amidst a collapse in shipbuilding, a declining fleet, and a shortage of mariners. There is a growing and bipartisan recognition among policymakers that an overhaul of US maritime policy is sorely needed to meet the country’s economic and national security needs.
This policy forum will feature Representative Ed Case (D‑HI) and Representative James Moylan (R‑GU) alongwith the Cato Institute’s Colin Grabow to discuss the Jones Act’s broader economic costs, national security implications, and possible reforms.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Financial markets are some of the most heavily regulated markets in the United States. Firms and individuals that wish to engage in financial services–related businesses face complex regulatory regimes that are overseen by a web of agencies that includes, on the federal level, several banking regulators, two markets regulators, and a consumer protection regulator. But the regulation doesn’t end there, as a host of other agencies, including state-level regulators and self-regulatory organizations, may also have oversight responsibilities. As attention has turned to ideas of government efficiency, financial regulation should not be left out of the conversation. But how should we right-size financial regulation?
Our conference seeks to shed light on this question by asking: How many financial regulators is the right number? What should the balance be between federal and state financial regulation? Should the Federal Reserve shed its regulatory functions? Has federal intervention in housing finance gone too far?
Join us at Cato’s Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives annual conference for an outstanding program featuring leading policymakers and experts discussing how to right-size financial regulation.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Financial markets are some of the most heavily regulated markets in the United States. Firms and individuals that wish to engage in financial services–related businesses face complex regulatory regimes that are overseen by a web of agencies that includes, on the federal level, several banking regulators, two markets regulators, and a consumer protection regulator. But the regulation doesn’t end there, as a host of other agencies, including state-level regulators and self-regulatory organizations, may also have oversight responsibilities. As attention has turned to ideas of government efficiency, financial regulation should not be left out of the conversation. But how should we right-size financial regulation?
Our conference seeks to shed light on this question by asking: How many financial regulators is the right number? What should the balance be between federal and state financial regulation? Should the Federal Reserve shed its regulatory functions? Has federal intervention in housing finance gone too far?
Join us at Cato’s Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives annual conference for an outstanding program featuring leading policymakers and experts discussing how to right-size financial regulation.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Financial markets are some of the most heavily regulated markets in the United States. Firms and individuals that wish to engage in financial services–related businesses face complex regulatory regimes that are overseen by a web of agencies that includes, on the federal level, several banking regulators, two markets regulators, and a consumer protection regulator. But the regulation doesn’t end there, as a host of other agencies, including state-level regulators and self-regulatory organizations, may also have oversight responsibilities. As attention has turned to ideas of government efficiency, financial regulation should not be left out of the conversation. But how should we right-size financial regulation?
Our conference seeks to shed light on this question by asking: How many financial regulators is the right number? What should the balance be between federal and state financial regulation? Should the Federal Reserve shed its regulatory functions? Has federal intervention in housing finance gone too far?
Join us at Cato’s Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives annual conference for an outstanding program featuring leading policymakers and experts discussing how to right-size financial regulation.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Financial markets are some of the most heavily regulated markets in the United States. Firms and individuals that wish to engage in financial services–related businesses face complex regulatory regimes that are overseen by a web of agencies that includes, on the federal level, several banking regulators, two markets regulators, and a consumer protection regulator. But the regulation doesn’t end there, as a host of other agencies, including state-level regulators and self-regulatory organizations, may also have oversight responsibilities. As attention has turned to ideas of government efficiency, financial regulation should not be left out of the conversation. But how should we right-size financial regulation?
Our conference seeks to shed light on this question by asking: How many financial regulators is the right number? What should the balance be between federal and state financial regulation? Should the Federal Reserve shed its regulatory functions? Has federal intervention in housing finance gone too far?
Join us at Cato’s Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives annual conference for an outstanding program featuring leading policymakers and experts discussing how to right-size financial regulation.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Financial markets are some of the most heavily regulated markets in the United States. Firms and individuals that wish to engage in financial services–related businesses face complex regulatory regimes that are overseen by a web of agencies that includes, on the federal level, several banking regulators, two markets regulators, and a consumer protection regulator. But the regulation doesn’t end there, as a host of other agencies, including state-level regulators and self-regulatory organizations, may also have oversight responsibilities. As attention has turned to ideas of government efficiency, financial regulation should not be left out of the conversation. But how should we right-size financial regulation?
Our conference seeks to shed light on this question by asking: How many financial regulators is the right number? What should the balance be between federal and state financial regulation? Should the Federal Reserve shed its regulatory functions? Has federal intervention in housing finance gone too far?
Join us at Cato’s Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives annual conference for an outstanding program featuring leading policymakers and experts discussing how to right-size financial regulation.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Financial markets are some of the most heavily regulated markets in the United States. Firms and individuals that wish to engage in financial services–related businesses face complex regulatory regimes that are overseen by a web of agencies that includes, on the federal level, several banking regulators, two markets regulators, and a consumer protection regulator. But the regulation doesn’t end there, as a host of other agencies, including state-level regulators and self-regulatory organizations, may also have oversight responsibilities. As attention has turned to ideas of government efficiency, financial regulation should not be left out of the conversation. But how should we right-size financial regulation?
Our conference seeks to shed light on this question by asking: How many financial regulators is the right number? What should the balance be between federal and state financial regulation? Should the Federal Reserve shed its regulatory functions? Has federal intervention in housing finance gone too far?
Join us at Cato’s Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives annual conference for an outstanding program featuring leading policymakers and experts discussing how to right-size financial regulation.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Join Cato education scholars Neal McCluskey, Colleen Hroncich, and Andrew Gillen for an online panel discussion on the current state of American education as students return to classrooms nationwide. Moderated by USA Today’s Zachary Schermele, this timely conversation will examine critical education policy issues, including the expansion of school choice programs, the role and effectiveness of the Department of Education, and pressing challenges facing higher education institutions.
The panel will explore how empowering parents with educational freedom, reducing federal bureaucratic interference, and promoting market-based solutions can improve educational outcomes for students at all levels.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Our guest is Ildi Tillmann, a Hungary-born, New York–based photographer, author, and educator whose work spans art, documentary, narrative journalism, and commissioned photography, placing human stories in a global context. Tillmann will discuss the power of visual rhetoric to deliberate, convey ideas, and facilitate “multimodal” civil discourse.
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We know that the certainty of a punishment is the greatest deterrent for want to be criminals. Yet, there are neighborhoods across this country where the clearance rate for violent crimes is incredibly low—despite a large police presence. Cato’s Mike Fox and Reason’s Billy Binion will explain why that is and explore possible solutions.
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The dramatic outcome of the New York City mayoral primary, in which Zohran Mamdani outpaced former governor Andrew Cuomo and then clinched the win with second-choice votes from other candidates, has drawn attention to the city’s use of ranked-choice voting. Several other major cities also use ranked-choice voting, as do Maine and Alaska. What lessons does the New York City primary hold for this and other electoral reforms?
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Misinformation is a widespread and serious concern within our society today. Nearly every issue we face involves claims of misinformation, as well as disinformation and otherwise misleading content. But despite being frequently framed as an existential threat, misinformation remains hard to define and measure. This event will discuss what misinformation is, whether the concern around misinformation is legitimate or reflects a panic over new expressive technologies, and what technology companies and policymakers can do to help develop knowledge, protect expression, and make progress as a society.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Join us at the Cato Institute for a conversation on the complex and uncertain US tariff situation and the policies’ effects, especially for the American wine and spirits industries.
In Kentucky, bourbon has long been a source of local pride and economic growth, contributing $9 billion annually and supporting 23,000 jobs. Similarly, the Virginia wine industry has exploded over the past 30 years, today accounting for $1.73 billion in annual sales and more than 10,000 jobs. These industries now face economic headwinds because of US tariffs on key production inputs, foreign retaliation against their exports, and weakened distribution channels here and abroad.
The challenges faced by American wine and bourbon producers are emblematic of the issues American farmers and manufacturers in many other industries must now face.
This discussion will offer unique insights, examining the legal, economic, and political challenges that tariffs present as well as alternative paths forward.
There will be a tasting of a variety of domestic wines and bourbons immediately following the discussion.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Libertarians and conservatives often share values like individual liberty and limited government, but their approaches to key policy issues can differ sharply. From trade policy to immigration, these differences reveal deep philosophical divides. Despite frequent political alliances, the two ideologies are not interchangeable. Join us for a dynamic debate between interns from the Cato Institute and the Heritage Foundation as they explore which philosophy offers better solutions to today’s pressing public policy challenges. Don’t miss this opportunity to see how these competing worldviews stack up.
Highlights
Learn About Public Policy: Augment your knowledge about major policy issues, from trade and immigration to executive authority.
Delve into Political Philosophy: Gain a concise view on the alignment and distinctions between libertarianism and conservatism.
Explore How Ideas Shape Policy: Acquire insight into how ideas and philosophy intersect with policymaking.
Who Should Attend
- College students looking to learn about political philosophy
- Researchers exploring the distinct libertarian and conservative approach to public policy
- General audiences interested in public policy issues
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Article I, Section 8 of the US Constitution grants Congress the sole power to “lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises” and to regulate commerce with foreign countries. Today, however, Congress has broadly delegated its tariff powers to the executive branch via several laws that give the president vast, discretionary authority to impose sweeping trade restrictions with little, if any, input or oversight by the other branches of government, US trading partners, or the American public. Recent tariffs increasingly call such delegations into question.
Join us for a fireside chat with Rep. Suzan DelBene (D‑WA) and the Cato Institute’s Scott Lincicome on the implications of unchecked executive tariff powers and how Congress can reclaim its constitutionally mandated authority.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
A new wave of age-verification laws for app stores and internet services like social media have been proposed at both state and federal levels. These laws raise pressing constitutional concerns about privacy, free speech, and the proper role of government in regulating online behavior. The Supreme Court decided Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, a pivotal case challenging a requirement that users verify their age, such as by uploading government-issued identification, to access online adult content. While well-meaning adults may want to protect young people from certain harms both online and off, these proposals could also threaten to chill lawful speech, compromise privacy, and set dangerous precedents. Requiring age verification for online content could open the door to broader government controls over political speech and dissent. These burdens are felt not only by “Big Tech” but also by smaller companies that may be providing services for more specific communities. Furthermore, it’s unclear if these proposals will actually improve online safety. Are there alternative approaches that can balance the concerns of parents with the freedoms of users of all ages and the benefits of innovation? How should courts, policymakers, and parents weigh the potential trade-offs between the benefits and risks for kids and teens online? This event will explore the legal, technological, and ethical implications of age-verification laws.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode, Erec Smith speaks with Andrew Hartz, a practicing clinical psychologist and Founder, President, and Executive Director of the Open Therapy Institute. Hartz and Smith discuss the detrimental effect that identity politics have had on talk therapy and how the Open Therapy Institute works to remedy that effect.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
One of the hottest topics on the Hill is the future of the Department of Education and the current administration’s education priorities. As national conversations grow around school choice, federal overreach, and the role of states in shaping curricula and standards, many in Congress are reevaluating the federal government’s place in our educational system. Join us for a fireside chat with Senator Mike Rounds of South Dakota and the Cato Institute’s Director for the Center for Educational Freedom, Neal McCluskey, on Congress’ role in dissolving the Department of Education.
This conversation will explore efforts to return control of education to the states, empower local school districts, and ensure that parents and communities have a greater say in their children’s education. The speakers will examine policy frameworks behind dismantling the department, the feasibility of such a move, and what a post–Department of Education future might look like.
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The current administration has enacted the most active immigration policy in American history, issuing unprecedented executive orders, attempting to deport one million people a year, and imposing new restrictions on legal immigration. David J. Bier, director of immigration studies at the Cato Institute, and Stuart Anderson, executive director of the National Foundation for American Policy, will provide analysis of the current administration’s policies on deportation, the rule of law, legal immigration, and the role of Congress.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Join us for an afternoon dedicated to discussing barriers to capital formation and the solutions to break through them. Small businesses are central to the US economy. Not only are small businesses the primary generators of new jobs, but they are also the incubators of innovation and the pipeline for future large businesses. Small businesses rely on many different sources of financial support, but the capital markets play an important role in helping small businesses grow. Unfortunately, tapping the equity markets can be difficult, owing in part to the complex web of regulations and exemptions that stand between an entrepreneur and raising capital in a securities market. Small businesses face obstacles from the tiny start-up stage through the time that a company is considering accessing the public markets.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Join us for an afternoon dedicated to discussing barriers to capital formation and the solutions to break through them. Small businesses are central to the US economy. Not only are small businesses the primary generators of new jobs, but they are also the incubators of innovation and the pipeline for future large businesses. Small businesses rely on many different sources of financial support, but the capital markets play an important role in helping small businesses grow. Unfortunately, tapping the equity markets can be difficult, owing in part to the complex web of regulations and exemptions that stand between an entrepreneur and raising capital in a securities market. Small businesses face obstacles from the tiny start-up stage through the time that a company is considering accessing the public markets.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Join us at the Cato Institute for an in-depth fireside chat featuring Congressman Rich McCormick and Matt Mittelsteadt, Cato policy fellow in technology. This timely conversation will explore the evolving landscape of artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity policy, and the state of AI in Congress.
Join us for a discussion on the current state of AI governance at the federal and state levels, the proposal for a 10-year moratorium on state and local AI regulations (what it means, and what’s at stake), and the long-term vision for responsible, innovation-friendly AI policy in the United States.
Whether you’re a policymaker, tech professional, academic, or simply interested in the future of AI regulation, this is a must-attend conversation on how to balance innovation, security, and civil liberties in the age of artificial intelligence.
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From declining enrollments and skyrocketing tuition to the stifling of intellectual diversity, Richard Vedder’s Let Colleges Fail exposes how centralized control, administrative bloat, and ideological orthodoxy have corroded our college campuses. But rather than lament, Vedder’s book proposes market-oriented reforms that could revive academic freedom and restore genuine competition in the world of ideas.
Can higher education be saved from the grip of bureaucracy and groupthink? What policies might unleash its true potential? Don’t miss this urgent conversation between Cato research fellow Andrew Gillen and Vedder about tackling the rot and dysfunction plaguing American higher education.
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NATO member states will gather June 24–26 in the Netherlands for the 2025 NATO Summit. This comes as NATO member states’ disparate interests, competing priorities, and varying perspectives on the future of Ukraine threaten the cohesion of the alliance.
For both domestic and strategic reasons, US leaders from across the political spectrum seek a rebalanced alliance in which European states would take increasing responsibility for conventional deterrence on the continent. Yet while many European leaders pay homage to this idea, steps toward this objective remain halting. European officials reportedly want a cordial meeting to avoid any perceptions of disunity, while US leaders have continued to pressure allies to boost defense spending and take more responsibility for the defense of their continent.
Will the United States follow through with plans to withdraw troops from Germany and Eastern Europe? How will European members respond to the US demand that they spend 5 percent of their gross domestic product on defense?
Please join us for this briefing as we examine the primary themes of the 2025 NATO Summit and options for the United States to rebalance the transatlantic relationship.
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Proposals to regulate artificial intelligence (AI) at the state level continue to increase. Unfortunately, these proposals could potentially disrupt advances in this important technology, even if there is strong federal policy. This policy forum, which is related to an upcoming policy analysis on the topic, will explore the potential economic costs of state-level AI regulation as well as the potential barriers in the market it creates for both consumers and innovators. Are there ways state AI policy conversations may discourage or encourage the important policy conversations around AI innovation?
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In this episode of Competencies in Civil Discourse, Erec Smith speaks with attorney Kaitlin Puccio, Director at the UNESCO Chair in Bioethics and Human Rights. They discuss the ethical foundations of human dignity, bioethics in a pluralistic world, and how civil discourse can guide policy across cultural and ideological divides.
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In this episode of Competencies in Civil Discourse, I speak with Chris Bush and Joia Houheneka, the co-founders of 1776 Forward and hosts of the Free Speech Forward Podcast. 1776 Forward is a for-profit organization dedicated to sparking a cultural-political-philosophical revolution based on Philosophical Liberalism—an ideal that maximizes human freedom, flourishing, and greatness. They host the podcast "Free Speech Forward" in partnership with the Institute for Liberal Values and publish "The Philosophical Liberal" on Substack.
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One hundred years ago, the US Supreme Court famously wrote, “The child is not the mere creature of the State; those who nurture him and direct his destiny have the right, coupled with the high duty, to recognize and prepare him for additional obligations.” That ruling was Pierce v. Society of Sisters, which launched the parental rights movement that has become especially ascendant, but also controversial, since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In this special conference, we will first tackle the idea of parental rights broadly, including its application in everything from health care to public school transparency. In the second panel, we will focus on the movement perhaps most influenced by Pierce: school choice. We will conclude with a lunch and keynote speaker.
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One hundred years ago, the US Supreme Court famously wrote, “The child is not the mere creature of the State; those who nurture him and direct his destiny have the right, coupled with the high duty, to recognize and prepare him for additional obligations.” That ruling was Pierce v. Society of Sisters, which launched the parental rights movement that has become especially ascendant, but also controversial, since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In this special conference, we will first tackle the idea of parental rights broadly, including its application in everything from health care to public school transparency. In the second panel, we will focus on the movement perhaps most influenced by Pierce: school choice. We will conclude with a lunch and keynote speaker.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
One hundred years ago, the US Supreme Court famously wrote, “The child is not the mere creature of the State; those who nurture him and direct his destiny have the right, coupled with the high duty, to recognize and prepare him for additional obligations.” That ruling was Pierce v. Society of Sisters, which launched the parental rights movement that has become especially ascendant, but also controversial, since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In this special conference, we will first tackle the idea of parental rights broadly, including its application in everything from health care to public school transparency. In the second panel, we will focus on the movement perhaps most influenced by Pierce: school choice. We will conclude with a lunch and keynote speaker.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Can the president unilaterally impose tariffs under his emergency powers? In this webinar, legal scholars Ilya Somin, a professor at Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University who is co-counsel in the pending tariffs case VOS Selections v. Trump, and Walter Olson explore the constitutional and statutory limits of presidential authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and other statutes. They’ll discuss President Trump’s recent efforts to justify sweeping trade measures under IEEPA, examine the historical role of Congress in setting tariffs, and consider broader stakes for the separation of powers. Whether you’re a lawyer, policymaker, or interested observer, this conversation will shed light on one of the most important trade and constitutional questions of our time.
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US Secretary of Education Linda McMahon has been given an unusual mandate: to end the department she has been tasked with overseeing. As out of the ordinary as that might be, it is the right mission, because the Constitution gives the federal government no authority to govern in education, and the department’s practical track record has been terrible.
Join us for a very special fireside chat—shortly after the department celebrated its 45th birthday, on May 4th—where we will discuss why the department needs to go, how that can be done, the steps taken so far, and what American education would look like without a federal Department of Education.
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School and district leaders are uniquely positioned to implement interdisciplinary civil discourse as schoolwide practices that empower educators and allow for each student’s voice to be heard. By doing so, leaders build positive school cultures where students and staff bridge diverse viewpoints and have space for discussion, understanding, and reflection.
In this webinar, you will hear from a panel of current educational leaders on how they build and foster civil discourse practices. They will discuss supporting educators and students and addressing concerns and challenges. Learn tips for supporting educators and planning the next steps for your community.
You’ll also learn about Sphere’s new Leadership Toolkit for Civil Discourse, a collection of free resources designed to support you in getting started, planning action steps, setting goals, and more to foster civil discourse and empower educators. Our suite of new resources is designed for administrators, instructional coaches, department chairs, and other leaders to foster civil discourse at the school or district level.
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Tech policy has created more opportunities for entrepreneurship than just Silicon Valley startups. The availability of online platforms has empowered a new wave of entrepreneurs who might never reach household fame but who are contributing both to their own households and the greater economy. Jennifer Huddleston, a senior fellow in tech policy, speaks with two content creators about how these platforms and tech policy have impacted their businesses and changed their lives.
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In this episode of Competencies in Civil Discourse, Erec Smith welcomes William Deresiewicz to explore the mission of the Matthew Strother Center for the Examined Life. Together, they unpack the role of intellectual courage, liberal education, and moral seriousness in reviving thoughtful dialogue in an age of ideological conformity.
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Populist narratives are gaining traction across the political spectrum, claiming that free markets have failed the American middle class. Critics argue that trade, immigration, and technological change have hollowed out manufacturing jobs and created an economy that no longer works for most Americans.
In Crushing Capitalism: How Populist Policies Are Threatening the American Dream, economist Norbert J. Michel challenges this bleak interpretation. Drawing on historical data and contemporary analysis, Michel argues that the American Dream is not dead—but that it is being threatened by a growing push toward industrial policy, economic restrictions, and government intervention.
Americans today enjoy unprecedented levels of prosperity, upward mobility, and opportunity. Rather than retreat from free-market principles, Michel makes the case for preserving the institutions and economic freedoms that have long fueled American success.
Join us for a thought-provoking conversation with the author, and the Washington Post’s Megan McArdle, as we explore the myths shaping today’s economic debates, the real story behind the rise of American prosperity, and the risks of moving away from market-driven solutions.
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The United States and Iran are on a collision course. Iran is closer to developing a nuclear weapon than at any point in the country’s history. Mixed messages from Washington and Tehran—coupled with rising pressure from hardliners on both sides—are complicating negotiations. Meanwhile, several flashpoints across the Middle East could set off a conflict. The prospects of American or Israeli military action against Tehran are growing, and the window for diplomacy is closing.
Though serious distrust remains between Washington and Tehran and tensions are high, a deal is possible. How the Trump administration chooses to proceed will have far-reaching ramifications.
Join us for a conversation with leading experts who will examine Trump’s options vis-à-vis Iran and the associated costs and benefits for each plan of action.
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When Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), it was told the new energy tax credits would cost about $270 billion over a decade. Revised official estimates put the cost at multiple times that amount. But congressional scorekeepers may still be getting the long-term cost of the IRA energy subsidies wrong. Recent Cato research quantifies the IRA’s fiscal time bomb, showing how its unchecked expansion of government spending with no clear end date could cost almost $5 trillion by 2050.
Join us for lunch and learn how the IRA’s calamitous environmental and fiscal effects present a rare opportunity for Congress to use these partisan subsidies to fund permanent, pro-growth tax reform in the upcoming reconciliation package.
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Sphere is excited to introduce a new suite of interdisciplinary globalization resources to spark discussion with students about the impacts of globalization on society and progress. Globalization has been evolving and connecting societies for centuries, but it has faced renewed attention, particularly in relation to trade and tariff policies. Through moderated discussion with Scott Lincicome, vice president of general economics and the Cato Institute’s Herbert A. Stiefel Center for Trade Policy Studies, we will explore what globalization is, what is produced, what alternatives there are, and perspectives on how individuals view global integration in the future.
Following our discussion, we will examine strategies for integrating economic concepts in your class to help students analyze and evaluate the underpinnings of decisions impacting policies around topics that influence current and future global integration. We will demonstrate how you can help students visualize globalization through integrative projects in a lesson suite based on a simulated world and with standalone explainer lessons helping students understand economic concepts such as comparative advantage. Through tools, lessons, and multimedia resources, we are excited to help you bring topics explored in this webinar to your classroom.
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Join us for a compelling conversation with Alex Nowrasteh, Cato’s Vice President of Economic and Social Policy Studies, and Clark Neily, Senior Vice President for Legal Studies, as they discuss the alarming rise in deportations without due process and the erosion of due process protections across the United States. They’ll explore the sweeping actions of the Trump administration—what’s really happening, why it matters, and how it reflects a dangerous expansion of executive power.
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Polarization threatens American democracy, deeply pervading politics, schools, and everyday life. What sits at the root of this trend and how might we turn the tide? Philosopher Robert Talisse offers a compelling examination of these issues and offers a provocative solution—civic solitude. Join the Cato Institute and Sphere Education Initiatives on April 17th at 11 am EST, in person or online, for a discussion of Talisse’s new book, Civic Solitude: Why Democracy Needs Distance.
About Civic Solitude
An internet search of the phrase “this is what democracy looks like” returns thousands of images of people assembled in public for the purpose of collective action. But is group collaboration truly the defining feature of effective democracy? Robert B. Talisse suggests that while group action is essential to democracy, action without reflection can present insidious challenges, as individuals’ perspectives can be distorted by group dynamics.
The culprit is a cognitive dynamic called belief polarization. As we interact with our political allies, we are exposed to forces that render us more radical in our beliefs and increasingly hostile to those who do not share them. What’s more, the social environments we inhabit in our day-to-day lives are sorted along partisan lines. We are surrounded by triggers of political extremity and animosity. Thus, our ordinary activities encourage the attitude that democracy is possible only when everyone agrees–a profoundly antidemocratic stance.
Drawing on extensive research about polarization and partisanship, Talisse argues that certain core democratic capacities can be cultivated only at a distance from the political fray. If we are to meet the responsibilities of democratic citizenship, we must occasionally step away from our allies and opponents alike. We can perform this self-work only in secluded settings where we can engage in civic reflection that is not prepackaged in the idiom of our political divides, allowing us to contemplate political circumstances that are not our own.
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As government regulations increasingly encroach upon personal health care choices, patients face growing limitations on their ability to make their own decisions. In Your Body, Your Health Care, Dr. Jeffrey A. Singer validates these frustrations while presenting a bold philosophical framework for reforming the relationship between individuals, the health care system, and the state.
Through thoughtful analysis of issues like prescription requirements, self-medication rights, harm-reduction access, and licensing laws, Dr. Singer outlines a path toward health care policy that prioritizes individual rights and adult autonomy.
Please join us in discussing the book and its transformative implications with the author.
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With less than 5 percent of the world’s population and almost a quarter of its prisoners, the United States indisputably has a mass incarceration problem. The Constitution contains numerous safeguards that check the state’s power to lock people up. Yet since the 1960s, the Supreme Court has repeatedly disregarded these limits, bowing instead to unfounded claims that adherence to the Constitution is incompatible with public safety.
In Justice Abandoned, Rachel Barkow highlights six Supreme Court decisions that paved the way for mass incarceration. If the Court were committed to protecting constitutional rights and followed its standard methods of interpretation, none of these cases would have been decided as they were, and punishment in America would look very different than it does today.
Barkow shows that sound public policy, fundamental fairness, and the originalist methodology embraced by a majority of sitting justices demands overturning the unconstitutional policies underlying mass incarceration.
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The September 6, 1901, assassination of President William McKinley by self-professed anarchist Leon Czolgosz triggered a nationwide political backlash against the killer’s like-minded political adherents. It also served as the catalyst for the expansion of nascent federal government surveillance capabilities used against not only anarchists but socialists and members of other social or political movements that were challenging the prevailing political, economic, and social paradigms of the day. And it was the ensuing, decades-long persistent exaggerations of domestic political threats from those movements that drove an exponential increase in the frequency and scale of unlawful government surveillance and related political repression against hundreds of thousands of individual Americans and civil society organizations.
The Triumph of Fear is a history of the rise and expansion of surveillance-enabled political repression in America from the late 1890s to early 1961. Drawing on declassified government documents (many obtained via dozens of Freedom of Information Act requests and lawsuits) and other primary sources, Cato Institute senior fellow Patrick Eddington offers historians, legal scholars, political leaders, and general readers surprising new revelations about the scope of government surveillance programs and how this domestic spying helped fuel federal assaults on free speech and association that continue to this day. Join us for a conversation about the book with Eddington led by Caleb Brown, Cato’s director of multimedia.
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We tend to think of public education as a ladder of opportunity—a system that ensures that no matter a child’s economic circumstances, they will get the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in life. But what if that’s wrong? Indeed, what if the goal is actually the opposite: to keep people docilely in their place, no matter how bad their situation?
This is what Raised to Obey, grounded in deep, original research on the timing and targeting of mass education, contends. Public education was very often created not to give children what they needed to do or be whatever they wanted but to keep people in their place.
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Competencies in Civil Discourse, a series on the effectiveness of civil discourse and the skills it requires, will feature an interview with Ian Rowe, Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and cofounder of Vertex Partnership Academies in the Bronx. His schools emphasize empowering youth to develop and exercise their agency in American society. Rowe explores these ideas in his book, Agency: The Four-Point Plan (F.R.E.E.) for All Children to Overcome the Victimhood Narrative and Discover Their Pathway to Power. In this discussion, we’ll focus on how rhetorical skill is essential to fostering agency in a free and civil society.
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Celebrate Women’s History Month with Sphere Education Initiatives! In this webinar, we will explore the intersection of economics and women’s empowerment, examining how it influences women’s mobility and their role in society. Scholars will highlight how removing barriers to economic participation is not only empowering for women but good for overall human progress. We will examine factors of societies and governments that contribute to uplifting women economically, discuss the influence of the past on the present, and explore where we go from here. You will hear from scholars and Sphere’s content development team on how to integrate economic discussions across disciplines and incorporate narratives from our Human Progress suite of resources into your curriculum, fostering enriching conversations on the intersection of society, economics, policy, and women’s empowerment.
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Somewhere between the tendency to see everything through the lens of race and racial oppression and the tendency to dismiss those dynamics altogether lies the truth in any given setting, including criminal justice.
That there are police officers in this country who hold racist views is a problem the FBI has acknowledged in its own intelligence reports and information-sharing guidance to its agents. But how pervasive are racist views among police at the federal, state, and local levels? To what extent is there empirical evidence that racism among police leads to greater harassment, arrests, or violence against racial, ethnic, or religious minorities? Though the term “white supremacy” may be overused today, even as a synonym for racism, it should not desensitize us to the existence and true nature of white supremacist and neo-Nazi groups nor stop us from asking to what extent such elements have been able to find employment within law enforcement.
In Policing White Supremacy: The Enemy Within, FBI veteran Mike German tackles these and other questions. German spent 16 years with the bureau and conducted extensive and very dangerous undercover work targeting white supremacist and neo-Nazi groups. Join us on March 26 at 1 p.m. EDT as Cato senior fellow Patrick Eddington and Cato legal fellow Mike Fox question German about his new book and his own experiences as an FBI undercover agent who infiltrated violent right-wing groups.
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Jimmy Lai became China’s most prominent political prisoner when he was arrested and convicted on trumped-up charges after Hong Kong imposed its draconian security law in mid-2020. Mark Clifford will tell Lai’s story of escaping China to Hong Kong as a boy, becoming a successful entrepreneur in the fashion industry, and founding and running the wildly popular Apple Daily newspaper and Nextmagazine to criticize China’s Communist Party and advocate for democracy in Hong Kong. The author will discuss why Lai became a stalwart champion of Hong Kong’s freedoms. Jimmy Lai’s son, Sebastien, and Mark Simon will discuss the importance of Lai’s activism, the state of his current national security trial, and any prospects for Lai’s own freedom.
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In recent years, calls to limit, regulate, or ban social media platforms have escalated from all corners of the political spectrum. These concerns have been as varied as national security, foreign ownership, and the danger of disinformation in a divided democracy. Yet perhaps the most cross‐partisan concern has come from increasing evidence of social media’s detrimental impact on youth mental health. Join Sphere Education Initiatives on March 10 from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. for a timely webinar on social media and youth mental health featuring Jennifer Huddleston, senior fellow in technology policy at the Cato Institute, and Clare Morrell, fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center.
Offered during Civic Learning Week, which runs March 10–14 this year, this webinar seeks to highlight “the civic knowledge, skills, and dispositions that provide the foundation for an informed and engaged populace.” For more information about Civic Learning Week, visit civiclearningweek.org.
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In conventional political debate—particularly in Washington, DC—“law” is understood as top-down legislation: rules consciously designed and imposed by central authorities. John Hasnas challenges this unspoken assumption, pointing to the Anglo-American common law, a decentralized, continually evolving system that produces order without conscious design or political control. In his important new book, Common Law Liberalism: A New Theory of the Libertarian Society, he offers a theory of liberalism that demonstrates that the common law can serve as an effective alternative to traditional politically created legislation. Hasnas’s thesis has implications ranging from modest (many government functions can be better supplied by the common law than by centralized legislation) to radical (if human beings do not need the state to make law, do they need the state at all?).
Please join us for a discussion of this provocative new book featuring the author and Professor David Schmidtz, director of the Social Philosophy and Policy Center at West Virginia University, moderated by Cato’s Gene Healy.
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Argentine President Javier Milei came to power nearly a year ago on the campaign promise to abolish the central bank and dollarize his country’s economy. As part of his ambitious reform agenda, the government has eliminated fiscal deficits and significantly reduced public spending and inflation. Milei remains committed to dollarization but has not yet implemented that reform. Given the progress in stabilizing the economy, Emilio Ocampo, Alfredo Romano, and Nicolas Cachanosky will discuss why Argentina should not wait to replace the peso with the dollar. Drawing from regional experiences and Argentina’s own history, they will explain how carrying out such monetary reform sooner rather than later—along with lifting capital controls and freeing the exchange rate—would boost confidence in the Argentine economy and produce tangible economic and political benefits.
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From the founding of the republic through the early 1930s, Congress set tariff rates through legislative revisions to the US tariff schedule. Low tariffs were initially imposed to raise revenue for the federal government, but tariffs became a tool to protect domestic producers from foreign competition. Today, Congress has broadly delegated its constitutional tariff powers to the president, and there is a real risk that the legislative and judicial branches would be unwilling or unable to check a future president’s abuse of US trade law as currently written.
In a recent briefing paper titled “Presidential Tariff Powers and the Need for Reform,” Cato scholars examine the current laws that might allow the president to impose broad tariffs without congressional input, as well as the reform options available to Congress for restoring balance between the legislative and executive branches.
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Higher education is at a crossroads. American universities are facing important questions about accountability and viability, including concerns about ideological influences, rising administrative costs, shifting academic expectations, and the growing challenge of student loan debt. But what are the underlying causes of these challenges, and how can we address them?
Join us for a thoughtful discussion with The Honorable Representative Burgess Owens, chairman of the Higher Education and Workforce Development Subcommittee, alongside Cato experts Erec Smith, PhD, and Andrew Gillen, PhD as they examine the challenges facing academia today and explore practical solutions for the future.
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Occupational licensing boards today act like protectors of cartels, often going beyond merely issuing licenses to launching witch hunts and boxing out their competitors. February 2025 marks the 10-year anniversary of the US Supreme Court decision in North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners v. FTC. In that case, that state’s dental licensing board was ruled to be acting like a monopolist (using the power given to it by the state government) by trying to drive non-dentist teeth whiteners out of business. This policy forum will discuss the policy landscape that resulted from that decision and what it should mean for liberty-minded policymakers and litigators in the future.
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In a Q&A, Brandon Garrett and Vikrant Reddy will discuss the new threats that due process faces and how we can respond by better safeguarding fundamental liberty and property rights. They will discuss why people are tempted to place outcomes before fairness—in society and in the courts. They will explore how new technology, including artificial intelligence, has created new threats to fairness and rights. And they will discuss how people, from judges to local community leaders, can find common ground around defending due process.
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Religion plays a prominent role in the domestic and foreign policies of Middle Eastern states, particularly in the Persian Gulf. But the ways in which religion, specifically Islam, is used as a tool of statecraft are often misunderstood, leading to mischaracterizations and counterproductive policies.
In his new book, Jon Hoffman examines how Islam is marshaled as a tool of statecraft in the Middle East. The book offers new insight into the geopolitics of religion in the Middle East and how ruling elites in the region use Islam to protect and advance what are inherently political objectives—namely, regime preservation and power projection. Understanding the political incentives behind the manipulation of religion in the region is critical to debates surrounding Islam, democracy, and authoritarianism in the Middle East. The book also raises critical questions for US policy in the Middle East, which often relies on fundamental misunderstandings of Islam and its relationship with politics in the region.
Join Hoffman for a discussion on Islam and Statecraft, followed by commentary by Mustafa Akyol, Peter Mandaville, and Annelle Sheline on the politics of Islam in the Middle East.
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In this lively new history, Brian Doherty provides a concise, thorough account of the intellectual roots of the American libertarian movement, with helpful summaries of key figures, institutions, and events. Modern Libertarianism effortlessly combines historical insights and intellectual profiles of important figures—including Ludwig von Mises, F. A. Hayek, Ayn Rand, Murray Rothbard, Milton Friedman, and Barry Goldwater—and key institutions such as the Foundation of Economic Education and the Mont Pelerin Society.
A superb introduction for the newcomer, yet rich and varied enough for those steeped in the libertarian tradition, Modern Libertarianism is a tribute to those who advocated for the cause of political liberty in America in the 20th century.
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In an era when constructive dialogue often takes a back seat to polarized debate, educators like you face unique challenges in teaching effective communication. Recognizing this, Sphere Education Initiatives presents a webinar exploring how you can use rhetoric as a powerful tool for student empowerment and authentic engagement in your educational setting. In the first segment of the webinar, featured speaker Erec Smith, PhD, will share insights on transforming traditional approaches to teaching rhetoric, emphasizing how it can empower all students’ abilities to achieve their goals, even those considered most vulnerable. The second segment will introduce a comprehensive rhetoric unit for teaching the rhetorical skills of speaking, listening, and fair‐minded critical thinking in your classroom. Following this segment, you will have the opportunity to explore practical applications of these concepts through a Q&A with Smith and Kobi Nelson, PhD. You will leave with concrete tools for implementing rhetorical techniques and fair‐minded critical thinking strategies that promote civil discourse in your classroom.
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A flood of government regulations, mandates, and subsidies has not solved the United States’ health care problems—they are the problem. They have driven the average employer-plan family premium to nearly $26,000—and then tossed families out of their health insurance when employees leave their jobs. Even as Obamacare creates an insurance shortage, it has nevertheless grown so unaffordable that enrollees earning $200,000 per year get $12,000 in subsidies. Growing federal debt threatens Medicare and Medicaid patients’ access to necessary care.
Reforms circulating on Capitol Hill are not up to the challenge. Some propose more regulations, mandates, and subsidies. Yet if that approach worked, it would have already. Even reforms that are directionally correct fall far short of what is necessary to restore individual rights and make health care more universal.
At this two-panel forum, leading health policy scholars will offer meaningful and potentially bipartisan reforms that would bring relief to struggling patients, workers, and taxpayers.
The second panel, “Health Reforms That Meet the Need” (10:45 a.m.–12:15 p.m.), will feature Brian Blase, Michael Cannon, and David Hyman. Panelists will present reforms—including spending cuts—that would address the nation’s health care challenges in a meaningful way.
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A flood of government regulations, mandates, and subsidies has not solved the United States’ health care problems—they are the problem. They have driven the average employer-plan family premium to nearly $26,000—and then tossed families out of their health insurance when employees leave their jobs. Even as Obamacare creates an insurance shortage, it has nevertheless grown so unaffordable that enrollees earning $200,000 per year get $12,000 in subsidies. Growing federal debt threatens Medicare and Medicaid patients’ access to necessary care.
Reforms circulating on Capitol Hill are not up to the challenge. Some propose more regulations, mandates, and subsidies. Yet if that approach worked, it would have already.
Even reforms that are directionally correct fall far short of what is necessary to restore individual rights and make health care more universal.
At this two-panel forum, leading health policy scholars will offer meaningful and potentially bipartisan reforms that would bring relief to struggling patients, workers, and taxpayers.
The first panel, “Who’s Afraid of Cutting Health Spending?” (9:00 a.m.–10:30 a.m.), will feature Michael Cannon, Robin Hanson, and Mark Miller. Panelists will discuss the many opportunities to eliminate excessive spending—opportunities that close observers of Medicare and Medicaid know about but the public does not.
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Erec Smith continues his series, Competencies in Civil Discourse, examining how people engage with one another and why they often shy away from discussions with those who hold opposing views. This edition explores the role of comedy as a valuable tool in civil discourse. Smith sits down with filmmaker Rob Feld, director of Jesters and Fools, a film that highlights the use of comedy during polarized times.
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The Cato Institute continues its series of insightful conversations with reporters and scholars tackling today’s most pressing issues. As part of his campaign promises, President Trump vowed to “unleash American energy.” This conversation with Evan Halper, a business reporter for the Washington Post; Travis Fisher, Cato’s director of energy and environmental policy studies; and Joshua Loucks, a Cato research associate in tax and energy policy, will examine energy policies under the new administration and the impact they will have on Americans.
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The horrific terrorist attacks by Hamas on October 7, 2023, and the catastrophic war in Gaza once again put the Israeli‐Palestinian conflict on the global agenda. Educators across America ask:
- How do we help our students understand complex contemporary religious differences and conflicts?
- Is living in peace and harmony attainable?
Scholars Mustafa Akyol and Ari Gordon will address these challenging questions with insights from their religious traditions, Islam and Judaism, respectively, explore the nuanced and intertwined relationships among world religions, and share how discovering truths of the past can offer pathways for critical dialogue toward peace and understanding.
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Could GLP-1s become the next frontier in harm reduction? Clinical researchers have discovered that GLP‑1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy not only aid with diabetes and weight loss but may also reduce cravings and enhance satiation for alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, opioids, and possibly other addictive drugs like cocaine and methamphetamine. These exciting developments mean GLP-1s may soon become a new harm-reduction tool and possibly transform the treatment of substance use disorders. Our expert panel will explore the latest findings, their transformative implications for addiction treatment, and policies to improve affordability and access for those who need them.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The privacy Americans should enjoy over their financial information has been in steady decline for more than 50 years. Regulatory frameworks, such as the Bank Secrecy Act and the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Consolidated Audit Trail, grant government access to Americans’ financial transactions. As financial services have become increasingly digitized, the volume of financial records to which the government has easy—and often unfettered—access has grown exponentially. And proposals for a central bank digital currency, which involve the government becoming more intimately involved in Americans’ use of money, have the potential to further erode the ability to transact without government surveillance.
As policymakers are confronted with questions about evolving technologies, the question of financial privacy must not be shunted to the side. It is time to rethink financial privacy. Does financial convenience have to come at the cost of financial privacy? Does the Constitution provide the protections needed to limit government access to financial information? Can decentralization provide privacy-protecting solutions? Join us for an outstanding program featuring leading policymakers and experts discussing financial privacy at Cato’s Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives annual conference.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The privacy Americans should enjoy over their financial information has been in steady decline for more than 50 years. Regulatory frameworks, such as the Bank Secrecy Act and the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Consolidated Audit Trail, grant government access to Americans’ financial transactions. As financial services have become increasingly digitized, the volume of financial records to which the government has easy—and often unfettered—access has grown exponentially. And proposals for a central bank digital currency, which involve the government becoming more intimately involved in Americans’ use of money, have the potential to further erode the ability to transact without government surveillance.
As policymakers are confronted with questions about evolving technologies, the question of financial privacy must not be shunted to the side. It is time to rethink financial privacy. Does financial convenience have to come at the cost of financial privacy? Does the Constitution provide the protections needed to limit government access to financial information? Can decentralization provide privacy-protecting solutions? Join us for an outstanding program featuring leading policymakers and experts discussing financial privacy at Cato’s Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives annual conference.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Cato Institute continues its series of insightful conversations with reporters and scholars tackling today’s most pressing issues. This edition brings together Robert Delaney, the North American bureau chief for the South China Morning Post, and Cato Institute experts Eric Gomez and Clark Packard for a timely discussion on US-China relations, including the following:
- What signals is Donald Trump sending about his approach to China, and how should we interpret them?
- How does Trump’s current rhetoric compare to his first term and the Biden administration’s policies?
- What lies ahead for one of the most complex and consequential bilateral relationships in the world?
Don’t miss this opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the shifts, continuities, and implications of US-China policy from some of the field’s leading voices.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The privacy Americans should enjoy over their financial information has been in steady decline for more than 50 years. Regulatory frameworks, such as the Bank Secrecy Act and the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Consolidated Audit Trail, grant government access to Americans’ financial transactions. As financial services have become increasingly digitized, the volume of financial records to which the government has easy—and often unfettered—access has grown exponentially. And proposals for a central bank digital currency, which involve the government becoming more intimately involved in Americans’ use of money, have the potential to further erode the ability to transact without government surveillance.
As policymakers are confronted with questions about evolving technologies, the question of financial privacy must not be shunted to the side. It is time to rethink financial privacy. Does financial convenience have to come at the cost of financial privacy? Does the Constitution provide the protections needed to limit government access to financial information? Can decentralization provide privacy-protecting solutions? Join us for an outstanding program featuring leading policymakers and experts discussing financial privacy at Cato’s Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives annual conference.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The privacy Americans should enjoy over their financial information has been in steady decline for more than 50 years. Regulatory frameworks, such as the Bank Secrecy Act and the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Consolidated Audit Trail, grant government access to Americans’ financial transactions. As financial services have become increasingly digitized, the volume of financial records to which the government has easy—and often unfettered—access has grown exponentially. And proposals for a central bank digital currency, which involve the government becoming more intimately involved in Americans’ use of money, have the potential to further erode the ability to transact without government surveillance.
As policymakers are confronted with questions about evolving technologies, the question of financial privacy must not be shunted to the side. It is time to rethink financial privacy. Does financial convenience have to come at the cost of financial privacy? Does the Constitution provide the protections needed to limit government access to financial information? Can decentralization provide privacy-protecting solutions? Join us for an outstanding program featuring leading policymakers and experts discussing financial privacy at Cato’s Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives annual conference.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The privacy Americans should enjoy over their financial information has been in steady decline for more than 50 years. Regulatory frameworks, such as the Bank Secrecy Act and the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Consolidated Audit Trail, grant government access to Americans’ financial transactions. As financial services have become increasingly digitized, the volume of financial records to which the government has easy—and often unfettered—access has grown exponentially. And proposals for a central bank digital currency, which involve the government becoming more intimately involved in Americans’ use of money, have the potential to further erode the ability to transact without government surveillance.
As policymakers are confronted with questions about evolving technologies, the question of financial privacy must not be shunted to the side. It is time to rethink financial privacy. Does financial convenience have to come at the cost of financial privacy? Does the Constitution provide the protections needed to limit government access to financial information? Can decentralization provide privacy-protecting solutions? Join us for an outstanding program featuring leading policymakers and experts discussing financial privacy at Cato’s Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives annual conference.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
America’s financial system is inseparable from America’s enormous growth, productivity, and prosperity. And while it’s become popular to lay a host of ills at the feet of financial markets, many people would likely be shocked to learn just how many financial market deficiencies have been caused by harmful government policies. In their new book Financing Opportunity, authors and Cato scholars Norbert Michel and Jennifer Schulp bust popular myths about financial markets and propose ways to improve how our financial markets function.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Modern presidents have an extraordinary amount of power that they primarily wield through issuing executive orders and other directives with the force of law. Successive Congresses have gradually delegated much of their power to the president or stood idly by as presidents have usurped more power that is legislative in nature and effect. The president’s power is now so massive that that alone justifies focusing on the office’s means of exercising it. In response to this lamentable trend, the Cato Institute published the Cato Handbook on Executive Orders and Presidential Directives to recommend revoking or amending several executive orders, proclamations, and other directives to move public policy in a more libertarian direction.
In the handbook, Cato scholars identify specific executive orders and other presidential directives that violate the Constitution and that conflict with the principles of individual liberty, free markets, limited government, and peace. The handbook suggests revocations and amendments to those executive orders that would affect the federal government’s operations and cover various policy issues like health care, immigration, foreign policy, trade, defense, and others. This handbook is not a comprehensive list of such executive orders but merely the lowest-hanging fruit and best places to begin the long journey back toward a constitutionally limited government.
Join several Cato scholars as we discuss specific executive orders and directives that the incoming Trump administration should revoke or amend that affect energy policy, environmental policy, health care, the federal workforce, foreign policy, defense, and other social policies.
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Over the past two years, much of the conversation around technology has been focused on artificial intelligence (AI). While AI may have increased in popularity and already been used in a wide array of products, we are still only just discovering many of its beneficial applications.
AI is much more than popular products like ChatGPT and is truly saving and changing lives in fields like medicine and disaster response. But as we’ve seen in Europe, the wrong policy approach could prevent the development or deployment of many of these beneficial products.
Among the questions to be addressed are: How has policy supported or hindered US innovators and consumers in developing and accessing AI? What lessons might we learn from the policy approaches to past general-purpose technologies? Where does AI and AI policy go next?
This policy forum will start with a fireside chat with Rep. Jay Obernolte (R‑CA), a leading voice on AI policy and co-chair of the House Task Force on Artificial Intelligence.
Following that conversation, a panel of policy experts will discuss the future of AI, the potential impact of policy on this innovation, and more.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
For much of the 21st century, public health officials and policymakers have blamed doctors for overprescribing opioids and causing the overdose crisis. In response, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued pain management guidelines aimed at reducing opioid prescriptions. Most states have codified them into law.
Federal and local drug task forces have arrested doctors whom they accuse of overprescribing opioids. This has led to a situation where many physicians either undertreat pain or choose to abandon their long-term pain patients. As a result, opioid prescribing has dropped below 1992 levels, while overdose deaths among nonmedical users have skyrocketed.
This crackdown has also created a population of “pain refugees”—chronic pain patients who have lost or were abandoned by their doctor and are left searching for a doctor willing to treat them. Many, out of desperation, turn to the black market for relief, while others resort to suicide.
Join us to discuss the pain refugee crisis, its causes, and potential solutions. Our panel includes a physician who treats and advocates for pain patients, an attorney who defends these doctors, a civil rights attorney who is also a patient advocate, and a pain refugee.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The development and deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) software for a range of applications has sparked intense debate over its implications for privacy and surveillance in multiple contexts. At the same time, police organizations argue that AI could help revolutionize and speed up police investigations by allowing for faster identification of crime suspects or missing or kidnapped persons.
What are the kinds of dangers posed by the use of AI by law enforcement agencies? Are there types of crimes where the application of AI might be beneficial? How well or poorly are legislative bodies dealing with this new technology? What is the state of the law at the federal, state, and local levels regarding AI use by law enforcement organizations? Our panel will tackle all these topics.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Georgetown University law professor Randy Barnett has played an integral role in the rise of originalism—the movement to identify, restore, and defend the original meaning of the Constitution. But Barnett’s path to becoming an influential professor of constitutional law was not an easy one. Starting from a working-class childhood in Calumet City, Illinois, Barnett’s unusual resume has included stints as an ice cream truck driver, newspaper ad salesman, prosecutor, libertarian theorist, contract law professor, and Supreme Court advocate. In his new autobiography, A Life for Liberty, Barnett tells the complete story of his personal and professional journey.
Barnett’s life story is a model for how libertarians can put their ideas into practice and help change the world. As a young Harvard law student, Barnett had living room debates with Murray Rothbard and served on the board of a libertarian institution with Leonard Liggio and other notable thinkers. Barnett’s focus on individual rights prepared him for the turning point in his career, when he was the only person on a high-profile panel willing to argue that the Ninth Amendment protects “unenumerated rights” from government infringement.
After establishing himself as “Mr. Ninth Amendment,” Barnett eventually pivoted his career to constitutional law. His mission to restore “the lost Constitution” took him from the schoolhouse to the courthouse, where he argued the medical marijuana case Gonzales v. Raich in the Supreme Court—a case now taught to every law student. Later, he devised and spearheaded the constitutional challenge to Obamacare. Today, thanks in part to his efforts, a majority of sitting Supreme Court justices self-identify as originalists.
In this book forum, Professor Barnett will discuss his life story, the lessons he’s learned, and the ways in which his thinking continues to evolve. Professor Jonathan Turley of the George Washington University Law School will offer commentary on the book, drawing from his own perspective as a fellow legal academic.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This panel discussion will feature the researchers behind the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression’s (FIRE’s) 2025 College Free Speech Rankings, which offers insights into the state of free speech across US colleges. The panelists will share and explain the methodology used to rank schools, the contemporary challenges of measuring speech climates, and salient trends discovered from this year’s data. Panelists will address issues affecting free expression, including administrative policies, student activism, and faculty perspectives on free speech. The discussion will provide a breakdown of the highest- and lowest-ranking schools to inform students, parents, and policymakers about campus speech environments and encourage colleges to foster a culture of open expression.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Civil discourse is an important aspect of a free and pluralistic democracy. That said, many people do not participate in civil discourse. There are several reasons for this: fear of being wrong, lack of rhetorical skill, negative emotionality, etc. What’s more, this refusal or inability to speak to those with whom we disagree is growing by the day.
Join our virtual discussion as scholars Erec Smith and Jonathan Rauch discuss the art of “mutual persuasion” in a turbulent time.
This conversation is being supported by Project Sphere, a collaboration between the Cato Institute and the Brookings Institution that creates a constructive space to discuss areas of disagreement in a civil forum. Our goal is to resist political polarization by emphasizing areas of agreement even within contentious conversations. To learn more, visit ProjectSphere.org.
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What role should tariffs play in the economy? Would tax credits for newborns ease childhood poverty? How might housing be made to be more affordable? In many ways, the 2024 presidential election has been one of dueling and sometimes complementary economic proposals from both major candidates. Join Sphere Education Initiatives on October 29 from 7:30–8:30 p.m. EDT for this webinar exploring the economic policy visions and proposals of Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.
In their attempts to persuade voters and build winning coalitions, both major party candidates have offered a slew of proposals to change everything from the tax code to the core tenets of trade policy. Which policies have a realistic shot of implementation? And what would be the practical effect on the economy and our lives should they be successful? Brendan Duke, the senior director of economic policy at the Center for American Progress, and Scott Lincicome, the vice president for general economics at the Cato Institute, will join Sphere Education Initiatives for this timely pre‐election conversation.
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Cato will continue rising to meet liberty’s greatest challenges—from executive power to out-of-control spending in Congress—because doing so is our moral responsibility. Cato president and CEO Peter Goettler will provide an overview of Cato’s commitment to keeping liberty alive for future generations, our priorities, and the investments we are making to advance our vision of a free and open society in which liberty allows every individual to pursue a life of prosperity and meaning in peace. Peter also looks forward to receiving your feedback in a Q&A session.
In 2008, Senior Vice President for Policy Gene Healy wrote The Cult of the Presidency: America’s Dangerous Devotion to Executive Power because he believed the American presidency had become an extraconstitutional monstrosity and a libertarian nightmare, “the source of much of our political woe and some of the gravest threats to our liberties.” For the 2024 presidential election, Cato is re-releasing Healy’s book with a new foreword calling on Americans to change what we ask of the office—or we’ll continue to get, in a sense, what we deserve.
The modern presidency has become a job that is everything from culture warrior in chief to guardian angel. And in our partisan myopia, we’ve unwittingly created the infrastructure for autocratic rule and sectarian warfare. How did we get here, and what can we do to prevent the presidency from tearing the country apart?
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Cato will continue rising to meet liberty’s greatest challenges—from executive power to out-of-control spending in Congress—because doing so is our moral responsibility. Cato president and CEO Peter Goettler will provide an overview of Cato’s commitment to keeping liberty alive for future generations, our priorities, and the investments we are making to advance our vision of a free and open society in which liberty allows every individual to pursue a life of prosperity and meaning in peace. Peter also looks forward to receiving your feedback in a Q&A session.
In 2008, Senior Vice President for Policy Gene Healy wrote The Cult of the Presidency: America’s Dangerous Devotion to Executive Power because he believed the American presidency had become an extraconstitutional monstrosity and a libertarian nightmare, “the source of much of our political woe and some of the gravest threats to our liberties.” For the 2024 presidential election, Cato is re-releasing Healy’s book with a new foreword calling on Americans to change what we ask of the office—or we’ll continue to get, in a sense, what we deserve.
The modern presidency has become a job that is everything from culture warrior in chief to guardian angel. And in our partisan myopia, we’ve unwittingly created the infrastructure for autocratic rule and sectarian warfare. How did we get here, and what can we do to prevent the presidency from tearing the country apart?
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Journalists have been the targets of government surveillance, harassment, and violence for over a century—both in America and abroad. Modern surveillance technologies—facial recognition, artificial intelligence, spyware, and more—make it increasingly easy for governments to track not only journalists but also their sources, putting both at risk.
How many journalists or news organizations have been negatively impacted by these developments? How is the journalism profession responding to these threats? What measures can democratic governments take to help protect journalists facing these perils? How has the resolution of the Julian Assange case affected the political, legal, and technological dynamics involved in protecting journalists and their sources? Our panel will tackle these and related questions.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
n the four years since nationwide protests against police misconduct rocked the nation, momentum for police reform has stalled. At the same time, state and local law enforcement entities are constantly seeking to upgrade their abilities to conduct various forms of surveillance—whether using traditional human informants or emerging digital or forensic technologies. These developments arguably represent major day-to-day threats to individual rights.
What changes, if any, have we seen in policing practices at the federal, state, and local levels since the George Floyd murder protests in the summer of 2020, particularly as they pertain to monitoring protests and civil society groups? To what extent are law enforcement organizations using human informants to infiltrate groups engaged in First Amendment–protected activities? How have federal courts been dealing with cases involving surveillance, human or technical, since the summer of 2020? Our panel will discuss these and related issues.
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Congress exempts short-term, limited-duration insurance (STLDI) from nearly all federal regulation. On September 1, the federal government imposed new regulations limiting STLDI policies to no more than three months. Supporters claim the new rules enhance consumer protections. Critics argue the new regulations eliminate consumer protections and will strip health insurance from the sick, leaving them uninsured for up to 12 months. The panelists will discuss whether this rule benefits or harms patients and whether it is vulnerable to legal challenge.
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Gary Shapiro’s new book Pivot or Die looks at the challenges facing today’s technology entrepreneurs and innovators and examines the flexibility and agility that is needed to survive in an increasingly competitive market. How does the regulatory framework enable or prevent such pivots? What lessons are there for future entrepreneurs and policymakers from past case studies? Join us for a conversation with the author and leading scholars about competition, innovation, and the impact of policy and regulation.
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Earlier this year, Congress reauthorized Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act for two years. The final bill included provisions sought by civil liberties advocates, but some critical reforms didn’t make it into the final version. Moreover, that same bill also included a potentially radical expansion of the number of entities that could have their communications traffic swept up under 702. Additionally, Congress has thus far not legislatively addressed several other surveillance abuses and controversies, including those involving new or emerging technologies.
What is the actual track record of the Section 702 program, both in terms of constitutional rights violations and successes in the foreign intelligence field? What other federal surveillance programs and authorities need revision or revocation? What role do technology companies play in facilitating government surveillance? What has been the impact on America’s Fourth Amendment and related constitutional rights of federal court decisions involving federal surveillance? The panel will cover all these developments.
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The medical diagnosis of shaken baby syndrome, or abusive head trauma (SBS/AHT), arose from a hypothesis developed in the early 1970s. Over the decades, it has led to thousands of criminal court convictions and family court determinations taking children from their parents. The National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome claims that law enforcement authorities process at least 1,300 SBS/AHT cases per year. The diagnosis has attained iconic status within the medical specialty of child abuse pediatrics. Yet, for the past few decades, outside of the child abuse pediatrics specialty, the scientific, medical, and legal literature has been replete with challenges to the reliability of the diagnosis. With the first-in-the-nation execution of Robert Roberson based on the SBS/AHT diagnosis scheduled two weeks from now in Texas, the trustworthiness of the diagnosis is increasingly relevant. A panel of medical and forensic science experts will examine the issue in depth.
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Discussing presidential elections in a hyperpolarized environment can be challenging. Sphere is excited to support you in these conversations with your students by bringing civil discourse to your classroom. In this webinar, we will equip you with tools and resources that will help you effectively embed healthy conversation habits in your classes when discussing election topics. You will hear from Sphere’s content development team and content contributors Betty Nordengren and Kelly Young‐Raymore about best practices and strategies so that you can bring these discussions to your classroom in a productive, meaningful manner. The webinar will be broken into two parts. The first part will provide context and guidance on thoughtfully discussing elections with your students; the second part will take a deeper dive into the practical application of these resources by facilitating breakout discussions for middle and high school educators. Attendees will leave with tangible, practical tools to apply in their classes and feel empowered to implement civil discourse in class discussions around the upcoming election.
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Part memoir, part rumination on the declining moral compass of the American political class, The Unraveling is the first book to place restoring political ethics at the center of the renewal of American democracy. Politics is a brutal game, but Bauer asks: Where does the line fall between the “hardball” of politics and attacks on the very foundation of democracy? Looking back on 46 years in the political arena, Bauer examines what has gone wrong and what shaped his decisions and actions. He also recounts his heresies on campaign finance regulation and his efforts to work across the aisle on issues vital to democracy. He writes about the various personal experiences along the way—the highs, the lows, and the absurd. Bauer presents a smart and serious look at our political culture and the role he has played in shaping it. The Unraveling will be essential reading for anyone interested in American politics of the past 50 years—and the next.
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The horrific terror attacks of October 7 and the catastrophic war in Gaza once again put the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on the global agenda. Some pessimists believe that peace is unattainable, as the conflict is not merely between two peoples claiming the same land but also between two civilizations with clashing values: the Judeo-Christian West versus the Muslim world.
In his new book, Mustafa Akyol offers a remarkably different vision. By going through much-forgotten episodes in history, and by a careful study of theology, he reminds audiences of all religious persuasions that for over a millennium, there was a Judeo-Islamic tradition. He shows that Islam and Judaism are kindred religions whose adherents have often coexisted peacefully, supported each other, and even learned from each other. He also argues that Jews and Muslims can still be partners for peace in the Middle East and stand together for freedom everywhere.
Join Akyol for a discussion of the key ideas in The Islamic Moses, followed by commentary by Ari Gordon on the past and the future of the Judeo-Islamic tradition.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Cato’s annual Constitution Day symposium marks the day in 1787 that the Constitutional Convention finished drafting the U.S. Constitution. We celebrate that event each year with the release of the new issue of the Cato Supreme Court Review and with a day‐long symposium featuring noted scholars discussing the recently concluded Supreme Court term and the important cases coming up.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Cato’s annual Constitution Day symposium marks the day in 1787 that the Constitutional Convention finished drafting the U.S. Constitution. We celebrate that event each year with the release of the new issue of the Cato Supreme Court Review and with a day‐long symposium featuring noted scholars discussing the recently concluded Supreme Court term and the important cases coming up.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Cato’s annual Constitution Day symposium marks the day in 1787 that the Constitutional Convention finished drafting the U.S. Constitution. We celebrate that event each year with the release of the new issue of the Cato Supreme Court Review and with a day‐long symposium featuring noted scholars discussing the recently concluded Supreme Court term and the important cases coming up.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Cato’s annual Constitution Day symposium marks the day in 1787 that the Constitutional Convention finished drafting the U.S. Constitution. We celebrate that event each year with the release of the new issue of the Cato Supreme Court Review and with a day‐long symposium featuring noted scholars discussing the recently concluded Supreme Court term and the important cases coming up.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Cato’s annual Constitution Day symposium marks the day in 1787 that the Constitutional Convention finished drafting the U.S. Constitution. We celebrate that event each year with the release of the new issue of the Cato Supreme Court Review and with a day‐long symposium featuring noted scholars discussing the recently concluded Supreme Court term and the important cases coming up.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Public health researcher Dr. Martin Makary claims in his new book, Blind Spots, that “the pandemic was not a one-off in how the medical establishment works. In fact, it was more the norm than the exception.”
Dr. Makary says that dogma, groupthink, and the suppression of scientific debate describe the culture of the modern medical establishment. He provides examples of public health recommendations and medical practices that persist despite lacking evidence or being shown to be harmful. Dr. Makary discusses weaknesses of the peer-review process for publishing scientific articles, alleging government research grants and the preferred narratives of “medical elites” affect the nature and quality of medical research. How did the medical establishment get this broken? Did public policy break it? What policy reforms can repair it? Please join us in discussing the book and its implications with the author.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The privacy Americans should enjoy over their financial information has been in steady decline for more than 50 years. Regulatory frameworks, such as the Bank Secrecy Act and the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Consolidated Audit Trail, grant government access to Americans’ financial transactions. As financial services have become increasingly digitized, the volume of financial records to which the government has easy—and often unfettered—access has grown exponentially. And proposals for a central bank digital currency, which involve the government becoming more intimately involved in Americans’ use of money, have the potential to further erode the ability to transact without government surveillance.
As policymakers are confronted with questions about evolving technologies, the question of financial privacy must not be shunted to the side. It is time to rethink financial privacy. Does financial convenience have to come at the cost of financial privacy? Does the Constitution provide the protections needed to limit government access to financial information? Can decentralization provide privacy-protecting solutions? Join us for an outstanding program featuring leading policymakers and experts discussing financial privacy at Cato’s Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives annual conference.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The privacy Americans should enjoy over their financial information has been in steady decline for more than 50 years. Regulatory frameworks, such as the Bank Secrecy Act and the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Consolidated Audit Trail, grant government access to Americans’ financial transactions. As financial services have become increasingly digitized, the volume of financial records to which the government has easy—and often unfettered—access has grown exponentially. And proposals for a central bank digital currency, which involve the government becoming more intimately involved in Americans’ use of money, have the potential to further erode the ability to transact without government surveillance.
As policymakers are confronted with questions about evolving technologies, the question of financial privacy must not be shunted to the side. It is time to rethink financial privacy. Does financial convenience have to come at the cost of financial privacy? Does the Constitution provide the protections needed to limit government access to financial information? Can decentralization provide privacy-protecting solutions? Join us for an outstanding program featuring leading policymakers and experts discussing financial privacy at Cato’s Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives annual conference.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Part three of this year’s Summer with Sphere series is all about preparing for the upcoming school year. As you think about how you will set your students up for success from their classroom environment to their curriculum for the year, consider the benefits of implementing strategies that foster civil discourse into your approach. In this webinar, we will equip you with tools and resources that will help you effectively embed healthy habits of conversation into your classroom experience for students through class norm setting, learning environment, and fostering a strong home‐to‐school connection at the start of the year. You will hear from Sphere’s content development team about new engaging interdisciplinary classroom content, including our new Civil Discourse Toolkit for Middle School Teachers and Election Hub to supplement your curriculum, and our Sphere on the Road team about professional opportunities available to you and your school.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
There’s a quietly brewing rift on the right between those who want to rein in administrative power and those who hope to wield it for conservative ends. Former presidential candidate and business entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy favors the former path and has delivered detailed plans for a radical rollback of regulatory power and shutting down several federal agencies. With the Supreme Court’s recent blows to Chevron deference and its embrace of the major questions doctrine, he sees a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” to rein in the permanent bureaucracy. Ramaswamy argues that it is not controversial to hold that the people we elect to run the government should actually run the government.
Is the United States consigned to rule by an army of unelected and unaccountable federal bureaucrats? Are there any realistic paths to diminish the power of federal government bureaucracies?
Join Ramaswamy and Cato’s Gene Healy for a discussion about the prospects for transforming how the federal government rules its citizens and businesses.
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The COVID-19 pandemic was the most severe global public health emergency in over 100 years. Deadlier than the influenza virus, COVID-19 claimed more than 1.1 million lives in the United States by 2023. Had it not been for the rapid development and deployment of vaccines, many more would have died. To further combat the pandemic, US and international public health agencies enacted unprecedented school closures, lockdowns, and border closures that inflicted collateral damage on children, other vulnerable populations, and the rest of the public. These preventative measures exacerbated substance abuse and mental health problems that persist today. Public health and media organizations suppressed and often censored scientific experts with dissenting opinions and recommendations that might have mitigated much of the collateral damage.
Award-winning Canadian filmmaker Vanessa Dylyn (Matter of Fact Media) produced and directed the documentary COVID Collateral: Where Do We Go for Truth?, which examines the global pandemic response, the suppression of scientific discourse, and lessons for approaching the next pandemic. www.covidcollateral.com.
Please join us for a film screening in the Cato Institute Hayek Auditorium, followed by a roundtable discussion of the film and its lessons featuring our distinguished panel.
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Joining Sphere Education Initiatives for this conversation will be James Redelsheimer, introductory and Advanced Placement (AP) economics educator at Robbinsdale Armstrong High School in Plymouth, Minnestota. In addition to authoring our new economics lessons, he is the author of Barron’s AP economics, a BestPrep Minnesota board member, master teacher with the Minnesota Council on Economic Education and a Next Generation Personal Finance Teacher Fellow.
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Generations of people have been taught that population growth makes resources scarcer. In 2021, for example, one widely publicized report argued, “The world’s rapidly growing population is consuming the planet’s natural resources at an alarming rate … the world currently needs 1.6 Earths to satisfy the demand for natural resources … [a figure that] could rise to 2 planets by 2030.” But is that true?
After analyzing the prices of hundreds of commodities, goods, and services spanning two centuries, Marian Tupy and Gale Pooley found that resources became more abundant as the population grew. That was especially true when they looked at “time prices,” which represent the length of time that people must work to buy something.
To their surprise, the authors also found that resource abundance increased faster than the population―a relationship that they call “superabundance.” On average, every additional human being created more value than he or she consumed. This relationship between population growth and abundance is deeply counterintuitive, yet it is true.
Why? More people produce more ideas, which lead to more inventions. People then test those inventions in the marketplace to separate the useful from the useless. At the end of that process of discovery, people are left with innovations that overcome shortages, spur economic growth, and raise standards of living.
But large populations are not enough to sustain superabundance―just think of the poverty in China and India before their respective economic reforms. To innovate, people must be allowed to think, speak, publish, associate, and disagree. They must be allowed to save, invest, trade, and profit. In a word, they must be free.
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Are you eager to secure that dream internship opportunity? Do you want to stand out from the competition? Do you want to learn how you can match your experience on campus with the right opportunities at Cato? If so, join us for an informative and interactive session with current interns and application reviewers.
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Are you eager to secure that dream internship opportunity? Do you want to stand out from the competition? Do you want to learn how you can match your experience on campus with the right opportunities at Cato? If so, join us for an informative and interactive session with current interns and application reviewers.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Cato’s annual Constitution Day symposium marks the day in 1787 that the Constitutional Convention finished drafting the U.S. Constitution. We celebrate that event each year with the release of the new issue of the Cato Supreme Court Review and with a day‐long symposium featuring noted scholars discussing the recently concluded Supreme Court term and the important cases coming up.Panel IV: Looking Ahead: October Term 2023
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Cato’s annual Constitution Day symposium marks the day in 1787 that the Constitutional Convention finished drafting the U.S. Constitution. We celebrate that event each year with the release of the new issue of the Cato Supreme Court Review and with a day‐long symposium featuring noted scholars discussing the recently concluded Supreme Court term and the important cases coming up.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Cato’s annual Constitution Day symposium marks the day in 1787 that the Constitutional Convention finished drafting the U.S. Constitution. We celebrate that event each year with the release of the new issue of the Cato Supreme Court Review and with a day‐long symposium featuring noted scholars discussing the recently concluded Supreme Court term and the important cases coming up.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Cato’s annual Constitution Day symposium marks the day in 1787 that the Constitutional Convention finished drafting the U.S. Constitution. We celebrate that event each year with the release of the new issue of the Cato Supreme Court Review and with a day‐long symposium featuring noted scholars discussing the recently concluded Supreme Court term and the important cases coming up.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Cato’s annual Constitution Day symposium marks the day in 1787 that the Constitutional Convention finished drafting the U.S. Constitution. We celebrate that event each year with the release of the new issue of the Cato Supreme Court Review and with a day‐long symposium featuring noted scholars discussing the recently concluded Supreme Court term and the important cases coming up.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
“We hold these truths to be self‐evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”
The second sentence of the Declaration of Independence is perhaps one of the most resonant of all phrases from the American Founding. But what did the Founders mean by “Happiness”? And how, exactly, was it to be pursued? In his new book, The Pursuit of Happiness, Jeffrey Rosen examines the many ways that key figures of the American Founding turned to ancient Greek and Roman philosophers as guides toward a better understanding of happiness and the good life. Through the eyes of American figures such as Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and Frederick Douglass, Rosen explores virtues such as temperance, humility, and moderation and their relationship to self‐improvement and good governance. What emerges is a set of important insights about the relationship between the quality of character and the nature and success of political and social organization. Rosen’s concluding pages offer a sobering set of reflections about our own culture currently marinating in social media and internet excess and asks how we might rediscover a path that the Founders themselves worked to keep alive more than 200 years ago.
Join Jonathan Fortier, director of Libertarianism.org, for a discussion with author Jeffrey Rosen and Michael Poliakoff, president of the American Council of Trustees and Alumni.
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It has been two years since more than $2 trillion in new US industrial policy initiatives were signed into law. However, despite the much‐publicized increases in construction spending and numerous announcements of future investments—there has been little actual evidence of the manufacturing boom that these government programs were supposed to catalyze. Instead, many projects have been delayed or, in the case of electric vehicles and offshore wind, canceled altogether, owed to both changing market conditions and many of the same economic, regulatory, and political hurdles that have long plagued US industrial policy efforts.
Please join the Cato Institute as we detail past US industrial policy efforts, the long‐standing problems these initiatives have faced, and whether today’s US industrial policy projects appear to be heading for the same unfortunate conclusion.
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A complex array of government policies and market forces cause drug prices to be higher in the United States than other nations. Is this a problem? If so, are there better policies for determining drug prices? What is the “right” price for a drug? Panelists will discuss evidence suggesting that US drug prices are excessive and what policymakers should and should not do in response.
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May is National Small Business Month. Small businesses and startups play an important part in the technology sector, and many proposed policy changes could be particularly impactful on them. While often antitrust is thought of as a “big business” issue, the reality is that changes to competition policy, such as restrictions on mergers and acquisitions, affect businesses of all sizes.
Many proponents of antitrust policy changes assert that these changes are necessary to protect small businesses particularly in the technology sector. Some assert that there is currently a “kill zone” where successful startups are gobbled up by today’s tech giants before they can become rivals, while others say these transactions occur in a healthy market for a variety of reasons that often benefit small companies and consumers as well as larger companies. Do the data support the idea of a “kill zone”? How might antitrust changes impact the evolution of small businesses and the choices they have in their journey?
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In January 2021, Mississippi replaced its state flag, the culmination of a process that saw years of debate, protest, and fervid disagreement. Join us on May 16 for an event cohosted by the Cato Institute, Sphere Education Initiatives, and the Moral Courage Project. We’ll explore the political and social environment surrounding the flag debate and examine the skills of productive disagreement through the story of Genesis and Louis, two young people who came together to understand and learn from each other in these polarizing times.
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As we approach the 90th anniversary of the US Social Security program in 2025, and as the program’s trust fund is projected to be depleted by 2033, we find ourselves at a critical juncture. Social Security reform is essential to preserving the program’s ability to provide critical economic security to vulnerable seniors by averting indiscriminate benefit cuts, which are scheduled to occur by law when the trust fund goes to zero. Sensible reforms will ensure the program can meet this pivotal role without imposing undue debt burdens or excessive taxes on younger generations. There are further opportunities to modernize Social Security to enhance individual liberty and reduce disincentives to work and saving that undermine US economic growth.
This symposium will foster insightful discussions on the various dimensions of Social Security reform. By bringing together a diverse group of US and international experts, we will explore shared challenges and identify global lessons to inform US reform options. The insights and lessons from our conversations will equip US legislators with informed perspectives, innovative solutions, and evidence‐based strategies to reforming Social Security over the next decade.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
As we approach the 90th anniversary of the US Social Security program in 2025, and as the program’s trust fund is projected to be depleted by 2033, we find ourselves at a critical juncture. Social Security reform is essential to preserving the program’s ability to provide critical economic security to vulnerable seniors by averting indiscriminate benefit cuts, which are scheduled to occur by law when the trust fund goes to zero. Sensible reforms will ensure the program can meet this pivotal role without imposing undue debt burdens or excessive taxes on younger generations. There are further opportunities to modernize Social Security to enhance individual liberty and reduce disincentives to work and saving that undermine US economic growth.
This symposium will foster insightful discussions on the various dimensions of Social Security reform. By bringing together a diverse group of US and international experts, we will explore shared challenges and identify global lessons to inform US reform options. The insights and lessons from our conversations will equip US legislators with informed perspectives, innovative solutions, and evidence‐based strategies to reforming Social Security over the next decade.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
As we approach the 90th anniversary of the US Social Security program in 2025, and as the program’s trust fund is projected to be depleted by 2033, we find ourselves at a critical juncture. Social Security reform is essential to preserving the program’s ability to provide critical economic security to vulnerable seniors by averting indiscriminate benefit cuts, which are scheduled to occur by law when the trust fund goes to zero. Sensible reforms will ensure the program can meet this pivotal role without imposing undue debt burdens or excessive taxes on younger generations. There are further opportunities to modernize Social Security to enhance individual liberty and reduce disincentives to work and saving that undermine US economic growth.
This symposium will foster insightful discussions on the various dimensions of Social Security reform. By bringing together a diverse group of US and international experts, we will explore shared challenges and identify global lessons to inform US reform options. The insights and lessons from our conversations will equip US legislators with informed perspectives, innovative solutions, and evidence‐based strategies to reforming Social Security over the next decade
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
As we approach the 90th anniversary of the US Social Security program in 2025, and as the program’s trust fund is projected to be depleted by 2033, we find ourselves at a critical juncture. Social Security reform is essential to preserving the program’s ability to provide critical economic security to vulnerable seniors by averting indiscriminate benefit cuts, which are scheduled to occur by law when the trust fund goes to zero. Sensible reforms will ensure the program can meet this pivotal role without imposing undue debt burdens or excessive taxes on younger generations. There are further opportunities to modernize Social Security to enhance individual liberty and reduce disincentives to work and saving that undermine US economic growth.
This symposium will foster insightful discussions on the various dimensions of Social Security reform. By bringing together a diverse group of US and international experts, we will explore shared challenges and identify global lessons to inform US reform options. The insights and lessons from our conversations will equip US legislators with informed perspectives, innovative solutions, and evidence‐based strategies to reforming Social Security over the next decade
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Globalization has come under fire over the past two decades as the world has lived through an international financial crisis, terrorist attacks, a pandemic, and the return of war in Europe. Johan will discuss why, despite such turmoil, the free market has still made the past 20 years the best time in human history by almost any measure of well‐being
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Cato Institute President and CEO Peter Goettler will share the opportunities we see to bring liberty to new audiences, and Allan Carey will join Peter to discuss the importance of restoring viewpoint diversity with educators nationwide through Sphere Education Initiatives
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In October 2022, the White House released its 2022 Nuclear Posture Review, laying out the Biden administration’s nuclear strategy. Perhaps the most controversial policy change in the report was the cancellation of the sea‐launched nuclear cruise missile (SLCM‑N), which was introduced in the 2018 review. Less than two years after the cancellation, Congress reversed the program’s course once again by establishing the SLCM‑N as a program of record through the fiscal year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act.
Supporters argue that growing nuclear threats make the SLCM‑N more important now than ever. Opponents point to the opportunity costs of adding yet another weapon system to an already stressed nuclear modernization plan. What should be the future of this highly contested program?
Please join the Cato Institute as we explore the benefits and opportunity costs of adding the SLCM‑N to the US nuclear arsenal. Cato’s Eric Gomez and the Atlantic Council’s Robert Soofer will examine the potential role of the SLCM‑N in the US nuclear arsenal, provide an overview of the cases for and against it, and allow participants an opportunity to engage in the discussion.
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Why are housing prices in America so high? “Supply and demand” is true but misleading, because draconian regulation drastically constricts housing supply. In this exciting new nonfiction graphic novel, economist Bryan Caplan makes the economic and philosophical case for radical deregulation of the housing industry. Deregulation turns out to be a bona fide panacea: a large rise in housing supply would raise living standards, reduce inequality, increase social mobility, promote economic growth, reduce homelessness, increase birth rates, help the environment, and more. Combining stunning visuals and careful interdisciplinary research, Build, Baby, Build takes readers to a world where people are free to build―and shows us how to get there.
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It is increasingly difficult for patients to access health care clinicians, especially in rural and underserved areas. Not enough clinicians are entering the workforce to replace those quitting or retiring while the US population is growing and aging. The average wait for a first‐time doctor’s appointment is 26 days. Yet, state licensing laws prevent experienced international medical graduates (IMGs) who migrate to the United States from offering their services to residents. Unlike many other developed countries, American states require IMGs to repeat their residency training in accredited US programs – convincing many IMGs to not practice medicine. Several states are reforming their licensing laws to remove obstacles preventing IMGs from practicing medicine, but not without controversy.
Join Jonathan Wolfson, Chief Legal Officer and Policy Director at the Cicero Institute, Maqbool Halepota, MD, FACP, Medical Director at Palo Verde Cancer Center‐Scottsdale, and Lisa Robin, Chief Advocacy Officer at the Federation of State Medical Boards, for a discussion of the issue.
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Drawing on his TedX Talk on the same subject, and using vivid imagery from India, Prashant Narang will explain the trajectory of the fight for economic freedom in Indian courts and lessons that may help litigators restore judicial protection in America.
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Ethan Blevins, Skylar Croy, and Joshua Polk discuss the threat posed by the composition of licensing bodies, and ways that entrepreneurs can change the system. Moderated by Clark Neily
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Timothy Sandefur and Anthony Sanders discuss their experiences litigating in state courts and new ways for bringing back economic freedom at the state level. Moderated by Anastasia Boden
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Artificial intelligence (AI) is leading the tech conversation for “accelerationists,” “doomers,” and everyone in between. From the Biden administration’s executive order on AI to dozens of bills being discussed on Capitol Hill, policymakers are looking to exert influence over AI, just as AI is poised to extend its impact on our world.
Data privacy, cybersecurity, financial opportunity, election integrity, and economic growth are just some of the policy issues implicated by recent advances in generative AI and deep learning.
Yet new technology, however transformative, does not mean we should abandon long‐standing policy principles that have served America well. Join us for a wide‐ranging conversation on AI, tech policy, and the future of American innovation.
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All US states and territories maintain a high barrier to entry that dissuades students from entering the accounting profession—the requirement that CPAs complete 150 credit hours of academic study in addition to passing an exam. This unnecessary requirement contributes to the current shortage of accountants, delaying the completion of state and local government financial audits and thus inhibiting the public’s ability to hold governments accountable.
Speakers will discuss alternative paths to certification, including reforms to the 150‐hour rule and competitive accounting certification bodies.
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On February 26, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the cases of Moody v. NetChoice and NetChoice v. Paxton. These cases are likely to have a significant impact on the future of free speech online and the way platforms engage in online content moderation.
With the oral arguments fresh in mind, this multipanel event will feature a fireside chat with Steve DelBianco, president and CEO of NetChoice, before moving on to panels of legal and policy experts who will analyze the Florida and Texas laws at issue in these cases and discuss what happened at oral arguments. The NetChoicecases represent a pivotal moment in the future of First Amendment jurisprudence both online and offline. As such, it is important that Cato provides a forum for understanding not only the Court’s consideration of these cases but also the broader impact such proposals should have. Further panels will discuss the impact the cases will have on the debates over Section 230 and online speech for users, as well as the impact on online content moderation decisions by online platforms.
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On February 26, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the cases of Moody v. NetChoice and NetChoice v. Paxton. These cases are likely to have a significant impact on the future of free speech online and the way platforms engage in online content moderation.
With the oral arguments fresh in mind, this multipanel event will feature a fireside chat with Steve DelBianco, president and CEO of NetChoice, before moving on to panels of legal and policy experts who will analyze the Florida and Texas laws at issue in these cases and discuss what happened at oral arguments. The NetChoicecases represent a pivotal moment in the future of First Amendment jurisprudence both online and offline. As such, it is important that Cato provides a forum for understanding not only the Court’s consideration of these cases but also the broader impact such proposals should have. Further panels will discuss the impact the cases will have on the debates over Section 230 and online speech for users, as well as the impact on online content moderation decisions by online platforms.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
On February 26, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the cases of Moody v. NetChoice and NetChoice v. Paxton. These cases are likely to have a significant impact on the future of free speech online and the way platforms engage in online content moderation.
With the oral arguments fresh in mind, this multipanel event will feature a fireside chat with Steve DelBianco, president and CEO of NetChoice, before moving on to panels of legal and policy experts who will analyze the Florida and Texas laws at issue in these cases and discuss what happened at oral arguments. The NetChoicecases represent a pivotal moment in the future of First Amendment jurisprudence both online and offline. As such, it is important that Cato provides a forum for understanding not only the Court’s consideration of these cases but also the broader impact such proposals should have. Further panels will discuss the impact the cases will have on the debates over Section 230 and online speech for users, as well as the impact on online content moderation decisions by online platforms
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
On February 26, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the cases of Moody v. NetChoice and NetChoice v. Paxton. These cases are likely to have a significant impact on the future of free speech online and the way platforms engage in online content moderation.
With the oral arguments fresh in mind, this multipanel event will feature a fireside chat with Steve DelBianco, president and CEO of NetChoice, before moving on to panels of legal and policy experts who will analyze the Florida and Texas laws at issue in these cases and discuss what happened at oral arguments. The NetChoicecases represent a pivotal moment in the future of First Amendment jurisprudence both online and offline. As such, it is important that Cato provides a forum for understanding not only the Court’s consideration of these cases but also the broader impact such proposals should have. Further panels will discuss the impact the cases will have on the debates over Section 230 and online speech for users, as well as the impact on online content moderation decisions by online platforms
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
As misinformation proliferates online, the government increasingly attempts to curb its spread. In the face of strong formal speech protections, government officials have taken to pressuring and cajoling social media platforms to suppress unwanted content in the halls of Congress and behind the scenes. To what extent can the government’s power to speak be used to combat online misinformation before it becomes “jawboning” that violates the speech rights of private actors? The latest documentary from FedSoc Studios, Jawboned: Miss Information vs. Free Speech, investigates the distinctions between notification, persuasion, and unconstitutional government coercion, a key issue before the Supreme Court this term in Vivek H. Murthy v. Missouri and National Rifle Association v. Maria Vullo.
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Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) have become the topic of policy discussions across several aspects of society. DEI is now seen to have complex impacts, and policymakers are working to tackle this new area of policy in the public square. Please join us for a discussion with Senator Eric Schmitt (R‑MO) and Cato research fellow Erec Smith on the impacts of DEI on education, government, and society.
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On March 18, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the case of Murthy v. Missouri. This case is likely to have a major impact on free expression online as the Court attempts to distinguish between lawful government engagement with social media companies as opposed to illegal government coercion or “jawboning.”
Having just listened to the debate before the Court, this panel will examine the underlying issues of government censorship by proxy and what occurred during oral arguments. The panel will also discuss the impact this case could have on online speech and how the courts and policymakers can meaningfully address such censorship.
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Over the past 200 years, humanity has become much more prosperous, educated, healthy, and peaceful. Alexander Hammond will discuss some of the heroes of progress, who saved or improved billions of lives, and the social and economic conditions that made their contributions possible. Whether it’s agronomists whose hybrid crops fed billions of people, intellectuals who changed public policy to allow for greater human flourishing, businesspeople whose innovations raised living standards, or scientists whose medical breakthroughs eliminated diseases, if it weren’t for the heroes who Hammond profiles, we’d all be far poorer, sicker, hungrier, more ignorant, and less free. Clay Routledge will speak of the individual’s role in advancing human progress and the need for a cultural movement that champions a hopeful vision of the future and the underlying psychological traits, attitudes, and aspirations that inspire people to reach their full potential and become agents of progress.
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Are you eager to secure that dream internship opportunity? Do you want to stand out from the competition, make a lasting impression with your application, and ace the interview? If so, join us for an informative and interactive session with panels of current interns and application reviewers.
Highlights
Unlocking Your Potential: Discover the key elements that make an internship application shine. Understand what we are looking for and how to align your skills and experiences with our expectations.
Tips and Tricks: Gain insights from application reviewers who will share what they look for in applications and during interviews to rise to the top.
Q&A: Bring your burning questions and get answers from a panel of program supervisors and scholars. Clarify any doubts you may have about the application process.
Success Stories: Hear inspiring stories from individuals who secured a spot in the internship program and discover how they navigated the application process.
Who Should Attend
- College students seeking internship opportunities.
- Recent graduates looking to gain hands‐on experience.
- Career changers exploring new fields.
- Anyone interested in improving their candidacy.
Don’t miss this opportunity to gain a competitive edge in the internship application process. Whether you’re a student eager to gain real‐world experience or a recent graduate aiming to launch your career, this event will equip you with the knowledge and tools you need to create a compelling application and stand out in an interview.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Are you eager to secure that dream internship opportunity? Do you want to stand out from the competition, make a lasting impression with your application, and ace the interview? If so, join us for an informative and interactive session with panels of current interns and application reviewers.
Highlights
Unlocking Your Potential: Discover the key elements that make an internship application shine. Understand what we are looking for and how to align your skills and experiences with our expectations.
Tips and Tricks: Gain insights from application reviewers who will share what they look for in applications and during interviews to rise to the top.
Q&A: Bring your burning questions and get answers from a panel of program supervisors and scholars. Clarify any doubts you may have about the application process.
Success Stories: Hear inspiring stories from individuals who secured a spot in the internship program and discover how they navigated the application process.
Who Should Attend
- College students seeking internship opportunities.
- Recent graduates looking to gain hands‐on experience.
- Career changers exploring new fields.
- Anyone interested in improving their candidacy.
Don’t miss this opportunity to gain a competitive edge in the internship application process. Whether you’re a student eager to gain real‐world experience or a recent graduate aiming to launch your career, this event will equip you with the knowledge and tools you need to create a compelling application and stand out in an interview.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
China’s military threat to Taiwan and the role of the United States in addressing it are hot topics in Washington. However, Taiwan’s self‐defense capabilities are often overlooked and are arguably more important than the US‐China military balance for deterring a Chinese attack. Unfortunately, Taiwan’s military is not well‐structured to prevail in an invasion scenario, and it has been reluctant to fully embrace an asymmetric defense strategy that would give it the best chance of success.
In a recent Cato Institute policy analysis, “Taiwan’s Urgent Need for Asymmetric Defense,” Eric Gomez makes the case for Taiwan to specialize its armed forces and adopt an asymmetric defense strategy designed to hold out in two critical military operations that Taiwan will likely be fighting alone, even if the US military intervenes. Gomez lays out a mix of policy changes to push Taiwan toward asymmetric defense while also buying it the necessary time to overhaul its military. Please join our panel of experts to discuss this pressing policy issue.
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Why is the Middle East the least free region of the world? Some observers focus on external factors, such as European colonialism or US foreign policy. Others highlight political or cultural elements. In his book Freedoms Delayed, Timur Kuran focuses on the persistent impact of Islamic law on civil, political, and economic liberties. “Because of its institutional history,” he says, “there is no quick fix to the Middle East’s ongoing illiberalism.” But, he adds, “Islam’s rich history carries within it the seeds of liberalization on many fronts.” Professor Kuran will explain why freedoms are “delayed” in the Middle East but not unattainable. John Voll and Mustafa Akyol will evaluate Kuran’s thesis and assess the prospects of freedom in the region.
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When Joe Biden assumed the presidency, he brought with him one of the most experienced foreign policy teams in modern U.S. history. National security reporter Alexander Ward’s first book takes readers behind the scenes to reveal the Biden team’s struggle to enact a coherent and effective set of policies across several global crises. From the Afghanistan withdrawal to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine—and the subsequent fallout from both—Ward provides the first glimpse at how history may view the Biden administration’s foreign policy. Please join us for a discussion with the author and a panel of foreign policy experts.
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The rise of China has led to concerns about its use of military threats to coerce other nations. Emerging from an award‐winning article in the journal International Security, China’s Gambit examines when, why, and how China attempts to coerce states over perceived threats to its national security. Author Ketian Zhang demonstrates that while China has used coercion for territorial disputes and issues related to Taiwan and Tibet, it is curiously selective in the timing, target, and tools of coercion. Join us for a discussion with a luncheon to follow.
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Race and racism have been intimately bound throughout American history and remain at the forefront of challenging conversations in politics, in policy, and in the classroom. How are we to understand and productively engage in these conversations and do so in a way that empowers our students? Join Sphere Education Initiatives on February 27 from 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. EST via Zoom for an important and informative discussion with the authors of the newly released book Race and the American Story.
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Race and racism have been intimately bound throughout American history and remain at the forefront of challenging conversations in politics, in policy, and in the classroom. How are we to understand and productively engage in these conversations and do so in a way that empowers our students? Join Sphere Education Initiatives on February 27 from 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. EST via Zoom for an important and informative discussion with the authors of the newly released book Race and the American Story.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The COVID-19 pandemic made the public more aware of the benefits of telehealth technology. However, most states prohibit patients from accessing telehealth services from out‐of‐state clinicians unless those providers obtain licenses from the states where the patients reside. Many patients seeking the expertise of renowned out‐of‐state clinicians drive to “telemedicine parking lots” in states where the clinicians hold licenses to conduct telehealth visits. State licensing laws block interstate telehealth services, suppress providers and patients from using the technology, and infringe on patients’ rights to access telehealth. Dr. Shannon MacDonald is a radiation oncologist at Massachusetts General Hospital. State licensing laws have come between Dr. MacDonald and her patients needing follow‐up care. She has joined with a medical colleague and New Jersey patients to sue the state of New Jersey, contending its health professional licensing laws are unconstitutional.
Join Dr. MacDonald, her attorney Caleb Trotter of the Pacific Legal Foundation, and Anastasia P. Boden, the director of the Cato Institute’s Robert A. Levy Center for Constitutional Studies, for a discussion of the issue and the lawsuit’s potential impact on professional licensing laws.
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As health care prices skyrocket and debates over the future of treatment, and who ought to pay for it, once again take up the attention of Congress, Michael Cannon’s new book, Recovery: A Guide to Reforming the US Health Sector, provides a much‐needed look into the challenges and opportunities for reform. Join Sphere Education Initiatives on February 15, 2024, from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. EST via Zoom for “Recovery: Exploring Options for Health Care Reform” to hear from the author. Joining Cannon and providing critical commentary will be Len Nichols, nonresident fellow at the Urban Institute and professor emeritus at George Mason University.
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Educational freedom is gaining ground throughout the country. In 32 states plus Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico, many families can use school choice programs to select the learning environment that works best for their children. At least ten states are on the path to offering universal or nearly universal access to these programs. But challenges remain, such as having an adequate supply of educational options and spreading awareness of those options. Please join us for a robust discussion with five education entrepreneurs who have created diverse learning options for their communities. They’ll share the stories behind their unique entities and the challenges they’ve faced along the way. Three of them of are in universal choice states and can speak to how those programs are helping families. Attendees will come away with increased understanding of today’s education landscape and the wide variety of options that are available to meet students’ need.
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Recent years have produced increasing attacks on the idea of free speech and significant doubts about the wisdom of its continued protection. From confusion about the nature of the First Amendment protection of speech, to misconceptions about the Supreme Court’s rulings on the issue, misinformation on free speech is rampant. World renowned legal scholar and free speech advocate Nadine Strossen’s new book, Free Speech: What Everyone Needs to Know, provides a timely and much needed response this confusion.
The Cato Institute’s Sphere Education Initiatives is pleased to host Nadine Strossen in the Hayek Auditorium on November 6th from 1–2 pm EDT for a special book release event. Please join us in person or via online streaming video for this important conversation.
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Part three of this year’s Summer with Sphere is coming to you live from Sphere Summit. Join us on Tuesday, July 25th from 2–3 pm EDT for a panel discussion on the most important issues in tech policy and regulation. Joining us will be Jennifer Huddleston, Technology Policy Research Fellow at the Cato Institute, Nicol Turner Lee, Senior Fellow in Governance Studies and Director of the Center for Technology Innovation at Brookings Institution, and Adam Thierer, Resident Senior Fellow for Technology and Innovation at R Street.
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The classroom can be a place of learning, wonder, and exploration of challenging ideas. Yet often the most engaging learning environments provide moments for difficult conversations. How can educators manage these tough topics in a way that promotes learning while navigating the challenges of the current education environment?
Sphere Education Initiatives and Retro Report are pleased to invite you to this special, one‐day professional development event on January 20 to tackle free speech issues and leave you empowered and equipped to engage in difficult conversations in your classroom. Held in person at the Cato Institute and streamed live online, this event will feature:
- Screenings of the latest Retro Report documentaries on free speech and artistic expression
- Conversation with the film’s producer and remarks from a leading free speech scholar
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At its essence, shareholder capitalism is a means for mutually beneficial trade. It fosters specialization, fuels innovation, and propels economic growth. While shareholder capitalism is a central theme in Finance 101 courses, it is increasingly criticized, especially with the popularization of sustainability, ESG investing, and stakeholder capitalism.
In this engaging new book, author David McLean, the William G. Droms Professor of Finance at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business, explains how shareholder capitalism benefits all. Edward Rock, the Martin Lipton Professor of Law at New York University School of Law and the codirector of the university’s Institute for Corporate Governance & Finance, will join McLean for a lively discussion on the nature of shareholder capitalism and its role in society. Norbert Michel, vice president and director of the Cato Institute’s Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives, will moderate the discussion.
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For nearly 30 years, the World Trade Organization (WTO) has been the bedrock of the global trading system, serving as a negotiating forum for its 164 members, providing a system for resolving trade disputes, and acting as an essential clearinghouse for trade‐related information. Over three‐quarters of cross‐border trade is carried out based on members’ WTO commitments, fostering an environment that has seen global trade soar from $5 trillion in 1995, the year of the WTO’s founding, to almost $25 trillion in 2022.
Paradoxically, despite decades of success and the overwhelming benefits of trade for developed and developing countries alike, the WTO faces growing challenges and growing skepticism—particularly among US policymakers—regarding the benefits of globalization.
It is our pleasure to welcome Dr. Ngozi Okonjo‐Iweala, director‐general of the WTO, to the Cato Institute for a frank discussion on the threats facing both the WTO and globalization more broadly, as well as their implications for the global economy, developing countries, and the world’s most vulnerable people. Indeed, there may be no better person to discuss these topics than Okonjo‐Iweala, given her current position at the WTO and her distinguished 40‐year career as an economist, international development expert, Nigerian government official and finance expert. We’d be thrilled for you to join us for this important conversation.
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The Republican Party is engaged in a more vigorous debate over foreign policy than it has been for decades. On one side is an old guard that sees no need to prioritize among threats, viewing all dangers as linked, so that facing down anything constitutes facing down everything. On the other side are the prioritizers, who have argued that America’s interests and its resources both have limits. They hold that the most prominent challenge to US interests is China and that Washington should prioritize the Indo‐Pacific in its spending and planning.
What, if anything, does history tell us about where the right and the GOP are headed on foreign policy? How big is the generational divide on this issue? Where do the leading presidential candidates stand, and what effect will that have on where the party heads? Join us as our panel of experts analyzes and discusses this issue.
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Many have expressed alarm over the rapid rise of cancel culture. The Canceling of the American Mind is the first book to codify it and survey its effects. Following the best‐selling The Coddling of the American Mind, this new book looks at the topic with hard data and research on what cancel culture is and how it works, along with hundreds of new examples showing the left and the right both working to silence their enemies.
Coauthor Greg Lukianoff will examine the often‐undiscussed issues related to cancel culture and how its unprecedented scale will likely be studied years from now in the same way we study the Red Scare or the Alien and Sedition Acts. But rather than a moral panic, he argues that we should consider it a dysfunctional part of how Americans battle for power, status, and dominance. Cancel culture is just one symptom of a much larger problem: the use of cheap rhetorical tactics to “win” arguments without actually winning arguments. After all, why bother refuting your opponents when you can just take away their platform or career?
The good news that The Canceling of the American Mind provides is that we can beat back this threat to liberal values and democracy through better citizenship. Lukianoff offers concrete steps toward reclaiming a culture of free speech that goes beyond mere legal protections. In so doing, we can all show intellectual humility and promote the essential American principles of individuality, resilience, and open mindedness.
Please join us for a fascinating discussion of cancel culture, its impact on our society and politics, and what the free speech response should be.
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Hong Kong rose from poverty to prosperity by adhering to the rule of law and safeguarding freedom of speech, property rights, free trade, and the whole range of personal and economic liberties that made the territory one of the freest places on Earth. As Beijing brazenly violated Hong Kongers’ basic rights and autonomy, media entrepreneur and democracy activist Jimmy Lai became one of the territory’s leading dissidents and an eloquent champion of human freedom. While Lai defended Hong Kong’s traditional liberties, the authorities shut down his popular newspaper, Apple Daily, and threw him in jail, where he awaits trial on trumped up national security charges that could result in life imprisonment.
Join us for a screening of an Acton Institute documentary about how Lai’s remarkable struggle embodies Hong Kong’s spirit and about the greater implications of this contest between liberty and power. A brief discussion will follow the film.
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How free is your state? In the seventh edition of Freedom in the 50 States, authors Jason Sorens and William P. Ruger answer that question with the most comprehensive measure of governmental respect for economic and personal freedom at the state level. The 2023 edition presents a revised and updated ranking of each state and introduces many new policy variables and changes in the broader policy environment, including a retrospective evaluation of each state’s COVID-19 response as well as a refreshed analysis of how the policies driving income growth and interstate migration have changed. Join us for a discussion with the authors moderated by Erec Smith, research fellow at the Cato Institute.
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In an era marked by contentiousness, rancor, and bitter divide, what role does or should civility play in our society? Further, how ought proper civility be understood and meaningfully differ from mere politeness? In her new book, The Soul of Civility: Timeless Principles to Heal Society and Ourselves, Alexandra Hudson addresses these insights with a refreshing exploration that digs deeply into the history of civility, its relevance for today, and the impact it can have on ourselves, our relationships, and our society.
The Cato Institute’s Sphere Education Initiatives is pleased to host Alexandra Hudson in the Hayek Auditorium on December 4th from 12–1 pm EST for a special book release event. Please join us in person or via online streaming video for this important conversation.
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In their new book, We’ve Got You Covered: Rebooting American Health Care, economists Liran Einav (Stanford University) and John Bates Clark Medal winner Amy Finkelstein (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) note, “No one is actually uninsured.” They nevertheless critique the US health sector as “a sprawling yet arbitrary and inadequate mess.” Where many advocate piecemeal reform, Einav and Finkelstein urge policymakers to “tear it all down and rebuild.” They recommend that the government provide “automatic, basic, and free universal coverage for everyone.” Finkelstein will join Michael F. Cannon, Cato’s director of health policy studies, for a conversation about We’ve Got You Covered, the merits of incremental versus comprehensive change, and whether reform should involve greater or less government intervention.
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Since the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, the prospect for a larger regional conflict has loomed. The Biden administration has sent two carrier strike groups to the region to “serve as a deterrent signal to Iran, Lebanese Hezbollah, and any other proxy across the region,” in the words of a senior defense official. At the same time, regional actors such as Iran have declared that they have “red lines” and that an Israeli ground campaign in Gaza would lead them and/or their proxies to respond. Whether such actors targeted US troops in Iraq or Syria, or whether US troops entered the war in the event of an escalation, there is a real risk of the United States entering another war in the Middle East. Does the president have the authority to bring the United States into the war? What are the dangers of such a conflict for the United States? Please join our diverse panel of experts for an examination of these questions.
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The arrival of generative artificial intelligence (AI) has captured the imagination of the public and policymakers. While often hailed as the newest new thing in many sectors, AI has been a core financial technology for decades. From market makers to consumer‐facing fintechs, our financial markets both deploy and innovate cutting‐edge AI.
In 2023 alone, more than half a dozen US financial regulators have addressed AI through commentary or rulemaking, and the Biden administration’s October Executive Order on AI likely will have far‐reaching implications for financial use cases. How regulators treat general‐purpose AI will affect the future of finance, and how they treat financial AI will affect the future of technology broadly. Join us for an online panel exploring the policy implications of the financial AI developments on the horizon.
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Pharmacists have sufficient training to autonomously prescribe medications to prevent or treat many medical conditions. But states generally require patients to obtain a doctor’s prescription before purchasing pharmaceuticals. This restriction drives up health care costs and unnecessarily inconveniences patients, often when they are in distress. Canadian provinces, by contrast, give pharmacists a wide scope for prescribing pharmaceuticals, as Ross Tsuyuki will discuss. Alex Adams will explain recent pharmacist scope of practice reform in Idaho, Colorado, and Montana; Marc Joffe will provide an overview of relevant federal and state policies; and Dr. Jeffrey Singer will offer policy recommendations that could improve the patient experience while reducing health care costs.
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When commentators and politicians discuss misinformation, they often repeat five words: “fire in a crowded theater.” This outdated analogy, originally deployed to justify the conviction of an anti‐draft pamphleteer, has taken on a life of its own as a catch‐all justification for the regulation of false speech. Along with the other half‐truths, exaggerations, lies, and falsehoods that law professor Jeff Kosseff examines in Liar in a Crowded Theater, this persistent, pernicious phrase illustrates the enduring difficulty of mandating truth.
Kosseff addresses the pervasiveness of lies, the legal protections they enjoy, the harm they cause, and how to combat them. From the COVID-19 pandemic to the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections and the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol, he argues that even though lies can inflict huge damage, US law should continue to protect them. Liar in a Crowded Theater explores both the history of protected falsehoods and where to go from here.
Kosseff shows not only why courts are reluctant to be the arbiters of truth but also why they’re uniquely unsuited to that role. Rather than resorting to regulating speech and fining or jailing speakers, Kosseff proposes solutions that focus on minimizing the harms of misinformation.
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In France, students in public schools are prohibited from wearing religious clothing, which authorities fear would contaminate the secular oases public schools are supposed to be. It is a coercive interpretation of secularism, which imposes secular values on religious individuals, instead of protecting state neutrality, pluralism, and liberty.
Is education in the United States heading in the same direction? Religious symbols are fortunately not banned in American schools, but there is concern that secular values are imposed in other ways: the Montgomery County, Maryland, school district recently prohibited students, starting in kindergarten, from opting out of LGBTQ+ readings, including for religious reasons. Indeed, for some renowned public schooling advocates, replacing religiously based morality with other values through the state has been an explicit goal.
In this forum, we will look at education in other parts of the world and the United States to see if the secular has pushed out the religious, whether that would be a good thing, and what to do if it isn’t.
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Please join us for a cocktail reception and thought‐provoking conversation with Cato Senior Fellow Johan Norberg, author of the new book The Capitalist Manifesto: Why the Free Market Will Save the World.
Globalization has come under fire over the past two decades as the world has lived through an international financial crisis, terrorist attacks, a pandemic, and the return of war in Europe. Johan will discuss why, despite such turmoil, the free market has still made the past 20 years the best time in human history by almost any measure of well‐being.
Johan will examine why trade protectionism, industrial policy, and other proposals from the left and the right are mistakes that should not be repeated. The market, a system based on cooperation and exchange, still offers the best way to address and think about current issues, including the rise of China, the role of Big Tech, and inequality.
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Join Sphere Education Initiatives for an exclusive book release event for Centers of Progress: 40 Cities That Changed the World on Wednesday, October 11th at 7:30 pm eastern. Hear from the author, Chelsea Follett, about these extraordinary cities, the impact they have had on advancing human progress, and learn about the key conditions that allowed for their success. Following the presentation will be an overview of classroom resources developed by Sphere alumnus, Sean Kinnard, for use in your classroom.
In Centers of Progress: 40 Cities that Changed the World, Chelsea Follett examines a diverse group of cities, ranging from ancient Athens to Song‐era Hangzhou. But some common themes stand out: most cities reach their creative peak during periods of peace; most centers of progress also thrive during times of social, intellectual, and economic freedom, as well as openness to intercultural exchange and trade; and centers of progress tend to be highly populated. Because, in every city, it is ultimately the people who live there who drive progress forward―if given the freedom to do so.
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Disagreements over the necessity or wisdom of policies to advance economic equity have riven the country and Washington in recent years. Is equity a goal to be pursued by a vigorous policy agenda? Would doing so prove to be counterproductive? Debating this issue will be leading student debaters from the Washington Urban Debate League in Washington, DC, with an expert panel of judges from across the ideological spectrum offering feedback and insight.
A project of the Cato Institute, Sphere Education Initiatives works with grades 5–12 educators and administrators to provide them with the knowledge, experience, professional development, and viewpoint‐diverse resources to bring difficult conversations on the most pressing issues to the classroom and equip our country’s students to engage in civil discourse.
The Washington Urban Debate League uses debate to make transformative educational opportunities available for students in the DC area. Peer‐reviewed research shows that competitive debate is one of the best things a student can do with their out‐of‐school time, building lifelong and career‐oriented skills that cannot be automated or outsourced. Debaters show more substantial academic and social‐emotional growth and graduate and attend college at a higher rate than their non‐debater peers.
The National Association for Urban Debate Leagues is a national leader in the debate movement, preparing the next generation to lead and succeed. Through debate, students learn critical thinking, communication, and collaboration skills. They also discover their passion for learning and become empowered to succeed in the classroom. Our vision is that all youths graduate from high school as engaged civic leaders with expanded college and career opportunities.
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Please join us for a thought‐provoking evening with author and award‐winning investigative reporter Matt Taibbi. Matt will discuss government suppression of speech, the significance of First Amendment principles, and why a free press is needed to preserve our democracy.
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Please join us for a thought‐provoking evening with author and award‐winning investigative reporter Matt Taibbi. Matt will discuss government suppression of speech, the significance of First Amendment principles, and why a free press is needed to preserve our democracy.
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Health care in the United States is not a free market. In many ways, U.S. residents are less free to make their own health decisions than residents of other nations. State and federal governments subsidize low‐quality medical care and penalize high‐quality care. They block innovations that would otherwise reduce medical prices. The harms are so wide‐reaching, the way Congress funds veterans benefits even increases the likelihood of war. In his new book Recovery: A Guide to Reforming the U.S. Health Sector, Michael Cannon exposes the barriers that government places in the way of better, more affordable, and more secure health care. Recovery explores how making health care as universal as possible requires dismantling these obstacles. Please join us for a discussion with the author and a panel of experts.
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Are states rational? Much of international relations theory assumes that they are. But many scholars believe that political leaders rarely act rationally. John J. Mearsheimer will argue that rational decisions in international politics rest on credible theories about how the world works and emerge from deliberative decisionmaking processes. Using these criteria, he will describe how most states are rational most of the time, even if they are not always successful, and will discuss implications for formulating foreign policy. Join Mearsheimer and Ashley Tellis, a scholar with extensive policy experience, for a discussion of whether states behave rationally.
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There is no question that certain places, at certain times in history, have contributed disproportionately toward making the world a better place. In this book forum, Chelsea Follett will discuss her debut book that tells the story of 40 of those places, ranging in diversity from ancient Athens to Song‐era Hangzhou to post–World War II New York. She will note some common themes that have emerged, including that most cities reach their creative peak during periods of peace, tend to be highly populated, and thrive during times of social, intellectual, and economic freedom, as well as openness to intercultural exchange. Noting that change is a constant, but progress is not, she suggests in her book that studying the past can teach us about fostering innovation in the present. Jack Goldstone will provide insights into the historical causes of progress and prosperity.
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Globalization has come under fire over the past two decades as the world has lived through an international financial crisis, terrorist attacks, a pandemic, and the return of war in Europe. Johan Norberg will explain why, despite such turmoil, the free market has still made the past 20 years the best time in human history by almost any measure of well‐being. He will discuss why trade protectionism, industrial policy, and other proposals from the left and the right are mistakes that should not be repeated. The market, a system based on cooperation and exchange, still offers the best way to address and think about current issues, including the rise of China, the role of Big Tech, and inequality. Chris Griswold will provide a critique of markets from a conservative perspective and suggest policies to limit globalization.
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The American national security state—and its accumulated millions of pages of classified records—has become a fixture of our political, social, and cultural life. Yet prior to World War I, the United States had no systematized government classification system, and its actual defense and foreign policy–related secrets were few. That changed with the United States’ entry into World War I, when through legislation and regulatory policy, the Wilson administration created the forerunners of the modern U.S. intelligence community. The secret electronic and human surveillance techniques and processes that started under President Woodrow Wilson mushroomed in scale during and after World War II.
Defenders of the current secrecy system claim it is vital to the safety of Americans at home and abroad. But what does the actual history of the past 100 years show? Have the FBI, CIA, NSA, and other federal agencies and departments truly used secrecy to protect us or instead to keep knowledge of their own misdeeds from us, or both? How many classified documents are there, and does anybody really know? How much of our own history is being kept from us, and how much of it is likely to ever see the light of day? Join us as our expert panel delves into these and related issues.
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Six months after the high‐profile failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, the Cato Institute’s Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives will host Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Vice Chairman Travis Hill to discuss the state of banking and economic conditions, recent regulatory actions, and the outlook for banks and bank regulators. Following his remarks, Hill will take questions in a moderated discussion.
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The National Center for Health Statistics reported that more than 107,000 people died from drug overdoses in 2021. More than three‐quarters of overdose deaths involved opioids. Recent research estimates the number of adults living with opioid use disorder (OUD) ranges from 6.7 million to 7.6 million. These estimates suggest that 1–2 of every 100 U.S. residents has OUD.
In the United States, federal and state laws require people with OUD who seek treatment with methadone to travel to government‐approved opioid treatment programs (OTPs), which limits access to methadone treatment. Increasing access to OUD treatment would reduce the number of people who seek drugs in the dangerous black market and, in turn, reduce the risk and incidence of overdose deaths.
Please join our distinguished panel to discuss ways to reform current methadone laws to destigmatize people with OUD, respect their humanity, and improve their access to methadone treatment.
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In the past few years, a new intellectual trend has appeared among America’s Christian conservatives: “post‐liberalism.” Its pioneers include a handful of Catholic scholars called “integralists”—who want to integrate the state and religion—and other public figures known as “national conservatives.” These post‐liberals blame some social ills and social change that they see as problematic on the classical liberal tradition that constitutes the very founding principles of the United States: individual liberty, religious freedom, free markets, and separation of church and state. Kevin Vallier will critique post‐liberals using insights partly drawn from Catholic theology and explain why a reintegration of state and religion is good for neither the state, nor religion, nor liberty. Mustafa Akyol and Mark Tooley will share their thoughts on liberalism from Islamic and Protestant perspectives.
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Argentina’s chronically undisciplined monetary and fiscal policies have resulted in economic stagnation and recurring debt crises, devaluations, and defaults. This year, the inflation rate has surpassed 100 percent. The leading presidential candidate, Javier Milei, has proposed dollarization as a necessary policy to fix the economy. Economist Emilio Ocampo, Milei’s adviser on dollarization, will explain the need for Argentina to replace the peso with the dollar and discuss how the country can accomplish that goal. He will address issues related to monetary sovereignty, the sufficiency of reserves to carry out the reform, and central bank debt. Manuel Hinds will draw on the successful dollarization of El Salvador that he implemented in 2001 and that of other dollarized countries in the region to provide remarks on the particular case of Argentina.
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The United States has traditionally taken a more permissionless approach to new technologies, allowing entrepreneurs to connect directly with consumers in the market, while Europe has taken a more regulatory approach that requires government approval first.
Europe seems to be continuing its more regulatory approach when it comes to AI, but will the United States continue its less regulatory one? What impact might regulations around issues like privacy or content moderation have on the development of AI around the globe? With the EU and UK already acting on AI, is the United States risking losing global policy leadership through its policy inaction?
Like many general‐purpose technologies, we should be hesitant of the rush to regulate AI out of fear or disruption. We also must consider the benefits as well as risks when it comes to new technologies and their accompanying policy framework. How can we take the lessons of the United States’ leadership in technology and technology in the past and apply them to this latest technology?
On July 7, 2023, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Labor, and the Department of the Treasury released a notice of proposed rulemaking to modify the definition of short‐term, limited‐duration insurance. During this policy forum, Michael F. Cannon and Brian Blase will discuss why the proposed rule would adversely impact individuals by eliminating consumer protections, which would throw sick patients out of their health insurance and leave them to face sky‐high medical bills without insurance for up to a year.
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A prominent narrative claims that global inequality is increasing as improvements in the standard of living accrue mainly to a small elite, leaving much of the world’s population behind and even worse off than before. But is this true? Chelsea Follett and Vincent Geloso will discuss their work on a new, more comprehensive way of measuring global inequality, the Inequality of Human Progress Index, and their recent findings showing that global inequality is in fact shrinking. They will argue that the evidence demonstrates that the world is not only better off than many people appreciate but that it is also far more equal. Nicholas Eberstadt will provide comments on how to best assess the true state of global inequality.
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Part three of this year’s Summer with Sphere series is all about preparing for the upcoming school year! As you think about how you will set your students up for success from their classroom environment to their curriculum for the year, consider the benefits of implementing strategies that foster civil discourse into your approach. In this webinar, we will equip you with tools and resources that will help you effectively embed healthy habits of conversation into your classroom experience for students through class norm setting, learning environment, and fostering a strong home‐to‐school connection at the start of the year. You will hear from Sphere’s Content Development Manager Elyse Alter about engaging interdisciplinary classroom content you can supplement your current curriculum with and Sphere’s Educator Engagement Specialist John Snoad about professional development opportunities available to you and your school with Sphere on the Road
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The United States has been a leader in the innovative technology sector. Its light touch policy approach has been key to allowing innovation to flourish and brought benefits to consumers both domestically and internationally.
Increasingly, however, the highly regulatory approach seen in the EU and UK is both formally and informally impacting the approach these leading tech companies must take on issues including speech, privacy, and competition.
How should we think about the “Brussels Effect” in technology, and what does this mean for American policy, American companies, and American citizens?
Why has the health sector of the economy uniquely resisted changes in products, productivity, and services that improve consumer satisfaction or reduce prices and spending? One reason, according to the book Seemed Like a Good Idea: Alchemy versus Evidence‐Based Approaches to Healthcare Management Innovation, is that decisionmaking on medical delivery or insurance innovations is often not evidence‐based and sometimes contradictory to evidence. This book explores reasons why the health sector lacks such evidence and why managers often don’t use the evidence that does exist. Please join us for a discussion with the authors and Cato director of health policy studies Michael F. Cannon that will explore government policies that cause producers and consumers to leave money on the table.
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Recent legislation in Congress has proposed designating Mexican cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations; pushing the administration to designate fentanyl precursor chemicals as chemical weapons; and even authorizing the use of military force in Mexico. As the fentanyl crisis persists in the United States, several Republican presidential candidates have echoed these calls for using the U.S. military to combat fentanyl. What would these bills and proposals do, practically? What are the likely consequences of using the U.S. military in this way? And what policies hold greater hope of lessening the harm of fentanyl inside the United States? Please join our panel for an examination of these and other pressing questions surrounding proposals for militarizing the drug war at the border. A happy hour reception will follow.
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As fertility rates fall in much of the world, many policymakers are considering expensive policies intended to raise birth rates and support families more broadly. But do those policies work, and should government play a role in trying to reverse this trend? And is the best way to support families an expansion in government programs or it is simply getting government out of parents’ way? Experts on fertility and family policy, Vanessa Brown Calder, Chelsea Follett, Julie Gunlock, and Elizabeth Nolan Brownwill address these critical issues. In addition to discussing fertility trends, participants will consider government policies that make it difficult for parents to obtain the flexibility, resources, and peace of mind needed to thrive in their roles, including policies that drive up the cost of housing, childcare, and other family essentials.
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On July 27, 1953, an armistice took effect, pausing the Korean War. Although much has changed over the last 70 years—North Korea becoming a nuclear state, South Korea becoming a democracy and major economic power, and China becoming Asia’s dominant force—the war remains frozen. Today, escalating tensions, including a shift in the U.S.-South Korea alliance toward competition with China, are creating new challenges to peace and stability on the Korean peninsula. As the Korean War armistice turns 70, how can the United States best prevent conflict and preserve peace?
Our second panel focuses on North Korea and how the United States can move beyond the armistice to a more durable peace regime. How can the United States advance this worthy goal given the current nuclear impasse? What can the United States do to revive diplomacy with North Korea? Does a focus on denuclearization blind Washington to other opportunities, including arms control, and if so, how should the United States proceed?
On July 27, 1953, an armistice took effect, pausing the Korean War. Although much has changed over the last 70 years—North Korea becoming a nuclear state, South Korea becoming a democracy and major economic power, and China becoming Asia’s dominant force—the war remains frozen. Today, escalating tensions, including a shift in the U.S.-South Korea alliance toward competition with China, are creating new challenges to peace and stability on the Korean peninsula. As the Korean War armistice turns 70, how can the United States best prevent conflict and preserve peace?
Our first panel examines pressing topics in the U.S.-South Korea relationship. How is the rise of China affecting alliance management? Will growing protectionism in the United States hurt both countries’ economies? Do recent South Korean calls for nuclear weapons undermine the U.S. defense commitment? Is extended deterrence in America’s interest?
On July 27, 1953, an armistice took effect, pausing the Korean War. Although much has changed over the last 70 years—North Korea becoming a nuclear state, South Korea becoming a democracy and major economic power, and China becoming Asia’s dominant force—the war remains frozen. Today, escalating tensions, including a shift in the U.S.-South Korea alliance toward competition with China, are creating new challenges to peace and stability on the Korean peninsula. As the Korean War armistice turns 70, how can the United States best prevent conflict and preserve peace?
Representative Brad Sherman (D‑CA) will begin the event with a keynote address via live teleconference on legislative efforts to replace the armistice with a peace treaty.
The Biden administration recently launched ambitious private sponsorship programs for Ukrainians, Venezuelans, Haitians, Cubans, and Nicaraguans, which could be the largest expansion of legal migration in decades. These initiatives create new legal opportunities for Americans to sponsor foreigners from these troubled countries for legal entry and residence in the United States. The new entry categories have already facilitated hundreds of thousands of legal entries and are helping reduce unlawful migration across the U.S.-Mexico border. What is the sponsorship experience like? How can the government improve upon these policies? What can be done to expand the program to immigrants from other countries? Explore these issues and others with Cato’s panel of experts.
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This year has seen an explosion of new, big, school choice initiatives. Most important have been education savings account (ESA) programs, which offer the most freedom of any school choice vehicle by allowing parents to apply funds to everything from tutoring, to science equipment, to private school tuition. But with this comes many challenges, and the sudden takeoff of ESAs might leave people who are tasked with implementing them scrambling.
In this forum, we will tackle the challenges of implementing ESAs with people who have thought hard about it, who have done it, and who are doing it now. Among the difficulties we’ll tackle are spreading the word about ESAs; helping families unaccustomed to school choice navigate a new way of obtaining education; ensuring funds are used for legitimate educational purposes (including defining what constitutes “legitimate”); and dealing with possible misrepresentations of ESA uses and outcomes by choice opponents.
We hope you’ll join us as we discuss implementing the school choice revolution.
This year has seen an explosion of new, big, school choice initiatives. Most important have been education savings account (ESA) programs, which offer the most freedom of any school choice vehicle by allowing parents to apply funds to everything from tutoring, to science equipment, to private school tuition. But with this comes many challenges, and the sudden takeoff of ESAs might leave people who are tasked with implementing them scrambling.
In this forum, we will tackle the challenges of implementing ESAs with people who have thought hard about it, who have done it, and who are doing it now. Among the difficulties we’ll tackle are spreading the word about ESAs; helping families unaccustomed to school choice navigate a new way of obtaining education; ensuring funds are used for legitimate educational purposes (including defining what constitutes “legitimate”); and dealing with possible misrepresentations of ESA uses and outcomes by choice opponents.
We hope you’ll join us as we discuss implementing the school choice revolution.
From cases about free speech and religion, to the role of affirmative action in college admissions, this year’s Supreme Court docket covered some of the most important issues in America. Join Sphere Education Initiatives and a panel of Constitutional scholars to explore the major decisions of the court. Covering both the arguments of the majority and the dissents, this conversation will position you to bring these cases to life for your students this fall. This is the first of our four‐part professional development series, Summer with Sphere ‘23
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The failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank have shed light on the need for a major overhaul of the United States’ banking laws. For a century, the government has increased federal backing, regulation, and micromanagement of the financial sector. The approach has repeatedly failed. Yet, after recent bank failures, Congress immediately began flirting with even more federal backing, regulation, and micromanagement. Is there any way out of this vicious cycle?
Join us for a conversation with Jeb Hensarling, former chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, and Jelena McWilliams, former chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, as they discuss the bank failures, the federal government’s response, and a path forward for banking regulation.
Al Qaeda’s attacks on the United States plunged America into multiple military campaigns abroad in pursuit of the attackers. It also ushered in new surveillance programs before any investigations into the causes of the 9/11 intelligence failure had even begun. The first new, secret mass electronic surveillance program authorized by then president George W. Bush, Stellar Wind, was initiated just days after the attacks and with no judicial notification, much less review, as required by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). In a parallel public track, the Bush administration pushed for and received even more sweeping surveillance authorities via the congressionally approved Patriot Act. By the end of the Bush presidency, the FBI had been granted vast new domestic surveillance powers, gaining authority to open investigations on individuals or groups without needing a criminal basis to do so.
The Obama era was marked not by reevaluations of these programs but instead by their continuity and political normalization. The Stellar Wind program was made nominally lawful through the passage of the FISA Amendments Act of 2008. And after National Security Agency contractor‐turned‐whistleblower Edward Snowden revealed in 2013 secret mass surveillance of Americans’ phone calls under Section 215 of the Patriot Act, Congress passed the USA Freedom Act ostensibly to partially curtail that program. Yet subsequent oversight actions and investigations would find that neither the Stellar Wind program nor the Section 215 telephone metadata surveillance program had stopped a single attack on the United States, all the while accumulating vast reams of information on innocent Americans.
Have officials in the executive branch and Congress learned anything from these mistakes and overreaches? How many other surveillance programs and authorities that potentially threaten the privacy and even constitutional rights of Americans have yet to be subjected to meaningful oversight? Our panel will explore these and related issues
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On New Year’s Eve 2023, Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act will expire absent congressional action to renew it. This controversial surveillance power was enacted in 2008 following over two years of debate in Congress after its secret, illegal predecessor—the National Security Agency’s Stellar Wind mass electronic surveillance program—was exposed by the New York Times in December 2005. Since that time, Section 702 has been renewed twice—once under President Obama and again under President Trump. And it has been renewed despite repeated, serious violations of the law by the FBI via so‐called “back door” searches—literally millions of Section 702 database queries by FBI personnel for information on U.S. persons not necessarily wanted for a crime.
What do we actually know about the alleged effectiveness of this sweeping surveillance power? What is the scope of the legal and compliance problems with Section 702? Should it be renewed unchanged, retained in modified form, or allowed to expire? Does the narrow focus on Section 702’s fate obscure the larger surveillance reform problems we face? The panel will tackle all these questions.
Extreme political views and speech have been a feature of American political and social life virtually since the founding of the republic. The Founders intended for the First Amendment to protect governmental infringements on speech, but throughout the republic’s history those protections have been breached on multiple occasions. The Alien and Sedition Acts, the Anarchist Exclusion Act, and the Espionage Act are just some of the examples of federal laws that have criminalized certain kinds of speech. But in a landmark 1969 Supreme Court decision in Brandenburg v. Ohio, the high court ruled that speech deemed inflammatory or even threatening could only be prohibited by the government if it is “directed at inciting or producing imminent lawless action” and is “likely to incite or produce such action.” Ever since, that decision has provided protection against government attacks on speech by individuals or groups across the political spectrum deemed offensive or politically disfavored.
But what happens when adherents of extremist ideologies no longer feel shouting their views is enough? The rise of the Oath Keepers, Proud Boys, John Brown Gun Club chapters, and other organized, armed groups raises the specter of a confrontation that morphs from a shouting match into a firefight in an American community between two ideological, violent factions. Does inflammatory speech always result in real violence? Does the Supreme Court’s decision in Brandenburg v. Ohio still draw the right line between constitutionally protected speech and that which is not? Has the rise and proliferation of social media platforms made the transition from violent speech to violent action easier and faster? Our panelists will examine all these issues and more.
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The explosion in the use of facial recognition and other biometric technologies by government and private‐sector entities has sparked a national debate about such systems. Just over a year ago, a Pew Research Center survey of American attitudes toward artificial intelligence also asked how people felt about law enforcement use of facial recognition. Among those surveyed, 46 percent thought the use of facial recognition by law enforcement is a good idea, even though two‐thirds of respondents said police “would be able to track everyone’s location at all times and that police would monitor Black and Hispanic neighborhoods much more often than other neighborhoods.”
How reliable is facial recognition? Can biases be unconsciously worked into the algorithms that make facial recognition possible? How many cases of mistaken identity have been attributed to facial recognition to date? How does the law at the federal, state, or local level impact the use of biometric technology? Is the technology advancing faster than the law and policy designed to govern its use? What is the state of the Transportation Security Administration’s facial recognition and biometrics programs for air travel? Can a person be forced to put their finger on their phone to open it for law enforcement officers absent a criminal predicate? Can private companies field facial recognition technology for the purpose of deciding who can or cannot buy a product or service, attend a concert, or even enter a building absent a safety concern? Our expert panel will tackle these and related questions.
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There are legitimate concerns about the safety and well‐being of children online. This has stimulated the interest of policymakers, and numerous legislative and regulatory proposals are being debated. Like many areas, however, civil society—not government—likely holds the best solutions. Government intervention is a blunt instrument and will itself create additional problems—particularly in the areas of freedom of expression and privacy—as compared with individual solutions undertaken by parents and families themselves.
This virtual policy forum brings together policy and child safety experts to discuss the risks and benefits young people may experience online and the tools parents and policymakers can consider to encourage a positive online experience and respond to concerns that they may face without sacrificing speech or privacy more generally.
This panel explores the impacts and outcomes of critical social justice ideology on black wellbeing in k‑12 and higher ed. Starting in pre‑K and ending in the university, education that claims to empower students within a liberal arts education often seems disempowering and quite illiberal. This toxic tutelage, according to the team at Free Black Thought, does more harm than good. Hear members of Free Black Thought have a conversation on what needs to be done, what can be done, and what is already being done to combat the detriments of critical social justice pedagogy in our schools.
Panelists for this webinar include Dr. Tabia Lee, a founding member of Free Black Thought, Jason Littlefield, executive director of EmpowerED Pathways, Connie Morgan, author and UX researcher, and Erec Smith, associate professor of rhetoric at York College of Pennsylvania and visiting scholar at the Cato Institute.
Letters in Black and White is an epistolary correspondence between a white woman and black man who are both concerned with the condition of contemporary race relations. The book is a defense of classical liberalism as a guiding ideology for understanding and improving race in America. The authors object to the use of race as a rigid identity, especially in schools, universities, and the workplace. As Twyman starts his correspondence with Richmond: “There are 40,000,000 black individuals with 40,000,000 different stories. Not everyone can correspond with everyone else, but we can get to know and see each other as individuals.” And thus starts an extraordinary correspondence across the color line that sees these two strangers become friends as they wrestle with their different ideas; a diversity, equity, and inclusion bureaucracy; and a vocal illiberal minority on how to imagine a new American identity.
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In May 2018, the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) became effective. The immediate impact was seen in the millions of dollars and man hours spent on compliance; the loss of certain websites or services from the European Union, such as the Los Angeles Times; and changes to user experiences and privacy choices. Advocates of the GDPR have argued that the tradeoffs are worth it for improved cybersecurity and the increased privacy rights of EU citizens, but critics have pointed to the potential impact on other values, such as speech and innovation, and have questioned if the GDPR has actually led to improvements or just increased red tape.
Five years on, the impact of the GDPR on Americans and American companies as well as their European counterparts continues to be felt. As the United States debates its own potential federal data privacy law and sees an emerging patchwork of state laws, what lessons can we learn from the GDPR about benefits and consequences of data privacy regulation?
Join us for a discussion of Eric Claeys’s forthcoming book, Natural Property Rights (forthcoming, Cambridge University Press). The book introduces and defends a theory of property relying on labor, natural rights, and traditional principles of natural law. Justified on those grounds, property rights protect individual freedom, but they also help government officials resolve the basic resource conflicts that arise in property law. Natural Property Rights illustrates this with examples from real estate, oil and gas, tangible personal property, water rights, government regulatory and taking powers (and constitutional limits on those). Claeys’s work in this area was recently the focus of a symposium hosted by Texas A&M University’s Journal of Property Law.
Matthew Cavedon will respond by commenting on the historical context for John Locke’s work, on which Claeys relies. Cavedon will argue that Spanish Renaissance scholar Francisco Suárez offers nuances regarding the relationship between natural law and property rights that correct for deficiencies in Lockean theory.
The Association of American Medical Colleges projects a shortage of as many as 48,000 primary care physicians by 2034. Yet there are not enough residency positions for the number of medical school graduates. Missouri became the first state to address this problem by launching a new licensure category: assistant physician (AP). APs are essentially apprentice physicians. The reform lets graduates without a residency position provide primary care in clinics while enhancing their knowledge and skills. Six other states have passed similar laws: Arkansas, Kansas, Utah, Arizona, Louisiana, and Idaho.
Please join Kevin D. Dayaratna, PhD, a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation’s Center for Data Analysis;Keith J. Frederick, DO, a former Missouri legislator who spearheaded the country’s first AP law; and Lyman Wostrel, MD, a primary care physician practicing under Missouri’s AP law, to discuss this issue. Cato Institute senior fellow Jeffrey A. Singer, MD, will moderate the discussion.
On Sunday, May 14, NATO’s most controversial ally will hold perhaps its most fateful elections since its founding in 1923. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who has been ruling Turkey for 21 years in an increasingly authoritarian and erratic fashion, may win and drag the nation further toward dictatorship. But there is also a chance that the opposition may win, as the race is tight and as Turkey’s elections are still competitive despite dramatic deterioration in the country’s freedoms and rule of law.
Please join us for a discussion of what is at stake just two days prior to what may turn out to be a historic election for Turkey and East‐West relations.
Join us online for the launch of an inspiring new book from Anthony Sanders of the Institute for Justice, Baby Ninth Amendments: How Americans Embraced Unenumerated Rights and Why It Matters (University of Michigan Press, 2023). The book tells the unheralded story of how Americans carefully sought to protect liberty from overweening government by including in most state constitutions specific provisions (so‐called Baby Ninths) that expressly protect unenumerated rights.
Sanders explains why it is impossible to itemize every right a constitution should protect and shows that however many rights are specifically enumerated, other important rights will inevitably go unmentioned. So what is a constitutional drafter to do? Sanders argues that early in American history, a solution was advanced by drafters of state constitutions in the form of what he calls an “etcetera clause” that contains language borrowed directly from the Ninth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. As a result, two‐thirds of states today contain these “Baby Ninth Amendments” that even skeptics of unenumerated rights must not only acknowledge but also give meaningful substance to. This has important implications for state courts, which have thus far largely ignored these important provisions, and for the larger question of whether it is ever appropriate—or indeed even mandatory—for judges to protect unenumerated rights. The short answers, as Sanders makes clear, are yes and yes.
Clark Neily will talk with Sanders about his new book. Join us online on May 10 at noon.
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What is money? What makes money better or worse? And how can the past inform our future? Between the rise of cryptocurrencies and the risks posed by central bank digital currencies, these questions have become more important than ever. The Cato Institute is therefore pleased to welcome both Lawrence White and Dror Goldberg to present their latest books, Better Money: Gold, Fiat, or Bitcoin? and Easy Money: American Puritans and the Invention of Modern Currency, respectively, which seek to answer these questions and more.
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Does the future of environmental stewardship depend more on innovation or regulation? In Time to Think Small, Todd Myers argues that protecting the planet requires small, decentralized technologies, like smartphone apps, rather than sweeping top‐down government programs. The book explores how these brand‐new approaches are already helping to win some of the most important environmental struggles humanity faces, including fighting climate change, combating pollution in drinking water, protecting endangered animals, and keeping plastic out of the oceans. Personal technologies are transforming how we address environmental challenges by enhancing the power of individuals to conserve nature. This tremendous power is not only growing but also has the benefit of being independent of shifts in political leadership. And while governments act slowly, lightly regulated companies and nonprofits are comparatively nimble innovators in a marketplace of ideas. Can human ingenuity and free enterprise sidestep political gridlock, diplomatic friction, and bureaucracy to create solutions to our most pressing environmental problems?
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Over the span of 30 years, NATO went from an alliance of 16 states optimized to contain the Soviet Union to a grouping of 31 (soon to be 32) states spread across Europe, divided by threat perception and capability. In Evaluating NATO Enlargement: From Cold War Victory to the Russia‐Ukraine War, Cato nonresident senior fellow Joshua Shifrinson and coeditor Jim Goldgeier of the Brookings Institution capture the debates about the effects of NATO enlargement and the alliance’s impact on European and global security. On the eve of NATO’s annual summit and at a time when debates over NATO’s role in the Russia‐Ukraine war hang over international politics, please join us for an online book forum with Shifrinson, Goldgeier, and two of the volume’s contributors for a discussion of how NATO enlargement has affected U.S. national security, transatlantic politics, and relations with Moscow.
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Recently, De Anza Community College fired Tabia Lee as its faculty director for the Office of Equity, Social Justice and Multicultural Education for taking an inclusive and dialogical approach to her job that did not align with the school’s particular version of social justice. What makes this different from others who have lost their jobs for not toeing this ideological line? Lee is black, and she was accused of being a white supremacist. Erec Smith of York College of Pennsylvania has also been vilified for questioning the efficacies of contemporary anti‐racist theories and practices.
In this online forum, Lee and Smith will discuss their experiences and theorizations about being black academics who embrace classical liberal values in academic spaces that seem to grow increasingly hostile to such views, especially from people of color. As cofounders of Free Black Thought, an organization that celebrates viewpoint diversity among black Americans, their perspective may provide a different and nuanced understanding of social justice and anti‐racist initiatives in higher education (and beyond).
For longer than modern health insurance has existed—and nearly as long as there has been a federal income tax—the federal tax code has treated employee health benefits differently from cash compensation. Cash compensation is subject to income and payroll taxes. When employers instead pay workers with health insurance, that compensation avoids both types of tax.
Economists have argued for decades that Congress should limit or eliminate the tax exclusion for employer‐sponsored health insurance. They argue that the exclusion distorts labor and health care markets, such as by increasing medical prices and health insurance premiums. Some say the exclusion is the single most harmful federal intervention in health care. Others say it is simply a tax cut that benefits workers by making health care coverage more accessible.
Please join our panel of experts to explore the impact of the tax exclusion and whether Congress should reform or end it.
The United States has expansive goals in Europe, the Middle East, and the Indo‐Pacific, and spends nearly a trillion dollars per year on defense. Yet the strategy is still arguably insolvent. Former Acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller argues that the defense budget should be cut dramatically to support a fundamentally different grand strategy. Please join Secretary Miller and Justin Logan, Cato’s director of defense and foreign policy studies, for a conversation on defense budgets and strategy.
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Few 20th‐century figures have had as much impact, and been so criticized, as Friedrich Hayek—Nobel Prize‐winning economist, social theorist, leader of the Austrian School of Economics, and champion of classical liberalism.
In Hayek: A Life, historians of economics Bruce Caldwell and Hansjoerg Klausinger draw on never‐before‐seen archival and family material to produce an authoritative account of Hayek’s first five decades. This includes portrayals of his early career in Vienna; his relationships in London and Cambridge; his family disputes; and definitive accounts of the creation of The Road to Serfdom and of the founding meeting of the Mont Pèlerin Society.
Senator Tim Kaine (D‑VA) will conclude the event with a keynote address covering the efforts to repeal the 1991 and 2002 Authorizations for the Use of Military Force against Iraq.
On March 20th, 2003, the United States and an allied coalition launched a bombing campaign against Iraq and began the Iraq War to overthrow Saddam Hussein. A protracted campaign led to U.S. occupation and nation‐building long after the fall and capture of Hussein. Twenty years later, the Cato Institute invites you to join us for a discussion about the war and the state of affairs today.
Our first panel examines the political climate and context surrounding the run‐up to war in 2002–2003. To what extent was the debate surrounding the war characterized by groupthink? Does the phrase “marketplace of ideas” accurately describe that debate? What were the major factors shaping that debate, and what were their effects?
Our second panel contrasts the climate of opinion in politics and media today with that of 2002–2003. Is there more debate surrounding U.S. foreign policy today than there was then? Why or why not? Are there meaningful constraints on executive action in foreign policy from Congress, the media, or elsewhere? What are the keys to a productive debate about security policy?
On March 20th, 2003, the United States and an allied coalition launched a bombing campaign against Iraq and began the Iraq War to overthrow Saddam Hussein. A protracted campaign led to U.S. occupation and nation‐building long after the fall and capture of Hussein. Twenty years later, the Cato Institute invites you to join us for a discussion about the war and the state of affairs today.
Our first panel examines the political climate and context surrounding the run‐up to war in 2002–2003. To what extent was the debate surrounding the war characterized by groupthink? Does the phrase “marketplace of ideas” accurately describe that debate? What were the major factors shaping that debate, and what were their effects?
Our second panel contrasts the climate of opinion in politics and media today with that of 2002–2003. Is there more debate surrounding U.S. foreign policy today than there was then? Why or why not? Are there meaningful constraints on executive action in foreign policy from Congress, the media, or elsewhere? What are the keys to a productive debate about security policy?
Parents and pundits have expressed concerns about the online content young people are consuming as well as their overall online experience. Policymakers have responded by introducing various regulatory proposals they feel will improve children and teenagers’ online safety. For example, President Biden highlighted the impact of technology on young people and expressed a desire to improve their online privacy in his State of the Union address in February. Legislative proposals focused on improving child online safety have been introduced in the United Kingdom, Congress, and various U.S. states, but there are also concerns that these proposals will negatively impact online speech and privacy. Are these proposals a solution to children’s online safety, or do they create new issues for parents and young people? Join us as we discuss these policy developments and their potential consequences.
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As deaths from drug overdoses and drug‐related diseases continue increasing, policymakers in cities across the United States have become more willing to consider implementing overdose prevention centers (OPCs) as the next step toward a more effective harm reduction strategy. For more than 30 years, OPCs have prevented overdose deaths, HIV and hepatitis, and other diseases and helped people with substance use disorder find treatment. OPCs, also known as safe consumption sites or drug consumption rooms, began in Europe in the mid‐1980s. Governments and harm reduction organizations now operate OPCs in 16 developed countries, including many European countries, Canada, Mexico, and Australia. Unfortunately, a federal law that prosecutors and harm reduction opponents call the “crack house” statute makes them illegal in the United States. Yet New York City sanctions two such facilities in defiance of federal law.
Joining us to discuss the worldwide experience with OPCs, and to share data and experiences at sanctioned OPCs in North America, are Chelsea Boyd, research fellow in the R Street Institute’s integrated harm reduction program; Darwin Fisher, Senior Program Manager at PHS Community Services Society in Vancouver, British Columbia, and manager of Insite, North America’s oldest sanctioned overdose prevention center; and Kailin See, Senior Director of Programs for OnPoint NYC and program and development lead for New York City’s two sanctioned overdose prevention centers, the first approved OPCs in the United States. Cato Institute senior fellow Jeffrey A. Singer will moderate the discussion.
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Interest in central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) has dramatically increased over the past few years. What was once limited to passing ideas in academic papers has now become a leading policy discussion. Yet with it has also come a growing concern for the future of freedom. Will CBDCs spell doom for financial privacy? Do they pose a fundamental threat to the banking system? And how should policymakers think about the future of money?
The Cato Institute is pleased to welcome Representative Tom Emmer (R‑MN) to provide an opening address as the first member of Congress to introduce legislation prohibiting the Fed from launching a retail CBDC. Following Rep. Emmer’s address, Norbert Michel, vice president and director of the Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives at Cato, will moderate a panel discussion with Greg Baer, Christina Skinner, Christian Kameir, and Nicholas Anthony. Come join us on March 9 for this important conversation.
Freedom of the press is a cornerstone of our democratic political system. But reporters, pundits, and editors face intense pressure to adopt and amplify government messages in their coverage of U.S. foreign policy. In Unreliable Watchdog, Ted Galen Carpenter focuses on the nature and extent of the American news media’s willingness to accept official accounts and policy justifications, too often throwing skepticism aside. Unreliable Watchdog jump‐starts a badly needed conversation about how the press must improve its coverage of foreign policy and national security issues if it is to serve its proper role for the American people. Join us as the author and discussant explore why so many journalists―as well as social media platforms―seem willing to collaborate with government officials in pushing an activist foreign policy.
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On February 21, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Gonzalez v. Google, a case that risks reshaping the internet for the worse. In Gonzalez, plaintiffs have sued Google, the parent company of YouTube, alleging that YouTube’s algorithms aided terrorist recruitment by helping would‐be terrorists find radicalizing videos. They argue that YouTube’s video “recommendations” are distinct from publishing and thus unprotected by Section 230. If accepted, their argument would expose many websites’ algorithmic matching features to litigation. This will be the first time the Supreme Court interprets Section 230, the bedrock intermediary liability shield that enables the modern internet, and whatever the court decides will echo throughout the web.
Join our panelists Thomas Berry, Jess Miers, Nicole Saad Bembridge, and Gabrielle Shea for a discussion of the oral arguments in Gonzalez, moderated by Will Duffield. We will explain the implications of the case and attempt to read the tea leaves of justices’ reactions and remarks.
Personal and financial privacy are key components of life in free societies, where individuals enjoy—or at least should enjoy—a private sphere free of government involvement, surveillance, and control. However, laws that were written before the digital era now result in financial institutions collecting untold amounts of consumer data to which the government has easy—and often unfettered—access, intruding on Americans’ financial privacy and endangering their Fourth Amendment rights.
The root of this problem is the Bank Secrecy Act of 1970 (BSA) and its later amendments, including those in the Patriot Act of 2001. The BSA now forms the basis of an extensive—and costly—regulatory framework that forces private financial companies to act as law enforcement agents. The evidence shows that this framework has placed major burdens on law‐abiding Americans but has not significantly reduced criminal activity.
Is it time to rethink how financial privacy is treated in the digital era? Join us for an outstanding panel discussion—moderated by Fox News Analyst Kat Timpf—featuring Norbert Michel, Jennifer Schulp, and Aaron Klein. Representative John Rose (R‑TN) will provide introductory remarks to kick off the event. Rep. Rose introduced the Bank Privacy Reform Act, a bill that would keep the Bank Secrecy Act’s record‐keeping requirements intact but prevent the government from accessing consumers’ transaction history without first obtaining a warrant, thus reaffirming the Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches and seizures.
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Can I teach that book? What kind of reaction am I going to get from my administration or parents if I do? Is it worth the hassle?
Across the country, educators are struggling with an evolving and confusing landscape when it comes to what they can teach. The number of banned and challenged books is skyrocketing. Some teachers have been told to hide or remove their classroom libraries out of fear of violating the law. Unsurprisingly, this has left educators afraid and confused.
Sphere Education Initiatives is pleased to welcome Jonathan Friedman, Director of Free Expression and Education Programs at PEN America, for our webinar Challenging Classroom Conversations: Banned and Challenged Books to discuss his research on banned and challenged books in America, what’s driving this phenomenon, and how educators can respond during these confusing times. Join us on Wednesday, February 15th from 7:30 – 9:00 Eastern for this timely and important conversation.
Following the opening conversation on banned and challenged books, there will be a professional development workshop introducing Sphere’s latest classroom resource, “Practicing Civil Discourse Through Literature.” Elyse Alter, Content Development Manager for Sphere Education Initiatives, will be joined by Stephanie Hasty, the author of the resource and an English Language Arts instructor, to discuss the role of civil discourse in the ELA classroom, preview some of the materials, and discuss ways to practically respond to the specter of banned and challenged books in your community.
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The Cato Institute is pleased to welcome South Dakota governor Kristi Noem Thursday, February 16, from 11 a.m. to noon for a panel discussion with Cato senior fellow Jeffrey Singer, MD, on what the COVID-19 pandemic taught us about how to deal with a public health emergency and the need for health care regulatory reform.
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The Cato Institute is pleased to welcome Iowa governor Kim Reynolds this Friday, February 10, from 11 AM–noon for a panel discussion with Chris Edwards, Kilts Family Chair in Fiscal Studies and primary author of the Fiscal Policy Report Card on America’s Governors, and Neal McCluskey, the director of Cato’s Center for Educational Freedom.
Governor Reynolds received the highest score on the Report Card in 2022. She has been a lean budgeter and dedicated tax reformer since entering office in 2017. She slashed the Iowa corporate income tax from 9.8 percent to 5.5 percent, and she transformed the individual income tax from a nine‐bracket system with a top rate of 8.98 percent to a 3.9 percent flat tax.
Edwards and the governor will cover the importance of tax reform in today’s competitive economy and the challenges of restraining spending, and balancing an annual state budget. McCluskey and the governor will discuss education policy and school choice.
ince September 2022, when the 22‐year‐old woman Mahsa Amini died at the hands of “religion police,” Iran has been shaken by massive anti‐regime demonstrations. The protestors demand freedom from an authoritarian regime that has ruled in the name of religion since 1979. Do they have a chance? Or is the Islamic republic strong enough to survive for the foreseeable future? And what are the lessons from Iran for other Muslim‐majority nations, where the role of religion in public life keeps being contested?
Cato fellow Sahar Khan will moderate and Mustafa Akyol will discuss these questions with Mohamad Machine‐Chian, an Iranian intellectual who has been on the forefront of the freedom movement within the Islamic republic and who only recently moved to the United States. He has personally experienced the regime’s brutality and has studied both its structure and also its critics. Come join us on January 25 for this important conversation.
Joining Sphere Education Initiatives for this conversation will be a trio of experts: John Malcolm, vice president for the Institute for Constitutional Government and director of the Meese Center for Legal and Judicial Studies at the Heritage Foundation, Demetrius Minor, national manager of Conservatives Concerned About the Death Penalty, and Clark Neily, senior vice president for legal studies at the Cato Institute.
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The bankruptcy of centralized crypto exchange FTX has led to congressional hearings and calls to further scrutinize and regulate cryptocurrency and decentralized finance (DeFi). But how does DeFi compare to centralized or traditional finance in terms of its risks and benefits, and how should regulation take into account these distinctions? This panel will explore what it means for financial instruments and exchanges, as well as networked organizations, to be decentralized, the proper role of regulators when confronting decentralized financial markets, and the future of financial technology policy and innovation. Please join us for an in‐person lunch, or online, to hear from a panel featuring Linda Jeng, Dane Lund, and Tiffany J. Smith in discussion with Jack Solowey, hosted by Jennifer Schulp.
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Public schooling has always been a site of social conflict, with diverse people forced to contend with each other to determine what the schools for which they all must pay will teach. But something seems to have changed in the past few years, with battles feeling more heated than ever before.
In this forum, historian Jonathan Zimmerman will discuss the newly revised, 20th anniversary edition of his book Whose America: Culture Wars in the Public Schools, which dives into both historical conflicts and our present‐day battles and contemplates how to find common ground. He will be joined by Cato Center for Educational
Freedom Director Neal McCluskey, whose own new book, The Fractured Schoolhouse: Reexamining Education for a Free, Equal, and Harmonious Society, contemplates much of the conflict Zimmerman has chronicled and suggests that educational choice offers the best hope for peace and unity.
Sphere Education Initiatives and iCivics are excited to invite you to a free professional development webinar on “Students, Teachers, and Free Speech”to be held over Zoom from 7:30 – 9:00 pm Eastern on December 13th. As we approach Bill of Rights Day, join educators from across the country and leading experts on the Constitution and the Supreme Court to learn more about the history of free speech cases and the impact they have on you as an educator.
Our featured panelists include Thomas A. Berry, a research fellow in the Cato Institute’s Robert A. Levy Center for Constitutional Studies and managing editor of the Cato Supreme Court Review, Linda R. Monk, constitutional scholar and author of The Bill of Rights: A User’s Guide, and Julie Silverbrook, Senior Director of Partnerships and Constitutional Scholar in Residence at iCivics.
Rochelle Walensky, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said, “For 75 years, CDC and public health have been preparing for COVID-19, and in our big moment, our performance did not reliably meet expectations.” She announced plans to “reset” the agency by restructuring its communications team, changing its organizational structure, and emphasizing applied rather than academic scientific research.
Where did the CDC fail, and where did it succeed in responding to the COVID pandemic? Did the agency’s leadership suffer from politicization and groupthink? Is the Director’s proposed “reset” enough of a reform? Are there other systematic agency failures that reformers should remedy? Joining us to discuss these and other questions are Martin A. Makary, MD, MPH, Professor of Surgery at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Professor of Health Policy and Management at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health; Ari N. Schulman, editor of The New Atlantis, and The New Atlantis Books; and Ronald A. Bailey, science correspondent for Reason Magazine and an adjunct scholar at the Cato Institute. The discussion will be moderated by Cato Institute senior fellow Jeffrey A. Singer, MD.
In recent decades, estimates of Chinese defense spending have varied wildly. Recognizing that market exchange rates cannot provide the best picture of Chinese defense spending on their own, analysts began using a blend of purchasing power parity and market exchange rates to represent Chinese military expenditures. With no agreed‐on methodology, however, estimates have ranged from roughly $250 billion to near $600 billion. Since the Defense Department has identified China as the “pacing challenge” for the United States, the size and shape of China’s military has significant implications for the U.S. defense budget, U.S.-Chinese relations, and the future of security in Asia. Please join our panel for a wide‐ranging discussion of how best to represent China’s growing military power.
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Environmental, social, and governance—or ESG—has captured the attention of the financial world. From large inflows to investment funds that market themselves as ESG‐friendly to battles over ESG‐framed shareholder proposals, ESG cannot be ignored. But what is ESG? Will it leave a lasting mark on financial regulation? Is ESG changing corporate governance? What role should ESG play in investment decisions? Should ESG be considered in assessing financial stability? Join us for an outstanding program featuring leading policymakers and experts discussing ESG and the future of financial regulation at Cato’s eighth annual Summit on Financial Regulation.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Environmental, social, and governance—or ESG—has captured the attention of the financial world. From large inflows to investment funds that market themselves as ESG‐friendly to battles over ESG‐framed shareholder proposals, ESG cannot be ignored. But what is ESG? Will it leave a lasting mark on financial regulation? Is ESG changing corporate governance? What role should ESG play in investment decisions? Should ESG be considered in assessing financial stability? Join us for an outstanding program featuring leading policymakers and experts discussing ESG and the future of financial regulation at Cato’s eighth annual Summit on Financial Regulation.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Environmental, social, and governance—or ESG—has captured the attention of the financial world. From large inflows to investment funds that market themselves as ESG‐friendly to battles over ESG‐framed shareholder proposals, ESG cannot be ignored. But what is ESG? Will it leave a lasting mark on financial regulation? Is ESG changing corporate governance? What role should ESG play in investment decisions? Should ESG be considered in assessing financial stability? Join us for an outstanding program featuring leading policymakers and experts discussing ESG and the future of financial regulation at Cato’s eighth annual Summit on Financial Regulation.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Environmental, social, and governance—or ESG—has captured the attention of the financial world. From large inflows to investment funds that market themselves as ESG‐friendly to battles over ESG‐framed shareholder proposals, ESG cannot be ignored. But what is ESG? Will it leave a lasting mark on financial regulation? Is ESG changing corporate governance? What role should ESG play in investment decisions? Should ESG be considered in assessing financial stability? Join us for an outstanding program featuring leading policymakers and experts discussing ESG and the future of financial regulation at Cato’s eighth annual Summit on Financial Regulation.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Environmental, social, and governance—or ESG—has captured the attention of the financial world. From large inflows to investment funds that market themselves as ESG‐friendly to battles over ESG‐framed shareholder proposals, ESG cannot be ignored. But what is ESG? Will it leave a lasting mark on financial regulation? Is ESG changing corporate governance? What role should ESG play in investment decisions? Should ESG be considered in assessing financial stability? Join us for an outstanding program featuring leading policymakers and experts discussing ESG and the future of financial regulation at Cato’s eighth annual Summit on Financial Regulation.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Critics of libertarianism argue that it is an ideology created by and for privileged white men. But the modern libertarian movement was founded and kept alive thanks to the writings and advocacy of three unstoppable women: Isabel Paterson, a literary critic; Rose Wilder Lane, a journalist; and Ayn Rand, a philosophical immigrant.
In 1943, Paterson published The God in the Machine, Lane The Discovery of Freedom, and Rand The Fountainhead. These three books changed the course of libertarianism in the United States.
Timothy Sandefur’s new book Freedom’s Furies tells the story of how this trio created a movement based on the principles of individualism and individual rights. Debunking the stereotypes of libertarians, Sandefur shows how these women inspired future generations to fight for freedom.
Please join us for an introduction to Freedom’s Furies by Timothy Sandefur and interim director of Libertarianism.org Paul Meany, followed by a discussion featuring Libertarian activist Carla Howell, Reason Magazine’s Elizabeth Nolan Brown, and Kat Murti from the Cato Institute.
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With massive U.S. debt and deficits, inflation at a 40‐year high, and popular/political pressure for expanding the Fed’s mandate, it’s time to assess the Fed’s performance and future. Please join leading scholars and policymakers to discuss “The State of Monetary Policy after 40 Years.”
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
With massive U.S. debt and deficits, inflation at a 40‐year high, and popular/political pressure for expanding the Fed’s mandate, it’s time to assess the Fed’s performance and future. Please join leading scholars and policymakers to discuss “The State of Monetary Policy after 40 Years.”
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
With massive U.S. debt and deficits, inflation at a 40‐year high, and popular/political pressure for expanding the Fed’s mandate, it’s time to assess the Fed’s performance and future. Please join leading scholars and policymakers to discuss “The State of Monetary Policy after 40 Years.”
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
With massive U.S. debt and deficits, inflation at a 40‐year high, and popular/political pressure for expanding the Fed’s mandate, it’s time to assess the Fed’s performance and future. Please join leading scholars and policymakers to discuss “The State of Monetary Policy after 40 Years.”
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Join Sphere Education Initiatives in advance of the election for a professional development webinar on Election Reform and the Midterm Election. Held via Zoom on November 1st from 7:30 – 9:00 pm eastern, we’ll hear from a panel of experts on the Electoral Count Act, a major legislative initiative in Congress that aims to modernize federal law around presidential elections, particularly in response to the events of January 6th.
Joining Sphere will be Andy Craig, staff writer for the Cato Institute, Kevin Kosar, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, and Genevieve Nadeau, counsel for Protect Democracy. These experts will consider some of the events of January 6th and the need for Congressional action, the proposed legislation, and some of the broader issues around election reform. In addition to our panel conversation, David Olson of Retro Report will offer a professional development workshop on their Midterm Elections Collection, a suite of videos and classroom resources for teaching about Midterm Elections in your classroom.
t his 2022 State of the Union address, President Biden focused the nation’s attention on “a national mental health crisis.” Mood disorders and suicidal thoughts and behaviors have been rising at alarming levels for years. The pandemic and government‐mandated lockdowns increased anxiety, isolation, and despair while also reducing access to mental health services. Approximately 40 percent of Americans currently cannot access mental health services, particularly services requiring drug‐based therapy.
Clinical psychologists can play a greater role in meeting those needs. Some federal agencies, five states, and the territory of Guam authorize competent clinical psychologists to prescribe medications that affect mood and mental functions. Those jurisdictions refer to such psychologists as prescribing psychologists, medical psychologists, or RxPs. However, most states prohibit competent clinical psychologists from prescribing such medication. To address the mental health crisis, should state lawmakers expand the scope of practice of competent clinical psychologists to include prescribing?
Joining us to discuss this are Dr. Beth Rom‐Rymer, a clinical psychologist, chair and president of the board of directors of the National Register of Health Service Psychologists, and CEO of the Illinois Association of Prescribing Psychologists; Dr. Rebecca Weintraub Brendel, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, director of the master’s degree program at Harvard Medical School’s Center for Bioethics, and president and distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatric Association; Dr. Thomas D. Lee, a psychiatrist at the Ascension Alexian Brothers Center for Mental Health in Arlington, Illinois, who supervises psychology fellows in the Ascension RxP Fellowship Program; and Dr. Claudia Mosier, a prescribing psychologist licensed in Illinois and Louisiana. The discussion will be moderated by Cato Institute senior fellow Jeffrey A. Singer, MD.
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The public’s reliance on social media platforms has created new opportunities for censorship by proxy, despite the First Amendment’s prohibition on government speech regulation. Will Duffield’s recent policy analysis “Jawboning against Speech: How Government Bullying Shapes the Rules of Social Media” details how government officials increasingly use informal pressure to compel the suppression of disfavored speakers on platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
However, the specifics of this bullying, and what to do about it, remain contested. Does jawboning require a threat? When can coordination between platforms and government be voluntary? Solutions to jawboning must respect platforms’ rights and cannot inhibit congressional debate. What, then, can be done?
Please join Will Duffield, Adam Kovacevich, and Jenin Younes at the Cato Institute or online for a conversation about this novel threat to free speech.
In 2001 there were only 12 private school choice programs in the country, including vouchers, tax credit scholarships, and personal tax credits and deductions. College prices were rising at “crisis” rates and calls for “free” government pre‐kindergarten were regularly heard. During that same year, the idea to create Cato’s Center for Educational Freedom (CEF) was born, and in 2002 CEF came to life.
In this special event, we will examine the changing state of American education over the past 20 years. What has improved? What has gotten worse? What has CEF’s impact been? And what might the next 20 years have in store?
We hope you’ll join CEF analysts and friends past and present as they tackle 20 years of change in American education.
The January 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol and the related attempt to overturn the election results featured elements of three white supremacist or militia‐type elements: the Oath Keepers, the Three Percenters, and the Proud Boys. The rise of such groups was a cause for concern well before January 6, and that concern has only intensified since.
What has not received as much attention is the reaction from the far left to these developments.
Groups such as the Socialist Rifle Association, Latino Rifle Association, Yellow Peril Tactical, and the multichapter John Brown Gun Clubs are populated with Americans with decidedly leftist—and even Marxist—political outlooks. Coupled with a facility with the latest versions of the popular AR-15 sporting rifle, precision rifle optics, body armor, and other gear normally seen on police or military personnel, they offer—in their own words—a direct response to the likes of the Patriot Front, Proud Boys, and anti‐LGTBQ activists. These developments raise the specter of lethal confrontations between such armed right‐wing and left‐wing groups.
How numerous are these ideologically oriented armed elements? What are the key political, legal, and social drivers leading to their formation and activities? How does the patchwork of federal, state, and local laws govern this kind of activity? Is the American political and judicial system capable of preventing these groups from becoming an endemic threat to public safety and the functioning of our republic? Join us as our expert panel delves into these and related issues.
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We typically think of school choice as something that benefits students by helping them find the educational options that work best for them. But teachers also benefit from more options. In the past, the vast majority of teaching jobs have been in conventional public schools. But educational entrepreneurship—encouraged by expanded school choice programs—is changing the landscape.
A recent Morning Consult teacher survey found high levels of support for a variety of school choice programs. For education savings accounts, which let parents use a portion of state education funding for a variety of education‐related expenses, 76 percent of teachers expressed support—including 73 percent of district school teachers.
But many teachers are unfamiliar with school choice programs and alternative education opportunities or don’t realize how they can benefit from these options. Red tape, lack of autonomy, and inability to serve kids’ needs are some of teachers’ biggest complaints. School choice would help solve each of those problems.
The Cato Institute will be hosting a virtual panel of former public school teachers sharing their experiences within a variety of teaching environments. This will be an opportunity for teachers to learn about other options and see how they can create their own paths with nearly limitless possibilities.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
We typically think of school choice as something that benefits students by helping them find the educational options that work best for them. But teachers also benefit from more options. In the past, the vast majority of teaching jobs have been in conventional public schools. But educational entrepreneurship—encouraged by expanded school choice programs—is changing the landscape.
A recent Morning Consult teacher survey found high levels of support for a variety of school choice programs. For education savings accounts, which let parents use a portion of state education funding for a variety of education‐related expenses, 76 percent of teachers expressed support—including 73 percent of district school teachers.
But many teachers are unfamiliar with school choice programs and alternative education opportunities or don’t realize how they can benefit from these options. Red tape, lack of autonomy, and inability to serve kids’ needs are some of teachers’ biggest complaints. School choice would help solve each of those problems.
The Cato Institute will be hosting a virtual panel of former public school teachers sharing their experiences within a variety of teaching environments. This will be an opportunity for teachers to learn about other options and see how they can create their own paths with nearly limitless possibilities.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In the more than 50 years that the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) has been on the books, it has helped revolutionize Americans’ understanding of how their government works in practice. But the agencies and departments of the executive branch that are covered by the FOIA have persistently attempted to thwart its effective implementation.
The most recent statutory update to FOIA took place in 2016, and with several years of experience with the revised law behind us, it’s fair to ask: Is FOIA working better now? If not, why not? What is it like to battle federal agencies and departments weekly to pry loose information dealing with immigration policy, telecommunications policy, and the national security establishment? What additional changes to FOIA are needed to truly make the law work as intended? Join our expert panel as we discuss these and related issues.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In the more than 50 years that the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) has been on the books, it has helped revolutionize Americans’ understanding of how their government works in practice. But the agencies and departments of the executive branch that are covered by the FOIA have persistently attempted to thwart its effective implementation.
The most recent statutory update to FOIA took place in 2016, and with several years of experience with the revised law behind us, it’s fair to ask: Is FOIA working better now? If not, why not? What is it like to battle federal agencies and departments weekly to pry loose information dealing with immigration policy, telecommunications policy, and the national security establishment? What additional changes to FOIA are needed to truly make the law work as intended? Join our expert panel as we discuss these and related issues.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
With massive U.S. debt and deficits, inflation at a 40‐year high, and popular/political pressure for expanding the Fed’s mandate, it’s time to assess the Fed’s performance and future. Please join leading scholars and policymakers to discuss “The State of Monetary Policy after 40 Years.”
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
With massive U.S. debt and deficits, inflation at a 40‐year high, and popular/political pressure for expanding the Fed’s mandate, it’s time to assess the Fed’s performance and future. Please join leading scholars and policymakers to discuss “The State of Monetary Policy after 40 Years.”
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Racial classification is ubiquitous in American life. Job applications, university admissions, government contracts, and much more involve checking a box stating whether one is black, white, Asian, Hispanic, or Native American.
David Bernstein has written a surprising and revealing book on how these classifications came about, with the federal government playing a leading role. It asks:
- Should Pakistani, Chinese, and Filipino Americans be in the same category despite obvious differences in culture, appearance, religion, and more?
- Why does the government not allow Americans to classify themselves as biracial or multiracial?
- How did a dark‐complexioned, burka‐wearing Muslim Yemeni come to be classified as generically white while a blond‐haired, blue‐eyed newcomer is classified as minority if arriving from a country where Spanish is spoken?
- Why does the government require biomedical researchers to classify study participants by official racial categories that have no scientific basis?
Bernstein’s provocative book ends with a call for a separation of race and state. Commenting will be Jane Coaston, host of the New York Times’s podcast The Argument, and Prof. Robert Cottrol, a scholar of race and legal history at George Washington University Law School.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Racial classification is ubiquitous in American life. Job applications, university admissions, government contracts, and much more involve checking a box stating whether one is black, white, Asian, Hispanic, or Native American.
David Bernstein has written a surprising and revealing book on how these classifications came about, with the federal government playing a leading role. It asks:
- Should Pakistani, Chinese, and Filipino Americans be in the same category despite obvious differences in culture, appearance, religion, and more?
- Why does the government not allow Americans to classify themselves as biracial or multiracial?
- How did a dark‐complexioned, burka‐wearing Muslim Yemeni come to be classified as generically white while a blond‐haired, blue‐eyed newcomer is classified as minority if arriving from a country where Spanish is spoken?
- Why does the government require biomedical researchers to classify study participants by official racial categories that have no scientific basis?
Bernstein’s provocative book ends with a call for a separation of race and state. Commenting will be Jane Coaston, host of the New York Times’s podcast The Argument, and Prof. Robert Cottrol, a scholar of race and legal history at George Washington University Law School.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Generations of people have been taught that population growth makes resources scarcer. In 2021, for example, one widely publicized report argued, “The world’s rapidly growing population is consuming the planet’s natural resources at an alarming rate.… The world currently needs 1.6 Earths to satisfy the demand for natural resources … [a figure that] could rise to 2 planets by 2030.” But is that true? After analyzing the prices of hundreds of commodities, goods, and services spanning two centuries, Marian Tupy and Gale Pooley found that resources became more abundant as the population grew. That was especially true when they looked at “time prices,” which represent the length of time that people must work to buy something. The authors also found that resource abundance increased faster than the population―a relationship that they call “superabundance.” They conclude that, on average, every additional human being creates more value than he or she consumes. Please join us for the official launch of Cato’s latest book: Superabundance: The Story of Population Growth, Innovation, and Human Flourishing on an Infinitely Bountiful Planet.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Generations of people have been taught that population growth makes resources scarcer. In 2021, for example, one widely publicized report argued, “The world’s rapidly growing population is consuming the planet’s natural resources at an alarming rate.… The world currently needs 1.6 Earths to satisfy the demand for natural resources … [a figure that] could rise to 2 planets by 2030.” But is that true? After analyzing the prices of hundreds of commodities, goods, and services spanning two centuries, Marian Tupy and Gale Pooley found that resources became more abundant as the population grew. That was especially true when they looked at “time prices,” which represent the length of time that people must work to buy something. The authors also found that resource abundance increased faster than the population―a relationship that they call “superabundance.” They conclude that, on average, every additional human being creates more value than he or she consumes. Please join us for the official launch of Cato’s latest book: Superabundance: The Story of Population Growth, Innovation, and Human Flourishing on an Infinitely Bountiful Planet.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The virus that causes COVID-19 has now become endemic after it first emerged two and a half years ago. In the pandemic’s early days, many countries’ public health officials curtailed economic and social activity to various degrees, prescribed social distancing, enforced lockdowns, required masking, and pushed for other nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) to reduce illness and death. Those NPIs imposed an enormous economic and social cost by greatly reducing individual liberty in exchange for promised health benefits. Elsewhere, most famously in Sweden, public health officials were fiercely criticized for implementing less‐harsh “light touch” NPI measures. Sweden’s approach presents a fascinating quasi‐natural experiment to evaluate the merits and demerits of the more liberal approach to managing the COVID-19 pandemic and to evaluate whether the loss in personal and economic freedom was partly compensated by a decrease in illness and death. Sweden’s outcomes on viral spread, excess mortality, and the socioeconomic consequences of COVID-19 compare well with other countries and suggest that strict NPI policies imposed more harm than good.
Joining us to discuss how well Sweden’s approach worked are Jeanne Lenzer, an independent investigative journalist and regular contributor to The BMJ who has studied this issue; Vinay Prasad, MD, MPH, an epidemiologist and public health policy analyst who is an associate professor at University of California San Francisco School of Medicine; Jay Bhattacharya, MD, PhD, professor of medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine and coauthor of the Great Barrington Declaration that urged a pandemic policy of “focused protection”; and Johan Norberg, senior fellow at the Cato Institute, who resides in Stockholm, Sweden, and has studied as well as experienced his country’s pandemic policy. The discussion will be moderated by Cato Institute senior fellow Jeffrey A. Singer.
Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.
Planning difficult conversations in your classroom this year? Join us for the last of our Summer with Sphere webinar series and learn techniques and how to plan for these conversations. Hear from a MS and HS teacher on how they prepare their students for civil discourse in their classes.
Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.
Since the early years of the Trump administration, “great power competition” has been Washington’s go‐to formula to describe its approach to foreign policy. The concept holds that Russia and China represent the biggest challenge to U.S. interests and demands a robust, competitive policy response. In a new book, Ali Wyne lays out a thoughtful critique of great power competition and proposes an alternative guiding framework for U.S. foreign policy that is proactive instead of reactive, mindful of the limits of Russian and Chinese power, and leaves greater room for great power cooperation on common threats. Please join us for a discussion with the author and a panel of experts.
Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Taliban has held power in Afghanistan for one year. While the United States and its allies maintain sanctions on the group, Afghans are living through a humanitarian and economic disaster. The Taliban has made several promises, such as offering amnesty to soldiers who were members of the Afghan National Security Forces, working toward an “Afghan Islamic–inclusive government,” engaging other stakeholders in a “transition council,” and allowing girls to attend schools. However, the group also “grossly violated” its commitment not to give shelter to al Qaeda, according to the Biden administration, by allowing Ayman al‐Zawahiri to stay in a safe house in Kabul. What does the Taliban’s evolution (if any) mean for U.S. policy? Does the United States have tools available to push the group in the direction policymakers want it to go? What U.S. interests remain in Afghanistan? To discuss these questions, please join our distinguished panel of experts.
Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.
More than a decade ago, Tunisia’s Jasmine Revolution gave hope to the Arab world, showing oppressed peoples that longtime dictators can be peacefully ousted. That hope soon failed, brutally, in Egypt, Syria, and Yemen, but Tunisia kept on track throughout the 2010s, proving to be the best democratic hope in an otherwise autocratic and turbulent Middle East.
Yet since July 2021, Tunisia’s trajectory has taken an increasingly worrisome reversal as well. President Kais Saied suspended the parliament, claimed all executive power, prohibited public gatherings, arrested political opponents, and imposed travel bans. As Cato senior fellow Doug Bandow recently observed on a visit to Tunisia, this authoritarian turn risks the freedoms Tunisians have been enjoying in the past 10 years and can throw the country back to arbitrary rule by a strongman. The change is concerning for the broader Arab and Muslim world, where Tunisia used to be a rare example and source of inspiration. Join us as we discuss these changes and what Tunisia’s future may hold.
Why did those opposed to or in favor of the Constitution write under pseudonyms? Why did Occupy Wall Street protestors wear Guy Fawkes masks? Why do so many people seek to maintain a level of anonymity in their online activities—including web surfing and posting on social media? In the debate over the right to conceal one’s identity versus the potential harms of anonymity, is it possible to strike a constitutionally sound balance? In his latest book, The United States of Anonymous: How the First Amendment Shaped Online Speech, Jeff Kosseff tackles these and other questions through primary‐source research and interviews with participants in the debates, as well as through court cases that have shaped the current legal and political climate impacting anonymous speech and the First Amendment. Join us for a discussion about Jeff Kosseff’s timely new book.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has produced big changes in NATO and EU states. But shock at Russia’s aggression and fear of its future intentions seem to point in one direction, whereas its dismal military performance and its vulnerability to economic punishment seem to point in another. NATO and EU expansion are once again on the table. Will the aftermath of the war strengthen NATO and, with it, the central U.S. position in European security? Or can Russian aggression impel greater non‐NATO security cooperation, giving European states and the EU a larger role to play and a greater say over security affairs in Europe? On the first day of NATO’s summit in Madrid, please join Nicole Koenig and Barry Posen for a discussion of what the war in Ukraine suggests about the future of European security.
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The experiences of black Americans do not fit neatly into our nation’s political culture. As the authors argue, those on the right fail to acknowledge the gravity of past injustices and rights violations, while those on the left ignore decades of failed paternalism and unintended consequences of government policy. But there is an alternative: classical liberalism, a philosophy based on free markets, individual rights, and vibrant civil society.
Exhausted by extremism on both sides, in their new book, Black Liberation through the Marketplace: Hope, Heartbreak, and the Promise of America, economic philosopher Rachel Ferguson and historian Marcus Witcher argue that classical liberalism provides the building blocks for a free and prosperous society for all.
State‐level drug paraphernalia laws increase the risk of infection or overdose for drug users by preventing legal access to clean needles, syringes, and products to test drugs for deadly contaminants. Every state except Alaska criminalizes the possession and/or sale of illicit drug paraphernalia. Thus, Alaskans can legally operate needle exchange programs and other harm‐reduction measures. Recognizing that harm‐reduction strategies reduce overdoses and disease, many states are considering reforms to their drug paraphernalia laws. To discuss the impact of drug paraphernalia laws on health and how states can implement better rules, we are pleased to have Corey S. Davis, the director of the Harm Reduction Legal Project of the Network for Public Health Law and adjunct faculty at the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University; Robin Lutz, executive director of the Alaskan AIDS Assistance Association, which has provided harm‐reduction services in Alaska since 1985; and Haley B. Coles, executive director of Sonoran Prevention Works, which has been engaged in harm‐reduction and syringe services in Arizona since 2010. The discussion will be moderated by Cato Institute senior fellow Jeffrey A. Singer.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Tax policy not only funds governmental efforts but is often itself a driver of policy outcomes. Elected officials in recent years have pushed for or acted upon tax policy as a means for shaping everything from childcare to environmental policy. In this webinar, we’ll explore the role taxation plays in our democracy, the many ways in which it affects our lives, and the current state of debate around taxation in America.
Our panel will feature Alex Muresianu, federal tax analyst at The Tax Foundation and Niko Lusiani, the director of the Corporate Power Program at the Roosevelt Institute. Allan Carey, director of Sphere Education Initiative, will moderate the conversation. Zoe Callaway, manager of education and outreach at the Tax Foundation will offer professional development.
The digitalization of financial services has made banking and trading more convenient than ever. But laws that were written before the digital era now collect untold amounts of consumer data to which the government has easy—and often unfettered—access. Recent legislative attempts have sought to expand that access even more. Does financial convenience have to come at the cost of financial privacy? Can cryptocurrency provide better privacy protection? Is it time to rethink how financial privacy is treated in a digital era? Join us for an outstanding virtual program featuring Marta Belcher, Paul Belonick, Michael Mosier, and Jennifer Schulp to discuss financial privacy in the digital era.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The United States remains the world’s dominant exporter of weapons. Between 2017–2021, the U.S. share of the global arms market was 108 percent greater than that of Russia, which is the second‐largest exporter. Since 2009, the United States has approved more than $1 trillion in weapons sales and delivered roughly $736 billion worth of weapons to 167 countries during the Obama, Trump, and Biden administrations.
A new Cato Institute update to the Arms Sales Risk Index evaluates the risk that these exports create for global human rights, international stability, and U.S. security.
Representative Sara Jacobs (D‑CA), Cato’s Jordan Cohen, and Jeff Abramson from the Arms Control Association will discuss the 2021 Arms Sales Risk Index and current efforts to weigh and mitigate risks that the sale of U.S. weapons can pose. The discussion will be moderated by Cato’s Eric Gomez.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
On March 26, 2020—two weeks after schools around the country were shuttered and suddenly almost everyone was receiving education at home—Cato convened an expert panel to give advice and answer questions about homeschooling. It is unlikely anyone who participated in that discussion expected we would still be dealing with school closures two years later.
While there are lags in official data, it appears that homeschooling has greatly increased since March 2020. Is that accurate? What has the experience been like for families, including longtime homeschoolers and newbies who started during the pandemic? What lessons have been learned?
We’ll mark the two‐year anniversary of school closures with a panel discussion on homeschooling today. Featuring a diverse group whose experiences include urban homeschooling, hybrid homeschooling, and forest schools, this panel is designed to assess the current state of homeschooling and help parents understand the wide variety of options available to them.
Public schooling, by forcing people with diverse values and needs to fund a single system of government schools, inevitably produces conflict. Such conflict has reached a fever pitch over the last several years, with Americans battling over critical race theory, LGBTQ issues, COVID-19 masking, and more. Logically, school choice would defuse such conflict, enabling diverse people to choose what they think is best rather than having to fight for control of a single system. But is there evidence of that working? If so, where? And how does that not lead to Balkanization?
Three experts in education and pluralism will discuss whether and how school choice can foster peace in a large, diverse society. The event will focus on questions and comments from audience members. We hope anyone interested in the role of education in bringing diverse people together will join us.
A generation ago, humanity witnessed the fall of the Berlin Wall, the disappearance of the Eastern European bloc, and the breakup of the Soviet Union. Many thought that the victory of liberal democracy and competitive enterprise over communism and central planning would usher in a lasting era of peace and prosperity, but now the West appears to be undergoing an existential crisis. Across some of the most successful societies in history, liberal institutions are under attack from the far left and the far right. What brought about this stunning crisis of confidence in Western values and institutions and the ascendency of political and economic populism?
Please join us to hear two leading thinkers and commentators on the rise of free societies explain the reasons for the growth of illiberalism and what, if anything, can be done to reverse that trend.
One in five of the 2.3 million incarcerated Americans are there for drug‐related crimes, and they are disproportionately minorities. The war on drugs is an abject failure and must end.* Watch the full event
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American politics has moved beyond merely Team Blue and Team Red, or even tribal affiliations, and into an era of political sectarianism. In this webinar, the Cato Institute’s Gene Healy will discuss how polarization has taken on an element of the religious, the role of the executive branch in exacerbating this trend, and what can be done to start to reverse this tide.
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Please join us for a virtual policy conversation with Chris Sununu, the governor of New Hampshire. In the past two years, Governor Sununu and the State of New Hampshire have topped Cato’s rankings for both our Fiscal Policy Report Card on America’s Governors and our recently released Freedom in the 50 States report. The online discussion will feature Governor Sununu and William Ruger and Jason Sorens (authors of the Freedom in the 50 States report).
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The United States is enamored with regime change. Washington has toppled more than 30 foreign leaders since the start of the 20th century, making it the world leader in regime change by a wide margin. Yet, as the U.S. experience in Afghanistan shows, regime change often has devastating unintended consequences. Author Alexander B. Downes will discuss how regime change often leads to conflict by disintegrating the targeted state’s military and creating a foreign master for the new government. While different kinds of regime change have different levels of risk, Downes will explain that, on balance, regime change increases the likelihood of conflict both within the targeted state and between the target and the intervener. Please join us for a discussion with the author and a panel of experts.
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Toleration and religious freedom put an end to centuries of bloody conflict and persecution in Europe. But what gave rise to these ideas, and can they be found in other civilizations? In this Sphere Education Initiatives webinar, Mustafa Akyol will share the ideological foundations of religious freedom and assess the challenges and prospects in the Muslim world. The conversation will also consider the contemporary importance of religious freedom and the idea of civil discourse.
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Since the program’s creation in 1965, Medicare has had a negative impact on health care quality. Researchers have documented widespread quality problems for decades, yet Congress and Medicare administrators have failed to enact meaningful reform. Medicare’s negative impact on quality should give even the staunchest Medicare for All advocates pause.
A new article by Michael F. Cannon and Jacqueline Pohida proposes the novel solution of applying traditionally Democratic “public option” principles to Medicare. Public‐option advocates argue that when a government health plan and private insurers compete for enrollees on a level playing field, competition will deliver more of what enrollees want. Applying public‐option principles to Medicare requires eliminating any advantages traditional Medicare or private insurers may have to create a completely level playing field between all forms of health insurance. Public‐option principles would promote quality within Medicare by allowing open competition between different payment rules and quality‐improvement programs.
At this virtual event, leading health policy experts will discuss how Medicare impacts health care quality and what policymakers should do to give enrollees the update in health care quality they deserve.
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About $29 trillion of federal debt. Trillions more in proposed spending by Congress. Every day features more news stories about federal debt and spending. Are we in a spending and debt crisis? Join us for a conversation with three policy experts to learn the facts about the current situation and the potential consequences.
Following our panel discussion, the Foundation for Teaching Economics will introduce new lessons developed to help you bring this important conversation to your classroom.
Our panel will featureChris Edwards,director of tax policy studies at the Cato Institute, Brian Riedl, senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, and William Gale, Arjay and Frances Fearing Miller Chair in Federal Economic Policy at the Brookings Institution.Caryn Rossiter, manager of Sphere Education Initiatives, will moderate the conversation. Debbie Henney, curriculum director at the Foundation for Teaching Economics, will offer professional development.
Cryptocurrency regulation sits at the intersection of multiple regulatory regimes, and both financial market regulators and banking regulators, among many others, have asserted authority over certain aspects of crypto regulation. This has resulted in an overlapping and incomplete regulatory framework that has drawn criticism from both proponents and skeptics of crypto innovation. So, how is cryptocurrency regulated? How should it be regulated? Who should regulate it? Cato’s Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives is looking at these questions through a series of policy forums that examine the roles of different regulators and consider what type of regulatory framework should be adopted to balance the risks and innovative potential of cryptocurrencies.
This fourth and final panel in this series builds on previous discussions about commodities, banking, and securities regulation to consider alternatives for a crypto regulatory framework. Join Jake Chervinsky, Alan Cohn, and Angela Walch in a panel moderated by Nikhilesh De from CoinDesk to discuss the future of crypto regulation.
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On September 9, 2021, federal judge Thomas A. Varlan acquitted former University of Tennessee professor Dr. Anming Hu of all charges related to a Department of Justice investigation that alleged that Hu committed wire fraud and made false statements about his alleged Chinese government research ties. On November 5, 2021, a federal jury convicted Yanjun Xu, a Chinese national and an official in the Chinese Ministry of State Security, of attempted economic espionage and theft of trade secrets. The differing outcomes of these two cases involve a common thread: the Department of Justice’s China Initiative, an investigative program launched in 2018 to deter and disrupt alleged or actual Chinese government espionage or intellectual property (IP) theft targeting U.S. researchers, universities, and businesses. These two cases raise key questions. How extensive is Chinese government espionage and IP theft targeting the United States? Is the China Initiative a form of racial or ethnic profiling? How has the China Initiative impacted U.S.-Chinese information and technology exchanges and cooperation? How has the U.S. academic community responded to these events? Join us as our expert panel explores all these issues.
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Americans in the age of COVID-19 are relying more than ever on digital networks to work, socialize, and learn—which makes safeguarding the privacy and security of those networks even more essential. The 2021 Cato Surveillance Conference brings together an outstanding lineup of academics, technologists, policymakers, and privacy advocates to discuss the most pressing topics in privacy and digital civil liberties, kicking off with a keynote address from Sen. Ron Wyden (D‑OR). Speakers will examine how the “surveillance‐industrial complex” is increasingly outsourcing surveillance that used to be the exclusive province of intelligence agencies to a burgeoning private surveillance industry. We’ll look at how a year of virtual classrooms has given rise to a disturbing trend of schools employing spyware to monitor students. We’ll explore how anonymity—increasingly the scapegoat for everything toxic about online culture—is crucial to free speech and a vibrant culture of dissent. And we’ll demonstrate just how vulnerable the ubiquitous “Internet of Things” makes us with a live hacking demonstration. Join us live online, streaming from the Cato Institute.
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Americans in the age of COVID-19 are relying more than ever on digital networks to work, socialize, and learn—which makes safeguarding the privacy and security of those networks even more essential. The 2021 Cato Surveillance Conference brings together an outstanding lineup of academics, technologists, policymakers, and privacy advocates to discuss the most pressing topics in privacy and digital civil liberties, kicking off with a keynote address from Sen. Ron Wyden (D‑OR). Speakers will examine how the “surveillance‐industrial complex” is increasingly outsourcing surveillance that used to be the exclusive province of intelligence agencies to a burgeoning private surveillance industry. We’ll look at how a year of virtual classrooms has given rise to a disturbing trend of schools employing spyware to monitor students. We’ll explore how anonymity—increasingly the scapegoat for everything toxic about online culture—is crucial to free speech and a vibrant culture of dissent. And we’ll demonstrate just how vulnerable the ubiquitous “Internet of Things” makes us with a live hacking demonstration. Join us live online, streaming from the Cato Institute.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Americans in the age of COVID-19 are relying more than ever on digital networks to work, socialize, and learn—which makes safeguarding the privacy and security of those networks even more essential. The 2021 Cato Surveillance Conference brings together an outstanding lineup of academics, technologists, policymakers, and privacy advocates to discuss the most pressing topics in privacy and digital civil liberties, kicking off with a keynote address from Sen. Ron Wyden (D‑OR). Speakers will examine how the “surveillance‐industrial complex” is increasingly outsourcing surveillance that used to be the exclusive province of intelligence agencies to a burgeoning private surveillance industry. We’ll look at how a year of virtual classrooms has given rise to a disturbing trend of schools employing spyware to monitor students. We’ll explore how anonymity—increasingly the scapegoat for everything toxic about online culture—is crucial to free speech and a vibrant culture of dissent. And we’ll demonstrate just how vulnerable the ubiquitous “Internet of Things” makes us with a live hacking demonstration. Join us live online, streaming from the Cato Institute.
Americans in the age of COVID-19 are relying more than ever on digital networks to work, socialize, and learn—which makes safeguarding the privacy and security of those networks even more essential. The 2021 Cato Surveillance Conference brings together an outstanding lineup of academics, technologists, policymakers, and privacy advocates to discuss the most pressing topics in privacy and digital civil liberties, kicking off with a keynote address from Sen. Ron Wyden (D‑OR). Speakers will examine how the “surveillance‐industrial complex” is increasingly outsourcing surveillance that used to be the exclusive province of intelligence agencies to a burgeoning private surveillance industry. We’ll look at how a year of virtual classrooms has given rise to a disturbing trend of schools employing spyware to monitor students. We’ll explore how anonymity—increasingly the scapegoat for everything toxic about online culture—is crucial to free speech and a vibrant culture of dissent. And we’ll demonstrate just how vulnerable the ubiquitous “Internet of Things” makes us with a live hacking demonstration. Join us live online, streaming from the Cato Institute.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
mericans in the age of COVID-19 are relying more than ever on digital networks to work, socialize, and learn—which makes safeguarding the privacy and security of those networks even more essential. The 2021 Cato Surveillance Conference brings together an outstanding lineup of academics, technologists, policymakers, and privacy advocates to discuss the most pressing topics in privacy and digital civil liberties, kicking off with a keynote address from Sen. Ron Wyden (D‑OR). Speakers will examine how the “surveillance‐industrial complex” is increasingly outsourcing surveillance that used to be the exclusive province of intelligence agencies to a burgeoning private surveillance industry. We’ll look at how a year of virtual classrooms has given rise to a disturbing trend of schools employing spyware to monitor students. We’ll explore how anonymity—increasingly the scapegoat for everything toxic about online culture—is crucial to free speech and a vibrant culture of dissent. And we’ll demonstrate just how vulnerable the ubiquitous “Internet of Things” makes us with a live hacking demonstration. Join us live online, streaming from the Cato Institute.
Americans in the age of COVID-19 are relying more than ever on digital networks to work, socialize, and learn—which makes safeguarding the privacy and security of those networks even more essential. The 2021 Cato Surveillance Conference brings together an outstanding lineup of academics, technologists, policymakers, and privacy advocates to discuss the most pressing topics in privacy and digital civil liberties, kicking off with a keynote address from Sen. Ron Wyden (D‑OR). Speakers will examine how the “surveillance‐industrial complex” is increasingly outsourcing surveillance that used to be the exclusive province of intelligence agencies to a burgeoning private surveillance industry. We’ll look at how a year of virtual classrooms has given rise to a disturbing trend of schools employing spyware to monitor students. We’ll explore how anonymity—increasingly the scapegoat for everything toxic about online culture—is crucial to free speech and a vibrant culture of dissent. And we’ll demonstrate just how vulnerable the ubiquitous “Internet of Things” makes us with a live hacking demonstration. Join us live online, streaming from the Cato Institute.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Americans in the age of COVID-19 are relying more than ever on digital networks to work, socialize, and learn—which makes safeguarding the privacy and security of those networks even more essential. The 2021 Cato Surveillance Conference brings together an outstanding lineup of academics, technologists, policymakers, and privacy advocates to discuss the most pressing topics in privacy and digital civil liberties, kicking off with a keynote address from Sen. Ron Wyden (D‑OR). Speakers will examine how the “surveillance‐industrial complex” is increasingly outsourcing surveillance that used to be the exclusive province of intelligence agencies to a burgeoning private surveillance industry. We’ll look at how a year of virtual classrooms has given rise to a disturbing trend of schools employing spyware to monitor students. We’ll explore how anonymity—increasingly the scapegoat for everything toxic about online culture—is crucial to free speech and a vibrant culture of dissent. And we’ll demonstrate just how vulnerable the ubiquitous “Internet of Things” makes us with a live hacking demonstration. Join us live online, streaming from the Cato Institute.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Americans in the age of COVID-19 are relying more than ever on digital networks to work, socialize, and learn—which makes safeguarding the privacy and security of those networks even more essential. The 2021 Cato Surveillance Conference brings together an outstanding lineup of academics, technologists, policymakers, and privacy advocates to discuss the most pressing topics in privacy and digital civil liberties, kicking off with a keynote address from Sen. Ron Wyden (D‑OR). Speakers will examine how the “surveillance‐industrial complex” is increasingly outsourcing surveillance that used to be the exclusive province of intelligence agencies to a burgeoning private surveillance industry. We’ll look at how a year of virtual classrooms has given rise to a disturbing trend of schools employing spyware to monitor students. We’ll explore how anonymity—increasingly the scapegoat for everything toxic about online culture—is crucial to free speech and a vibrant culture of dissent. And we’ll demonstrate just how vulnerable the ubiquitous “Internet of Things” makes us with a live hacking demonstration. Join us live online, streaming from the Cato Institute.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Americans in the age of COVID-19 are relying more than ever on digital networks to work, socialize, and learn—which makes safeguarding the privacy and security of those networks even more essential. The 2021 Cato Surveillance Conference brings together an outstanding lineup of academics, technologists, policymakers, and privacy advocates to discuss the most pressing topics in privacy and digital civil liberties, kicking off with a keynote address from Sen. Ron Wyden (D‑OR). Speakers will examine how the “surveillance‐industrial complex” is increasingly outsourcing surveillance that used to be the exclusive province of intelligence agencies to a burgeoning private surveillance industry. We’ll look at how a year of virtual classrooms has given rise to a disturbing trend of schools employing spyware to monitor students. We’ll explore how anonymity—increasingly the scapegoat for everything toxic about online culture—is crucial to free speech and a vibrant culture of dissent. And we’ll demonstrate just how vulnerable the ubiquitous “Internet of Things” makes us with a live hacking demonstration. Join us live online, streaming from the Cato Institute.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Americans in the age of COVID-19 are relying more than ever on digital networks to work, socialize, and learn—which makes safeguarding the privacy and security of those networks even more essential. The 2021 Cato Surveillance Conference brings together an outstanding lineup of academics, technologists, policymakers, and privacy advocates to discuss the most pressing topics in privacy and digital civil liberties, kicking off with a keynote address from Sen. Ron Wyden (D‑OR). Speakers will examine how the “surveillance‐industrial complex” is increasingly outsourcing surveillance that used to be the exclusive province of intelligence agencies to a burgeoning private surveillance industry. We’ll look at how a year of virtual classrooms has given rise to a disturbing trend of schools employing spyware to monitor students. We’ll explore how anonymity—increasingly the scapegoat for everything toxic about online culture—is crucial to free speech and a vibrant culture of dissent. And we’ll demonstrate just how vulnerable the ubiquitous “Internet of Things” makes us with a live hacking demonstration. Join us live online, streaming from the Cato Institute.
The Sphere Education Initiative is pleased to host a special launch event for the latest edition of Freedom in the 50 States!
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Cryptocurrency regulation sits at the intersection of multiple regulatory regimes: financial markets regulators and banking regulators, among many others, have asserted authority over certain aspects of crypto regulation, which has resulted in an overlapping and incomplete regulatory framework that has drawn criticism from both proponents and skeptics of crypto innovation. So, how is cryptocurrency regulated? How should it be regulated? Who should regulate it? Cato's Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives is looking at these questions with a series that examines the roles of different regulators and considers what type of regulatory framework should be adopted to balance the risks and innovative potential of cryptocurrencies.
This third panel addresses the role of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in regulating cryptocurrency, focusing on the current state of regulation at the SEC and discussing the benefits and limitations of the SEC's regulation in this space. Join Carol Goforth, Nicholas Losurdo, and Peter Van Valkenburgh in a panel moderated by David Hollerith from Yahoo Finance to discuss the SEC's role in crypto regulation.
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Since the 1950s, Americans and Europeans have struggled to reconcile different visions of European security. The roles of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the United States, the European Union, and European states have all been debated. In recent years, French president Emmanuel Macron has pushed for a thorough discussion on the goals of NATO, and a vision for European Defense, while emphasizing that France views strategic autonomy and NATO as complementary—an expression that has been endorsed by the United States, as seen in the France-U.S. joint statements of September 22 and October 29.
What is the French vision for European Defense? In an era when American attention is turning to Asia, if European states increase their capabilities, defense budgets, and missions, would the United States be more likely to decrease its presence in Europe, or would it make the European Union more credible in the eyes of the American leadership? Please join us for remarks from France’s ambassador to the United States, Philippe Étienne, followed by a panel featuring leading scholars of transatlantic relations.
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How could Congress reassert its Article I mandate and restrain presidential overreach?
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Join Dan Awrey (Cornell Law School), Albert Forkner (Wyoming Division of Banking), and Jai Massari (Davis Polk) in a panel discussion moderated by Jon Hill from Law360 on how banking regulators should approach crypto regulation.
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Join Chris Brummer (Georgetown Law), Katherine Cooper (Murphy & McGonigle), and Melissa Netram (FS Vector) in a panel moderated by Sarah Wynn from CQ Roll Call to discuss the CFTC’s role in crypto regulation.
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America has repeatedly managed to escape earlier periods of factional antipathy, insider domination, and gridlock through its openness to a practice both simple and powerful: political innovation.
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Panel 4: Helicopter Money and Fiscal QE
William Nelson, Executive Vice President and Chief Economist, Bank Policy Institute
Robert C. Hockett, Edward Cornell Professor of Law, Cornell Law School
Frances Coppola, Columnist, CoinDesk
Kevin Dowd, Professor of Finance and Economics, Durham University Business School
Moderated by Edward Luce, US National Editor, Financial Times
Full Event: https://www.cato.org/events/39th-annual-monetary-conference
Panel 3: An Expanded Fed Mandate?
Otmar Issing, President, Center for Financial Studies at Goethe University, Frankfurt, and former Chief Economist at the European Central Bank
Karen Petrou, Managing Partner, Federal Financial Analytics
Scott Sumner, Ralph G. Hawtrey Chair of Monetary Policy, Mercatus Center, George Mason University
Moderated by Jeanna Smialek, Federal Reserve and Economics Reporter, New York Times
Full Event: https://www.cato.org/events/39th-annual-monetary-conference
Luncheon Address: Populism and Central Banks
Barry Eichengreen, George C. Pardee and Helen N. Pardee Professor of Economics and Political Science, University of California, Berkeley
Full Event: https://www.cato.org/events/39th-annual-monetary-conference
Panel 2: Fiscal Dominance and the Return of Inflation
John H. Cochrane, Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University
Fernando M. Martin, Assistant Vice President, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Mark Sobel, U.S. Chairman, Official Monetary and Financial Institutions Forum
David Beckworth, Senior Research Fellow, Mercatus Center, George Mason University
Moderated by Greg Ip, Chief Economics Correspondent, Wall Street Journal
Full Event: https://www.cato.org/events/39th-annual-monetary-conference
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Panel 1: The Populist Challenge to Fed Independence
Charles Goodhart, Emeritus Professor of Banking and Finance, London School of Economics
Rosa María Lastra, Sir John Lubbock Chair in Banking Law, Queen Mary University of London
Carola Binder, Assistant Professor of Economics, Haverford College
Christina Parajon Skinner, Assistant Professor of Legal Studies and Business Ethics, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
Moderated by Allison Schrager, Senior Fellow, Manhattan Institute
Full Event: https://www.cato.org/events/39th-annual-monetary-conference
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Welcoming Remarks
James A. Dorn, Vice President for Monetary Studies, Cato Institute
Keynote Address
Raghuram Rajan, Katherine Dusak Miller Distinguished Service Professor of Finance, University of Chicago Booth School of Business
Full Event: https://www.cato.org/events/39th-annual-monetary-conference
Do the nation’s highest officers, including the president, have a right to lie, no matter what damage their falsehoods cause? Does freedom of expression protect falsehoods? If so, are lies by candidates and public officials protected? And is there a constitutional path, without violating the First Amendment, to stop a president whose persistent lies endanger our lives and our democracy?
Perhaps counterintuitively, the general answer to each question is “yes.” Drawing from dramatic court cases about defamers, proponents of birtherism, braggarts, and office holders, Ross reveals the almost insurmountable constitutional and practical obstacles to legal efforts to rein in public deception. She explains the rules that govern the treatment of lies, while also demonstrating the incalculable damage that presidential mendacity may foster.
Falsehoods have been at issue in every presidential impeachment proceeding from Nixon to Trump. But, until now, no one has analyzed why public lies might be impeachable offenses, and whether the First Amendment would provide a defense. Noting that speech by public employees does not receive the same First Amendment protection as the speech of ordinary citizens, Ross proposes the constitutionally viable solution of treating presidents as public employees who work for the people. Charged with oversight of the Executive, Congress may—and should—put future presidents on notice that material lies to the public on substantial matters will be deemed a “high crime and misdemeanor” subject to censure and even impeachment.
Please join us for a lively discussion of an issue that could not be of greater importance.
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Domestic terrorism has been a part of the American political landscape since the rise of the Ku Klux Klan in the Civil War’s aftermath. During the turbulent transformation of American society during the 1960s and 1970s, a new kind of domestic terrorism threat emerged. Homegrown leftist guerrilla groups, such as the Weather Underground and the Black Liberation Army, carried out hundreds of attacks in the United States. The Nixon administration went to previously unseen lengths to hunt down student radicals and other political activists who, while in the minority, engaged in bombings and other violence. Author Daniel Chard argues that the Nixon approach, by creating bureaucratic structures, surveillance, and group infiltration tactics, was the progenitor of the methods used during the post‑9/11 war on terror. Join us for a discussion of Daniel Chard’s new book that explores this history and its continuing relevance today.
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In 2014, the United States and 17 other countries began negotiations at the World Trade Organization (WTO) to create an Environmental Goods Agreement (EGA). The aim of these talks was to remove or reduce tariffs on important environmentally friendly products such as wind turbines, solar panels, and energy‐efficient technology. An EGA would allow for freer trade in green products, which would increase global access to environmentally friendly goods. Formal negotiations grew to involve 46 WTO members, representing 90 percent of global trade in environmental goods.
But negotiations on the EGA have stalled since 2016, when negotiators encountered trouble defining what would be included in the list of covered goods. Controversial additions to the list by China prompted European Union resistance to the deal, and the Trump administration decided against pushing for the resumption of EGA talks. President Biden should call for a return to negotiations and for negotiators to resolve difficult questions, such as what should count as an environmental good, whether services should be included, how broad the EGA should be, and more.
Please join us at 12:00 p.m. on Monday, November 8, for a discussion featuring U.S. Rep. Suzan DelBene (D‑WA), Maureen Hinman, and Cato’s James Bacchus and Inu Manak.
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What explains the explosion in growth and prosperity that humanity has experienced in the past couple centuries? Why did that process take root more readily in some places than in others, and how can its spread be encouraged? Professors Deirdre McCloskey and Stephen Haber will provide separate accounts. McCloskey will contest standard economic explanations and describe the key role of liberal ideas, ideology, and ethics in producing the conditions for human flourishing. Haber will explain how differing ecological factors influenced social organization centuries ago, conditioning subsequent paths of economic growth and institutional development. Charles Calomiris will lead the conversation, exploring the extent to which these views are complementary, the reach of their explanatory power, and how the social sciences and politics should think about the mainsprings of human progress.
The discussion will be based on new research papers that McCloskey and Haber presented at an academic colloquium at the Cato Institute as part of Cato’s Exploring the Role of Freedom in Human Progress project. This project was made possible through the support of a grant from the John Templeton Foundation.
When the state offers money, licenses, or other benefits (such as reduced sentences) with “strings” attached, that’s a powerful method of government control. The federal government increasingly uses this method to induce states, localities, and private parties to submit to conditions of its choosing. And yet this formidable power can enable it to sidestep vital limits that would otherwise apply to its authority. For example, it can secure submission to rules that it would lack the constitutional power to order directly or that would otherwise be subject to the checks and balances of the political process.
Courts and lawyers have brought to bear on this problem the theory of “unconstitutional conditions,” but in Purchasing Submission, renowned legal scholar Philip Hamburger argues that a broader critique is needed if we are to protect liberty and rein in the danger of arbitrary power. Please join us for a lively discussion of a new book by one of today’s preeminent constitutional thinkers.
Who should supply the nation with digital currency? Should the Fed do it, should the private sector do it, or should it be provided by some combination of the two? Join us on November 2 for a conversation with J. Christopher Giancarlo, former chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and Dante Disparte, Circle’s chief strategy officer and head of global policy. The event will be moderated by Cato’s Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives director emeritus George Selgin, during which Giancarlo and Disparte will discuss the merits of digital currency, both public and private.
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This conference, part of Cato’s Project on Poverty and Inequality in California, will bring together a diverse group of political, business, and academic leaders to discuss regulatory and other barriers to rebuilding economic opportunity in poor and minority communities ravaged by COVID-19.
Full event: A New Agenda for Fighting Poverty and Inequality in California (Los Angeles)
Beginning in the 19th century with Anthony Comstock, America’s “censor in chief,” The Mind of the Censor and the Eye of the Beholder explores how censors operate and why they wore out their welcome in society at large. This book explains how the same tactics were tried and eventually failed in the 20th century, with efforts to censor music, comic books, television, and other forms of popular entertainment. The historic examples illustrate not only the mindset and tactics of censors but also why they are the ultimate counterculture warriors and why, in free societies, censors never occupy the moral high ground. This forum and book will interest anyone who wants to know more about why freedom of speech is important and how protections for free expression became part of the American identity.
Please join us for a lively discussion of a major new work by one of America’s leading advocates for freedom of speech.
This conference, part of Cato’s Project on Poverty and Inequality in California, will bring together a diverse group of political, business, and academic leaders to discuss regulatory and other barriers to rebuilding economic opportunity in poor and minority communities ravaged by COVID-19.
Full event: A New Agenda for Fighting Poverty and Inequality in California (Sacramento)
This conference, part of Cato’s Project on Poverty and Inequality in California, will bring together a diverse group of political, business, and academic leaders to discuss regulatory and other barriers to rebuilding economic opportunity in poor and minority communities ravaged by COVID-19.
Full event: A New Agenda for Fighting Poverty and Inequality in California (Sacramento)
This conference, part of Cato’s Project on Poverty and Inequality in California, will bring together a diverse group of political, business, and academic leaders to discuss regulatory and other barriers to rebuilding economic opportunity in poor and minority communities ravaged by COVID-19.
Full event: A New Agenda for Fighting Poverty and Inequality in California (Sacramento)
This conference, part of Cato’s Project on Poverty and Inequality in California, will bring together a diverse group of political, business, and academic leaders to discuss regulatory and other barriers to rebuilding economic opportunity in poor and minority communities ravaged by COVID-19.
Full event: A New Agenda for Fighting Poverty and Inequality in California (Sacramento)
This conference, part of Cato’s Project on Poverty and Inequality in California, will bring together a diverse group of political, business, and academic leaders to discuss regulatory and other barriers to rebuilding economic opportunity in poor and minority communities ravaged by COVID-19.
Full event: A New Agenda for Fighting Poverty and Inequality in California (Sacramento)
Some prominent interpretations of Islam, the second‐largest religion in the world, defy human freedom by calling for the punishment of apostates and blasphemers, the imposition of religious practices, or discrimination against women and minorities. In his new book published by libertarianism.org, Why, as a Muslim, I Defend Liberty, Cato Institute senior fellow Mustafa Akyol offers a nuanced critique of these problems by acknowledging their roots in the religious tradition. Yet he also shows that there are strong grounds in the same religious tradition to defend freedom of speech and religion and to harmonize Islam with liberal democracy, the market economy, and a peaceful world order. He also reminds us that liberty isn’t merely a Western idea but a universal value also long cherished by Islamic liberals.
Akyol will have a conversation with Prof. Vali Nasr about the main themes in his book, which Nasr defined as “a must‐read for Muslims and non‐Muslims.” We hope you will join us for this important discussion and look forward to your engaging questions.
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In 1905, the Supreme Court rendered two landmark decisions on the scope of individual liberty: Jacobson v. Massachusetts and Lochner v. New York. Jacobson’s broad deference to public health authority lived side by side with Lochner’s broader conception of economic liberty. While the restrictive precedent, Jacobson, now governs all pandemic response, Lochner is no longer available as a check, having been thrown in the dustbin of legal history. Judges follow a variant of Jacobson that’s far removed from the actual decision to resolve disputes over religious freedom, abortion, gun rights, voting, and more. Over the course of a century, four prominent justices established the irrepressible myth of Jacobson v. Massachusetts.
At a time when state police power has imposed unprecedented limits on individuals’ ability to provide for themselves, Lochner should be brought out of lockdown. The rationales for Lochner’s subsequent disavowal by the Court are largely inapplicable to the COVID-19 situation. Shutdown orders and the like have an economic effect but are not economic policy. They may be one of the broadest assertions of sovereign authority in peacetime, but we lack the constitutional language to deal with the potential danger to liberty implicated by such measures. Please join Josh Blackman and Eugene Kontorovich to discuss their recent work in this area, with commentary by Wendy Mariner.
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Developed by Sphere alumnus and AP world history teacher Sean Kinnard, these dynamic lessons easily bring to life the story of human progress in your classroom. Suitable for multiple subject areas and grade levels, these easily adapted resources cover such topics as the industrial revolution, famine and agriculture, innovation, comparative world history, and the growth of human flourishing and prosperity.
These lessons represent the initial launch of Sphere’s goal to develop classroom resources that help support you as a teacher in your effort to bring civic culture to the classroom. In this webinar, you will also learn more about what’s in the development pipeline and exciting updates about Sphere Summit 2022.
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The Cato Institute is pleased to welcome Arizona governor Doug Ducey to the F. A. Hayek Auditorium this Thursday, October 14, from 2–3 p.m. for a panel discussion with Cato senior fellow Dr. Jeffrey Singer. “Happier and Healthier—Arizona’s Success with Free Markets” will explore the state’s leadership in public policies that seek to use free‐market principles to improve the health care outcomes for its residents and how those policies might serve as a model for other states. Arizona has led with introducing first‐in‐the‐nation telehealth reform and first‐in‐the‐nation occupational licensure recognition; making better use of the health care expertise in the state workforce; combating the opioid crisis with proven solutions; and implementing a slate of executive actions that have made it easier to move to Arizona, get to work, access quality health care, and live a productive life.
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Freedom of speech and the free exercise of religion are at the heart of liberty. For hundreds of years, people have flocked to the United States to escape religious persecution and censorship. Judge David Stras joins us for a special address, reflecting on how his grandparents’ harrowing experiences during the Holocaust shaped his own beliefs on these precious First Amendment freedoms. Following his address, we will be joined by nationally renowned First Amendment expert Eugene Volokh, himself an immigrant, to discuss these issues as well as the recent rise in anti‐Semitism in the United States. We hope you will join us for this timely discussion and look forward to your engaging questions.
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When the Supreme Court handed down its decision in District of Columbia v.Heller overturning provisions of DC’s gun licensing laws, it set off a wave of legal challenges, policy fights, and legislation across the country. Join prominent legal scholars of the Second Amendment for this interactive conversation as they discuss the Heller ruling and the subsequent legal and legislative fights and provide an overview of where things stand today. This conversation is all the timelier, as the Supreme Court will consider a major new Second Amendment case in the coming term, New York State Rifle & Pistol Association Inc. v. Corlett.
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A new documentary, Corporate Welfare: Where’s the Outrage?, tells the personal stories of how people are affected by the tax exemptions, subsidies, government regulations, and bailouts used to help big business. Hosted by Free to Choose Executive Editor and Cato Institute Senior Fellow Johan Norberg and featuring former CEO of BB&T John Allison, the documentary reveals the government’s role in the 2008 financial crash.
Please join us for an engaging and thought‐provoking conversation with Norberg and Allison. A short segment of Corporate Welfare: Where’s the Outrage? will be shown during the program.
The documentary examines America’s system of farm subsidies, Tax Increment Financing (TIF), Big Oil subsidies, government policies, bailouts, and tax breaks for big business. The program takes viewers across America to talk with individuals whose lives and livelihood have been directly affected by the outrages of corporate welfare.
“Many government programs begin with good intentions, but they result in unintended consequences,” says Norberg. “From what I’ve observed…it’s better to let the economy evolve in its own natural way, bumps and all, rather than to rely on government intervention.”
Corporate Welfare: Where’s the Outrage? was inspired by the book, Welfare for the Rich: How Your Tax Dollars End Up in Millionaires’ Pockets — and What You Can Do about It, by Phil Harvey and Lisa Conyers. It is airing on public television (check local listings) and streaming on the PBS App, YouTube, Roku, Venmo and on Free To Choose Network.
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The Civil War and its aftermath were a turning point in American history. Starting near the end of the war and then continuing during Reconstruction, Congress set to work drafting three constitutional amendments that would fundamentally alter our founding document. The Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth amendments, collectively known as the Reconstruction Amendments, aimed to protect the liberties that had previously been denied in much of the country. Together, these amendments abolished slavery, established the rights to due process and equal protection, and banned racial discrimination in voting laws.
Today, the Reconstruction Amendments remain at the heart of some of our most contentious legal controversies: Does equal protection mandate equality of outcome or equality of opportunity? To what extent does due process carry with it substantive rights of personal autonomy? And do the “privileges or immunities” guaranteed to all citizens encompass a broader set of rights than courts have been willing to protect?
To help us answer these questions, it is crucial to understand what those who drafted, debated, and ratified the Reconstruction Amendments thought and said. University of Richmond law professor Kurt Lash’s epic two‐volume work is the most comprehensive source ever compiled of the key speeches, debates, and public dialogues that accompanied the drafting and ratification of these amendments. In this book forum, Professor Lash will comment on his work and the importance of primary historical sources to constitutional study. Professors Christopher Green and Richard Primus will also offer their thoughts on the work and its implications.
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The social‐distancing measures required to address the COVID-19 pandemic led to a newfound appreciation for the use of telehealth, a technological advance that has been available for several decades. State licensing laws for health care practitioners have impeded widespread use of telemedicine. Most states only permit health care practitioners to provide telehealth services to patients in the state in which the practitioners are licensed, a barrier to the free flow of health care services across state lines. Patients can travel to another state to receive medical treatment and even surgery from a doctor licensed in that state, but those doctors cannot provide telehealth services to the same patients unless they are licensed in the states in which the patients reside.
While the pandemic led many states to suspend the barriers to movement of health care practitioners and to the delivery of telemedicine across state lines, these were only temporary emergency measures. Fortunately, some states are taking steps to avoid a return to the status quo ante. In May 2021, Arizona’s governor signed into law House Bill (HB) 2454, which allows the state’s residents to receive telehealth services from providers who hold licenses outside the state but within any of the other states or the District of Columbia. In 2019, Florida’s governor signed HB 23 into law, similarly liberalizing telehealth regulations. On the federal level, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services expanded permanent coverage for telehealth services. Experts on telehealth regulations will compare recent state‐level reforms and discuss the prospects for further reform on both the state and federal levels.
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Ever since Congress created the income tax in 1913, workers have been able to avoid paying tax on income they receive in the form of fringe benefits, such as health insurance. The flip side of this feature is that Congress effectively threatens workers with higher taxes unless they allow their employer to control a large portion of their income and their health insurance. As marginal income‐tax rates grew, so did that implicit penalty. As health insurance premiums grew, the amount of workers’ money this feature allows employers to control directly has grown to roughly $900 billion per year.
Eighty‐three years later, on August 22, 1996, President Bill Clinton signed a law creating tax‐free Archer Medical Savings Accounts (MSAs). Archer MSAs freed workers to receive a small portion of their health benefits as cash—without a tax penalty. Later, President George W. Bush signed a law creating tax‐free health savings accounts (HSAs), which allow workers to take more of their health benefits as cash without negative tax consequences. Even so, HSAs have reclaimed for workers less than 5 percent of that $900 billion.
At this virtual forum, leading health policy scholars will commemorate the 25th anniversary of this milestone event and discuss how to return to workers every penny of that $900 billion.
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For an entire generation, at home and abroad, the United States has waged a war on terror. Fighting it has produced neither peace nor victory, but it has transformed America. A politically divided country turned the war on terror into a cultural and then tribal struggle, first on the ideological fringes and ultimately expanding to open a door for today’s nationalist, exclusionary resurgence.
In Reign of Terror, journalist Spencer Ackerman argues that war on terror policies laid a foundation for American authoritarianism. In Ackerman’s account, Barack Obama’s failure to end the war on terror after the killing of Osama Bin Laden allowed cultural polarization to progress and set the groundwork for Donald Trump’s rise to power. As we approach the 20th anniversary of 9/11, please join us for a discussion of how the war on terror transformed the United States and the prospects for moving away from its divisive excesses.
In June, the Food and Drug Administration gave marketing approval to the Alzheimer’s drug Aduhelm, against the unanimous advice of its advisory panel. Three of the panel’s five members resigned in protest. The panel’s members and many other medical experts claim there is no convincing evidence that the drug provides clinical benefit. Other critics complain that what they see as a useless drug will now cost Medicare (and taxpayers) $56,000 per patient per year.
The Aduhelm controversy brings into focus long‐standing arguments against efficacy requirements for FDA drug approval, especially when the FDA also permits practitioners to prescribe any approved drugs “off label,” deferring to their expertise and clinical judgment. The controversy also directs attention to federal laws that require Medicare to cover most FDA‐approved drugs and prohibit Medicare from negotiating drug prices.
Experts on health care, health and regulatory law, and health economics will explore these and related issues in what promises to be a lively discussion.
In his new book,New Way to Care: Social Protections That Put Families First, author John Goodman argues that our most important social insurance institutions are in desperate need of reform. Goodman proposes a simple idea. People of any age should have the choice to opt out of social insurance in favor of alternatives that better meet their individual and family needs. In particular, people should be able to substitute the assets and arrangements they own for the insurance systems that the government currently forces people to participate in.
Join us to hear Goodman discuss ways to reform health insurance with commentary from Cato Director of Health Policy Studies Michael F. Cannon.
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For years there has been an ongoing debate about the causes of medical malpractice liability insurance premium spikes and their impact on access to care and defensive medicine. State legislatures responded to premium spikes by enacting damages caps on noneconomic, punitive, or total damages, and Congress has periodically debated the merits of a federal cap on damages in medical malpractice cases.
Yet, there has been a shortage of evidence in support of the narrative that excessive damage awards are responsible for such premium spikes. What did cause those premium spikes? What effect did state‐level medical malpractice reform have? Did it reduce frivolous litigation? Did it improve access to health care and/or reduce defensive medicine? Both sides in the debate have strong opinions, but their positions are mostly based on anecdotes.
In a new book, Medical Malpractice Litigation: How It Works, Why Tort Reform Hasn’t Helped, a politically diverse team of researchers provide an accessible, fact‐based response to the questions that ordinary Americans and policymakers have about the performance of the medical malpractice litigation system.
Join us to hear coauthor Dr. David A. Hyman, adjunct scholar at the Cato Institute; Dr. Richard Anderson, chairman and CEO of The Doctors Company; and Dr. Bill Frist, a former U.S. senator, hold a lively discussion on the medical malpractice litigation system and the effects of limiting the right of malpractice victims to recover.
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National debates over policies that affect the flow of digital information are heating up as censorship, surveillance, control over personal data, and requirements to store data locally have emerged as contentious political issues. At the same time, governments are negotiating international agreements that constrain their ability to regulate domestically. What exactly are the problems that have been caused by domestic regulation of the flow of digital information? And can international agreements help solve them? Please join us for a discussion of these timely issues.
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You’ve heard the hype: Quantum technologies will supposedly disrupt cybersecurity and revolutionize computers, communications, and sensors. Perhaps they will. Perhaps not. Accurate or not, technology hype is common and consequential. This discourse does work. Evoking exceptional expectations about future tech can shape military research and development, as well as threat perceptions. The future is difficult to predict, however. Hype isn’t all bad, but it can mask important gaps between the imagined and actual performance of quantum technologies. It can also draw attention away from less flashy but more significant social and technical change.
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Thomas Sowell is one of the great social theorists of our age. In a career spanning more than half a century, few scholars have matched his combination of range, rigor, and accessibility. He has written more than 30 books covering topics including economic history, social inequality, political philosophy, race, migration, and culture. His bold and unsentimental assaults on liberal orthodoxy have endeared him to many but enraged most of his fellow intellectuals, the civil rights establishment, and much of the mainstream media. As a result, critics preoccupied with political correctness have demeaned, downplayed, or ignored his important contributions.
In this first‐ever biography of Sowell, Wall Street Journal columnist Jason L. Riley gives this iconic thinker his due, responds to the detractors, and explains their motives. Maverick: A Biography of Thomas Sowell (Basic Books, May 2021) not only showcases Sowell’s most significant writings but also vividly traces the life events that shaped his ideas and resulted in a black orphan from the Jim Crow South going on to graduate from Harvard University, earn a PhD under Milton Friedman at the University of Chicago, teach economics at Cornell University and the University of California, Los Angeles, and spend the past four decades as one of America’s foremost public intellectuals.
Drawing on firsthand conversations with Sowell, and interviews with close friends and colleagues, Riley offers a nuanced portrait of one of America’s leading conservative intellectuals. Maverick shines a light on the extraordinary scope and depth of Sowell’s work, exploring where he has distinguished himself and how he is likely to be remembered.
Riley is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and the author of several books, including Please Stop Helping Us: How Liberals Make It Harder for Blacks to Succeed.
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What is American identity? How people answer that question has implications for their views on policy and politics in the United States. The current era has seen the growth of explicit nationalism in American politics. In After Nationalism, Samuel Goldman examines whether the United States has ever had a stable vision of shared identity and purpose. Examining the country from its founding to the modern day, Goldman highlights recurring contestation over what it means to be an American and shows how the coercive Americanization efforts of prior eras are unlikely to pass muster in modern America.
Rejecting romantic notions of the past, Goldman urges a more pluralistic approach: “Rather than trying to restore an elusive consensus, I propose that we strengthen institutions of contestation.” Please join Goldman and Anatol Lieven, author of America Right or Wrong: An Anatomy of American Nationalism, for a discussion of what America was, is, and should be.
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President Biden came into office promising to end U.S. support for the Saudi bombing campaign in Yemen. Since then, he has announced the end of American support for “offensive” Saudi operations in Yemen and designated Timothy Lenderking as U.S. Special Envoy for Yemen, although attempts to mediate talks between the warring parties have so far failed to make progress. Meanwhile, the ongoing conflict in Yemen remains an acute humanitarian crisis and the administration’s support of Riyadh does not appear to have dramatically changed. Join us as a panel of experts clarify and discuss constructive paths forward.
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F. A. Hayek’s work made the case for individual freedom of choice, in part because third parties or planners tend to lack the knowledge that individuals hold about their true preferences, or of the traditions and norms that underpin choices. Interferences with evolved market practices and personal freedom, then, will tend to make choosers worse off.
Behavioral economists hold, though, that some choices are driven by a lack of information or else psychological, cognitive, or social phenomena that make such decisions irrational or undesirable. If so, the question is what can be done about it, given the evident limits and disruption of top‐down decisionmaking by planners.
Cass Sunstein believes that a neo‐Hayekian behavioral approach to policymaking would recognize choosers’ biases but also acknowledge the downsides of imposing the preferences of planners. Ideally, he suggests, empirical research should seek to identify what choosers truly want under “epistemically favorable conditions” such that policy can be put into the service of our own preferences.
Does the work of behavioral economists land a killer blow against free choice? And is Hayekian behavioral economics, in practice, an oxymoron? Please join us for this informative conversation.
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When the country went on lockdown in March 2020, schools of all types were forced to close their doors, while families, businesses, and others braced for a major economic hit. This combination seemed especially dangerous for private schools, which, unlike public schools, rely on paying families and other voluntary financial support. Since the first announcement of a private school closing permanently due to the pandemic, Cato’s Center for Educational Freedom has monitored private schooling’s condition. In this forum, we’ll give our assessment of the health of private K–12 education, and speakers representing three major parts of the private schooling spectrum will discuss how their institutions have fared and what the future holds.
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Would the plan improve U.S. infrastructure? What would be the effect of the tax increase? Will the plan gain congressional support? What alternative reforms would work better for the nation’s highways, transit, rail, and water systems?
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Featuring Joel Kotkin, Chapman University and Michael Tanner, Cato Institute
This conference, part of Cato’s Project on Poverty and Inequality in California, will bring together a diverse group of political, business, and academic leaders to discuss regulatory and other barriers to rebuilding economic opportunity in poor and minority communities ravaged by COVID-19.
Full Conference Here
Featuring Anastasia P. Boden, Pacific Legal Foundation; Chris Cate, Councilman, City of San Diego; Steven Greenhut, R Street.
This conference, part of Cato’s Project on Poverty and Inequality in California, will bring together a diverse group of political, business, and academic leaders to discuss regulatory and other barriers to rebuilding economic opportunity in poor and minority communities ravaged by COVID-19.
Full Conference Here
Featuring Julian Cañete, California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce; Jay King, California Black Chamber of Commerce; Rob Lapsley, California Business Roundtable.
This conference, part of Cato’s Project on Poverty and Inequality in California, will bring together a diverse group of political, business, and academic leaders to discuss regulatory and other barriers to rebuilding economic opportunity in poor and minority communities ravaged by COVID-19.
Full Conference Here
Featuring Michael Tanner, Cato Institute and Chris Edwards, Cato Institute.
This conference, part of Cato’s Project on Poverty and Inequality in California, will bring together a diverse group of political, business, and academic leaders to discuss regulatory and other barriers to rebuilding economic opportunity in poor and minority communities ravaged by COVID-19.
Full Conference Here
The Biden Administration is reportedly considering a federal mandate to lower nicotine levels in cigarettes to nonaddictive levels. Is that just back door prohibition? Tom Firey and Jeff Singer comment.
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Featuring Ben Scafidi (@edeconKSU1), Professor of Economics and Director of the Education Economics Center, Kennesaw State University; Martin Lueken, Director, Fiscal Research and Education Center, EdChoice; moderated by Neal McCluskey (@NealMcCluskey), Director, Center for Educational Freedom, Cato Institute.
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Featuring Nita A. Farahany, JD, PhD (@NitaFarahany), Robinson O. Everett Professor of Law, Professor of Philosophy, Duke Law School; Jessica Flanigan, PhD (@missjessica), Associate Professor of Leadership Studies and Philosophy, Politics, Economics, and Law, Richard L. Morrill Chair in Ethics and Democratic Values, University of Richmond; moderated by Jeffrey A. Singer, MD (@dr4liberty), Senior Fellow, Cato Institute.
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Featuring Jason Bedrick (@JasonBedrick), Coeditor; Director of Policy, EdChoice; Adjunct Scholar, Cato Institute; Rita Koganzon, Contributor; Assistant Professor of Politics, University of Virginia; Kevin Vallier (@kvallier), Contributor; Associate Professor of Philosophy, Bowling Green State University; moderated by Neal McCluskey (@NealMcCluskey), Director, Center for Educational Freedom, Cato Institute.
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Featuring the authors Chris W. Surprenant (@CWSurprenant), Director, University of New Orleans Honors Program and University of New Orleans Urban Entrepreneurship & Policy Institute; Jason Brennan, Robert J. and Elizabeth Flanagan Family Professor of Strategy, Economics, Ethics, and Public Policy, McDonough School of Business, and Professor of Philosophy, Georgetown University; moderated by Clark Neily (@ConLawWarrior), Vice President for Criminal Justice, Cato Institute.
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Featuring William Eskridge (@EskridgeBill), Coauthor and John A. Garver Professor of Jurisprudence, Yale Law School; Steven Calabresi, Clayton J. and Henry R. Barber Professor of Law, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law; Maggie Gallagher (@maggiegallaghe), Former Chairman, National Organization for Marriage; moderated by Ilya Shapiro (@ishapiro), Director, Robert A. Levy Center for Constitutional Studies, Cato Institute.
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With New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu (@GovChrisSununu); featuring Chris Edwards (@CatoEdwards), Director of Tax Policy Studies, Cato Institute; and Peter Goettler, President and CEO, Cato Institute.
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Featuring Phil Harvey, Chief Sponsor, DKT Liberty Project; Lisa Conyers, Director of Policy Studies, DKT Liberty Project; Tim Carney (@TPCarney), Resident Fellow, American Enterprise Institute; moderated by Michael Tanner (@MTannerCato), Senior Fellow, Cato Institute.
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Full event: Crisis: Housing and Homelessness in California
For more information on Cato’s Project on Poverty and Inequality in California click here.
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Full event: Crisis: Housing and Homelessness in California
For more information on Cato’s Project on Poverty and Inequality in California click here.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Full event: Crisis: Housing and Homelessness in California
For more information on Cato’s Project on Poverty and Inequality in California click here.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Full event: Crisis: Housing and Homelessness in California
For more information on Cato’s Project on Poverty and Inequality in California click here.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Full event: Crisis: Housing and Homelessness in California
For more information on Cato’s Project on Poverty and Inequality in California click here.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Featuring the author P.J. O'Rourke (@PJORourke), H. L. Mencken Research Fellow, Cato Institute.
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Featuring Donald A. Downs, Author, Free Speech and Liberal Education: A Plea for Intellectual Diversity and Tolerance; Alexander Meiklejohn Professor of Political Science Emeritus; Affiliate Professor of Law and Journalism Emeritus at the University of Wisconsin–Madison; Jason Kuznicki, Editor, Cato Books and Cato Unbound, Cato Institute (@JasonKuznicki); Katie Harbath, Public Policy Director, Global Elections, Facebook (@KatieHarbath); Robby Soave, Senior Editor, Reason Magazine (@RobbySoave); and Nadine Strossen, John Marshall Harlan II Professor of Law, New York Law School, and Past President, American Civil Liberties Union; moderated by Kat Murti, Associate Director, Audience Engagement and Acquisition, Cato Institute (@KatMurti).
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The kind of fight unfurling in San Diego over housing and land use is one that will become increasingly common. Michael Tanner explains why.
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Related Content: Solving California's Homeless Crisis
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Featuring Sir Paul Tucker, chair of the Systemic Risk Council and former deputy governor of the Bank of England; Elga Bartsch, Head of Macro Research, BlackRock; Peter Stella, former Head of the International Monetary Fund’s Central Banking and Monetary and Foreign Exchange Operations Divisions; Peter Conti‐Brown, Assistant Professor, The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania; and more.
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Featuring Maia Szalavitz (@maiasz), Award-Winning Neuroscience Journalist; and Author of Unbroken Brain: A Revolutionary New Way of Understanding Addiction; Leana S. Wen, MD, MSc, (@DrLeanaWen) Visiting Professor of Health Policy and Management, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University; and Distinguished Fellow, Fitzhugh Mullan Institute for Health Workforce Equity; moderated by Jeffrey A. Singer, MD, Senior Fellow, Cato Institute.Related Content: Americans Have Always Politicized Public Health
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Even before the COVID-19 pandemic cost tens of thousands of lives and capsized the U.S. economy, relations between Beijing and Washington were heading south. Tougher domestic repression, greater aggressiveness toward Hong Kong, enhanced pressure on Taiwan, and increased assertiveness in Asia-Pacific waters have unsettled American policymakers and allied nations in East Asia.
China’s poor response to the COVID-19 virus, especially the regime’s lack of transparency and punishment of doctors and journalists warning about the pandemic, inflamed political and public sentiment against Beijing.
Now the Trump administration appears determined to turn China’s poor response into a campaign issue. Joe Biden’s campaign has responded in kind. Republican legislators are even pushing to “make China pay,” proposing to strip Beijing of sovereign immunity to lawsuits and repudiate U.S. Treasury debt held by China. The result could be a race to the bottom in relations. Even the trade deal, which the administration celebrated in mid-January as the virus began spreading, is now at risk.
Can the bilateral relationship survive the coming presidential campaign? More broadly, where should the relationship go? Is Beijing’s authoritarian direction likely permanent, or is a reversal of policy possible in Beijing once Xi Jinping no longer rules? Should the United States shift to a policy of containment and seek to isolate China by severing economic ties and emphasizing military responses? How would Washington’s East Asian allies, economically dependent on China, respond to such an approach?
Related Content: Congress and COVID-19: Is Remote Legislating and Oversight Possible?
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The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) is due to go into force on July 1, 2020, but much work remains to prepare for the transition from the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) rules. In all likelihood, both agreements will operate in parallel until important details are ironed out. Most pressing among these are new rules for automobile manufacturing in North America, where the requirements have become more stringent. Mexico will also have to deal with a potential surge of labor disputes as the new labor chapter goes into effect. Compounding all of this is the COVID-19 pandemic, which has disrupted supply chains and weakened trading relationships around the world. Can the USMCA be successfully implemented this year, and can North America move forward from the pandemic stronger than before?
Related Content: Dispute Settlement and the US-UK Trade Agreement: Lessons from the NAFTA Renegotiation
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As the United States shifts the focus of its foreign and defense policies toward great-power competition, experts have paid more attention to Russian and Chinese nuclear force postures and strategies. The 2018 Nuclear Posture Review (NPR) paints a concerning picture of recent developments in both potential adversaries, noting the growth of arsenals and approaches to nuclear strategy that vex U.S. policymakers. The assessments and threat perceptions laid out in the NPR will drive U.S. nuclear strategy for the rest of the Trump administration and potentially beyond because they inform plans for U.S. nuclear modernization.
In the two years since the 2018 NPR's release, the Trump administration has put its stamp on America's approach to nuclear deterrence. The administration is clearly worried about the nuclear arsenals and strategies of Russia and China, and many of the NPR's more controversial items, such as the low-yield Trident warhead, are explicitly tied to nuclear developments in potential great-power adversaries.
But has the United States accurately diagnosed the most important problems posed by other great powers? Is Washington designing the right solutions to these problems? What are the risks of misdiagnoses and/or wrong policy solutions? The COVID-19 pandemic has made finding answers to these questions all the more urgent. The economic fallout of the public health emergency will likely create strong budgetary pressures and subject the multidecade, $1 trillion–plus nuclear modernization plan to closer scrutiny. Join us as we explore these questions and more.
Related Content: Using the Kosovo Precedent in Syria: Damaging US Relations with China and Russia
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Featuring Randy Barnett, Carmack Waterhouse Professor of Legal Theory, Georgetown University Law Center; and Senior Fellow, Cato Institute; and Ilya Shapiro, Director, Robert A. Levy Center for Constitutional Studies, Cato Institute.Related Content: Coronavirus and the Constitution
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Featuring Daniel Schuman, Policy Director, Demand Progress; Liz Hempowicz, Director of Public Policy, Project on Government Oversight; Corinna Turbes, Policy Manager, Data Coalition; moderated by Patrick Eddington, Research Fellow, Cato Institute.
Related Content: Congress' Stimulus Oversight Imperative
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Featuring Eugene Gholz, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Notre Dame; Adjunct Scholar, Cato Institute; and Rose McDermott,David and Marianna Fisher University Professor of International Relations, Brown University; moderated by Christopher Preble, Vice President for Defense and Foreign Policy Studies, Cato Institute.
Related:Cato's Project on Threat Inflation
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Marijuana Federalism: Uncle Sam and Mary Jane explores the legal and policy issues presented by the conflict between federal and state marijuana laws, ranging from constitutional questions about the scope and nature of federal power to questions of enforcement discretion and state‐level regulation. While the nation’s federalist structure presents complications when federal and state preferences conflict, it could also provide the foundation for more sensible drug policy in the 21st century. Please join us for a discussion of this new book, featuring its editor and one of its contributors.
Event Resources
- A Serious Hearing on Marijuana Prohibition Was Overdue, by Trevor Burrus
- It is Time for a Cannabis Opportunity Agenda, by Makada Henry‐Nickie and John Hudak
- The Case for Allowing Interstate Trade Among Marijuana‐Legal States, by Ilya Shapiro
- High on Federalism: Marijuana’s Challenge to Federal‐State Relations, by Ilya Shapiro and Matthew Larosiere
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In War on Us: How the War on Drugs and Myths about Addiction Have Created a War on All of Us, author Colleen Cowles provides a comprehensive, evidence‐based examination of the war on drugs and all its victims, clarifies common misconceptions of drug use and addiction, and offers a blueprint for reform.
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Cato’s one and only David Boaz, executive vice president and author of The Libertarian Mind, will explain “Why I’m Optimistic about Freedom and Progress.” Having been with Cato for nearly all its 40‐year history, David has seen the ideas of classical liberalism infused into the mainstream discourse and will provide reasons to be optimistic about a more libertarian future.
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The Supreme Court is now part of the same toxic cloud that has enveloped the nation’s public discourse. Given the battles we saw over Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch, and the largely party‐line votes on most circuit‐court nominees, too many people now think of the justices in partisan terms. That’s unfortunate, but it’s not a surprise when contrasting interpretive theories now largely track identification with parties that are more ideologically sorted than ever. Is there anything we can do to fix this dynamic? What does it mean for the future of constitutional protection for individual liberty? Ilya Shapiro will discuss the “New Supreme Court and the Future of Judicial Nominations.”
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The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 included a requirement that Medicare-participating providers use electronic health records by January 1, 2014, or face financial penalties. Passed and signed into law just four weeks after the inauguration of President Obama, this expensive requirement, which had almost no public debate, forced hospitals, doctors, and clinics to move confidential patient information into digital format.
Twila Brase, author of the 2018 book Big Brother in the Exam Room: The Dangerous Truth about Electronic Health Records, says the electronic health record (EHR) is not what patients think it is. It interferes with patient care, is being used to violate patient rights, it makes sensitive data vulnerable to hackers, and it is threatening patient safety and medical excellence. She claims that what the government calls privacy rules are actually data-sharing rules. Furthermore, standardized treatment protocols and burdensome data-entry requirements are causing physician burnout and physician exodus from the practice of medicine. Government-mandated EHRs are an untested experiment that gives government and other self-interested parties outside the exam room significant control over private medical decisions.
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Almost 50 years after his death, the legacy of FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover remains very much alive, according to 16-year FBI veteran Michael German in his new book, Disrupt, Discredit, and Divide: How the New FBI Damages Democracy. Just as Hoover exploited fears of communist infiltration of American institutions, his successors at the FBI in the post-9/11 era have exploited fears of Salafist terrorism to “shed the legal constraints” imposed on the bureau in the wake of Hoover-era civil rights abuses. Does Congress have the will to rein in the FBI? How should political activists respond to these increased threats to their constitutional rights?
Join us as an expert panel talks with German about his book on FBI domestic surveillance and disruption activities in the era of endless war.
Reforming the immigration visa system is crucial for the future of the United States. In late 2019, Rep. John Curtis (R‑UT), supported by Gov. Gary Herbert, introduced a bill to create a state‐based visa system. Curtis’s proposal adopts a major component of the Canadian immigration system: visas sponsored by individual states rather than the federal government. Under the legislation, the federal government maintains control over admissions, security checks, and other necessary criteria, while the state governments gain power to select individual migrants and regulate their activity within the state. Each state would get an average of 10,000 visas a year: 5,000 guaranteed for each state and an additional number assigned based on population.
With the partisan gridlock that has characterized Washington politics for at least the past two decades, can and should states lead the way on immigration by utilizing a state‐based visa system? Join the Cato Institute’s Alex Nowrasteh for a panel discussion with Representative Curtis and Governor Herbert for a policy deep dive on how state‐based visas can reform our nation’s broken immigration system.
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A scholarly debate has emerged over trends in global conflict and the future of warfare. Is the international system becoming more peaceful, or is it just as violent and war-prone as it always has been? Is great-power war a thing of the past, or has it merely been dormant under changing technological and institutional conditions? Crafting an appropriate U.S. foreign policy is dependent on accurately measuring the state of war and peace in the world. Please join us for a discussion of these vital issues.
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Scientists and citizens often focus on the dark side of our biological heritage, such as our capacity for aggression, cruelty, prejudice, and self‐interest. But natural selection has also given us a suite of beneficial social features, including our capacity for love, friendship, cooperation, and teaching.
Beneath all our inventions—our tools, farms, machines, cities, nations—we carry with us innate proclivities to make such a good society. Indeed, our genes affect not only our bodies and behaviors, but also the ways in which we make societies, and therefore ones that are surprisingly similar worldwide.
Using many wide‐ranging examples— including diverse historical and contemporary cultures, communities formed in the wake of shipwrecks, commune dwellers seeking utopia, online groups of both people and artificially intelligent bots, and even the tender and complex social arrangements of elephants and dolphins that so resemble our own—Christakis demonstrates that, despite a human history replete with violence, we cannot escape our social blueprint for goodness.
In a world of increasing political and economic polarization, it’s tempting to ignore the positive role of our evolutionary past. But Christakis shows how and why evolution has placed us on a humane path—and how we are united by our common humanity.
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Even before Donald Trump’s election, foreign policy thinkers were beginning to realize that American grand strategy had to change. After more than 15 years of war in Afghanistan and the Middle East, Americans’ enthusiasm for foreign adventures had expired and many believed that public support for traditional American leadership of the liberal international order had expired along with it. The big question was: What would come next?
During the third year of the Trump administration, the 2020 Democratic candidates have offered a range of arguments about what’s wrong with U.S. foreign policy today and where it should be headed. Some of these hew fairly close to the traditional, pre‐Trump approach, while others represent more significant departures from the status quo.
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Needle exchange programs are a proven means of reducing the spread of HIV and hepatitis among intravenous drug users. They are endorsed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the surgeon general of the United States, the World Health Organization, the American Public Health Association, and the American Medical Association. Nevertheless, needle exchange programs are legally permitted to operate in only 30 states and the District of Columbia. Drug paraphernalia laws make them illegal elsewhere.
Critics of needle exchange programs claim they “enable” or “endorse” illicit drug use. “Not-in-my-backyard” attitudes fuel opposition in local communities. Experts will discuss the efficacy and role of this harm-reduction strategy as well as the political challenges to its widespread adoption.
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In 2005 John Ioannidis of Stanford University published a paper with the dramatic title of “Why Most Published Research Findings are False.” Dismayingly, we now know that he was right. In Scientocracy we explore how science has gone wrong and illustrate it with examples from nutrition, radiation, climate, and other branches of research.
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Not since the 1970s have intelligence activities — and intelligence oversight — been as central to America’s domestic political discourse as they are today. From presidential impeachment to election security, from explosive allegations of political wiretapping to debates over the regulation of social media platforms, U.S. spy agencies — as well as the myriad overseers tasked with checking their power — seem to play central roles in the most contentious issues of the day. The common thread is the tension always inherent to intelligence in a democratic society: the need to make necessarily secretive spy agencies accountable to the political branches of government but independent of politics. Yet even as intelligence agencies face unprecedented public scrutiny — and seek to meet unprecedented demands for transparency — the scale and complexity of their work has left many wondering whether meaningful control is possible.
The 2019 Cato Institute Surveillance Conference will explore that question with a special focus on the people and institutions tasked with watching the watchers, including congressional committees, inspectors general, independent privacy boards, and courts.
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Not since the 1970s have intelligence activities — and intelligence oversight — been as central to America’s domestic political discourse as they are today. From presidential impeachment to election security, from explosive allegations of political wiretapping to debates over the regulation of social media platforms, U.S. spy agencies — as well as the myriad overseers tasked with checking their power — seem to play central roles in the most contentious issues of the day. The common thread is the tension always inherent to intelligence in a democratic society: the need to make necessarily secretive spy agencies accountable to the political branches of government but independent of politics. Yet even as intelligence agencies face unprecedented public scrutiny — and seek to meet unprecedented demands for transparency — the scale and complexity of their work has left many wondering whether meaningful control is possible.
The 2019 Cato Institute Surveillance Conference will explore that question with a special focus on the people and institutions tasked with watching the watchers, including congressional committees, inspectors general, independent privacy boards, and courts.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Not since the 1970s have intelligence activities — and intelligence oversight — been as central to America’s domestic political discourse as they are today. From presidential impeachment to election security, from explosive allegations of political wiretapping to debates over the regulation of social media platforms, U.S. spy agencies — as well as the myriad overseers tasked with checking their power — seem to play central roles in the most contentious issues of the day. The common thread is the tension always inherent to intelligence in a democratic society: the need to make necessarily secretive spy agencies accountable to the political branches of government but independent of politics. Yet even as intelligence agencies face unprecedented public scrutiny — and seek to meet unprecedented demands for transparency — the scale and complexity of their work has left many wondering whether meaningful control is possible.
The 2019 Cato Institute Surveillance Conference will explore that question with a special focus on the people and institutions tasked with watching the watchers, including congressional committees, inspectors general, independent privacy boards, and courts.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Not since the 1970s have intelligence activities — and intelligence oversight — been as central to America’s domestic political discourse as they are today. From presidential impeachment to election security, from explosive allegations of political wiretapping to debates over the regulation of social media platforms, U.S. spy agencies — as well as the myriad overseers tasked with checking their power — seem to play central roles in the most contentious issues of the day. The common thread is the tension always inherent to intelligence in a democratic society: the need to make necessarily secretive spy agencies accountable to the political branches of government but independent of politics. Yet even as intelligence agencies face unprecedented public scrutiny — and seek to meet unprecedented demands for transparency — the scale and complexity of their work has left many wondering whether meaningful control is possible.
The 2019 Cato Institute Surveillance Conference will explore that question with a special focus on the people and institutions tasked with watching the watchers, including congressional committees, inspectors general, independent privacy boards, and courts.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Not since the 1970s have intelligence activities — and intelligence oversight — been as central to America’s domestic political discourse as they are today. From presidential impeachment to election security, from explosive allegations of political wiretapping to debates over the regulation of social media platforms, U.S. spy agencies — as well as the myriad overseers tasked with checking their power — seem to play central roles in the most contentious issues of the day. The common thread is the tension always inherent to intelligence in a democratic society: the need to make necessarily secretive spy agencies accountable to the political branches of government but independent of politics. Yet even as intelligence agencies face unprecedented public scrutiny — and seek to meet unprecedented demands for transparency — the scale and complexity of their work has left many wondering whether meaningful control is possible.
The 2019 Cato Institute Surveillance Conference will explore that question with a special focus on the people and institutions tasked with watching the watchers, including congressional committees, inspectors general, independent privacy boards, and courts.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Not since the 1970s have intelligence activities — and intelligence oversight — been as central to America’s domestic political discourse as they are today. From presidential impeachment to election security, from explosive allegations of political wiretapping to debates over the regulation of social media platforms, U.S. spy agencies — as well as the myriad overseers tasked with checking their power — seem to play central roles in the most contentious issues of the day. The common thread is the tension always inherent to intelligence in a democratic society: the need to make necessarily secretive spy agencies accountable to the political branches of government but independent of politics. Yet even as intelligence agencies face unprecedented public scrutiny — and seek to meet unprecedented demands for transparency — the scale and complexity of their work has left many wondering whether meaningful control is possible.
The 2019 Cato Institute Surveillance Conference will explore that question with a special focus on the people and institutions tasked with watching the watchers, including congressional committees, inspectors general, independent privacy boards, and courts.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Some political leaders are saying that inequality is at unacceptable levels and should be countered by higher taxes at the top end. But income and wealth inequality are complex issues that are often misunderstood. Scott Winship is a long-time expert on inequality and economic mobility and will discuss income inequality. He will be followed by Chris Edwards, who will discuss wealth inequality data, the role of wealth in the economy, and the possible effects of an annual wealth tax.
Winship is executive director of the Joint Economic Committee, chaired by Senator Mike Lee (R-UT), and leads the committee’s Social Capital Project, a research effort aimed at understanding the health of families, communities, and civil society. The chairman’s office recently released a study comparing measures of income concentration. Edwards examined wealth taxation in a recent Cato study and has completed a new Cato study on wealth inequality with Cato scholar Ryan Bourne.
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The disease model of drug addiction takes the view that the addict’s brain has been “hijacked” — that the addict has lost autonomy and self-control and has effectively become a zombie who is controlled by the drug. This model of understanding nonmedical drug use informs modern public policy, leading to policies that criminalize drug use and treat addicts with punishment and coerced treatment.
Yet many scholars and experts reject this disease model of addiction. Instead, they consider nonmedical drug use a form of learning disorder in which compulsive behavior is an automatized means of coping with stress triggers. Come hear a distinguished panel of experts discuss a more sophisticated and nuanced understanding of substance use and addiction that can produce an enlightened public policy.
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Does China comply with its obligations at the World Trade Organization (WTO)? Is the WTO system effective at dealing with China? Doubt about China's behavior and the effectiveness of the WTO has been growing in both the popular press as well as among some U.S. trade experts and officials. One way to evaluate these questions is to consider China's reactions to WTO complaints brought against it. Through a review of these complaints, including China's response and its compliance record when there is a ruling, Zhou provides the most comprehensive analysis on this issue to date. His book's conclusion may surprise some people: China's implementation of WTO rulings has not been perfect, but it has been as good as that of other trading nations. In addition, we will discuss China's compliance with its WTO obligations more generally.
This forum tries to bring some objectivity to the analysis, and to help guide the United States and other countries in the ongoing debate about China's participation in the world trading system.
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In The Need for Humility in Policymaking: Lessons from Regulatory Policy, economists Stefanie Haeffele and Anne Hobson argue that thoughtful policy analysis and policymaking require an acknowledgment of the challenges that politicians and regulators face when intervening in a complex and changing society. The book seeks to cultivate an appreciation for the complexity of human decision making and the incentives that drive human behavior. In the edited volume, 12 scholars provide case studies examining the effects of regulations in diverse policy areas, including financial markets, computer and internet governance, and healthcare innovation and delivery. Each chapter explores regulatory hubris and subsequent unintended consequences of policy interventions. Please join the book’s editors for a conversation on the importance of humility in designing regulations and launching new policy initiatives.
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Repugnant Laws provides a political history of how the Supreme Court has exercised the power of judicial review over federal legislation from the adoption of the Constitution to the present. The book draws on a first-of-its-kind comprehensive inventory of every case in which the court has substantively reviewed the constitutionality of a provision of federal law and either upheld the application of that statute or refused to apply it due to constitutional limits on congressional authority. The book makes use of the publicly available Judicial Review of Congress Database to reexamine how aggressively the court has enforced limits on congressional power over time. It also reevaluates the political relationship between the court and the elected branches of the federal government and revises our understanding of the history of American constitutional law. As battles over the future of the Supreme Court heat up, join us for a discussion of the promise and limits of judicial power and the ways in which the court reflects the politics of its time.
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Thirty years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the transition experience of ex-socialist countries toward the market has been varied, with cases of successful economic and political reforms and cases of reform failure. Leszek Balcerowicz will explain how free-market economies based on the rule of law perform incomparably better than centrally planned economies, but, as he will also point out, that they can be undermined by constant pressure from illiberal interest groups, as is the case in many overregulated or fiscally fragile Western countries. Drawing from these experiences, he will discuss how various institutional regimes produce good and bad transitions, including more-recent ones toward authoritarianism.
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Full event: 37th Annual Monetary Conference
Shadowing the Fed’s strategic review, Cato’s 37th Annual Monetary Conference explores a broad array of recommendations for improving the monetary framework — and goes beyond the narrow scope of the Fed’s agenda to share a vision for a monetary system best suited for a free society.
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Full event: 37th Annual Monetary Conference
Shadowing the Fed’s strategic review, Cato’s 37th Annual Monetary Conference explores a broad array of recommendations for improving the monetary framework — and goes beyond the narrow scope of the Fed’s agenda to share a vision for a monetary system best suited for a free society.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Full event: 37th Annual Monetary Conference
Shadowing the Fed’s strategic review, Cato’s 37th Annual Monetary Conference explores a broad array of recommendations for improving the monetary framework — and goes beyond the narrow scope of the Fed’s agenda to share a vision for a monetary system best suited for a free society.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Full event: 37th Annual Monetary Conference
Shadowing the Fed’s strategic review, Cato’s 37th Annual Monetary Conference explores a broad array of recommendations for improving the monetary framework — and goes beyond the narrow scope of the Fed’s agenda to share a vision for a monetary system best suited for a free society.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Full event: 37th Annual Monetary Conference
Shadowing the Fed’s strategic review, Cato’s 37th Annual Monetary Conference explores a broad array of recommendations for improving the monetary framework — and goes beyond the narrow scope of the Fed’s agenda to share a vision for a monetary system best suited for a free society.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Full event: 37th Annual Monetary Conference
Shadowing the Fed’s strategic review, Cato’s 37th Annual Monetary Conference explores a broad array of recommendations for improving the monetary framework — and goes beyond the narrow scope of the Fed’s agenda to share a vision for a monetary system best suited for a free society.
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In their new graphic nonfiction book Open Borders: The Science and Ethics of Immigration, authors Bryan Caplan and Zach Weinersmith turn the heated public debate over immigration on its head by proposing a radical and controversial solution: open borders. Caplan argues that opening all borders would practically eliminate absolute poverty worldwide and usher in a booming worldwide economy―greatly benefiting all of humanity, including Americans. With a clear and conversational tone, exhaustive research, and vibrant illustrations by Zach Weinersmith of Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal fame, Open Borders makes the case for unrestricted immigration in a new format sure to spark lively debate. Caplan and Weinersmith will be joined by Tim Kane, the JP Conte Fellow in Immigration Studies at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, who is a supporter of liberal immigration laws but a critic of open borders. Please join us for a timely and lively discussion.
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What does it take for liberty to emerge and to flourish? Daron Acemoglu will explain how, from antiquity to the modern age, the strong have tended to dominate the weak because states are too strong and despotic or because violence and lawlessness arise in their absence. Achieving liberty requires a constant struggle between the state and society that strikes a balance between the elite and citizens, and between institutions and norms. Acemoglu will draw from history to discuss how and under what conditions societies have gained freedoms, maintained them, or lost them. John Nye will critique Acemoglu’s views on the emergence and continuance of liberty.
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Competitive grant funds, including BUILD (formerly known as TIGER) and New Starts (also known as transit capital grants), are supposed to ensure that federal dollars are spent where they are most needed. In fact, most of them are wasted as state and local governments propose expensive and obsolete projects in order to get the most "free" federal dollars. Since these programs are up for renewal in 2020, Feigenbaum and O’Toole will show how Congress can make them work more effectively.
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Robert Zubrin tells the amazing true story of how hard-driving entrepreneurial ventures such as SpaceX and Blue Origin have accomplished what was previously thought of only as a capability of major-power governments: space exploration. He contends that private-sector competition will bring down the cost of space launches and in-space technology and shows how those trends are already underway. Zubrin’s book lays out a compelling vision for the future of humanity in space. As space exploration increasingly becomes the domain of private companies and private citizens, humanity may be on the verge of a revolution in spaceflight that could open up a future of limitless possibility. Please join us to hear Zubrin’s presentation and comments by Berin Szóka.
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As a candidate for the presidency, Donald Trump declared the prevailing American foreign policy consensus “a complete and total disaster.” He vowed to “shake the rust off of American foreign policy” and promised that his administration would be guided by putting American security and American interests above all other considerations.
In Fuel to the Fire: How Trump Made America’s Broken Foreign Policy Even Worse (and How We Can Recover), John Glaser, Christopher Preble, and Trevor Thrall argue that, instead of breaking from his party and the bipartisan consensus that has guided foreign policy for decades, Trump’s administration shows remarkable continuity with the more misguided policies of the last three decades. Simultaneously, the administration has undermined and stifled our two most valuable foreign policy tools: trade and diplomacy.
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Donald Trump’s presidency has triggered a growing debate on both sides of the Atlantic about the future of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and U.S. policy regarding the alliance. In NATO: The Dangerous Dinosaur, Ted Galen Carpenter outlines how NATO in its current form has outlived its purpose, and burden sharing is only part of the problem. Continuing to expand NATO eastward, encroaching on Russia, will only endanger the alliance. Join us as the author offers his insights on the problems with the trans-Atlantic alliance and how to approach it going forward.
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Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, “left” and “right” have been used routinely to describe conflicting political ideologies, notwithstanding their notorious ambiguity and—a fact too often forgotten—a shared utopian root. The dream of a perfect world has inspired each generation; that hope is universal. The vision of a demigod-superman who destroys all evil, thereby inaugurating a utopia of perfection and bliss, is at least as old as the book of Daniel in the Hebrew Bible. But behind that apocalyptic vision lies a fatal conceit, to borrow a phrase from Hayek, which the Greeks called hubris. It reemerged in some sects of early Christianity and again in medieval millenarianism, Jacobinism, Marxism, Fascism, antisemitism, modern-day Salafi Islamism, and even “liberal” collectivism. In an age of rampant skepticism, religious and quasi-religious ideologies bent on the vilification and destruction of entire communities confront and undermine a confused, guilt-ridden, materialistic, often nihilistic Western society. In this book, political philosopher Juliana Geran Pilon argues that a strong defense of freedom and pluralism, which form the basis of constitutional democracy, is necessary for survival.
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Public discussions about vaping nicotine products have changed dramatically in the last few months. Vaping, an activity generally regarded as safer than smoking, is now viewed by many lawmakers and health officials as a serious threat. People who vape have begun to face restrictions similar to those placed on cigarettes. While there’s no question that cigarette smoking is one of the biggest causes of mortality in the world, the failure to differentiate among many possible sources of nicotine is detrimental to public policy. Jacob Grier’s new book, The Rediscovery of Tobacco, provides a nuanced take on the history, policy, and health consequences of tobacco and the new world of vaping and makes the case for treating vapers and smokers with dignity and respect.
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We live in an age of unprecedented prosperity. Yet a recent psychological study found that anxiety “is significantly more prevalent and impairing in high-income countries than in low- or middle-income countries.” Clay Routledge argues that these and related research findings are a warning that prosperous societies such as the United States are facing a crisis of meaning that may ultimately undermine liberty and prosperity. Affluence and liberalism, he claims, benefit humanity by reducing material concerns and liberating individuals to pursue their goals. At the same time, however, Routledge argues, affluence and liberalism uproot individuals from traditional sources of meaning like religion and interdependent communities. He says that people who are uprooted from traditional sources of existential security can become psychologically vulnerable and anxious, demotivated and pessimistic, and attracted to extreme and dangerous secular ideologies, which all threaten the sustainability of a free and flourishing society. Is he right? Please join us for a topical conversation about the search for meaning in affluent and free societies.
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Prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) operate in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. These statewide electronic databases of prescriptions dispensed for controlled substances were established in response to the opioid overdose crisis. Their purpose is to facilitate drug diversion investigations by law enforcement, change prescribing behavior, and reduce “doctor shopping” by patients who seek drugs for nonmedical use. In 28 states it is mandatory for providers to access the database and screen each time before prescribing any controlled substance to any patient. There is evidence that PDMPs have contributed to the dramatic 42 percent decline in prescription opioid volume since 2011. Many healthcare practitioners cite the inconvenience and workflow disruptions of mandatory-access PDMPs as deterrents to prescribing, while others fear scrutiny from law enforcement and licensing authorities — even for appropriate medical prescribing. This is unintentionally causing the undertreatment of patients with acute and chronic pain and, in some cases, the abrupt withdrawal of treatment from chronic pain patients. There is also evidence that PDMPs increase crime by driving nonmedical users from diverted prescription opioids to more harmful heroin and fentanyl, thus fueling overdoses. Finally, PDMPs pose a serious risk to medical privacy by allowing law enforcement to access confidential medical records without a warrant based on probable cause, which may be in violation of the Fourth Amendment.
An expert panel will examine the positive and negative effects of PDMPs on patient care, patient privacy, the overdose rate, and crime, hoping to learn whether they do more harm than good.
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Daniel Ellsberg. Edward Snowden. Elin Baklid-Kunz. Lynn Stout. Diane Roark. Franz Gayl. They and others like them come from all across the country. Some worked for the federal government; others worked in the private sector. All have one thing in common: in the organizations for which they worked, they saw things they knew were morally and legally wrong. Each made a life-altering decision to do something about it.
In his new book, Crisis of Conscience: Whistleblowing in an Age of Fraud, journalist Tom Mueller takes us into the world of the whistleblower. What makes them different? Why did they elect to act when others would not? Do the pathologies in large organizations — whether in government or the private sector — inevitably produce whistleblowers? Is Congress serious about protecting whistleblowers? How do protections for federal whistleblowers differ from agency to agency and from the private sector? Are new federal “insider threat” programs just a bureaucrat smokescreen for cracking down on internal dissent?
Join us as an expert panel talks with Mueller about his book and the state of government and corporate whistleblowing in the Trump era.
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Naloxone—an opioid antagonist that reverses overdoses—is a safe, effective, critical tool for preventing opioid-overdose deaths. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration nevertheless continues to require a prescription for each naloxone purchase, an unnecessary requirement that limits access to this life-saving drug.
On October 2, the Cato Institute will hold a two-part Capitol Hill Briefing to discuss how naloxone can save even more lives. First, Cato senior fellow Jeffrey A. Singer and Cato adjunct scholar David A. Hyman will discuss the effectiveness of naloxone and the effect of, and reasons for, the FDA’s prescription requirement. Second, the Washington, DC, Department of Health will conduct naloxone training for all willing adult attendees and will distribute easy-to-use Narcan, a nasal-spray version of naloxone, to those who complete the training.
Attending this event could help you save a life. We encourage each congressional office to designate at least one staffer to attend this event, train in naloxone administration, and keep this life-saving drug on hand anywhere someone may need it.
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In his forthcoming book How to Be a Dictator, Frank Dikötter examines the cults and propaganda surrounding twentieth-century dictators, from Hitler and Stalin to Mao Zedong and Kim II Sung. These men were the founders of modern dictatorships, and they learned from each other and from history to build their regimes and maintain their public images. Their dictatorships, in turn, have influenced leaders in the 21st century, including Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
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Data are the lifeblood of public policy analysis. In criminal justice policy, crime data can be used to determine whether crime victimization is trending up or down in a given area or whether an innovative type of policing is effective. But how data are analyzed can have extraordinary effects on policy outcomes and future recommendations.
In his re-released award-winning book, The Condemnation of Blackness: Race, Crime, and the Making of Modern Urban America (Harvard University Press, 2019), Khalil Gibran Muhammad details the history of how crime data became evidence of racial inferiority that helped shape criminal justice policy and American thought for more than 100 years.
While urban elites viewed crime committed by European immigrants as a call for palliative social remedy, crime by black migrants from the American South was considered racially endemic and thus was to be dealt with punitively. Condemnation of Blackness is essential reading to understand how ideas of black dangerousness and criminality are legacies of slavery, racism, and discrimination.
Please join us on Thursday, September 26, for a conversation with Muhammad as he discusses his extraordinary book with the Cato Institute's Jonathan Blanks.
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American higher education is in a bad place: public confidence is dropping, prices are daunting, and presidential candidates are clamoring to fundamentally change how it’s funded. Join us to hear U.S. Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) discuss his interest in finding solutions to the many problems with higher education policy. Attendees will then hear from the authors and editors of three new books tackling higher education’s myriad ailments and how to fix them. Many things must change in the ivory tower, and you’ll hear clear, grounded ideas about what those should be.
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James Grant’s new book,Bagehot: The Life and Times of the Greatest Victorian, tells the story of Walter Bagehot — a 19th century banker, an essayist, and a former editor ofThe Economist. Born in a small town in late-Georgian England, Bagehot became one of the most influential figures in Victorian-era finance and politics. Indeed, thanks to his celebrated 1873 treatise,Lombard Street: A Description of the Money Market, Bagehot remains influential today, not just in England but in financial centers everywhere.Lombard Streetis a work to which all modern central bankers pay homage, even if they often fail to heed its advice.
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An Introduction to Constitutional Lawwill teach you the narrative of constitutional law as it has developed over the past two centuries. All readers — even those unfamiliar with American history — will learn the essential background for grasping how this body of law has come to be what it is today. The accompanying online video library brings to life the Supreme Court’s 100 most important decisions; the videos are enriched by photographs, maps, and even audio from Supreme Court arguments. More importantly, this multimedia work is accessible to all: students in law school, college, high school, and homeschool, as well as lifelong learners pursuing independent study. Law students can read and watch these materials to prepare for class or use the platform after class to fill in any gaps in their notes. Come exam time, students can binge-watch the entire canon of constitutional law in about 12 hours. Please join us to learn about this innovative project, with comment by a prominent federal judge and a leading Supreme Court reporter.
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Has the spread of capitalism been a net positive or a net negative for women around the world? Is capitalism an inherently exploitative, oppressive, and patriarchal economic system entwined with the subjugation of women? Or has it helped to empower women, enhancing their material well-being and fostering gender parity? Advocates of women’s welfare disagree on these important questions. As a result, they seek to advance very different economic policies despite a shared goal of promoting female empowerment.
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On September 11, 2001, al Qaeda terrorists killed nearly 3,000 innocent men, women, and children in four coordinated attacks, the deadliest such incident in history and the bloodiest day on American soil in over a century. Since that time, the Pentagon says more than 7,000 Americans have been killed in the wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, and the Greater Middle East, as well as in other military operations associated with the War on Terror.
Many Americans still recall the trauma of 9/11 and are aware of the scale of death and destruction wrought that day. Some have a sense of the numbers of U.S. troops killed in wars since. Very few, however, are aware of the others who have died in these wars. For example, the Costs of War Project counts at least 244,000 civilian deaths in just three countries: Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Much higher estimates may be derived from episodic reporting of incidents involving noncombatants killed as a result of U.S. military action worldwide.
At this special policy forum, a distinguished panel of experts will explore the nature of these casualties, why the U.S. military’s efforts to limit harm to innocent men, women, and children sometimes fail, how and if recent congressional oversight has helped to shed light on the issue, and whether the U.S. media’s inconsistent coverage of noncombatant deaths is a symptom or a cause of the public’s relative ignorance of the true costs of America’s ongoing wars.
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Economist Emily Oster’s new book,Cribsheet: A Data-Driven Guide to Better, More Relaxed Parenting, from Birth to Preschool, cuts through the alarmist rhetoric and fearmongering that surrounds modern-day parenting with a cool-headed look at the data. Oster’s book argues there is no single optimal set of child-rearing decisions. Rather, she applies economic thinking to help parents evaluate the available choices for themselves. She also shows that many widely held views and official government recommendations for parents are not backed up by evidence. Join us to hear Oster and Julie Gunlock discuss the ”dismal science”, statistical literacy, and how to make parenting decisions in the face of an alarmist parenting culture.
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Libertarians and conservatives alike claim to be advocates of individual liberty, limited government, and free markets. In some policy spheres, these shared values lead libertarians and conservatives to similar conclusions about public policy. As a result, popular political discourse often conflates libertarianism with conservatism, and proponents of "fusionism" go so far as to regard a libertarian-conservative alliance as being both natural and politically useful.
However, the differences between the two political philosophies are at least as significant as the similarities. On matters such as national security and foreign policy, immigration, criminal justice, drugs, surveillance, marriage and the family, and the role of religion in public policy, libertarians and conservatives often clash with one another.
Despite whatever similarities they may have, libertarianism and conservatism are substantially different political philosophies. So which one provides better answers to today's most important political questions?
We invite you to a debate about the two political philosophies and their associated policy implications. Interns from the Cato Institute and the Heritage Foundation will go head-to-head to answer the question: Is libertarianism or conservatism the superior political philosophy?
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Socialism has failed every time it has been tried, yet it still appeals to parts of the American public that have little or no experience with it. Irreverent but honest economists Robert Lawson and Benjamin Powell will describe what they saw when they visited real-life examples of socialism in Cuba, North Korea, and Venezuela and other countries that are living with the socialist legacy. Using anecdotes and informed by scholarship, they will explain why socialism is often catastrophic, why Sweden is not an example of socialism, and why many of the claims of socialist politicians in America are so wrong-headed. Matt Kibbe will describe how young Americans’ views on socialism have evolved in recent years.
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Six months after Nicolás Maduro was declared a “usurper” by Venezuela’s National Assembly and Juan Guaidó was sworn in as interim president, political gridlock has set in. The ongoing talks in Barbados between the regime and representatives of the democratic forces do not hold the promise of a swift solution to the crisis engulfing Venezuela. Luis Almagro, secretary general of the Organization of American States, will describe what’s at stake and discuss international efforts that can be made to put pressure on Maduro’s regime. María Corina Machado, former member of the National Assembly and prominent leader of the opposition, will assess the process of restoring democracy so far and offer a strategic vision. Pedro Urruchurtu will briefly explain how Venezuela got to this point.
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Since the 2016 election, college campuses have erupted in violent protests and demands for safe spaces and the silencing of views that activist groups find disagreeable. Who are the leaders behind these protests, and what do they want? In Panic Attack, libertarian journalist Robby Soave answers these questions by profiling young radicals from across the political spectrum.Soave documents a multitude of competing post-liberal political views among the young, from the Democratic Socialists of America to Turning Point USA. He explicates the ideologies and social conditions that have fostered these nascent movements, paying special attention to the identarian concerns that often animate Generation Z activists. Although these budding radicals are politically inexperienced and often poorly organized, they have already redrawn the lines of political debate around speech and censorship, and their break from the strictures of postwar party politics has the potential to permanently reshape America’s political landscape.
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The ancient Greeks believed that the mythical Gorgon could turn those who stared at it to stone. The Pentagon’s surveillance technology named after this creature, Gorgon Stare, has used its aerial near-panopticon surveillance capabilities to turn Salafist insurgents into targets. But should such a powerful, virtually all-seeing aerial spying system be allowed to operate over American communities? Arthur Holland Michel, Deputy Director of the Center for the Study of the Drone, tackles this question in his new book, Eyes in the Sky: The Secret Rise of Gorgon Stare and How It Will Watch Us All. Join us on June 25 at 1:00 p.m. as an expert panel talks with Michel about his book and about Gorgon Stare’s implications for the constitutional rights of Americans.
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For many Americans, the distinction between military policy and domestic law enforcement is clear: the U.S. military is deployed abroad and tasked with defense of vital national interests, while at home police officers protect life, liberty, and property by investigating and deterring crimes. But as Christopher Coyne and Abigail Hall explain in their book Tyranny Comes Home: The Domestic Fate of U.S. Militarism, years of policy decisions at home and abroad have eroded this distinction.Military equipment and tactics often find their way to police departments thanks to what Coyne and Hall call the “boomerang effect,” which can result in needlessly aggressive policing and violations of civil liberties. What are the origins of the boomerang effect? Can police militarization be reversed? Does modern policing require military-grade surveillance equipment? Join us for a book forum featuring Coyne and Hall, who tackle these and other pressing questions.
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Congress reformed America’s legal immigration system nearly three decades ago. Since that time, the system’s outdated and arbitrary immigration quotas have doubled wait times for green cards for legal immigrants. At the border, a new challenge has emerged in the form of illegal immigration and asylum seekers from Central America. Wide bipartisan agreement exists that both temporary and permanent immigration policies need to be reformed, yet Congress and the administration have failed to settle on the best approach. As the debate continues in Congress, join us as our speakers explain the problems with and solutions for America’s legal immigration system.
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Negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang over North Korea’s nuclear weapons program are at an impasse, and tensions are rising. And while neither side appears to want a war, the path to a diplomatic solution remains unclear. What is obvious, however, is that most U.S. policymakers have little understanding of what the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) is or how it operates, a fact that limits America’s ability to peacefully resolve the crisis.Heidi Linton, Randall Spadoni, and Daniel Jasper, by contrast, have firsthand knowledge of the DPRK. Their organizations maintain long-term aid programs in North Korea, and all three have spent time there as part of humanitarian missions, including trips to parts of the country closed to most visitors.
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The U.S. Department of Justice estimates that police officers shoot and kill more than 10,000 pet dogs in the United States every year. From SWAT raids to standard calls for service and police visits to wrong addresses, officers are often too quick to use lethal force against family pets, despite the fact that no police officer has ever been killed in the line of duty by a dog.In the award-winning documentary Of Dogs and Men, director Michael Ozias and producer Patrick Reasonover delve into the culture of violence against dogs by police officers. Of Dogs and Men provides firsthand accounts of families and individuals who have suffered the loss of a dog killed during a confrontation with law enforcement.The powerful film takes audiences on a journey with pet owners in pursuit of policy change in the legal system. The stories told in Of Dogs and Men have prompted cooperation and best-practices guidelines from law enforcement organizations such as the National Sheriffs’ Association.Of Dogs and Men was chosen as part of the official selection at both the Anthem and the Austin film festivals and was awarded the Honorable Mention Audience Award at the Austin Film Festival. Victoria Stillwell, host of Animal Planet’s Its Me or the Dog, has said, “Every person who has a dog should watch this film. It could be the difference between life and death.”
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Using eagles and flags to rainbows and abstract art, many people have expressed ideas about freedom in art. Are there commonalities among these representations? Do these representations reflect competing values? When do images make a stronger impression than words? What makes some images clichés and some unique and attention-getting successes? Join us to hear a discussion of these questions and more.
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The Jones Act is back in the news, with legislation introduced this year to repeal the law and the White House said to be considering a limited waiver of the law for the transport of liquefied natural gas. It’s about time. For nearly 100 years, the Jones Act has served as a burden on the U.S. economy and has raised transportation costs, damaged the environment, and even harmed U.S. exports. In the course of doing so, it has also manifestly failed to achieve its stated policy goals, with U.S. shipbuilding and the Jones Act fleet itself in a decades-long decline. Questions also abound about the law’s contribution to national security, as illustrated by the shortage of merchant mariners to crew the government-owned vessels in times of war and the Navy unable to afford ships from vastly uncompetitive U.S. shipyards to meet its sealift needs.* Learn more about the Jones Act
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When is it appropriate to resist the agents of the state? For many, the answer may be (all too) easy: never. But the United States itself was founded on one such act of resistance, and libertarians have always been deeply skeptical that the agents of the state enjoy any special status in moral philosophy. May an individual legitimately resist state agents? In what cases is such resistance allowed? What methods may be used, and to what ends? Philosopher Jason Brennan argues that sometimes, individuals have not only a right to resist unjust state actions but even an obligation to do so.
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Free trade provides enormous benefits to developing countries. Arvind Panagariya will describe its impressive record in promoting growth and reducing poverty at a time when some policymakers in rich and poor countries are turning toward protectionism. He will explain how openness was key to the economic success of countries like South Korea and Taiwan and will refute claims that industrial policy, infant industry protection, or measures that erected barriers to trade have worked better than free trade itself. Anne Krueger will comment on Panagariya’s full-scale defense of free trade and warn about threats to the liberal, global trade regime.
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Depending on the type of institution, inflation-adjusted college prices have as much as tripled over the past 30 years. This cost increase has launched vociferous arguments about its underlying causes. Perhaps no theories loom larger than that cuts in direct state funding have forced schools to raise revenue from their students or that federal student aid has enabled colleges to inflate their prices no matter what is happening with their other funding streams. Join a panel of experts as they debate which theory is right, which is wrong, whether even more important factors are at work, and what to do about it all.
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How did the modern dynamic economy, filled with wealth and opportunity, come about?In his new book, The Wealth Explosion: The Nature and Origins of Modernity, Stephen Davies examines the surprising, fundamental, and continuing processes of innovation and transformation that have produced the world we live in today.Exploring the academic literature and competing theories, he seeks to answer three questions of fundamental importance to any economist or historian: How and why is the world different today than that faced by our ancestors? What explains why this transformation began in northwestern Europe about 240 years ago? And, given this, can the modern dynamic economy endure?
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Should art offend? Does it matter if people are offended? Should offensive art be displayed? Should it be censored? Who decides what is offensive or appropriate? Join us to hear a discussion of these questions and more.
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International security in the 21st century is increasingly characterized by the use of cyber operations. Concern over this still-developing domain of competition has led to inflated assessments of its dangers and greater support for a more aggressive U.S. posture on cyber security and cyber warfare. How do great powers like the United States, Russia, and China employ cyber capabilities? What threats does the United States currently face in this realm, and what is the most effective method of defense? What are the vulnerabilities of complacency, and, conversely, the risks of escalation?
Join us to discuss these issues and more with experts in the field.
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At any given time, the United States holds almost two million people in prison for felony convictions. Often overlooked, however, are more than 11 million people who cycle in and out of American jails every year for misdemeanor offenses.
Despite composing the largest part of our criminal system, misdemeanors don’t usually garner the same policy attention as more overtly draconian features of the system — such as decades-long mandatory minimum prison sentences — because they are viewed as “minor offenses.” However, the overall punitive effect of misdemeanors, particularly on poor people and people of color, far exceeds what should be imposed for supposedly minor crimes.
In her recent book, Punishment without Crime: How Our Massive Misdemeanor System Traps the Innocent and Makes America More Unequal, Professor Alexandra Natapoff explains how our police, courts, and jails create a machinery of injustice that doles out unfair punishments and extracts wealth from those who can least afford it. She writes that the American criminal system “moonlight[s] as a regressive tax system and anti-welfare machine” that criminalizes the impoverished and further adds to their burdens. Natapoff’s research shows that the American petty crimes enforcement apparatus undermines the most important functions of criminal law by corroding the constitutional processes meant to provide justice to all.
Join us Tuesday, May 7, as Professor Natapoff discusses her important and revealing book with the Cato Institute’s Jonathan Blanks.
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Puerto Rico's recovery in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria has reinvigorated debate about a relatively unknown law that has hampered its recovery efforts and bogged down its economy. Since 1920, maritime commerce between Puerto Rico and the rest of the United States has been governed by the Jones Act, a law that mandates that vessels transporting goods domestically be U.S.-crewed, U.S.-flagged, U.S.-owned, and U.S.-built. While defenders of the law have argued that the Jones Act provides reliable shipping services from the mainland to Puerto Rico, critics have pointed out that such restrictions significantly raise the cost of domestic imports, placing an added burden on the already economically struggling island. In addition, the law has also been accused of complicating efforts to transition the island's power generation away from its current heavy reliance on oil and coal.
At this event, panelists will assess the law's impact on Puerto Rico, highlighting the findings of two recent reports that evaluate the law's economic cost, and will discuss the implications of Puerto Rico's recent application for a temporary Jones Act waiver to allow liquefied natural gas to be imported aboard foreign-flagged ships.
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Some political leaders are saying that income and wealth inequality are at unacceptable levels and need to be countered by higher taxes on the wealthy and more transfer payments. But the data used to support those arguments are often misunderstood and omit key elements of the picture. John Early will describe gaps in the official data used in the inequality debate and discuss alternative income measures that better capture the well-being of different groups. Early argues that policymakers need to get the facts right before imposing prescriptions on the economy.
John Early has twice been assistant commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, where he became an expert on these measurement issues. He has published a Cato study and a series of op-eds with former U.S. senator Phil Gramm examining the U.S. data on inequality. Following Early, Edwards will discuss the different sources of data on wealth inequality and the role of wealth in the economy.
- Watch: Short video on economic inequality featuring John F. Early
Download the Power Point presentation (PPTX)
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Liberalism, a political philosophy that grew out of the Enlightenment and champions reason, freedom, and equality, has lately been criticized by some religious thinkers in the West. Liberalism, in their view, only “atomizes” individuals, weakens society, and ultimately corrodes all faiths.Yet other religious intellectuals think that there are many reasons to appreciate liberalism, including the very freedom that the believers have found in liberal societies to practice and manifest their faith and to be free from the persecutions that have defined much of human history. Moreover, they think that under liberalism, religions flourish in healthier ways — through persuasion rather than coercion, and through civil society rather than state power.This discussion is particularly relevant for Islam, since Muslim opinion leaders are often ambivalent, at best, on whether they should accept liberal standards of human rights or rather reject them as alien and detrimental. If liberalism is rejected even by Western Christians, whose religious traditions have been much more at peace with liberalism, Eastern Muslims will not even consider it.
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The disastrous choice to use force to remove Saddam Hussein from power did enormous damage to the wealth, well-being, and reputations of the United States and Great Britain. To this day, the hangover of the Iraq war looms large over the politics of both nations. Yet how each of these “special friends” came to the decision to invade Iraq remains shrouded in mystery and mythology. Until now.
On April 24, Patrick Porter, author of Blunder: Britain's War in Iraq, and Michael Mazarr, author of Leap of Faith: Hubris, Negligence, and America's Greatest Foreign Policy Tragedy, will detail the motivations and ideas that drove two great democracies to a war of choice, and explain the lessons that must be learned to avoid similar disasters — today and in the future.
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The perceived threat of artificial intelligence (AI) to the American workforce and society more broadly has become a common topic of discussion among policymakers, academics, and the wider public. But is AI a threat? And if so, are there appropriate policy solutions? History is replete with examples of disruption caused by past technological advances. Are the lessons from those advances applicable to AI? These are just some of the questions addressed by the PBS television documentary CyberWork and the American Dream.
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Are we running out of resources? That’s been a hotly debated question since the publication of Paul Ehrlich’s book The Population Bomb in 1968. The Stanford University biologist warned that population growth would result in the exhaustion of resources and a global catastrophe. University of Maryland economist and Cato Institute’s Senior Fellow Julian Simon, in contrast, argued that humans would innovate their way out of resource shortages. He believed that people were the “ultimate resource” that would make other resources more plentiful. On Earth Day 2019, David M. Simon will recall the humanism and optimism of his late father. Gale Pooley and Marian L. Tupy will present the updated findings from their recent paper “The Simon Abundance Index: A New Way to Measure Availability of Resources” and launch The Simon Project, a new www.humanprogress.org initiative. Finally, George Gilder will discuss the link between human ingenuity, innovation, and prosperity.
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Policymakers on both sides of the aisle have proposed new regimes for small-business beneficial ownership reporting. The aim of such legislation is to eliminate opportunities for money laundering and financial crime. However, the proposals before Congress would place heavy new compliance costs on millions of America’s small businesses while continuing to provide opportunities for bad actors to engage in illicit financial activities. Beneficial ownership reporting would add to an already onerous anti-money-laundering/know-your-customer (AML/ KYC) regulatory burden, cited by community banks as the single most costly financial regulation. Furthermore, international experience with beneficial ownership reporting requirements suggests that it will be difficult to make such requirements work in the United States.
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“No provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider” (Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996).Those 26 words (and not a member of Congress) invented the internet as we know it. These words protect internet platforms from lawsuits based on user-generated content, allowing them to open their doors to a dizzying variety of sentiment and speech. Absent that sentence, social media platforms would have strong incentives to suppress any speech that might cause them legal woes. Or, in contrast, they might avoid legal liability by not moderating their forums at all, likely rendering them unusable. Jeff Kosseff tells the story of the institutions that flourished as a result of this powerful statute. He introduces us to those who created CDA 230, those who advocated for it, and those who were involved in some of the most prominent cases decided under the law. As section 230 and the platforms it protects face increasing scrutiny, Twenty-Six Words demystifies this little-known yet vital statute.
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Until recently, private social media companies have been free to moderate content on their own platforms. But accusations of political bias have caused some to call for government regulation of the efforts social media companies make to moderate content. Some have even suggested that social media entities ought to be nationalized to ensure they operate in the public interest. Is there a role here for government to play, or would government intervention create unintended consequences while simultaneously stifling free speech? These are just some of the questions addressed in John Samples’s recently published policy analysis, “Why the Government Should Not Regulate Content Moderation by Social Media.”
Join us on Monday, April 15, to hear from author John Samples and the director of Cato’s project on emerging technologies, Matthew Feeney.
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Over the past two decades, Zimbabwe has been in a state of almost constant crisis. The once-prosperous nation now ranks among the poorest and most repressive countries in the world. Is there a way out of this predicament? Barry D. Wood, who recently traveled to Zimbabwe, will describe the current economic and political situation in the country. Steve H. Hanke will discuss steps that Zimbabwe’s government needs to take to achieve macroeconomic stabilization. W. Gyude Moore will explain the failure of African governments to bring Zimbabwe’s authoritarian government to heel and suggest steps that a more enlightened African leadership could take to break the cycle of violence and economic decline in Zimbabwe. Please join us for a discussion of this once promising and now deeply troubled country.
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A quarter century ago, the Cato Institute released a revolutionary book, Patient Power: Solving America's Health Care Crisis, by John C. Goodman and Gerald L. Musgrave. Patient Power introduced the United States to a bold and radical way of thinking about health care.
When third parties pay medical bills, Goodman and Musgrave wrote, providers come to view third-party payers as their customers, not the patients. As a result, instead of maximizing patient satisfaction, providers deliver care to maximize their revenue given third-party payment formulas. Instead of falling, costs rise. Third-party payment is the reason patients can't talk to their doctors by phone, email, or Skype. It is why patients don't have Uber-type doctor house calls at night and on weekends. Patient Power showed that if people controlled and managed their own health care dollars, the medical marketplace would change radically—almost overnight.
Indeed, Patient Power changed the world. Thanks largely to Goodman and Musgrave's work, more than 20 million people are managing their own health care dollars in health savings accounts. A roughly equal number are managing their medical spending through health reimbursement arrangements. And employers are experimenting with giving individuals complete financial control over everything from hip and knee replacements to blood tests.
Come hear the authors of Patient Power and other leading scholars discuss the book's impact on health reform and how its insights can still inform the debate.
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Please join us on Monday, April 8, for a special discussion of Michael Tanner's newly published book, The Inclusive Economy: How to Bring Wealth to America's Poor. In it, Tanner sets aside the traditional conservative and liberal responses to poverty and explores a fresh approach to this persistent problem. The result is a compelling blend of social justice and limited government. Following Tanner's presentation, Cato research fellow and director of polling Emily Ekins will discuss her ongoing research on Americans' attitudes toward welfare policy, poverty, and work.
Attendees will have access to copies of The Inclusive Economy and an opportunity to discuss the issue of poverty and poverty programs with our distinguished panelists during and immediately after the event. To attend, please register by noon on Friday, April 5.
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Of the myriad policy priorities established by the current administration and congressional leadership, the tackling of skyrocketing prescription drug prices may have the best chance of moving through the legislative process over the next two years. Bipartisan proposals to address rising prescription drug prices have been introduced in both the House and the Senate; President Trump identified the issue in his State of the Union address as his next major priority; and Speaker Pelosi’s first speech to the 116th Congress listed it as a top issue for the new Democratic majority.Rising prescription drug prices have major budgetary implications for Medicare in particular. Can the program single-handedly place downward pressure on prices without having a negative effect on the rest of the health care system?
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What most frightens the average American? Terrorism. North Korea. Iran. But what if none of those are probable or consequential threats to America? What if the world today is safer, freer, wealthier, healthier, and better educated than ever before? What if the real dangers to Americans are noncommunicable diseases, gun violence, drug overdoses—even hospital infections?In this compelling look at what they call the "Threat Industrial Complex," Michael A. Cohen and Micah Zenko explain why politicians, policy analysts, academics, and journalists are misleading Americans about foreign threats and ignoring more serious national security challenges at home. Cohen and Zenko argue that we should ignore Washington's threat mongering and focus instead on furthering extraordinary global advances in human development and economic and political cooperation.
Join us as Zenko and Cohen discuss their book, with additional comments by Sharon Burke of New America.
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In recent years, libertarians and progressives have found common cause in their concern that the growth of executive power is far in excess of constitutional limits. Our Constitution gives the president few explicit emergency powers, but presidents have invoked national emergencies as justification for a wide variety of actions. After Watergate, Congress created a framework for regulating this authority, in the 1976 National Emergencies Act. With President Trump’s decision to circumvent Congress and declare a national emergency so that he can construct a wall on the southern border, the propriety of the National Emergencies Act and broader separation of powers issues can no longer be avoided. For example, building the wall would entail seizing private property through eminent domain and reallocating funds that Congress has authorized for other purposes. Has the National Emergencies Act become part of the problem, rather than a solution? Should it be reformed? And how, more broadly, can we still allow presidents to appropriately handle moments of crisis while reining in executive overreach?
This event is approved for 1.5 hours of California MCLE credit.
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The U.S. government’s current strategy of trying to restrict the supply of opioids for nonmedical uses is not working. While government efforts to reduce the supply has reduced both the amount of legally manufactured prescription opioids and the number of opioid prescriptions, deaths from opioid-related overdoses are nevertheless accelerating. Research shows that the increase is due, in large part, to substitution of illegal heroin and fentanyl for the now harder-to-get prescription opioids. Attempting to reduce overdose deaths by doubling down on this approach will not produce better results. Policymakers can reduce overdose deaths and other harms stemming from nonmedical use of opioids and other dangerous drugs by switching to a policy of harm-reduction. Harm reduction has a success record that prohibition cannot match and involves a range of public health options.Unlike prohibition, harm-reduction strategies begin with the realistic and nonjudgmental premise that there has never been, and will never be, a drug-free society. Akin to the credo of the medical profession — “First, do no harm” — harm reduction seeks to avoid measures that exacerbate the harm that prohibition already inflicts on nonmedical users and seeks to focus on the goal of reducing deaths and the spread of disease from drug use.This conference, featuring clinical and research experts in epidemiology, public health, addiction treatment, and harm reduction, will examine the record of various harm-reduction modalities in the developed world and will consider their potential for ameliorating the problems caused by drug prohibition.
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The U.S. government’s current strategy of trying to restrict the supply of opioids for nonmedical uses is not working. While government efforts to reduce the supply has reduced both the amount of legally manufactured prescription opioids and the number of opioid prescriptions, deaths from opioid-related overdoses are nevertheless accelerating. Research shows that the increase is due, in large part, to substitution of illegal heroin and fentanyl for the now harder-to-get prescription opioids. Attempting to reduce overdose deaths by doubling down on this approach will not produce better results. Policymakers can reduce overdose deaths and other harms stemming from nonmedical use of opioids and other dangerous drugs by switching to a policy of harm-reduction. Harm reduction has a success record that prohibition cannot match and involves a range of public health options.Unlike prohibition, harm-reduction strategies begin with the realistic and nonjudgmental premise that there has never been, and will never be, a drug-free society. Akin to the credo of the medical profession — “First, do no harm” — harm reduction seeks to avoid measures that exacerbate the harm that prohibition already inflicts on nonmedical users and seeks to focus on the goal of reducing deaths and the spread of disease from drug use.This conference, featuring clinical and research experts in epidemiology, public health, addiction treatment, and harm reduction, will examine the record of various harm-reduction modalities in the developed world and will consider their potential for ameliorating the problems caused by drug prohibition.
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The U.S. government’s current strategy of trying to restrict the supply of opioids for nonmedical uses is not working. While government efforts to reduce the supply has reduced both the amount of legally manufactured prescription opioids and the number of opioid prescriptions, deaths from opioid-related overdoses are nevertheless accelerating. Research shows that the increase is due, in large part, to substitution of illegal heroin and fentanyl for the now harder-to-get prescription opioids. Attempting to reduce overdose deaths by doubling down on this approach will not produce better results. Policymakers can reduce overdose deaths and other harms stemming from nonmedical use of opioids and other dangerous drugs by switching to a policy of harm-reduction. Harm reduction has a success record that prohibition cannot match and involves a range of public health options.Unlike prohibition, harm-reduction strategies begin with the realistic and nonjudgmental premise that there has never been, and will never be, a drug-free society. Akin to the credo of the medical profession — “First, do no harm” — harm reduction seeks to avoid measures that exacerbate the harm that prohibition already inflicts on nonmedical users and seeks to focus on the goal of reducing deaths and the spread of disease from drug use.This conference, featuring clinical and research experts in epidemiology, public health, addiction treatment, and harm reduction, will examine the record of various harm-reduction modalities in the developed world and will consider their potential for ameliorating the problems caused by drug prohibition.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The U.S. government’s current strategy of trying to restrict the supply of opioids for nonmedical uses is not working. While government efforts to reduce the supply has reduced both the amount of legally manufactured prescription opioids and the number of opioid prescriptions, deaths from opioid-related overdoses are nevertheless accelerating. Research shows that the increase is due, in large part, to substitution of illegal heroin and fentanyl for the now harder-to-get prescription opioids. Attempting to reduce overdose deaths by doubling down on this approach will not produce better results. Policymakers can reduce overdose deaths and other harms stemming from nonmedical use of opioids and other dangerous drugs by switching to a policy of harm-reduction. Harm reduction has a success record that prohibition cannot match and involves a range of public health options.Unlike prohibition, harm-reduction strategies begin with the realistic and nonjudgmental premise that there has never been, and will never be, a drug-free society. Akin to the credo of the medical profession — “First, do no harm” — harm reduction seeks to avoid measures that exacerbate the harm that prohibition already inflicts on nonmedical users and seeks to focus on the goal of reducing deaths and the spread of disease from drug use.This conference, featuring clinical and research experts in epidemiology, public health, addiction treatment, and harm reduction, will examine the record of various harm-reduction modalities in the developed world and will consider their potential for ameliorating the problems caused by drug prohibition.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The U.S. government’s current strategy of trying to restrict the supply of opioids for nonmedical uses is not working. While government efforts to reduce the supply has reduced both the amount of legally manufactured prescription opioids and the number of opioid prescriptions, deaths from opioid-related overdoses are nevertheless accelerating. Research shows that the increase is due, in large part, to substitution of illegal heroin and fentanyl for the now harder-to-get prescription opioids. Attempting to reduce overdose deaths by doubling down on this approach will not produce better results. Policymakers can reduce overdose deaths and other harms stemming from nonmedical use of opioids and other dangerous drugs by switching to a policy of harm-reduction. Harm reduction has a success record that prohibition cannot match and involves a range of public health options.Unlike prohibition, harm-reduction strategies begin with the realistic and nonjudgmental premise that there has never been, and will never be, a drug-free society. Akin to the credo of the medical profession — “First, do no harm” — harm reduction seeks to avoid measures that exacerbate the harm that prohibition already inflicts on nonmedical users and seeks to focus on the goal of reducing deaths and the spread of disease from drug use.This conference, featuring clinical and research experts in epidemiology, public health, addiction treatment, and harm reduction, will examine the record of various harm-reduction modalities in the developed world and will consider their potential for ameliorating the problems caused by drug prohibition.
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Justice John Paul Stevens’s majority opinion in Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council (1984) has become among the most hotly debated topics in legal circles. The “Chevron Doctrine,” which says that courts should defer to the interpretations of executive agencies on ambiguous statutes, divides scholars across ideological lines. Chevron’s growth from a “puny little precedent” into a landmark decision makes for an intriguing discussion about administrative agencies, judicial deference, and unintended consequences. What actually happened in Chevron v. NRDC? How much should courts defer to agencies’ reasonable interpretations of statutes? Is Chevron the ultimate legal example of “be careful what you wish for”? Administrative law experts discuss these topics and more in Chevron: Accidental Landmark, a documentary short from FedSoc Films. Join us for a screening of the film and a panel discussion about the past, present, and future of the Chevron Doctrine.
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The first few generations of American leaders made a sharp distinction between advancing the legitimate interests of the republic and taking on foreign causes that purported to overthrow tyrannical rule and establish democratic systems based on respect for fundamental rights. Within the last half-century, however, a number of foreign insurgent groups have been able to manipulate U.S. policymakers and opinion leaders into supporting their causes. Sometimes those efforts have even entangled the U.S. military in bloody, unnecessary, and morally dubious wars, as in Kosovo, Iraq, Libya, and Syria.In Gullible Superpower, Cato Senior Fellow Ted Galen Carpenter examines the most prominent cases in which well-meaning Americans have ended up supporting misguided policies. He underscores the need for future U.S. leaders to adopt a policy of skepticism and restraint toward foreign movements that purport to embrace democracy.
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“Mass incarceration” has been a ubiquitous term in criminal justice circles because of the extraordinary number of people behind bars in the United States. Many partial solutions have been implemented on the state and federal levels, mostly concerned with sentence length and re-entry services for nonviolent offenders. Those changes have been improvements, for the most part, and have been life changing for thousands of inmates, returning citizens, and their families.
However, the fundamentals of our criminal justice system remain unchanged, and our policies continue to put too many people in cages for too long. The politics surrounding crime policy are often driven by fear and vengeance, not experience and data, and thus many jurisdictions are one tragedy — or a crime-rate increase — away from another wave of bad criminal laws. Our collective desire to punish wrongdoing through our criminal justice system too often outweighs the data that suggest better ways to improve public safety and reduce criminal recidivism.
In her new book, Prisoners of Politics: Breaking the Cycle of Mass Incarceration, Professor Rachel Elise Barkow provides a new conceptual framework for criminal justice policy. Barkow suggests new institutions and policies to provide oversight to prosecutors who currently have free rein over the most important aspects of criminal cases. She also proposes new expert bodies to collect and analyze data to formulate evidence-based crime policy to insulate policymakers from the populist whims that too often result in punitive laws and long sentences. In these and other ways, Barkow shows how our criminal justice system could reduce crime and roll back mass incarceration at the same time.
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Increasing political polarization and rising conflict over identity, race relations, immigration, and LGBT rights have left the American political landscape with two increasingly divided extremes and a seemingly elusive moderate middle. Many Americans have come to view religious institutions as a major contributor to this ever-increasing divide — a catalyst for increased intergroup societal conflict rather than a possible cure.However, new research by Cato Institute Director of Polling Emily Ekins finds that religious participation may moderate conservatives’ attitudes on other important culture war issues, particularly matters of race, immigration, and identity.In Religious Trump Voters: How Faith Moderates Attitudes about Immigration, Race, and Identity, Ekins finds that Trump voters who attend church regularly are more likely than nonreligious Trump voters to have warmer feelings toward racial and religious minorities, to be more supportive of immigration and trade, and to be more concerned about poverty. These data are important because they demonstrate that private institutions in civil society can have a positive effect on social conflict and can reduce political polarization.
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News of foreign interference in elections and allegations of mismanagement have prompted lawmakers to take action. Executives from the largest and most popular technology companies have been called before congressional committees and accused of being bad stewards of their users’ privacy, failing to properly police their platforms, and engaging in politically motivated censorship. At the same time, companies such as Google and Amazon have been criticized for engaging in monopolistic practices.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
News of foreign interference in elections and allegations of mismanagement have prompted lawmakers to take action. Executives from the largest and most popular technology companies have been called before congressional committees and accused of being bad stewards of their users’ privacy, failing to properly police their platforms, and engaging in politically motivated censorship. At the same time, companies such as Google and Amazon have been criticized for engaging in monopolistic practices.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
News of foreign interference in elections and allegations of mismanagement have prompted lawmakers to take action. Executives from the largest and most popular technology companies have been called before congressional committees and accused of being bad stewards of their users’ privacy, failing to properly police their platforms, and engaging in politically motivated censorship. At the same time, companies such as Google and Amazon have been criticized for engaging in monopolistic practices.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
News of foreign interference in elections and allegations of mismanagement have prompted lawmakers to take action. Executives from the largest and most popular technology companies have been called before congressional committees and accused of being bad stewards of their users’ privacy, failing to properly police their platforms, and engaging in politically motivated censorship. At the same time, companies such as Google and Amazon have been criticized for engaging in monopolistic practices.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
News of foreign interference in elections and allegations of mismanagement have prompted lawmakers to take action. Executives from the largest and most popular technology companies have been called before congressional committees and accused of being bad stewards of their users’ privacy, failing to properly police their platforms, and engaging in politically motivated censorship. At the same time, companies such as Google and Amazon have been criticized for engaging in monopolistic practices.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Nina Teicholz is the investigative journalist who, in her book The Big Fat Surprise: Why Butter, Meat and Cheese Belong in a Healthy Diet, overturned 40 years of official dietary advice and showed that meat, cheese, and butter are nutritious and need not be avoided.At this event, Ms. Teicholz will tell of her discovery of the systematic distortion of dietary advice by expert scientists, government and big business to the detriment of the health of Americans. She will chronicle the succession of unfortunate discoveries she made, and she will describe how the Nutrition Coalition, a non-profit, bipartisan group which she founded and directs, works to educate policy makers about the need for reform of nutrition policy so that it is evidence-based.
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From the nation building of Alexander Hamilton to the trade wars of Donald Trump, trade policy has been a key instrument of American power and wealth. The open trading system that the United States sponsored after the Second World War has served US interests by promoting cooperation and prosperity but has also allowed the allies to become more independent and China to rise. The case studies in Trade and American Leadershipexamine how the value of preferential trade programs is undercut by the multilateral liberalization that the United States promoted for generations, and how trade sanctions tend to be either too economically costly to impose or too modest to matter. These problems are exacerbated by a domestic political system in which the gains from trade are unevenly distributed, power is fragmented, and strategies are easily undermined.Trade and American Leadership places special emphasis on today’s challenges and on the rising danger of economic nationalism.
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President Donald Trump and North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un are preparing to reprise last year’s Singapore summit. Denuclearization has not proceeded as far as the administration hoped, but reconciliation between North and South is moving forward, leading to fears of a breach between Seoul and Washington. Indeed, with negotiations over host nation support for US forces stalemated, some South Koreans fear the president might follow through on his threats to withdraw American troops.The panelists will assess the likely outcome of the summit, the role of the US-South Korean alliance, and discuss strategies to improve stability and promote disarmament. Join us for a conversation about this important issue and the prospects for peace on the Korean Peninsula.
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Is higher education inherently broken, or do we just need tweaks like simplifying financial aid applications? Maybe the problem is too much profit-seeking ... or not enough. Or maybe the incentives for everyone are just wrong.
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There seems to be widespread agreement that America’s Ivory Tower has many cracks, rests on a leaning foundation, and can be prohibitively expensive. But there is little consensus when it comes to identifying the culprits behind the decay. Some say it’s tenure, others say it’s flawed accreditation. Some point the finger at for-profit schools, others at state disinvestment … and the list goes on. Of course, not everyone can be right. Or can they? In this special conference, which uses as its stepping-off point the new Cato volume Unprofitable Schooling: Examining Causes of, and Fixes for, America’s Broken Ivory Tower, top experts will scrutinize many of the most popular suspects for higher ed’s decline and will debate potential policy changes to which their conclusions point. The discussion will be especially timely as the 116th Congress begins its work, including tackling the overdue reauthorization of the Higher Education Act.
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There are myriad perceived problems with American higher education, from potentially bloated faculty, administration, or both, to unbridled greed. How many problems truly infest the ivory tower?
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To fix the ivory tower, we need to know something about how it was constructed, why, and its record of performance. Indeed, we need to ask if it has ever worked as well as we would like.
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| 12:30 – 2:00PM | Luncheon Address — None of My Business: P. J. Explains Money, Banking, Debt, Equity, Assets, Liabilities, and Why He’s Not Rich and Neither Are You P. J. O’Rourke, H. L. Mencken Research Fellow, Cato Institute |
For Cato Institute Policy Perspectives 2019
| 10:15 – 10:45AM | Registration | | 10:45 – 11:00AM | Welcoming Remarks Peter Goettler, President and CEO, Cato Institute | | 11:00 – 11:40AM | Keynote Address — American Life in Columns Michael Smerconish, Radio and Television Host, Newspaper Columnist, and Best-Selling Author | | 11:40AM – 12:10PM | The Inclusive Economy: How to Bring Wealth to America’s Poor Michael Tanner, Senior Fellow, Cato Institute |
For Cato Institute Policy Perspectives 2019
In today’s highly regulated financial system, launching new products and financial services businesses can be extremely challenging. To facilitate innovation and entry, some jurisdictions have created regulatory sandboxes — supervised halfway houses in which firms can test new products without being subject to the full burden of compliance with existing rules.The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) recently announced such a program for U.S. consumer finance firms. The sandbox promises to increase innovation and lower costs for financial services used particularly by lower-income Americans. Yet there are concerns, on one hand, that sandboxes reduce consumer protection and, on the other hand, that they do not go far enough in addressing the challenge of excessive regulation.
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The Mercatus Center’s David Beckworth comes to Cato for a live recording of his popular Macro Musings podcast, interviewing George Selgin about his new book Floored!: How a Misguided Fed Experiment Deepened and Prolonged the Great Recession. Floored! is the first comprehensive account of the Federal Reserve’s new post-crisis “floor” monetary policy operating system. Marking his fourth Macro Musings episode, Selgin will share his three-year research journey into this new experimental system, how the Fed stumbled into it, and its consequences for the economy — including how it could turn the Fed into a Trojan piggybank of fiscal profligacy.
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The Trump administration has emphasized the reemergence of great power competition as the organizing principle for U.S. foreign policy. What scholarship should inform its understanding of how to compete with China and Russia? And how will international relations change in an era when new actors are challenging the status quo?The history of great power politics can provide some clues. Over time, states have risen above rivals and fallen to new challengers—but the transitions have not always been disastrous, nor even violent. Some states have successfully managed their decline, while others have resorted to aggressive posturing, or even war, to try to maintain their status at all costs.Join us as four distinguished scholars discuss their recent work on the history and future of great power relations.
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The legendary spymaster James Jesus Angleton called the world of intelligence a “wilderness of mirrors,” and rarely has that description seemed as apt as it does in 2018. President Donald Trump rails against a “deep state” embedded within the very intelligence agencies over which he now presides—even as former intelligence leaders claim that it’s Trump who has sought to politicize intelligence. In U.S. v. Carpenter, the Supreme Court handed down a seminal Fourth Amendment ruling that could dramatically reshape electronic privacy law—but what it will mean in practice remains radically uncertain. Meanwhile, technology companies ranging from social media platforms to manufacturers of the connected devices that constitute the “Internet of Things” have struggled with how to balance users’ privacy against their own business interests and the surveillance demands of governments around the world.
Join the Cato Institute—and an array of top experts, technologists, and policymakers—for a probing examination of these issues and many more as we seek to navigate the wilderness.
For: 2018 Cato Institute Surveillance Conference
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The legendary spymaster James Jesus Angleton called the world of intelligence a “wilderness of mirrors,” and rarely has that description seemed as apt as it does in 2018. President Donald Trump rails against a “deep state” embedded within the very intelligence agencies over which he now presides—even as former intelligence leaders claim that it’s Trump who has sought to politicize intelligence. In U.S. v. Carpenter, the Supreme Court handed down a seminal Fourth Amendment ruling that could dramatically reshape electronic privacy law—but what it will mean in practice remains radically uncertain. Meanwhile, technology companies ranging from social media platforms to manufacturers of the connected devices that constitute the “Internet of Things” have struggled with how to balance users’ privacy against their own business interests and the surveillance demands of governments around the world.
Join the Cato Institute—and an array of top experts, technologists, and policymakers—for a probing examination of these issues and many more as we seek to navigate the wilderness.
For: 2018 Cato Institute Surveillance Conference
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The legendary spymaster James Jesus Angleton called the world of intelligence a “wilderness of mirrors,” and rarely has that description seemed as apt as it does in 2018. President Donald Trump rails against a “deep state” embedded within the very intelligence agencies over which he now presides—even as former intelligence leaders claim that it’s Trump who has sought to politicize intelligence. In U.S. v. Carpenter, the Supreme Court handed down a seminal Fourth Amendment ruling that could dramatically reshape electronic privacy law—but what it will mean in practice remains radically uncertain. Meanwhile, technology companies ranging from social media platforms to manufacturers of the connected devices that constitute the “Internet of Things” have struggled with how to balance users’ privacy against their own business interests and the surveillance demands of governments around the world.
Join the Cato Institute—and an array of top experts, technologists, and policymakers—for a probing examination of these issues and many more as we seek to navigate the wilderness.
For: 2018 Cato Institute Surveillance Conference
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The legendary spymaster James Jesus Angleton called the world of intelligence a “wilderness of mirrors,” and rarely has that description seemed as apt as it does in 2018. President Donald Trump rails against a “deep state” embedded within the very intelligence agencies over which he now presides—even as former intelligence leaders claim that it’s Trump who has sought to politicize intelligence. In U.S. v. Carpenter, the Supreme Court handed down a seminal Fourth Amendment ruling that could dramatically reshape electronic privacy law—but what it will mean in practice remains radically uncertain. Meanwhile, technology companies ranging from social media platforms to manufacturers of the connected devices that constitute the “Internet of Things” have struggled with how to balance users’ privacy against their own business interests and the surveillance demands of governments around the world.
Join the Cato Institute—and an array of top experts, technologists, and policymakers—for a probing examination of these issues and many more as we seek to navigate the wilderness.
For: 2018 Cato Institute Surveillance Conference
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The legendary spymaster James Jesus Angleton called the world of intelligence a “wilderness of mirrors,” and rarely has that description seemed as apt as it does in 2018. President Donald Trump rails against a “deep state” embedded within the very intelligence agencies over which he now presides—even as former intelligence leaders claim that it’s Trump who has sought to politicize intelligence. In U.S. v. Carpenter, the Supreme Court handed down a seminal Fourth Amendment ruling that could dramatically reshape electronic privacy law—but what it will mean in practice remains radically uncertain. Meanwhile, technology companies ranging from social media platforms to manufacturers of the connected devices that constitute the “Internet of Things” have struggled with how to balance users’ privacy against their own business interests and the surveillance demands of governments around the world.
Join the Cato Institute—and an array of top experts, technologists, and policymakers—for a probing examination of these issues and many more as we seek to navigate the wilderness.
For: 2018 Cato Institute Surveillance Conference
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Too much of contemporary anti-poverty policy focuses on making poverty less miserable, and not enough on helping people get out of poverty.
In his new book, The Inclusive Economy: How to Bring Wealth to America’s Poor (release date: December 7), Cato senior fellow Michael Tanner looks at the reasons for poverty in America and issues a bold challenge to the conventional wisdom of both liberals and conservatives.
According to Tanner, conservative critiques of a “culture of poverty” fail to account for the structural circumstances in which the poor live — especially racism, gender discrimination, and economic dislocation — while liberal calls for fighting poverty through redistribution or new government programs simply entrench those problems.
The Inclusive Economy calls for government to stop doing things that push people into poverty, and it provides a detailed road map to a new anti-poverty policy that includes criminal justice reform, greater educational freedom, housing deregulation, banking reform, and both increased and more inclusive economic growth
Tweet your questions with #CatoConnects, and join a live discussion of the structural forces keeping poor people poor and how we can instead empower the poor and allow them to take control of their own lives.
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After years of quiet U.S. support for Saudi Arabia's bombing campaign in Yemen, top officials in the Trump administration are finally talking about ending the conflict. But a lasting resolution to the war remains a distant prospect, and the Yemeni people continue to suffer under bombardment and blockade in one of the worst humanitarian crises in recent memory.
What are the facts in Yemen? Why has the United States abetted the Saudi war in Yemen for almost four years? And what is the role of Congress in checking the authority of the executive to get involved in distant conflicts? Please join us for a discussion of these topics.
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For nearly 100 years the Jones Act has restricted the transportation of cargo between two points in the United States to ships that are U.S.-built, crewed, owned, and flagged. Meant to bolster the U.S. maritime industry and provide a ready supply of ships and mariners in times of conflict, the act has instead presided over a steady deterioration in the number of ships, sailors to crew them, and shipyards to build them. While failing to provide its promised benefits, the law has imposed a huge economic burden that manifests itself in various ways, ranging from higher transportation costs to increased traffic and pollution. This full-day conference examines these costs in greater detail, discusses the validity of the Jones Act's national security argument, and evaluates options for reform.
Each conference participant has contributed an essay to discuss various aspects of the Jones Act. These essays will be available here to read and share.
Stay up to date about the Jones Act:* Cato's Project on Jones Act Reform * Subscribe to the Jones Act Gazette
For: The Jones Act: Charting a New Course after a Century of Failure
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For nearly 100 years the Jones Act has restricted the transportation of cargo between two points in the United States to ships that are U.S.-built, crewed, owned, and flagged. Meant to bolster the U.S. maritime industry and provide a ready supply of ships and mariners in times of conflict, the act has instead presided over a steady deterioration in the number of ships, sailors to crew them, and shipyards to build them. While failing to provide its promised benefits, the law has imposed a huge economic burden that manifests itself in various ways, ranging from higher transportation costs to increased traffic and pollution. This full-day conference examines these costs in greater detail, discusses the validity of the Jones Act's national security argument, and evaluates options for reform.
Each conference participant has contributed an essay to discuss various aspects of the Jones Act. These essays will be available here to read and share.
Stay up to date about the Jones Act:* Cato's Project on Jones Act Reform * Subscribe to the Jones Act Gazette
For: The Jones Act: Charting a New Course after a Century of Failure
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
For nearly 100 years the Jones Act has restricted the transportation of cargo between two points in the United States to ships that are U.S.-built, crewed, owned, and flagged. Meant to bolster the U.S. maritime industry and provide a ready supply of ships and mariners in times of conflict, the act has instead presided over a steady deterioration in the number of ships, sailors to crew them, and shipyards to build them. While failing to provide its promised benefits, the law has imposed a huge economic burden that manifests itself in various ways, ranging from higher transportation costs to increased traffic and pollution. This full-day conference examines these costs in greater detail, discusses the validity of the Jones Act's national security argument, and evaluates options for reform.
Each conference participant has contributed an essay to discuss various aspects of the Jones Act. These essays will be available here to read and share.
Stay up to date about the Jones Act:* Cato's Project on Jones Act Reform * Subscribe to the Jones Act Gazette
For: The Jones Act: Charting a New Course after a Century of Failure
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
For nearly 100 years the Jones Act has restricted the transportation of cargo between two points in the United States to ships that are U.S.-built, crewed, owned, and flagged. Meant to bolster the U.S. maritime industry and provide a ready supply of ships and mariners in times of conflict, the act has instead presided over a steady deterioration in the number of ships, sailors to crew them, and shipyards to build them. While failing to provide its promised benefits, the law has imposed a huge economic burden that manifests itself in various ways, ranging from higher transportation costs to increased traffic and pollution. This full-day conference examines these costs in greater detail, discusses the validity of the Jones Act's national security argument, and evaluates options for reform.
Each conference participant has contributed an essay to discuss various aspects of the Jones Act. These essays will be available here to read and share.
Stay up to date about the Jones Act:* Cato's Project on Jones Act Reform * Subscribe to the Jones Act Gazette
For: The Jones Act: Charting a New Course after a Century of Failure
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
For nearly 100 years the Jones Act has restricted the transportation of cargo between two points in the United States to ships that are U.S.-built, crewed, owned, and flagged. Meant to bolster the U.S. maritime industry and provide a ready supply of ships and mariners in times of conflict, the act has instead presided over a steady deterioration in the number of ships, sailors to crew them, and shipyards to build them. While failing to provide its promised benefits, the law has imposed a huge economic burden that manifests itself in various ways, ranging from higher transportation costs to increased traffic and pollution. This full-day conference examines these costs in greater detail, discusses the validity of the Jones Act's national security argument, and evaluates options for reform.
Each conference participant has contributed an essay to discuss various aspects of the Jones Act. These essays will be available here to read and share.
Stay up to date about the Jones Act:* Cato's Project on Jones Act Reform * Subscribe to the Jones Act Gazette
For: The Jones Act: Charting a New Course after a Century of Failure
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| 10:50 – 11:00AM | Welcoming Remarks Peter Goettler, President and CEO, Cato Institute | | 11:00 – 11:30AM | Is Islam Compatible with Freedom?Mustafa Akyol, Senior Fellow, Center for Global Liberty and Prosperity, Cato Institute |
Cato Institute Policy Perspectives 2018 - Chicago
The Uyghurs, a Turkic Muslim people who primarily live in Xinjiang, a northwestern region in China, have long suffered the repressive regime of the Chinese Communist Party. Since early 2017, however, a new wave of repression began, as Chinese authorities initiated a comprehensive “reeducation” program involving state propaganda, mass surveillance, and the internment of hundreds of thousands of Uyghurs in concentration camps. Using the handful of violent extremists among Uyghurs as a pretext, the Beijing government, as observed by international media and human rights organizations, has embarked on a crusade to erase the identity, religion, culture, and language of a minority.This story is a major human rights crisis in itself, yet it also signals a broader threat to freedom in other parts of the world. In Xinjiang, Chinese authorities are testing their new products for social control, such as drones disguised as birds to surveil citizens and state-issued tracking devices on human bodies. This cutting-edge totalitarianism can easily be exported to other regimes around the world that are eager to spy on their citizens and persecute their dissidents.
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Ten years after the 2008 financial crisis, we are again facing the possibility of economic turmoil as the Fed and other central banks exit their unconventional monetary policies. Although central banks will move gradually, unforeseen circumstances could trigger a flight to safety and a collapse of asset prices.
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Ten years after the 2008 financial crisis, we are again facing the possibility of economic turmoil as the Fed and other central banks exit their unconventional monetary policies. Although central banks will move gradually, unforeseen circumstances could trigger a flight to safety and a collapse of asset prices.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Ten years after the 2008 financial crisis, we are again facing the possibility of economic turmoil as the Fed and other central banks exit their unconventional monetary policies. Although central banks will move gradually, unforeseen circumstances could trigger a flight to safety and a collapse of asset prices.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Ten years after the 2008 financial crisis, we are again facing the possibility of economic turmoil as the Fed and other central banks exit their unconventional monetary policies. Although central banks will move gradually, unforeseen circumstances could trigger a flight to safety and a collapse of asset prices.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Ten years after the 2008 financial crisis, we are again facing the possibility of economic turmoil as the Fed and other central banks exit their unconventional monetary policies. Although central banks will move gradually, unforeseen circumstances could trigger a flight to safety and a collapse of asset prices.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Ten years after the 2008 financial crisis, we are again facing the possibility of economic turmoil as the Fed and other central banks exit their unconventional monetary policies. Although central banks will move gradually, unforeseen circumstances could trigger a flight to safety and a collapse of asset prices.
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“Healer in chief,” national redeemer, father figure, Leader of the Free World — the modern president is required to be all those things and more. It’s a radical — and dangerous — departure from the Founding Fathers’ vision of a chief magistrate with limited powers, charged with faithfully executing the laws. The demands we’ve placed on the office have transformed it into a constitutional monstrosity with powers too vast to entrust to any single, fallible human being.How did we get here? Where does Donald Trump fit into the transformation of the presidency? Can we ever restore the Framers’ modest conception of the office and again limit its powers? A new documentary from We the Internet TV provides provocative answers to these questions.Join us for the premiere screening of The Rise of Trump: Why a Reality Show President Was Inevitable (approximately 15 minutes), followed by a discussion with director Rob Montz and Cato vice president Gene Healy.
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From Cato University: College of Economics
Cato University’s College of Economics is based on the conviction that economics is a way of thinking, a tool for decision-making, and a basis for action. It’s the necessary foundation for understanding government, business, and society. Discussions from top economics scholars are designed to solidify your expertise on basic economic principles, and then help you apply those tools to today’s most pressing issues.
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From Cato University: College of Economics
Cato University’s College of Economics is based on the conviction that economics is a way of thinking, a tool for decision-making, and a basis for action. It’s the necessary foundation for understanding government, business, and society. Discussions from top economics scholars are designed to solidify your expertise on basic economic principles, and then help you apply those tools to today’s most pressing issues.
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From Cato University: College of Economics
Cato University’s College of Economics is based on the conviction that economics is a way of thinking, a tool for decision-making, and a basis for action. It’s the necessary foundation for understanding government, business, and society. Discussions from top economics scholars are designed to solidify your expertise on basic economic principles, and then help you apply those tools to today’s most pressing issues.
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From Cato University: College of Economics
Cato University’s College of Economics is based on the conviction that economics is a way of thinking, a tool for decision-making, and a basis for action. It’s the necessary foundation for understanding government, business, and society. Discussions from top economics scholars are designed to solidify your expertise on basic economic principles, and then help you apply those tools to today’s most pressing issues.
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From Cato University: College of Economics
Cato University’s College of Economics is based on the conviction that economics is a way of thinking, a tool for decision-making, and a basis for action. It’s the necessary foundation for understanding government, business, and society. Discussions from top economics scholars are designed to solidify your expertise on basic economic principles, and then help you apply those tools to today’s most pressing issues.
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From Cato University: College of Economics
Cato University’s College of Economics is based on the conviction that economics is a way of thinking, a tool for decision-making, and a basis for action. It’s the necessary foundation for understanding government, business, and society. Discussions from top economics scholars are designed to solidify your expertise on basic economic principles, and then help you apply those tools to today’s most pressing issues.
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From Cato University: College of Economics
Cato University’s College of Economics is based on the conviction that economics is a way of thinking, a tool for decision-making, and a basis for action. It’s the necessary foundation for understanding government, business, and society. Discussions from top economics scholars are designed to solidify your expertise on basic economic principles, and then help you apply those tools to today’s most pressing issues.
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From Cato University: College of Economics
Cato University’s College of Economics is based on the conviction that economics is a way of thinking, a tool for decision-making, and a basis for action. It’s the necessary foundation for understanding government, business, and society. Discussions from top economics scholars are designed to solidify your expertise on basic economic principles, and then help you apply those tools to today’s most pressing issues.
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Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy has observed that “criminal justice today is for the most part a system of pleas, not a system of trials.”
Although nowhere mentioned in the text of the Constitution, plea bargaining has become the default mechanism for resolving criminal charges in the United States. Indeed, some 95 percent of criminal convictions today are obtained through plea bargains, which raises a number of serious concerns, including why so few people choose to exercise their hallowed and hard-won right to a jury trial. When one considers the many tools available to prosecutors to encourage defendants to accept plea offers, together with the incentive to resolve as many cases as efficiently as possible, one cannot help but ask how many plea agreements are truly voluntary and how many are the result of irresistible coercion. Are there constitutional or ethical limits on coercive plea bargaining, and if so, are they being properly enforced? And what should we make of an institution that has practically eliminated the criminal jury trial and with it the Framers' painstaking efforts to ensure citizen participation in the administration of justice?
We will discuss these and other important questions raised by the evolution of plea bargaining within our justice system.
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At the end of the Cold War, the United States was confident that it stood on the precipice of a new era of peace and prosperity as the world’s sole superpower. U.S. leaders adopted a strategy of primacy, aimed at discouraging others from challenging American power, and they sought to spread democracy and liberal economics within an American sphere of influence that encompassed most of the world. Today, relations with Russia and China have deteriorated, nationalist movements are on the rise, and the European Union seems unsteady at best.
In his new book, The Hell of Good Intentions, Stephen Walt traces many of these problems to the flaws inherent in primacy. U.S. power has allowed policymakers to pursue ambitious foreign policy goals, even when those goals are unnecessary or doomed to fail. And yet, despite many setbacks, an entrenched foreign policy elite retains its faith in liberal hegemony. Join us at noon on Wednesday, October 17, as Walt explores these ideas and outlines the case for a fresh, new approach to American foreign policy based on realism and restraint.
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Paid family leave has become an issue of national significance, and some policymakers think the federal policy status quo is insufficient. As a result, in 2017 congressional Democrats proposed funding leave through payroll taxes on businesses and workers, and the Trump administration suggested providing paid parental leave through state unemployment insurance. In 2018, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) proposed legislation allowing workers to dip into Social Security retirement benefits to cover paid leave.Please join us for a conversation about paid family leave and current federal proposals for paid leave. Emily Ekins, director of polling at Cato Institute, will provide a first look at new public opinion polling on paid leave. Vanessa Brown Calder, Veronique de Rugy, and Rachel Greszler will discuss their research on paid family leave, with a focus on current federal proposals like the FAMILY Act (the Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act) and Social Security–paid family leave.
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Like many Americans, Randal O’Toole loves passenger trains, yet he acknowledges that intercity passenger trains and — outside of the New York region — urban rail transit play little role in American life today. The replacement of passenger trains with cars, buses, and airplanes is similar to many other recent technological replacements: word processors replacing typewriters, calculators replacing slide rules, telephones replacing telegraphs, and cell phones replacing land lines. However, only for passenger trains has the government spent billions of dollars a year attempting to turn back the clock and slow that replacement. O’Toole’s book Romance of the Rails asks why this is so and whether passenger rail has a significant role to play in the future. Art Guzzetti, an advocate for urban rail transit; Jim Mathews, an advocate for intercity passenger trains; and Marc Scribner, an advocate for free-market transportation, will offer their comments on the book.
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Something has been going wrong on many college campuses in the past few years. Rates of anxiety, depression, and suicide are rising. Speakers are shouted down. Students and professors say they are walking on eggshells and are afraid to speak honestly. How did this happen?First Amendment expert Greg Lukianoff and social psychologist Jonathan Haidt show how the new problems on campus have their origins in three terrible ideas that have become increasingly woven into American childhood and education: (1) what doesn’t kill you makes you weaker, (2) always trust your feelings, and (3) life is a battle between good people and evil people. These three Great Untruths are incompatible with basic psychological principles as well as ancient wisdom from many cultures. They interfere with healthy development. Anyone who embraces these untruths—and the resulting culture of “safetyism”—is less likely to become an autonomous adult able to prosper in a free society.Lukianoff and Haidt investigate the many social trends that have intersected to produce these untruths. They place the conflicts on campus in the context of America’s rapidly rising political polarization, including a rise in hate crimes and off-campus provocation. They explore changes in childhood, including the rise of fearful parenting, the decline of unsupervised play, and the new world of social media that has engulfed teenagers in the past decade.
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Transit ridership is declining nationwide despite billions of dollars in federal subsidies, observes Randal O’Toole, one of the nation’s leading critics of the transit industry. He argues that the federal government should stop subsidizing a dying industry. Jarrett Walker — one of the most innovative thinkers in the transit community — disagrees, arguing that public transit has a vital role to play in urban transportation and urban growth. Join us to hear these two experts debate the appropriate role of federal funding in urban transportation.
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The internet and social media were supposed to radically democratize news and information — yet many observers now worry that they are undermining the preconditions for healthy democracies. Misinformation peddled by conspiracy theorists, unscrupulous clickbaiters, and even intelligence agencies spreads around the globe at the speed of light, while in the United States, citizens increasingly retreat into distinct media ecosystems so divergent as to be mutually unrecognizable. Can liberal democracy function in a world in which voters no longer inhabit the same universe of facts?
We’ll take up these questions with renowned scholar Yochai Benkler, coauthor of the important new book-length study Network Propaganda: Manipulation, Disinformation, and Radicalization in American Politics. We’ll take a close look at the dynamics of how propaganda, misinformation, and “fake news” propagate across modern information networks. Rebecca MacKinnon, author of Consent of the Networked: The Worldwide Struggle for Internet Freedom, and Cato senior fellow Julian Sanchez provide commentary.
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The Trump administration has taken a hardline approach toward Pakistan, cutting military and security aid throughout 2018 and accusing Pakistan of not doing enough to combat militants operating on its soil. Pakistan, however, maintains that it has eliminated all safe havens and that the United States is unfairly targeting the country.Washington’s conventional wisdom on Pakistan correctly links militant sponsorship with the state’s military and intelligence agencies. As such, U.S. policies to combat Pakistan’s militant sponsorship have primarily focused on pressuring the military. In a new report, Sahar Khan analyzes Pakistan’s anti-terrorism legal regime, judiciary, and police and finds that in the context of counterterrorism, civil institutions have developed policies and bureaucratic routines that reinforce the military’s policy of sponsoring militant groups. And this is one of the primary reasons why U.S. attempts to change Pakistan’s policy of militant sponsorship have failed.Please join us for a lively discussion, with lunch to follow.
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In early May 2013, an online open-source organization called Defense Distributed released design files for the Liberator, the world’s first completely 3D-printable single-shot handgun. In just two days, the plans were downloaded more than 100,000 times.
Within days, the United States Department of State demanded that Defense Distributed take down the files, kicking off a long legal battle that culminated in a settlement allowing the sale of plans for 3D-printed firearms online beginning August 1, 2018. However, that win was quickly undermined by an order—issued by Robert S. Lasnik, Senior District Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington—demanding a stop on the spread of the design files. States and Defense Distributed have filed multiple lawsuits, and the legal drama continues.
What are 3D-printed guns, exactly—and are they more dangerous than other legally available weapons? Is the right to distribute 3D-printed gun blueprints a free speech issue? Are gun control policies viable in a world where people can make guns at home?
On Thursday, September 27, please join the Cato Institute for a robust discussion of the complex legal and practical issues surrounding 3D-printed guns.
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Recent political tumult and the election of Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency have driven anxious commentators to lament the collapse of a post-1945 liberal world order. Invoking the supposed institution building and multilateralism of the last 70 years, the order’s defenders urge U.S. leaders to restore a battered tradition, uphold economic and security commitments, and promote liberal values. Others caution that nostalgia has obscured our understanding of the old order’s hard edges and its shortcomings, and has forestalled a serious assessment of the changes that will be needed going forward.Panelists will discuss the core principles of the liberal international order — both as those principles have been professed by its defenders and as they have been practiced by U.S. and world leaders. They will also consider the present and future of the liberal order. What revisions, if any, are necessary? Should U.S. leaders embrace the old liberal international order and reaffirm American leadership within that order? Or is it time to reassess U.S. grand strategy and bring U.S. goals in line with modern-day realities? Join us for an important and timely discussion.
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Passed in 1978, the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) was intended to stop abusive practices by state and federal officials, who often removed Native American children from their families without sufficient justification. But today, ICWA is the subject of litigation in federal and state courts by challengers who argue that it imposes race-based restrictions on adoption and makes it harder for state officials to protect Native American children against abuse and neglect. Join us for a discussion of recent developments and upcoming challenges to ICWA, presented by Timothy Sandefur, Vice President for Litigation at the Goldwater Institute and author of Escaping the ICWA Penalty Box; Matthew McGill, attorney for plaintiffs in Brackeen v. Zinke, a major ICWA lawsuit under way in Texas; and Charles Rothfeld, who represented the birth father in the important ICWA case Adoptive Couple v. Baby Girl.
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Innovations in aerial technology present regulators, lawmakers, and entrepreneurs with numerous challenges and opportunities.
Although there have been advances in supersonic engine technology, the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) 1970s ban on overland supersonic flights remains in place. Flytenow, an online flight-sharing company seeking to establish an “Uber of the sky,” has been grounded thanks to the FAA regulations. Restrictions on unmanned aerial vehicle flights have hampered the growth of the commercial drone sector, with American companies such as Amazon.com testing delivery drones abroad. Meanwhile, police departments are increasingly interested in pursuing drone technology as well as counterdrone technology, which raises significant civil liberty and safety concerns.
Our panelists will discuss these and other issues and consider how lawmakers and regulators can best foster innovation while protecting our safety and privacy.
For: Of Rockets and Robotics: The Regulation of Emerging Aerial Technology
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Innovations in aerial technology present regulators, lawmakers, and entrepreneurs with numerous challenges and opportunities.
Although there have been advances in supersonic engine technology, the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) 1970s ban on overland supersonic flights remains in place. Flytenow, an online flight-sharing company seeking to establish an “Uber of the sky,” has been grounded thanks to the FAA regulations. Restrictions on unmanned aerial vehicle flights have hampered the growth of the commercial drone sector, with American companies such as Amazon.com testing delivery drones abroad. Meanwhile, police departments are increasingly interested in pursuing drone technology as well as counterdrone technology, which raises significant civil liberty and safety concerns.
Our panelists will discuss these and other issues and consider how lawmakers and regulators can best foster innovation while protecting our safety and privacy.
For: Of Rockets and Robotics: The Regulation of Emerging Aerial Technology
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Innovations in aerial technology present regulators, lawmakers, and entrepreneurs with numerous challenges and opportunities.
Although there have been advances in supersonic engine technology, the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) 1970s ban on overland supersonic flights remains in place. Flytenow, an online flight-sharing company seeking to establish an “Uber of the sky,” has been grounded thanks to the FAA regulations. Restrictions on unmanned aerial vehicle flights have hampered the growth of the commercial drone sector, with American companies such as Amazon.com testing delivery drones abroad. Meanwhile, police departments are increasingly interested in pursuing drone technology as well as counterdrone technology, which raises significant civil liberty and safety concerns.
Our panelists will discuss these and other issues and consider how lawmakers and regulators can best foster innovation while protecting our safety and privacy.
For: Of Rockets and Robotics: The Regulation of Emerging Aerial Technology
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Innovations in aerial technology present regulators, lawmakers, and entrepreneurs with numerous challenges and opportunities.
Although there have been advances in supersonic engine technology, the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) 1970s ban on overland supersonic flights remains in place. Flytenow, an online flight-sharing company seeking to establish an “Uber of the sky,” has been grounded thanks to the FAA regulations. Restrictions on unmanned aerial vehicle flights have hampered the growth of the commercial drone sector, with American companies such as Amazon.com testing delivery drones abroad. Meanwhile, police departments are increasingly interested in pursuing drone technology as well as counterdrone technology, which raises significant civil liberty and safety concerns.
Our panelists will discuss these and other issues and consider how lawmakers and regulators can best foster innovation while protecting our safety and privacy.
For: Of Rockets and Robotics: The Regulation of Emerging Aerial Technology
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Borrowed Time: Two Centuries of Booms, Busts, and Bailouts at Citi explores the alarming, untold story of Citigroup, one of the largest financial institutions in the world. The book follows Citi from its founding as the City Bank of New York in 1812 to its role in the 2008 financial crisis — and its many near-death experiences and government bailouts in between. Join us for a roundtable discussion with the authors.
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In his sweeping 1996 Cato book, Oil, Gas and Government: The U.S. Experience, Rob Bradley described a century of political capitalism in the energy industry. In recent years, leading energy entrepreneurs such as Ken Lay (Enron), John Browne (BP), Jeffrey Immelt (GE) and, most recently, Elon Musk (Tesla) continue the clammy pursuit of wealth via government subsidies and regulations, often perfumed with trendy environmentalism.Now, in Enron Ascending: The Forgotten Years (1984–1996), Bradley identifies a broader context for political capitalism—“contra-capitalism,” a repeating syndrome that links rent-seeking with corporate deceit and personal violation of bourgeois virtues.From this new perspective, Bradley rebuts both the charge that corporate scandals reflect badly on capitalism and the apologia that they are merely committed by capitalism’s “bad apples.” As an alternative, Bradley lays out a well-developed mirror image of contra-capitalism—a suite of behaviors consistent with classical-liberal teachings for business management.
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Please join us for an address from the Right Honourable Liz Truss, MP, the United Kingdom’s Chief Secretary to the Treasury. In her remarks, Truss will discuss economic policy on both sides of the Atlantic and will explain how attempts to insulate industries from changing demands and innovations make us poorer. Truss will issue a rallying cry to economic liberals to engage in a new supply-side revolution, reforming regulations to work with market trends, rather than against them, to deliver prosperity and opportunity for younger generations.
Truss was appointed Chief Secretary to the Treasury in June 2017 by Prime Minister Theresa May. Her role gives her responsibility for overseeing U.K. public expenditure, including public sector pay and spending reviews, as well as a broader purview on supply-side issues, including childcare policy, labor market policy, and welfare reform. A member of the Conservative Party, she was first elected as a Member of Parliament in 2010 for the constituency of South West Norfolk. She has held several important ministerial roles, including Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for education and childcare; Secretary of State for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor.
Truss is a longtime friend of the liberty movement, having worked at the think tank Reform and having founded the Free Enterprise Group (an association of free market–oriented Conservative Members of Parliament) in 2011.
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Cato's annual Constitution Day symposium marks the day in 1787 that the Constitutional Convention finished drafting the U.S. Constitution. We celebrate that event each year with the release of the new issue of the Cato Supreme Court Review and with a day-long symposium featuring noted scholars discussing the recently concluded Supreme Court term and the important cases coming up. Past speakers have included Judges Alex Kozinski, Diane Sykes, and Douglas Ginsburg, Professors Richard Epstein, Michael McConnell, and Nadine Strossen, and Supreme Court litigators Paul Clement, Neal Katyal, and Walter Dellinger.
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Cato's annual Constitution Day symposium marks the day in 1787 that the Constitutional Convention finished drafting the U.S. Constitution. We celebrate that event each year with the release of the new issue of the Cato Supreme Court Review and with a day-long symposium featuring noted scholars discussing the recently concluded Supreme Court term and the important cases coming up. Past speakers have included Judges Alex Kozinski, Diane Sykes, and Douglas Ginsburg, Professors Richard Epstein, Michael McConnell, and Nadine Strossen, and Supreme Court litigators Paul Clement, Neal Katyal, and Walter Dellinger.
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Cato's annual Constitution Day symposium marks the day in 1787 that the Constitutional Convention finished drafting the U.S. Constitution. We celebrate that event each year with the release of the new issue of the Cato Supreme Court Review and with a day-long symposium featuring noted scholars discussing the recently concluded Supreme Court term and the important cases coming up. Past speakers have included Judges Alex Kozinski, Diane Sykes, and Douglas Ginsburg, Professors Richard Epstein, Michael McConnell, and Nadine Strossen, and Supreme Court litigators Paul Clement, Neal Katyal, and Walter Dellinger.
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Cato's annual Constitution Day symposium marks the day in 1787 that the Constitutional Convention finished drafting the U.S. Constitution. We celebrate that event each year with the release of the new issue of the Cato Supreme Court Review and with a day-long symposium featuring noted scholars discussing the recently concluded Supreme Court term and the important cases coming up. Past speakers have included Judges Alex Kozinski, Diane Sykes, and Douglas Ginsburg, Professors Richard Epstein, Michael McConnell, and Nadine Strossen, and Supreme Court litigators Paul Clement, Neal Katyal, and Walter Dellinger.
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Cato's annual Constitution Day symposium marks the day in 1787 that the Constitutional Convention finished drafting the U.S. Constitution. We celebrate that event each year with the release of the new issue of the Cato Supreme Court Review and with a day-long symposium featuring noted scholars discussing the recently concluded Supreme Court term and the important cases coming up. Past speakers have included Judges Alex Kozinski, Diane Sykes, and Douglas Ginsburg, Professors Richard Epstein, Michael McConnell, and Nadine Strossen, and Supreme Court litigators Paul Clement, Neal Katyal, and Walter Dellinger.
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Sweden is a remarkably successful country. A poor peasant nation in the 1850s, it became one of the world’s richest countries a century later. It ranks among the world’s freest developed nations. Should the United States be more like Sweden? The documentary Sweden: Lessons for America? delves into aspects of Swedish politics and society that may surprise many Americans. Join us to see a segment of the documentary from the Free to Choose Network. Swedish film host and scholar Johan Norberg will describe how his country has changed over time, highlight policy successes, and explain why Sweden’s economic policies are often misunderstood by outsiders.
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P. J. O’Rourke, America’s leading political satirist and Cato H. L. Mencken Research Fellow, has been dubbed “the funniest writer in America” by the Wall Street Journal. In his new book, None of My Business: P. J. Explains Money, Banking, Debt, Equity, Assets, Liabilities, and Why He’s Not Rich and Neither Are You, the best-selling author delves into the world of business, offering his humorous, incisive musings on everything from banking and investments to China and the future of Bitcoin—and, of course, how the “crazy things” that government does to money manage to make the financial world even more mind-boggling.Whether explaining what cleaning his chicken coop taught him about investing, how covering war zones for Rolling Stone taught him economics, or what his teenage daughter revealed to him about the digital economy, O’Rourke is always sure to deliver pithy insights with a healthy dose of humor.
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A key question in debates over Obamacare is whether its community rating provisions are necessary to provide complete risk protection to consumers. A new study of one insurer by Anthony LoSasso and colleagues finds that the insurer did increase premiums for small employers whose expected claims were above average, but the increase in premiums only ranged from 5 percent to 43 percent of the increase in expected costs. These findings suggest that even before Obamacare, the market for small-employer coverage did a lot to protect high-cost employees from having to pay premiums that reflect their higher health risk. Come hear leading scholars on the economics of health insurance, Mark Pauly and Anthony LoSasso, discuss these findings and their implications.
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The financial services industry is undergoing a transformation: technology is enabling financial institutions and startups to reach underserved communities, lower the cost of banking and investing, and increase access to capital. As fintech fosters financial inclusion and access, how can regulation accommodate innovation while protecting consumers? Cato’s Fourth Annual Summit on Financial Regulation will bring together leading practitioners, policy experts, and regulators to grapple with key policy questions at the intersection of technology and financial services—and to discuss the positive role that policy change can play in reaping the benefits from the ongoing revolution in banking, capital markets, and the emerging crypto economy.
From: Fintech Unbound: The Cato Summit on Financial Regulation
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The financial services industry is undergoing a transformation: technology is enabling financial institutions and startups to reach underserved communities, lower the cost of banking and investing, and increase access to capital. As fintech fosters financial inclusion and access, how can regulation accommodate innovation while protecting consumers? Cato’s Fourth Annual Summit on Financial Regulation will bring together leading practitioners, policy experts, and regulators to grapple with key policy questions at the intersection of technology and financial services—and to discuss the positive role that policy change can play in reaping the benefits from the ongoing revolution in banking, capital markets, and the emerging crypto economy.
From: Fintech Unbound: The Cato Summit on Financial Regulation
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The financial services industry is undergoing a transformation: technology is enabling financial institutions and startups to reach underserved communities, lower the cost of banking and investing, and increase access to capital. As fintech fosters financial inclusion and access, how can regulation accommodate innovation while protecting consumers? Cato’s Fourth Annual Summit on Financial Regulation will bring together leading practitioners, policy experts, and regulators to grapple with key policy questions at the intersection of technology and financial services—and to discuss the positive role that policy change can play in reaping the benefits from the ongoing revolution in banking, capital markets, and the emerging crypto economy.
From: Fintech Unbound: The Cato Summit on Financial Regulation
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The financial services industry is undergoing a transformation: technology is enabling financial institutions and startups to reach underserved communities, lower the cost of banking and investing, and increase access to capital. As fintech fosters financial inclusion and access, how can regulation accommodate innovation while protecting consumers? Cato’s Fourth Annual Summit on Financial Regulation will bring together leading practitioners, policy experts, and regulators to grapple with key policy questions at the intersection of technology and financial services—and to discuss the positive role that policy change can play in reaping the benefits from the ongoing revolution in banking, capital markets, and the emerging crypto economy.
From: Fintech Unbound: The Cato Summit on Financial Regulation
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The financial services industry is undergoing a transformation: technology is enabling financial institutions and startups to reach underserved communities, lower the cost of banking and investing, and increase access to capital. As fintech fosters financial inclusion and access, how can regulation accommodate innovation while protecting consumers? Cato’s Fourth Annual Summit on Financial Regulation will bring together leading practitioners, policy experts, and regulators to grapple with key policy questions at the intersection of technology and financial services—and to discuss the positive role that policy change can play in reaping the benefits from the ongoing revolution in banking, capital markets, and the emerging crypto economy.
From: Fintech Unbound: The Cato Summit on Financial Regulation
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For much of the 21st century, those who identified themselves as left of center were the strongest proponents of freedom of speech. They believed in the principle, and they thought that free speech benefited civil rights and labor activists—not to mention radicals seeking fundamental change. Conservatives, they thought, would always oppose free speech because of its threat to the status quo. Beginning in the late 1960s, some spoke of free speech as “repressive tolerance” that precluded radical changes. Later, as courts connected free speech to campaign finance, some on the left argued that the First Amendment served corporate interests, not emancipation of the oppressed. Professor Michael Seidman has renewed this debate with a provocative paper denying that free speech in the American context can be progressive. Please join us for an intriguing debate about the future of free speech, a debate that matters for everyone at all points on the political spectrum.
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ne of the nation’s leading experts on infrastructure policy, Robert Poole, will discuss his new book, Rethinking America’s Highways: A 21st-Century Vision for Better Infrastructure. The book examines our current structure of highway ownership and financing and describes why major reforms are needed. Poole argues for a new model that treats highways in a more commercial manner, akin to public utilities. Motorists, the economy, and the environment would all gain if highway investments were driven more by market signals than by politics, he finds.With increased highway congestion and large financing gaps on the horizon, Poole provides critical input to America’s debate over infrastructure. Poole is an MIT-trained engineer who has advised numerous administrations, the Federal Highway Administration, and various state highway agencies on infrastructure issues.Dr. Jonathan Gifford will provide comments on Poole’s book. Gifford has a PhD in civil engineering, specializing in transportation, and he is an expert on the Interstate Highway System and infrastructure finance. He is director of the George Mason University (GMU) Center for Transportation Public-Private Partnership Policy, as well as a professor in GMU’s Schar School of Policy and Government.
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Which state is the freest, and what does it mean to be free? Which state has the most heavily taxed and regulated economy? Which state has the best protections for personal freedom? Where does your state rank? Is it among the freest or most coercive? Such questions have occurred to many people who care about limited government.The 2018 edition of Freedom in the 50 States presents an updated ranking of the American states based on how their policies promote fiscal, regulatory, and personal freedom. The authors have gathered data on more than 230 variables to measure freedom now and in the past. They go beyond describing policies and analyze why some states have smaller and better governments.Freedom in the 50 States is an essential work for anyone interested in state policies and in advancing a better understanding of a free society. Join us to meet the authors, learn about the development of this research, and hear an overview of the 2018 rankings.
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Which state is the freest, and what does it mean to be free? Which state has the most heavily taxed and regulated economy? Which state has the best protections for personal freedom? Where does your state rank? Is it among the freest or most coercive?
In this special Cato Connects, Freedom in the 50 States authors William P. Ruger and Jason Sorens discuss the data on more than 230 variables to measure freedom now and in the past. They go beyond describing policies and analyze why some states have smaller and better governments.
The 2018 edition of Freedom in the 50 States presents an updated ranking of the American states based on how their policies promote fiscal, regulatory, and personal freedom. Freedom in the 50 States is an essential work for anyone interested in state policies and in advancing a better understanding of a free society.
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The economic revolutions of the past have brought vast wealth to average people. So what does the "sharing economy" have to offer? Michael Munger argues in his new book, Tomorrow 3.0, that when we understand how transaction costs function, the implications of the sharing economy become more clear. Join us for a discussion of the implications of this economic shift and how it will change how we work, what we own, and the wealth we can access.
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The Trump administration has reversed an Obama-era rule that exposed consumers with short-term health insurance plans to medical underwriting after they got sick. The Trump rule restores consumer protections in short-term plans, which are exempt from ObamaCare’s costly benefit mandates and hidden taxes. Does the new short-term plans rule create a “freedom option” for those who have had enough of Obamacare? Does if free religious conservatives from having to purchase coverage they find morally objectionable? Will it usher in a new era of innovation that will make access to care more secure for the sick? Does the new rule sabotage or threaten the stability of Obamacare? Come listen to one of the nation’s leading scholars discuss short-term health plans and the potential of innovation to revolutionize health insurance.
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From Cato University: College of History and Philosophy
History is indispensable to understanding and defending liberty under our constitutionally limited, representative government. And at the core of that history are the philosophical beliefs and values on which the American republic was founded. Cato University's College of History and Philosophy brings these two powerful subjects together to explore the foundations of liberty and justice, of wealth and poverty, of individual rights and the rule of law.
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From Cato University: College of History and Philosophy
History is indispensable to understanding and defending liberty under our constitutionally limited, representative government. And at the core of that history are the philosophical beliefs and values on which the American republic was founded. Cato University's College of History and Philosophy brings these two powerful subjects together to explore the foundations of liberty and justice, of wealth and poverty, of individual rights and the rule of law.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
From Cato University: College of History and Philosophy
History is indispensable to understanding and defending liberty under our constitutionally limited, representative government. And at the core of that history are the philosophical beliefs and values on which the American republic was founded. Cato University's College of History and Philosophy brings these two powerful subjects together to explore the foundations of liberty and justice, of wealth and poverty, of individual rights and the rule of law.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
From Cato University: College of History and Philosophy
History is indispensable to understanding and defending liberty under our constitutionally limited, representative government. And at the core of that history are the philosophical beliefs and values on which the American republic was founded. Cato University's College of History and Philosophy brings these two powerful subjects together to explore the foundations of liberty and justice, of wealth and poverty, of individual rights and the rule of law.
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Cryptocurrencies are now a $270 billion market, and initial coin offerings (ICOs) raised more than $8 billion in the first five months of 2018. What is the appropriate regulatory framework for this emerging financial technology? In this Capitol Hill briefing, Cato’s Diego Zuluaga and Mercatus’ Brian Knight will address whether and how cryptocurrencies might be determined to be securities, the role of cryptocurrencies in value creation, and the use of ICOs as fundraising vehicles. Zuluaga will outline a regulatory framework for securing innovation while ensuring protection against fraud and crime.
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America has developed its own decentralized and pluralist approach to adoption, with a wide variety of both private and public actors helping match children with the families they need along several paths: adoption of older children in public care, including the foster-to-adopt path; adoption of newborns; and international adoption. But services for children in public care have been swept up in controversy over what if any role is appropriate for religious and other agencies that decline to work with gay parents or that give preference to cobelievers. The rate of international adoption, once hailed as a success, has plunged in recent years. Meanwhile, the domestic foster care system has long been beset by policy challenges.How can government policy best avoid placing obstacles in the way of finding permanent homes for children? Are there ways to respond to legitimate concerns about international adoption, such as official corruption, that do not simply close down that process? What is the role of pluralism, and can groups with differing objectives and fundamental premises work side by side?Cato’s half-day conference, featuring keynote speaker Elizabeth Bartholet, a Harvard law professor and noted adoption expert, will air a variety of informed views. Topics will include the conflict between LGBT advocates and some conservative religious agencies over the latter’s participation in state child placement systems; sources and possible solutions of the crisis in international adoption; and the proper role and practical effect of birth mother choice.
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America has developed its own decentralized and pluralist approach to adoption, with a wide variety of both private and public actors helping match children with the families they need along several paths: adoption of older children in public care, including the foster-to-adopt path; adoption of newborns; and international adoption. But services for children in public care have been swept up in controversy over what if any role is appropriate for religious and other agencies that decline to work with gay parents or that give preference to cobelievers. The rate of international adoption, once hailed as a success, has plunged in recent years. Meanwhile, the domestic foster care system has long been beset by policy challenges.How can government policy best avoid placing obstacles in the way of finding permanent homes for children? Are there ways to respond to legitimate concerns about international adoption, such as official corruption, that do not simply close down that process? What is the role of pluralism, and can groups with differing objectives and fundamental premises work side by side?Cato’s half-day conference, featuring keynote speaker Elizabeth Bartholet, a Harvard law professor and noted adoption expert, will air a variety of informed views. Topics will include the conflict between LGBT advocates and some conservative religious agencies over the latter’s participation in state child placement systems; sources and possible solutions of the crisis in international adoption; and the proper role and practical effect of birth mother choice.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
America has developed its own decentralized and pluralist approach to adoption, with a wide variety of both private and public actors helping match children with the families they need along several paths: adoption of older children in public care, including the foster-to-adopt path; adoption of newborns; and international adoption. But services for children in public care have been swept up in controversy over what if any role is appropriate for religious and other agencies that decline to work with gay parents or that give preference to cobelievers. The rate of international adoption, once hailed as a success, has plunged in recent years. Meanwhile, the domestic foster care system has long been beset by policy challenges.How can government policy best avoid placing obstacles in the way of finding permanent homes for children? Are there ways to respond to legitimate concerns about international adoption, such as official corruption, that do not simply close down that process? What is the role of pluralism, and can groups with differing objectives and fundamental premises work side by side?Cato’s half-day conference, featuring keynote speaker Elizabeth Bartholet, a Harvard law professor and noted adoption expert, will air a variety of informed views. Topics will include the conflict between LGBT advocates and some conservative religious agencies over the latter’s participation in state child placement systems; sources and possible solutions of the crisis in international adoption; and the proper role and practical effect of birth mother choice.
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Today, more than 95 percent of criminal convictions in the United States are obtained through plea bargains. As the Supreme Court observed in 2012, “criminal justice today is for the most part a system of pleas, not a system of trials.” Compared with jury trials, plea bargains are efficient and inexpensive, and they free up resources that might otherwise be devoted to securing convictions in cases where the defendant’s guilt is not seriously in doubt.
But plea bargaining has a dark side as well. Given the imbalance of resources between prosecutors and most defendants, together with the array of tools that prosecutors can bring to bear in any given case, such as mandatory minimum sentences, charge-stacking, and witness inducements, it is fair to ask how many guilty pleas are truly voluntary. A growing body of evidence suggests that false confessions may not be nearly as rare as we would hope, and indeed the specter of coercion casts a shadow over the entire plea-bargaining process.
Finally, there is the question of citizen participation in the criminal justice system, which Judge Joseph Goodwin of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia cited repeatedly in a trio of decisions, culminating in the announcement that he will no longer accept plea agreements except when there are truly extenuating, case-specific circumstances. Our panelists will discuss the pros and cons of that policy and consider what the effect might be on America’s criminal justice system—and the fate of individual defendants—if other judges began adopting it as well.
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To Err Is Human is an in-depth documentary about medical mistakes and those working behind the scenes to create a new age of patient safety. Through interviews with leaders in health care, footage of real-world efforts leading to safer care, and one individual's compelling journey from victim to empowered patient advocate, the film provides a unique look at our health care system's ongoing fight against preventable harm. Join us for a special private screening of the documentary.
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Sixty years ago, the United States Supreme Court decided the landmark case of NAACP v. Alabama. In 1956, as part of the civil rights struggle, the state of Alabama sought the membership lists of the NAACP chapter in that state. The Court ruled against the state and discerned a “vital relationship between freedom to associate and privacy in one’s associations.” The decision remains a high point from the civil rights era. However, many now deny the Court’s assertion that a broad right to privacy offers a vital protection for the freedom to associate and to speak.
Since the decision, the Court has placed few limits on government’s power to mandate disclosure of political activities and associations. As the new online era of speech dawns, the principles at stake in NAACP v. Alabama remain at the center of public debates. Is the right to associational privacy recognized in NAACP v. Alabama still good law? Or should the Court reconsider the tie between privacy and association? Please join us for a vigorous debate that takes this important anniversary as a starting point for our common future.
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Since World War II, the United States has maintained an active foreign policy agenda, deeply engaged in both the economic and military domains. Many observers over the past few years, however, have voiced doubts about public support for the critical pillars of American internationalism. Many have worried, in particular, about whether younger Americans will believe it worthwhile to take up the mantle of global leadership.
A new report from the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, the Charles Koch Institute, and Cato scholars Trevor Thrall and Erik Goepner analyzes a wide range of survey data collected by the Chicago Council since 1974. The report finds that each generation from the silent generation onward entered adulthood less supportive of expansive American internationalism. More recent generations also express lower support for militarized approaches to achieve foreign policy goals.
In this special Cato policy forum, the authors will present their findings and will participate in a lively discussion on the impact that generational differences may have on U.S. foreign policy.
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Our 27th president, William Howard Taft, has been relegated to a historical afterthought, if not a punchline. If he’s remembered at all, it’s for his enormous girth and periodic difficulties with bathtubs. Yet in this slim volume on our largest president, Jeffrey Rosen argues that Taft has much to teach us today. Our “most judicial president,” who later served as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, shared the Framers’ conception of the presidency as a constitutional rather than a popular office. In his single presidential term and his failed bid for reelection in the pivotal 1912 race, Taft staunchly opposed Teddy Roosevelt’s “stewardship” theory of the office, which empowered the president “to do anything that the needs of the nation demanded unless such action was forbidden by the Constitution or the laws.” The president’s authority, Taft countered, is limited to what the Constitution and the laws specifically grant, and to hold otherwise would lead to an imperial presidency.In his reluctance to rule by executive order or wage war without Congress — and in his resistance to popular passions — Taft serves both as a model of what a constitutional presidency could be and a reminder of the challenges facing that model in the modern era.
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On December 14, 2017, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to repeal “net neutrality,” a set of Obama-era regulations that had only been enacted in 2015.The outcry was oversized. Racist memes featuring FCC chairman Ajit Pai, who spearheaded the repeal effort, flooded the internet, while grassroots activists invaded Pai’s neighborhood, placing pamphlets with his face on his neighbors’ doorsteps, peering through the windows of his house, and taking photos of his young children inside. Faced with death threats, Pai had to cancel speaking engagements in the months following the vote for fear of his safety.Minutes after the vote, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced his intent to lead a multistate lawsuit against the FCC to “stop illegal rollback of net neutrality.” Net neutrality supporters in more than 20 states quickly joined the suit. Powerful tech companies like Netflix, Reddit, Amazon, and Kickstarter called for the immediate restoration of net neutrality. Executive orders in New York and Montana imposed net neutrality requirements on internet service providers that had contracts with those states, and Washington recently became the first state to pass its own version of net neutrality. Even now, the debate continues, with Senate Democrats pushing to restore the net neutrality rules the FCC vote repealed.Yet what really has changed in the six months since the repeal vote?On Thursday, June 14, the six-month anniversary of the controversial FCC vote, please join the Cato Institute for a one-on-one interview with FCC chairman Ajit Pai. Pai will explain what net neutrality is, why he supported its repeal, and what comes next for the future of the internet.
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The planned meeting between leaders of North Korea and the United States may help the Hermit Kingdom engage positively with a broader part of the world. After the meeting concludes, how should the US work to continue to lower tensions with North Korea? Join us for a live online discussion and ask your questions using #CatoConnects.
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The private sector is stepping up to help young immigrant Dreamers while Congress continues to debate their future. Few Americans have done more than Donald Graham, the chairman of the board of Graham Holdings Company and former publisher of the Washington Post. Mr. Graham cofounded TheDream.US to fund college scholarships for hundreds of Dreamers, and he recently received significant donations to expand the program to thousands more. Graham will discuss the success of his initiative, his future plans, and his views on immigration policy and philanthropy. Marisela Tobar and Sadhana Singh, two Dreamers who graduated from Trinity Washington University this year after receiving scholarships from his foundation, will share their perspectives on how his program changed their lives, their hopes for the future, and what barriers they still face to attaining the American dream.
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Why is America’s health care system so dysfunctional and expensive? Why do hospitalized patients receive bills laden with inflated charges that come out of the blue from out-of-network providers, or that demand payment for services that weren’t delivered? Why do we pay $600 for EpiPens that contain a dollar’s worth of medicine? Why is more than $1 trillion—one out of every three dollars that passes through the system—lost to fraud, wasted on services that don’t help patients, or otherwise misspent?
In a new book published by the Cato Institute, Overcharged: Why Americans Pay Too Much for Health Care, Cato adjunct scholars Charles Silver and David Hyman answer these questions. Overcharged shows how government replaces competition and consumer choice with monopolies and third-party payment, making America’s health care system as expensive as possible.
At this special book conference, the authors, joined by other national health care experts, will lay bare the root causes of our health care system’s ills and show how the health care sector will become more efficient and pro-consumer when it is subjected to the competitive forces that apply to the rest of the economy. Prices will fall, quality will improve, and medicine will become more patient-friendly when consumers take control of their health care dollars and exert pressure from below.
To see how this transformation will work, please join us in person or online to learn about the potent “medicine” Overcharged prescribes.
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Why is America’s health care system so dysfunctional and expensive? Why do hospitalized patients receive bills laden with inflated charges that come out of the blue from out-of-network providers, or that demand payment for services that weren’t delivered? Why do we pay $600 for EpiPens that contain a dollar’s worth of medicine? Why is more than $1 trillion—one out of every three dollars that passes through the system—lost to fraud, wasted on services that don’t help patients, or otherwise misspent?
In a new book published by the Cato Institute, Overcharged: Why Americans Pay Too Much for Health Care, Cato adjunct scholars Charles Silver and David Hyman answer these questions. Overcharged shows how government replaces competition and consumer choice with monopolies and third-party payment, making America’s health care system as expensive as possible.
At this special book conference, the authors, joined by other national health care experts, will lay bare the root causes of our health care system’s ills and show how the health care sector will become more efficient and pro-consumer when it is subjected to the competitive forces that apply to the rest of the economy. Prices will fall, quality will improve, and medicine will become more patient-friendly when consumers take control of their health care dollars and exert pressure from below.
To see how this transformation will work, please join us in person or online to learn about the potent “medicine” Overcharged prescribes.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Why is America’s health care system so dysfunctional and expensive? Why do hospitalized patients receive bills laden with inflated charges that come out of the blue from out-of-network providers, or that demand payment for services that weren’t delivered? Why do we pay $600 for EpiPens that contain a dollar’s worth of medicine? Why is more than $1 trillion—one out of every three dollars that passes through the system—lost to fraud, wasted on services that don’t help patients, or otherwise misspent?
In a new book published by the Cato Institute, Overcharged: Why Americans Pay Too Much for Health Care, Cato adjunct scholars Charles Silver and David Hyman answer these questions. Overcharged shows how government replaces competition and consumer choice with monopolies and third-party payment, making America’s health care system as expensive as possible.
At this special book conference, the authors, joined by other national health care experts, will lay bare the root causes of our health care system’s ills and show how the health care sector will become more efficient and pro-consumer when it is subjected to the competitive forces that apply to the rest of the economy. Prices will fall, quality will improve, and medicine will become more patient-friendly when consumers take control of their health care dollars and exert pressure from below.
To see how this transformation will work, please join us in person or online to learn about the potent “medicine” Overcharged prescribes.
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Many critics think social media poses a novel threat to liberal democracy. Seeking to divide Americans, agents of the Russian government bought ads on Facebook. Extreme speech also finds a home on the internet, fostering conflicts that appear to generate more heat than light. Governments and consumers worry about “fake news” designed to misinform readers for fun, profit, and power. And yet social media has made more information more widely available at less cost than any technology since the printing press. Less reliant on gatekeepers than traditional media, the new purveyors of news arguably better satisfy the diverse preferences of the American electorate. Following up on the Project on Political Reform at the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago, we will consider the troubles and triumphs of the social media platforms that promise to host American political debate for generations.
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Congress’s most solemn constitutional duty is to determine whether, where, and against whom the United States will engage in war. Yet for far too long, legislators have ceded that responsibility to the executive branch, allowing multiple administrations to use the 2001 Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) as a blank check to wage war whenever and wherever the president decides.As Congress determines how to respond to growing demands for a new AUMF, it should beware of proposals that would institutionalize mission creep by surrendering more authority to the executive branch. Instead, Congress should repeal—and not replace—the 2001 AUMF.
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With a doctorate from the University of Chicago’s Committee on Social Thought and decades of work in the world of international human rights institutions behind him, Aaron Rhodes has written a devastating account of that world’s intellectual confusions and moral corruption. In exquisite detail, and as none before it has, his new book explains how the 20th century’s push to treat economic and social “rights” as human rights has undermined the very idea of human or natural rights. That has led in turn to restrictions on the rights that alone have secured the liberty of countless millions around the world. Please join us for a discussion of the foundations, course, and prospects of the Enlightenment project that has given us the modern world of individual liberty.
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Congress is considering a major farm bill this year to extend the current multi-billion-dollar array of subsidies. The last farm bill—in 2014—created two new crop subsidy programs that have cost more than promised. Meanwhile, the crop insurance program has soared in cost and provides handouts to millionaire farm households. There is also concern that crop subsidies harm the environment and undermine America’s international trade relationships.In the wake of the bloated omnibus bill and rising deficits, will Republicans support more giveaways to well-off farmers? And will the Trump administration defend its proposed agricultural reforms and push back against subsidy advocates in Congress?
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Marijuana is big business in the 29 states that have legalized medical cannabis and in several more that have legalized recreational use. However, the federal prohibition on marijuana prevents banks from serving legitimate marijuana clients—resulting in billions of dollars of marijuana-related profits being handled almost exclusively in cash. A new Federalist Society short documentary, “Medical Marijuana and Money Laundering,” tells the story. Join us May 10 for a screening followed by a roundtable discussion. We will explain the laws that create this peculiar situation, explore the problems it causes, and hash out some potential solutions.
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America’s Founders placed freedom of speech at the head of the Bill of Rights, yet we still struggle to protect it. In fact, it was not until the 20th century that our courts began to develop a systematic jurisprudence against attacks on speech. In recent years, however, ill-defined “hate speech” has been a particular target—especially on the nation’s campuses, where one would expect speech to enjoy the greatest protection. In her closely argued new book, Nadine Strossen has given us a powerful and incisive defense of even the speech that most offends, carefully distinguishing what should and should not be protected. Her mission, she writes, is to refute the argument that the United States should follow the lead of many other nations and adopt a broad concept of illegal hate speech. In the process, she demonstrates not only that doing so would violate our fundamental principles, but also that it would do more harm than good. Please join us for point and counterpoint on one of the most pressing free speech issues of our day.
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In Iraq, U.S. soldiers often encounter ISIS fighters armed with American-made weapons. Intentionally sold to the corrupt, poorly-trained, ill-disciplined Iraqi military by previous U.S. administrations, many of these weapons have now fallen into the hands of terrorists. Far from an isolated incident, this example underscores the unintended—and often dangerous—consequences of international arms sales.
The Trump administration has embraced arms sales, and at such a fever pitch that it is difficult to determine which sales will come with serious consequences that risk American lives. To help policymakers evaluate the possible downstream effects of selling weapons to specific countries, Cato scholars Trevor Thrall and Caroline Dorminey have created a comprehensive risk assessment index.
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The school choice debate has largely focused on whether society should have any school choice at all. But not all choice programs are identical. And they certainly do not all produce the same outcomes for students. If school choice policies are to pass, what should they look like? Should we embrace public charter schools, private school choice options, or both? Should financing be through vouchers, tax credits, or education savings accounts? Should funding be public or private? Should the federal government be involved? What types of program regulations promote—or stifle—success? And what does the evidence say about these topics? Join a panel of experts as they tackle these critical policy questions.
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After three decades of constant gains, global respect for free speech has been in decline since 2004. In the recent past even Europe’s liberal democracies have contributed to the decline by adopting increasingly restrictive measures in the name of national security, the countering of hate speech, and, most recently, standing against “fake news.” Does Europe’s model of “militant democracy” offer promising lessons for embattled democracies or a dangerous abandonment of first principles? Should the United States follow the European lead or remain true to its exceptional protection for extreme and disturbing speech? Please join us for a candid and intriguing discussion of issues that have once again put freedom of speech on the agenda of developed nations.
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In his new book, Republic in Peril, David C. Hendrickson advances a critique of American policy since the end of the Cold War. America’s outsized military spending and global commitments, he argues, undermine rather than uphold international order. They raise rather than reduce the danger of war, imperiling both American security and domestic liberty. An alternative path lies in a new internationalism in tune with the United Nations Charter and the philosophy of republican liberty embraced by America’s Founders. Please join us for a lively discussion.
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Join us for a special private screening of the motion picture Little Pink House. The event includes a Q&A session with Susette Kelo, the real-life plaintiff in the infamous U.S. Supreme Court case Kelo v. New London, along with the film’s director and writer, Courtney Moorehead Balaker, and producer, Ted Balaker, and Institute for Justice President Scott Bullock, who argued Kelo’s case before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Little Pink House has been lauded by the Hollywood Reporter, Deadline Hollywood, and John Stossel, among others. It stars two-time Academy Award nominee Catherine Keener and Emmy nominee Jeanne Tripplehorn, and it features the original song “Home Free,” written and performed for the movie by rock legend David Crosby of Crosby, Stills & Nash.
The movie showcases the true story of Susette Kelo, a small-town paramedic who buys her first home — a cottage — and paints it pink. When politicians plan to bulldoze it for a corporation, she fights back, taking her case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Even after she lost in court, her struggle sparked a nationwide backlash against eminent domain abuse that today helps millions of Americans better protect what is rightfully theirs.
| 11:30AM – Noon | Registration and sandwiches | | Noon | Private film screening | | 1:40PM | Q&A with lunch and dessert to follow |
Duration of the film is 99 minutes. For more information on the film, visit www.LittlePinkHouseMovie.com.
This film screening will not be live streamed online.
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Free speech is under attack at colleges and universities today, with critics on and off campus challenging the value of open inquiry and freewheeling intellectual debate. Too often speakers are shouted down, professors are threatened, and classes are disrupted. Constitutional scholar Keith E. Whittington argues that universities must protect and encourage free speech because vigorous free speech is the lifeblood of the university. Without free speech, a university cannot fulfill its most basic, fundamental, and essential purposes, including to foster freedom of thought, ideological diversity, and tolerance.
Examining such hot-button issues as trigger warnings, safe spaces, hate speech, disruptive protests, speaker disinvitations, the use of social media by faculty, and academic politics, Speak Freely describes the dangers of empowering campus censors to limit speech and enforce orthodoxy. It explains why free speech and civil discourse are at the heart of the university’s mission of creating and nurturing an open and diverse community dedicated to learning. It shows why universities must make space for voices from both the left and right. And it points out how a better understanding of why the university lives or dies by free speech can help guide everyone—including students, faculty, administrators, and alumni—faced with difficult challenges such as unpopular, hateful, or dangerous speech.
Timely and vitally important, Speak Freely demonstrates why universities can succeed only by fostering more free speech, more free thought—and a greater tolerance for both.
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In his new book, Directorate S, author Steve Coll explains how Pakistan’s premier intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), is partly responsible for the United States’ struggles in neighboring Afghanistan. Coll, a Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist, sheds light on Pakistan’s policy of aiding, supplying, and legitimizing the Taliban, a policy President Trump has openly criticized. With an investigator’s precision, Coll also walks readers through the mistakes and misjudgments that have resulted in approximately 140,000 Afghan deaths, along with American casualties in the thousands, and war costs as high as $2 trillion. At the center of the discussion will be the tumultuous U.S.–Pakistan relationship, which continues to define the U.S. war in Afghanistan. Please join us for a lively discussion.
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Congress has not overhauled America’s legal immigration system in nearly three decades. While legal immigrants overwhelmingly benefit the United States, the system is unfair to those who go through it, and its arbitrary and outdated rules undermine the economic and social benefits that legal immigrants contribute to America. With Congress now in the midst of a wide-ranging debate over which reforms to adopt, innovative approaches will be critical to pushing reform across the finish line. Join us as our speakers draw on the best aspects of immigration systems around the world to present new ideas to improve America’s system for the 21st century and beyond.
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What principles inform the U.S. Constitution? How have they been systematically subverted? And — what can Americans do to restore the integral order of the American constitutional order?From Cato University 2018: College of Law
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The Constitution was designed to protect a variety of economic liberties, including the right to earn an honest living, but the Supreme Court has subverted that constitutional design by refusing to enforce those provisions consistent with the text, history, and purpose of the Constitution.From Cato University 2018: College of Law
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Law isn’t just for lawyers, but concerns and impacts everyone. A look at how simple rules that respect and protect the liberty of individuals are the foundation of complex social orders.From Cato University 2018: College of Law
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Popular legend has it that before the Federal Radio Commission was established in 1927, the radio spectrum was in chaos, with broadcasting stations blasting powerful signals to drown out rivals. Tom Hazlett, a distinguished scholar in law and economics and former chief economist at the FCC (the commission’s successor), debunks that idea. Instead, regulators blocked competition at the behest of incumbent interests and, for nearly a century, have suppressed innovation while quashing out-of-the-mainstream viewpoints. Hazlett details how spectrum officials produced a “vast wasteland” that they publicly criticized but privately protected. The story twists and turns, as farsighted visionaries — and the march of science — rose to challenge the old regime. Over decades, reforms to liberate the radio spectrum have generated explosive progress, ushering in the “smartphone revolution,” ubiquitous social media, and the amazing wireless world that is now emerging. Still, Hazlett argues, and current FCC controversies confirm, the battle is not even half won.
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Over the past 25 years, more than 2,000 individuals have been exonerated in the United States after being wrongfully convicted of crimes they did not commit. There is good reason to believe that tens or even hundreds of thousands more languish in American prisons today.
How this can happen unfolds in the riveting new book from Radley Balko and Tucker Carrington. The Cadaver King and the Country Dentist recounts the story of two Mississippi doctors—Dr. Steven Hayne, a medical examiner, and Dr. Michael West, a dentist—who built successful careers as the go-to experts for prosecutors and whose actions led many innocent defendants to land in prison. Some of the convictions then began to fall apart, including those of two innocent men who spent a combined 30 years in prison before being exonerated in 2008.
Balko and Carrington reveal how Mississippi officials propelled West and Hayne to the top of the state’s criminal justice apparatus and then, through institutional failures and structural racism, empowered these two “experts” to produce countless flawed convictions on bad evidence and bogus science. Please join us for a conversation about the book and the broader lessons we can learn about criminal justice in our country.
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The President has linked tariffs on aluminum and steel to the North American Free Trade Agreement negotiations, although he has exempted Canada and Mexico for now. Negotiations on a new NAFTA had been looking positive, but linking the trade deal to tariffs could undermine that progress. What is the future of continental free trade? And how should a renegotiated NAFTA be different?
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Representative Smith and Christopher Preble will discuss the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process, including their findings from a new article they are copublishing in Strategic Studies Quarterly about BRAC, its impact on defense communities, and the future.For a number of years, the U.S. military — with support of presidents from both parties — has sought congressional authorization to rid itself of excess infrastructure. Unfortunately, Congress continues to stand in the way, often citing concerns about the effect of closures on local communities.In failing to authorize a BRAC round, however, Congress is doing more harm than good. Local communities are deprived of the support and clarity BRAC would provide, and they are denied access to property that could be put to productive use. Our military is forced to allocate resources away from training and equipping our soldiers in order to maintain unnecessary and unwanted infrastructure. Meanwhile, tens of billions of taxpayers’ dollars continue to be wasted.Debate over the BRAC process needs to be better informed by context and a real-world understanding of downstream effects, particularly the less-appreciated way that closing excess facilities positively affects communities. This conversation aims to do just that.
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Each year since the early 1900s, the world has recognized March 8th as International Women’s Day, an opportunity to celebrate women’s social, economic, cultural, and political achievements while calling for global gender equality.
What is the state of global gender equality? How free are women around the world today? What role has government historically played in women’s oppression and liberation? How have market-driven innovations and the unprecedented economic growth of the last decades changed women’s lives? Are policies designed to promote gender equality working? What changes still need to happen?
This International Women’s Day, please join the Cato Institute for an interactive, online-only Facebook Live discussion of women’s liberty around the world and tweet your questions using #CatoDigital.
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Is the world really falling apart? Is the ideal of progress obsolete? In this elegant assessment of the human condition in the third millennium, cognitive scientist and public intellectual Steven Pinker urges us to step back from the gory headlines and prophecies of doom, which play to our psychological biases. Instead, follow the data: In seventy-five jaw-dropping graphs, Pinker shows that life, health, prosperity, safety, peace, knowledge, and happiness are on the rise, not just in the West, but worldwide. This progress is not the result of some cosmic force. It is a gift of the Enlightenment: the conviction that reason and science can enhance human flourishing.Far from being a naïve hope, the Enlightenment, we now know, has worked. But more than ever, it needs a vigorous defense. The Enlightenment project swims against currents of human nature — tribalism, authoritarianism, demonization, magical thinking — which demagogues are all too willing to exploit. Many commentators, committed to political, religious, or romantic ideologies, fight a rearguard action against it. The result is a corrosive fatalism and a willingness to wreck the precious institutions of liberal democracy and global cooperation.With intellectual depth and literary flair, Enlightenment Now makes the case for reason, science, and humanism: the ideals we need to confront our problems and continue our progress.
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On February 28, the Supreme Court will hear oral argument in Minnesota Voters Alliance v. Mansky, an important First Amendment case that could clarify voters' speech rights nationwide. Lead plaintiff Andy Cilek (executive director of the Minnesota Voters Alliance) voted in the 2010 election in a Tea Party T-shirt that said "Don't tread on me." Because Minnesota prohibits badges, buttons, or other insignia that promote a group with "recognizable political views," at polling places an election official delayed Cilek from voting and took down his name and address for potential prosecution. Cilek sued to have the law struck down. Throughout litigation, the government has embraced the sheer breadth of Minnesota's ban on political apparel. In addition to prohibiting Tea Party apparel, the ban extends to apparel featuring the logo of the Chamber of Commerce, AFL-CIO, NRA, NAACP, and countless other organizations that might be associated with a political viewpoint. Cilek asks the Supreme Court to invalidate the law as an overbroad restriction on expression. Cato filed a brief in this case, arguing that the Court should look with skepticism at a law, like Minnesota's, that targets core political speech. Please join us for a discussion of one of the most important First Amendment cases of the year a few days before argument.
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The infamous “Nunes memo” has landed. Produced by Congressional staff and declassified by the President, the document alleged surveillance warrants on Trump campaign officials from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) were obtained without providing the court with important information.Intelligence experts have generally been skeptical of the memo’s conclusions, but the fight over this document may do long-term damage to attempts to provide important oversight for the secretive FISC.
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On February 26, the Supreme Court will hear oral argument in Janus v. American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), a case that has the potential to overturn a 40-year-old precedent (Abood v. Detroit Board of Education) that allows public-sector unions to charge nonmembers “agency fees.” Currently, half the states have laws that enable such fees. Mark Janus—an Illinois state employee but not a union member—objects generally to being required to pay AFSCME, as well as to these funds being used to support the union’s ongoing legal fight against the governor’s policy reforms. Janus sued the union for violating his First Amendment rights by compelling these payments. In addition to their responses to that constitutional claim, AFSCME and Illinois have argued throughout the litigation that stare decisis—the prudential doctrine regarding judicial respect for settled precedent—demands that Abood be maintained. Cato filed a brief discussing the historical underpinnings of stare decisis and contending that a proper understanding of stare decisis actually demands that Abood be overturned. Please join us for a discussion of a case pitting workers’ rights against union rights and state powers—one that may accomplish the rare feat of reversing Supreme Court precedent.
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How can advanced democracies modernize their economies and reform their welfare states? Drawing on the successful experiences of Sweden and Australia, Nils Karlson will explain the ways in which competing political parties can promote more dynamic economies and more flexible and open societies. He will discuss how distinct reform strategies, the development of new ideas, and policy entrepreneurship can overcome barriers to reform. John Samples will discuss the book's relevance to the rise of populism, overregulation, chronic budget deficits, and other features of many modern welfare states.
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In 1994, responding to a terrible murder, Congress passed a law requiring all 50 states to set up sex offender registries. Now many states closely control where and with whom persons on the registries may live, while public maps showing offenders’ places of residence lead to social shunning and occasional harassment. They also scare parents from letting their children play outside.
But does the registry make kids any safer? Lenore Skenazy, the New York newspaper columnist famous for letting her 9-year-old son ride the subway alone and founding the “anti-helicopter parenting” movement, has found that offender maps have helped shape public perceptions of a society rife with child-snatching. That led her to other questions: Who gets on the list? Could you, or someone you love, wind up on the list? How about getting off it?
Lenore Skenazy has spoken around the world on the costs of irrational fears of risk to young people and is the president of the new nonprofit dedicated to overthrowing overprotection, Let Grow. Commenting on her remarks will be Vox senior reporter Dara Lind, who has written on how the registry system fits into the wider scheme of criminal justice sanctions and how it may affect recidivism.
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Born into slavery in 1818, Frederick Douglass rose to become one of the nation’s foremost intellectuals—a statesman, author, lecturer, and scholar who helped lead the fight against slavery and racial oppression. But unlike some other prominent abolitionists, Douglass embraced the U.S. Constitution, insisting that it was essentially an anti-slavery document and that its guarantees for individual rights belonged to all Americans, of all races. Further, in his most popular lecture, “Self-Made Men,” Douglass spoke of people who rise through their own efforts and devotion rather than through circumstances of privilege. As the nation pauses to remember him on his bicentennial, Frederick Douglass: Self-Made Man takes a fresh look at his remarkable life and ideas and the enduring principles of equality and liberty. Weaving together history, politics, and philosophy, this new biography illuminates Douglass’s immense scholarship with his personal experiences. Please join us as we discuss how Douglass’s legacy continues to inspire today.
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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration exists to certify the safety and efficacy of medical technologies. Yet all too often, the FDA polices not drugs and medical devices, but speech. The agency prohibits many people from sharing truthful and non-misleading information about lawful uses of FDA-approved products. When the FDA restricts what people can say about drugs and medical devices, it violates the free-speech rights of patients and guarantees they will not learn about new treatments. Does protecting patients require the government to restrict speech? Even if the answer is yes, does the First Amendment even allow such a gag rule? Please join us as we explore these questions.
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It has long been believed that the education system must assimilate new and different groups into American society. Public school assimilation efforts, however, have often been wrenching for students and families, seemingly based on an assumption that some groups will refuse to assimilate or will even rebel against prevailing norms. This worry has animated opposition to school choice and may be particularly acute when it comes to Muslims, especially since 9/11. But are fears that Islamic schools may be failing to Americanize—or worse, are teaching things antithetical to American values—borne out in reality? This new book, incorporating national survey data on Islamic schools, in-depth interviews with Islamic school leaders, and more, begins to answer that question.
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Education is important, and the more of it you and everyone else get, the better. More years in school, more college degrees, means a better economy, country, and world for everyone. Right? Wrong, argues Bryan Caplan in a brand new book that challenges almost all the understandable, powerful—but perhaps ultimately damaging—assumptions people make about education. We hope you’ll join us for a lively debate about this assault on education orthodoxy, and the premiere of this new book.
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A year into President Trump’s term, what can we say about the Trump Doctrine? As a candidate, Trump promised dramatic changes for American foreign policy. As president, many would agree he has delivered on that promise. In just one year, Trump withdrew from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal and the Paris climate treaty, launched cruise missiles at Syria for using chemical weapons, increased American arms sales abroad, refused to certify Iran’s compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, increased the number of American forces operating in the Middle East and Afghanistan, and rattled sabers on the Korean peninsula. How do these changes square with Trump’s call for an “America First” foreign policy? How does Trump’s operating style differ from that of previous presidents? Is America safer today than it was a year ago?From the Cato Conference: The Trump Doctrine at One Year
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A year into President Trump’s term, what can we say about the Trump Doctrine? As a candidate, Trump promised dramatic changes for American foreign policy. As president, many would agree he has delivered on that promise. In just one year, Trump withdrew from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal and the Paris climate treaty, launched cruise missiles at Syria for using chemical weapons, increased American arms sales abroad, refused to certify Iran’s compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, increased the number of American forces operating in the Middle East and Afghanistan, and rattled sabers on the Korean peninsula. How do these changes square with Trump’s call for an “America First” foreign policy? How does Trump’s operating style differ from that of previous presidents? Is America safer today than it was a year ago?From the Cato Conference: The Trump Doctrine at One Year
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Like the country’s overall education discussion, the national school choice debate is far too often reduced to “which schools get better test scores” and maybe even “who gets kids to graduation.” But there is so much more to education than blunt academic outcome measures, including shaping character, transmitting culture, and just plain advancing freedom.In this special, National School Choice Week Facebook Live event, join the Cato Center for Educational Freedom crew to tackle these far deeper, arguably far more important goals and desires for education.
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Trade, tariffs, and America’s role in the global economy have taken center stage in the public policy debate during the first year of Donald Trump’s tumultuous presidency. That’s not surprising to economic historian and Dartmouth economics professor Douglas A. Irwin, whose latest treatise on the subject documents in exquisite detail how “the Tariff” has sparked passionate political, economic, and constitutional debate and has been a source of bitter political conflict from the Founding of the Republic to the present.
Between 1787 and the Civil War, the main purpose of the tariff was to raise revenues for the operations of a modest federal government, which had few other sources of revenue. Although arguments for using the tariff to protect domestic industry prevailed on occasion during this era, it wasn’t until after the Civil War that bald protectionism became the tariff’s primary motive. In the early 1930s, as the disastrous effects of the Tariff Act of 1930 (i.e., “Smoot-Hawley” or “the Hawley-Smoot Tariff,” as Irwin calls it) were rippling across the globe, the tariff was repurposed, again, for the nobler objective of inducing governments to agree to reciprocal reductions in their border protectionism. According to Irwin’s thesis, from the 1934 Reciprocal Trade Agreements Act to the founding of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade in 1947, through the multiple GATT rounds culminating in the founding of the World Trade Organization in 1995, and through the Obama presidency, reciprocal trade liberalization was the main purpose of the tariff. Will Congress acquiesce in a new purpose for the tariff or will it assert its authority against a new president who considers protectionism a tool to make America great again?
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For just one week every year, roughly 70,000 people from around the world come together in the Nevada desert to create Black Rock City, home to Burning Man, billed by its organizers as an “annual experiment in temporary community dedicated to radical self-expression and radical self-reliance.”
Because cash exchanges and the barter system are largely banned in Black Rock City (Burning Man instead relies on something called the “gift economy”), Burning Man is often seen as an attack on conventional libertarian principles.
However, as a voluntary community driven by freedom of association, self-governance, nonviolent dispute mediation, and emergent order, Burning Man is in many ways a quintessential example of the libertopian ideal.
On Wednesday, January 24th, please join the Cato Institute for a robust conversation about what libertarians can learn from Burning Man — and how these lessons can be applied to policy and philosophy.
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Public corruption is the silent killer of our economy. We’ve spawned the thickest network of patronage and influence ever seen in any country, a crony capitalism in which business partners with government and transfers wealth from the poor to the rich. This is a betrayal of the Framers’ vision for America, and of the Constitution they saw as an anti corruption covenant. This state of affairs repels many Americans, a response that explains the otherwise improbable rises of Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders. But what can be done to counter corruption? Congress has passed two major campaign finance laws in recent decades and established a government office of ethics. Both have serious flaws and hardly seem equal to the task. Are there other possibilities? Join us for an insightful examination of American government today and its prospects for the future.
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The second session of the 115th Congress is underway, and congressional leaders have to address a number of wide-ranging and contentious issues before the midterm campaign and election season begins.Among those, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program expires early in March, and whatever happens in the short term will still leave reform opportunities for policies that satisfy both the security and labor needs of the country and that ensure the just and equitable treatment of noncitizen residents. Also, by the end of September, America’s agricultural agenda will need to be codified as components of the “farm bill” are again up for reauthorization. An opportunity here involves the United States Department of Agriculture’s sugar program, which contributes to problematic effects for American consumers as well as having knotty international trade implications. Furthermore, from the White House come promises both to tackle “welfare reform”—the contours of which have not been outlined by the president or GOP agenda setters—and to pass a new infrastructure program, thus fulfilling a significant campaign promise. Divisions exist on each of these topics between the parties, within the parties, and between Congress and the Executive branch.Join us as our panel of experts explores these issues and outlines common-sense solutions to how these problems can be adjudicated while preserving principles of liberty, fiscal responsibility, and the economic well-being of the nation.
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Since Colorado became the first state to allow for the sale of recreational marijuana, United States drug policy has been on shaky and unpredictable ground. Just this month U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has thrown out Obama-era guidance to protect businesses and individuals in states that have legalized cannabis for medical and recreational purposes. Now that federal prosecutors have additional discretion, what's next for the feds' reinvigorated war on pot?
Join us for a live discussion about federalism and drug laws. Send your questions via Twitter with "#CatoConnects."
This is an online only event.
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Governments across the globe have begun evolving from lumbering bureaucracies into smaller, more agile special jurisdictions. Private providers increasingly deliver services that political authorities formerly monopolized, inspiring greater competition and efficiency. In Your Next Government?: From the Nation State to Stateless Nations, Tom W. Bell, professor at Chapman University’s Dale E. Fowler School of Law, shows how these trends suggest that new networks of special jurisdictions will soon surpass nation-states in the same way that networked computers replaced mainframes. This quiet revolution is transforming governments from the bottom up, inside out, worldwide, with the potential to bring more freedom, peace, and prosperity to people everywhere.
Join us for a conversation with author Professor Bell, hosted by Aaron Powell and Trevor Burrus of Libertarianism.org’s Free Thoughts podcast.
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Robin Hanson and Kevin Simler have written a book about the hidden motives in all of us: quite often, our brains get up to activities that we know little or nothing about. This isn’t just a question of regulating hormone levels or involuntary reflexes. Many of these involuntary behaviors are social signals, such as laughter or tears. Involuntary motives appear to underlie many forms of human sociability, including family formation, art, religion, and recreation. What are the implications for public policy? How can we understand politics and governance better in light of our hidden motives? Our discussion of The Elephant in the Brain: Hidden Motives in Everyday Life will focus on just these questions.
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With the Federal Reserve likely to raise interest rates at this week’s FOMC meeting, another step will have been taken in the Fed’s “Normalization” plan. The Fed will, however, enter 2018 facing many more issues: the continued unwinding of response measures taken during the Financial Crisis and the high levels of turnover in the Federal Reserve system. Federal Reserve Chair nominee Jerome Powell awaits a confirmation vote and searches continue for other key positions. Join us for a wide-ranging conversation on the role of the Fed and send your questions via Twitter using the hashtag #CatoConnects and via Facebook Live.
This is an online only event.
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From front-page news stories featuring transcripts of wiretapped campaign officials to dramatic cyberattacks using hacking tools stolen from the National Security Agency, intelligence and surveillance issues have saturated the news in 2017. Yet there were also plenty of important surveillance stories that didn't get the exposure they deserved: the ongoing debate over reauthorizing the NSA's controversial section 702 spying authority, set to expire at year's end; the Supreme Court's pending consideration of Carpenter v. United States, which could radically alter the contours of Fourth Amendment law; law enforcement's growing reliance on sophisticated data mining to attempt to identify criminals or terrorists before they act. The Cato Institute's annual surveillance conference will gather prominent experts, policymakers, technologists, and civil society advocates to explore these issues and more—and debate how much monitoring we should accept in a society that aspires to be both safe and free.
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From front-page news stories featuring transcripts of wiretapped campaign officials to dramatic cyberattacks using hacking tools stolen from the National Security Agency, intelligence and surveillance issues have saturated the news in 2017. Yet there were also plenty of important surveillance stories that didn't get the exposure they deserved: the ongoing debate over reauthorizing the NSA's controversial section 702 spying authority, set to expire at year's end; the Supreme Court's pending consideration of Carpenter v. United States, which could radically alter the contours of Fourth Amendment law; law enforcement's growing reliance on sophisticated data mining to attempt to identify criminals or terrorists before they act. The Cato Institute's annual surveillance conference will gather prominent experts, policymakers, technologists, and civil society advocates to explore these issues and more—and debate how much monitoring we should accept in a society that aspires to be both safe and free.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
From front-page news stories featuring transcripts of wiretapped campaign officials to dramatic cyberattacks using hacking tools stolen from the National Security Agency, intelligence and surveillance issues have saturated the news in 2017. Yet there were also plenty of important surveillance stories that didn't get the exposure they deserved: the ongoing debate over reauthorizing the NSA's controversial section 702 spying authority, set to expire at year's end; the Supreme Court's pending consideration of Carpenter v. United States, which could radically alter the contours of Fourth Amendment law; law enforcement's growing reliance on sophisticated data mining to attempt to identify criminals or terrorists before they act. The Cato Institute's annual surveillance conference will gather prominent experts, policymakers, technologists, and civil society advocates to explore these issues and more — and debate how much monitoring we should accept in a society that aspires to be both safe and free.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
From front-page news stories featuring transcripts of wiretapped campaign officials to dramatic cyberattacks using hacking tools stolen from the National Security Agency, intelligence and surveillance issues have saturated the news in 2017. Yet there were also plenty of important surveillance stories that didn't get the exposure they deserved: the ongoing debate over reauthorizing the NSA's controversial section 702 spying authority, set to expire at year's end; the Supreme Court's pending consideration of Carpenter v. United States, which could radically alter the contours of Fourth Amendment law; law enforcement's growing reliance on sophisticated data mining to attempt to identify criminals or terrorists before they act. The Cato Institute's annual surveillance conference will gather prominent experts, policymakers, technologists, and civil society advocates to explore these issues and more—and debate how much monitoring we should accept in a society that aspires to be both safe and free.
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How is the Pentagon faring under the Trump administration? More than many administrations, the Trump administration seems determined to rely on the Department of Defense as the primary tool of U.S. foreign policy. With the President’s open acclaim for his ‘generals,’ the Pentagon looms large in today’s U.S. foreign policy.Yet the new administration’s policies also create questions about the future of U.S. defense policy, from increased deployments in the Middle East to ongoing debate over the defense budget.Join us for a live taping of our new foreign policy podcast, Power Problems, where Cato’s own Trevor Thrall and Emma Ashford offer a skeptical take on U.S. foreign policy and discuss some of today’s big questions with guests from across the political spectrum. In this episode, they sit down with Aaron Mehta, Senior Pentagon correspondent at Defense News to discuss a variety of defense-related issues.
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From front-page news stories featuring transcripts of wiretapped campaign officials to dramatic cyberattacks using hacking tools stolen from the National Security Agency, intelligence and surveillance issues have saturated the news in 2017. Yet there were also plenty of important surveillance stories that didn't get the exposure they deserved: the ongoing debate over reauthorizing the NSA's controversial section 702 spying authority, set to expire at year's end; the Supreme Court's pending consideration of Carpenter v. United States, which could radically alter the contours of Fourth Amendment law; law enforcement's growing reliance on sophisticated data mining to attempt to identify criminals or terrorists before they act. The Cato Institute's annual surveillance conference will gather prominent experts, policymakers, technologists, and civil society advocates to explore these issues and more—and debate how much monitoring we should accept in a society that aspires to be both safe and free.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
From front-page news stories featuring transcripts of wiretapped campaign officials to dramatic cyberattacks using hacking tools stolen from the National Security Agency, intelligence and surveillance issues have saturated the news in 2017. Yet there were also plenty of important surveillance stories that didn't get the exposure they deserved: the ongoing debate over reauthorizing the NSA's controversial section 702 spying authority, set to expire at year's end; the Supreme Court's pending consideration of Carpenter v. United States, which could radically alter the contours of Fourth Amendment law; law enforcement's growing reliance on sophisticated data mining to attempt to identify criminals or terrorists before they act. The Cato Institute's annual surveillance conference will gather prominent experts, policymakers, technologists, and civil society advocates to explore these issues and more—and debate how much monitoring we should accept in a society that aspires to be both safe and free.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
From front-page news stories featuring transcripts of wiretapped campaign officials to dramatic cyberattacks using hacking tools stolen from the National Security Agency, intelligence and surveillance issues have saturated the news in 2017. Yet there were also plenty of important surveillance stories that didn't get the exposure they deserved: the ongoing debate over reauthorizing the NSA's controversial section 702 spying authority, set to expire at year's end; the Supreme Court's pending consideration of Carpenter v. United States, which could radically alter the contours of Fourth Amendment law; law enforcement's growing reliance on sophisticated data mining to attempt to identify criminals or terrorists before they act. The Cato Institute's annual surveillance conference will gather prominent experts, policymakers, technologists, and civil society advocates to explore these issues and more — and debate how much monitoring we should accept in a society that aspires to be both safe and free.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Some members of Congress are committed to holding the line on spending, but they face opposition from others more focused on busting spending caps and securing funds for pork programs. Yet federal deficits are soaring, and inefficient spending impedes economic growth by crowding out better state, local, and private alternatives.Sen. James Lankford (R-OK), on the discretionary side, has created a new and updated list of wasteful spending programs in his latest report, Federal Fumbles: 100 Ways the Government Dropped the Ball, vol. 3. Join the senator and leading budget experts to discuss the report and ways that fiscal hawks can cut unneeded spending today and set up responsible spending reforms for the future. Fortunately, around the world practical and successful systems are in place that U.S. lawmakers could, and should, consider emulating.
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On December 5, 1933, the Twenty-First Amendment to the Constitution was ratified, supposedly ending our nation’s failed experiment with alcohol prohibition.
Prohibition brought with it violence, organized crime, unsafe alcohol practices, and denial of basic civil liberties — and it almost killed the cocktail.
Yet, 84 years later, we continue to feel the lingering effects of prohibition, both in policy and in culture — from blue laws, dry counties, and state-run liquor stores to the selection of alcoholic beverages available and the culture surrounding them.
On Wednesday, December 6, please join the Cato Institute for a celebration of the 84th anniversary of the repeal of alcohol prohibition and a discussion of the way in which Prohibition still impacts us today. Then, continue the conversation at a reception featuring beer, wine, and specialty Prohibition-era cocktails.
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Nearly four years have passed since Ukraine’s Revolution of Dignity brought down the corrupt government of Viktor Yanukovych. The revolution inspired widespread support and generated hope for a better future; yet Ukrainians’ expectations are far from being met. The economy has shrunk by 16 percent; the authorities have devalued the currency and defaulted on debt; living standards have plummeted; and growth remains weak. Levels of corruption and of political and civil liberties have hardly changed. The government’s unwillingness to reform has frustrated Ukrainians and foreign allies alike. Join us to hear a panel of experts explain Ukraine’s trajectory, make policy recommendations, and discuss prospects for change.
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Amid much controversy, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos recently began dismantling the federal guidance on campus sexual assault put in place by the Obama administration. DeVos said her predecessors had created a “failed system” that served neither accuser nor accused. Ending campus sexual assault was a signature issue of the Obama administration, which waged a concerted five-year effort to end what it said was an epidemic of sexual violence on college campuses. Emily Yoffe, contributing editor at the Atlantic, recently wrote a three-part series that examined federal and school policies on campus sexual assault and documented the systematic denial of due process for the accused, the junk trauma science used in adjudications, and the disproportionate number of African American students who are punished. In conversation with the Washington Post’s Ruth Marcus, Yoffe will discuss how this issue came to grip the nation, what the proposed Trump administration changes mean, and the strange new politics of campus sexual assault.
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One of the “wedding vendor” cases has finally arrived at the Supreme Court. Jack Phillips, owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop in suburban Denver, declined to make a wedding cake for a gay couple because of his religious objections to same-sex marriage. The Colorado Civil Rights Commission sued him under the state’s anti-discrimination law, eventually prevailing in state court. Phillips continues to assert his freedom of speech (more precisely, to be free from compelled speech) and freedom of religion, and the case raises other potential issues: Is there a difference between declining to serve a class of people versus a particular event? Does the level of customization of a product matter? Is artisanal baking even protected by the First Amendment? Shouldn’t all this boil down to the freedom of association — including the freedom not to associate — or maybe it’s no different than Jim Crow–era denials of service? Please join us for a spirited conversation between lawyers who filed briefs on opposite sides of Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission on the eve of Supreme Court oral argument.
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Republicans in Congress are working on legislation for major tax reform. Their plan would cut the corporate tax rate and simplify individual income taxes by trimming deductions and reducing rates. Republicans and many economists argue that such reforms would boost the economy and substantially raise wages. Other economists have doubts about the proposed changes, given our large budget deficit and the apparently healthy economy.
What will be the impact of tax reform on output, investment, and wages? Which corporate and individual reforms are most likely to spur growth? Kevin Hassett will address these questions in an interview, and the panel will comment on the economics of tax reform and the current legislation moving through Congress.
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President Trump used his recent trip to Asia to once again insist on “free, fair, and reciprocal” trade as part of a strategy to reduce bilateral trade deficits. The president also reiterated that multilateral free trade agreements are not an option for his administration, and that in order to maximize U.S. leverage, only bilateral agreements will be considered.Meanwhile, with finalization of the Trans-Pacific Partnership in sight, an announcement by the 11 remaining member countries provided a noted contrast with Trump’s rhetoric and underscored the point that the region is moving ahead on trade with or without the United States. Further, and without U.S. participation, China is leading efforts to spur new multiparty trade agreements in the Pacific region through the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, and in Eurasia, the Indian subcontinent, and Africa by way of the One Belt, One Road infrastructure initiative.What does it mean for regional trade liberalization as these two differing strategies play out? What should U.S. lawmakers understand about the situation, and how can we best ensure that the enhanced prosperity that often accompanies free trade continues into the future? Join our experts as they assess the implications of these developments and explore the overall state of trade in Asia.
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Throughout much of the Western world, free speech is under assault. From the Muhammad cartoon controversy in Denmark to student protests against speakers with unorthodox views on U.S. campuses, journalists, academics, and public figures must moderate their views or find themselves being prevented from speaking out. Yet freedom of speech is central to the emergence and continued survival of a liberal society. How did we come to this? According to our speakers, the spread of Marxist ideas, facilitated by the communist regimes during the Cold War and by postmodern scholarship, deserve at least part of the blame. Please join us for a discussion of some of the lasting effects of Marxism on the world today.
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After more than nine years of unconventional monetary policy, it’s time to question the Fed’s strategy and offer new ideas for the future of monetary policy. At Cato’s 35th Annual Monetary Conference, leading scholars, policymakers, and journalists will examine the case for a rules-based international monetary system, consider steps to normalize monetary policy, debate the future of currency, and explore China’s future in the global monetary system.
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After more than nine years of unconventional monetary policy, it’s time to question the Fed’s strategy and offer new ideas for the future of monetary policy. At Cato’s 35th Annual Monetary Conference, leading scholars, policymakers, and journalists will examine the case for a rules-based international monetary system, consider steps to normalize monetary policy, debate the future of currency, and explore China’s future in the global monetary system.
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After more than nine years of unconventional monetary policy, it’s time to question the Fed’s strategy and offer new ideas for the future of monetary policy. At Cato’s 35th Annual Monetary Conference, leading scholars, policymakers, and journalists will examine the case for a rules-based international monetary system, consider steps to normalize monetary policy, debate the future of currency, and explore China’s future in the global monetary system.
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After more than nine years of unconventional monetary policy, it’s time to question the Fed’s strategy and offer new ideas for the future of monetary policy. At Cato’s 35th Annual Monetary Conference, leading scholars, policymakers, and journalists will examine the case for a rules-based international monetary system, consider steps to normalize monetary policy, debate the future of currency, and explore China’s future in the global monetary system.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
After more than nine years of unconventional monetary policy, it’s time to question the Fed’s strategy and offer new ideas for the future of monetary policy. At Cato’s 35th Annual Monetary Conference, leading scholars, policymakers, and journalists will examine the case for a rules-based international monetary system, consider steps to normalize monetary policy, debate the future of currency, and explore China’s future in the global monetary system.
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Populism has become the main threat to liberty and liberal democracy around the world. Its appeal to nationalism and xenophobia afflicts rich and poor countries alike, and it builds its false promises on policies that ultimately aggravate social and economic problems. Mario Vargas Llosa will present a new book on populism (El estallido del populismo) and address its main themes, especially as they relate to Europe and the Americas. A discussion with Alvaro Vargas Llosa, editor of the book, and Gabriela Calderón de Burgos, contributor, will follow.
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After more than nine years of unconventional monetary policy, it’s time to question the Fed’s strategy and offer new ideas for the future of monetary policy. At Cato’s 35th Annual Monetary Conference, leading scholars, policymakers, and journalists will examine the case for a rules-based international monetary system, consider steps to normalize monetary policy, debate the future of currency, and explore China’s future in the global monetary system.
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One of the most promising areas of medical innovation is the expansion of telemedicine, where medical professionals treat patients across great distances using electronic communications. A significant barrier to the widespread use of telemedicine is the requirement that physicians obtain licenses from each state in which their current or potential patients are, or may be, located.
To overcome this and to liberate this exciting development in health-care delivery, there are principally four reforms lawmakers could adopt: the first is to eliminate government licensing of medical professionals altogether. The second is to redefine the location of the interaction between patient and physician from that of the patient to that of the physician. A third option is for individual states to open their markets to physicians licensed in other states, or to join other states in reciprocal agreements to honor each other’s licenses. Finally, the federal government could offer national telemedicine licenses.
Join our panel of experts who will discuss the options; weigh their comparative strengths and weaknesses; and moreover, underscore the promise of telemedicine to health care, the economy, and beyond.
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Are governments institutionally incapable of giving accurate nutrition advice? Dr. Terence Kealey, author of Breakfast is a Dangerous Meal and The Economic Laws of Scientific Research will discuss his upcoming policy analysis examining the history of US nutritional guidelines. Do these guidelines make us healthier? What can dietary science tell us about how all science works?
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Is America's criminal justice system broken? If so, what are the best methods for reforming it?Though we have the highest incarceration rate of any major country, it is far from clear that Americans are the world's most criminal people. Instead, it may well be that we have done something with our criminal justice system that Americans have always excelled at, which is to take a complex process—in this case transforming people from presumptively innocent citizens to convicts—and made it very cheap and very efficient. But have we done so at the expense of our stated constitutional commitments?An array of policies and practices, from civil forfeiture, to coercive plea bargaining, to near-zero accountability for law enforcement, suggest that the answer may well be yes. In recent years, support for reform was building across the political and ideological spectrum, which included President Obama. But the first months of the Trump administration have confirmed that criminal justice will remain a contentious issue. Does an appetite for reform still exist in the current environment?Clark Neily, vice president for criminal justice, joined Cato in June to lead the Institute's efforts in this area. He will join us to examine these issues and describe his strategy for driving positive change in the criminal justice system. Your questions and thoughts will drive the conversation, and Clark looks forward to a thought-provoking discussion.
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What are the implications of North Korea’s recent gains in nuclear and missile capabilities for the future of U.S. strategy toward North Korea? What is the state of North Korea’s nuclear weapons and ballistic missile technologies? What are the prospects of diplomatic negotiations with Pyongyang? Should the United States pursue a different strategy toward North Korea in light of Pyongyang’s improving nuclear capabilities, perhaps including revising its alliance with South Korea? The Cato Institute will host two panels and a keynote address by former governor Bill Richardson to examine these critical questions.
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What are the implications of North Korea’s recent gains in nuclear and missile capabilities for the future of U.S. strategy toward North Korea? What is the state of North Korea’s nuclear weapons and ballistic missile technologies? What are the prospects of diplomatic negotiations with Pyongyang? Should the United States pursue a different strategy toward North Korea in light of Pyongyang’s improving nuclear capabilities, perhaps including revising its alliance with South Korea? The Cato Institute will host two panels and a keynote address by former governor Bill Richardson to examine these critical questions.
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What are the implications of North Korea’s recent gains in nuclear and missile capabilities for the future of U.S. strategy toward North Korea? What is the state of North Korea’s nuclear weapons and ballistic missile technologies? What are the prospects of diplomatic negotiations with Pyongyang? Should the United States pursue a different strategy toward North Korea in light of Pyongyang’s improving nuclear capabilities, perhaps including revising its alliance with South Korea? The Cato Institute will host two panels and a keynote address by former governor Bill Richardson to examine these critical questions.
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The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is currently being renegotiated by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. On the campaign trail, President Donald Trump promised to get a better deal, or walk away entirely from NAFTA if necessary. Amidst the air of uncertainty surrounding the talks, a productive discussion surrounding the prospects and challenges to modernizing NAFTA has emerged. Though NAFTA was a cutting–edge trade deal in 1994, international trade has transformed significantly since then, most notably with the advent of the digital economy. This full–day conference explores both the politics and reality of the NAFTA negotiations, and puts forward ideas for what a modern NAFTA could look like.
SESSION V: BREAKOUT SESSIONS
Dispute Settlement
Jennifer Hillman, Georgetown University Law Center
From Cato University 2017: College of History and Philosophy
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From Cato University 2017: College of History and Philosophy
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From Cato University 2017: College of History and Philosophy
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From Cato University 2017: College of History and Philosophy
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From Cato University 2017: College of History and Philosophy
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From Cato University 2017: College of History and Philosophy
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From Cato University 2017: College of History and Philosophy
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From Cato University 2017: College of History and Philosophy
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From Cato University 2017: College of History and Philosophy
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From Cato University 2017: College of History and Philosophy
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Republicans are pushing ahead with major tax reforms after they agreed to a framework of individual and corporate cuts in September. The plan would simplify the individual rate structure, reduce the top tax rate on small businesses, and double the standard deduction. It would also boost America’s competitiveness by cutting the corporate tax rate, changing the rules on foreign income, and allowing expensing of capital equipment. If the House and Senate agree on an overall budget plan in the coming weeks, it will pave the way for the first major tax overhaul in years.
Join our panel of experts, who will discuss the economics and politics of tax reform as well as the policy alternatives facing legislators as a tax bill winds its way through Congress.
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The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is currently being renegotiated by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. On the campaign trail, President Donald Trump promised to get a better deal, or walk away entirely from NAFTA if necessary. Amidst the air of uncertainty surrounding the talks, a productive discussion surrounding the prospects and challenges to modernizing NAFTA has emerged. Though NAFTA was a cutting–edge trade deal in 1994, international trade has transformed significantly since then, most notably with the advent of the digital economy. This full–day conference explores both the politics and reality of the NAFTA negotiations, and puts forward ideas for what a modern NAFTA could look like.
SESSION V: BREAKOUT SESSIONS
In the Shadow of NAFTA: Dairy, Lumber, and Bombardier
Ed Farrell, OFW Law
Dan Ikenson, Herbert A. Stiefel Center for Trade Policy Studies, Cato Institute
Chris Sands, Johns Hopkins, School of Advanced International Studies
Moderator: Colin Grabow, Trade Policy Analyst, Herbert A. Stiefel Center for Trade Policy Studies, Cato Institute
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The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is currently being renegotiated by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. On the campaign trail, President Donald Trump promised to get a better deal, or walk away entirely from NAFTA if necessary. Amidst the air of uncertainty surrounding the talks, a productive discussion surrounding the prospects and challenges to modernizing NAFTA has emerged. Though NAFTA was a cutting–edge trade deal in 1994, international trade has transformed significantly since then, most notably with the advent of the digital economy. This full–day conference explores both the politics and reality of the NAFTA negotiations, and puts forward ideas for what a modern NAFTA could look like.
SESSION IV: HOW TO MODERNIZE NAFTA
Christine Bliss, Coalition of Service Industries
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is currently being renegotiated by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. On the campaign trail, President Donald Trump promised to get a better deal, or walk away entirely from NAFTA if necessary. Amidst the air of uncertainty surrounding the talks, a productive discussion surrounding the prospects and challenges to modernizing NAFTA has emerged. Though NAFTA was a cutting–edge trade deal in 1994, international trade has transformed significantly since then, most notably with the advent of the digital economy. This full–day conference explores both the politics and reality of the NAFTA negotiations, and puts forward ideas for what a modern NAFTA could look like.
SESSION III: POLITICS & REALITY
Phil Levy, Chicago Council on Foreign Affairs
Ricardo Ramirez, Appellate Body Member, World Trade Organization
Bill Reinsch, Stimson Center
Moderator: Scott Lincicome, Adjunct Scholar, Herbert A. Stiefel Center for Trade Policy Studies, Cato Institute
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is currently being renegotiated by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. On the campaign trail, President Donald Trump promised to get a better deal, or walk away entirely from NAFTA if necessary. Amidst the air of uncertainty surrounding the talks, a productive discussion surrounding the prospects and challenges to modernizing NAFTA has emerged. Though NAFTA was a cutting–edge trade deal in 1994, international trade has transformed significantly since then, most notably with the advent of the digital economy. This full–day conference explores both the politics and reality of the NAFTA negotiations, and puts forward ideas for what a modern NAFTA could look like.
SESSION II: THE DEBATE OVER NAFTA
Marta Bengoa, City College of New York
Steve Charnovitz, George Washington University Law School
Dan Griswold, Mercatus Center
Alvaro Santos, Georgetown University Law Center
Todd Tucker, Roosevelt Institute
Christopher Wilson, Wilson Center
Moderator: Dan Ikenson, Director, Herbert A. Stiefel Center for Trade Policy Studies, Cato Institute
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The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is currently being renegotiated by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. On the campaign trail, President Donald Trump promised to get a better deal, or walk away entirely from NAFTA if necessary. Amidst the air of uncertainty surrounding the talks, a productive discussion surrounding the prospects and challenges to modernizing NAFTA has emerged. Though NAFTA was a cutting–edge trade deal in 1994, international trade has transformed significantly since then, most notably with the advent of the digital economy. This full–day conference explores both the politics and reality of the NAFTA negotiations, and puts forward ideas for what a modern NAFTA could look like.
WELCOMING REMARKS
Simon Lester, Trade Policy Analyst, Herbert A. Stiefel Center for Trade Policy Studies, Cato Institute
SESSION I: NAFTA'S ORIGIN & PURPOSE
John Weekes, Bennett Jones
Rufus Yerxa, National Foreign Trade Council
Ricardo Ramirez, Appellate Body Member, World Trade Organization
Moderator: Jim Bacchus, Former Chairman of the WTO Appellate Body
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From Cato University 2017: College of History and Philosophy
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In the past decade and a half, the government of Venezuela received over $1 trillion in oil revenues, and yet the country is now suffering from a deep humanitarian crisis with its population struggling to feed itself. As a correspondent for Dow Jones and the Wall Street Journal, Raúl Gallegos witnessed first-hand how the mismanagement of oil riches during the rule of Hugo Chávez led to Venezuela's current misery. Gallegos will explain how mismanaged oil has created perverse incentives in the political system, the business community, and among ordinary Venezuelans. Gustavo Coronel will offer his insights on what should be the future of the oil sector in a democratic Venezuela. Please join us for a timely discussion.
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Before the outbreak of World War I, government spending as a share of gross domestic product in the developed world averaged 13 percent and the role of public officials in the lives of the citizenry was restricted to a few core functions, including justice and national defense. At the dawn of the 21st century, average government spending among rich countries stood at 44 percent of gross domestic product and the scope of government had grown immensely. Please join us as our panel looks at the influence of the Bolshevik Revolution on intellectuals, policymakers, and the public debate in the West concerning the proper role of government and its subsequent growth.
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The first months of the Trump administration have confirmed that criminal justice will remain a contentious issue for the foreseeable future. Trump's "law and order" rhetoric on the campaign trail has led to significant changes in federal criminal justice policy. At the state and local levels, lawmakers are struggling with the opioid epidemic, overincarceration, and how to work with new federal enforcement goals.
In the current environment, how should legislators tackle the most serious and enduring criminal justice issues? What policies should be implemented? What should officials' priorities be? To answer these and other questions, experts from courtrooms, universities, law enforcement agencies, and think tanks will gather at the Cato Institute for its third annual criminal justice conference, Criminal Justice at a Crossroads. We hope that you will join us.
Keynote
Kevin Sharp Nashville Managing Partner, Sanford Heisler Sharp, and former Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee
Closing Remarks
Clark Neily, Vice President for Criminal Justice, Cato Institute
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The first months of the Trump administration have confirmed that criminal justice will remain a contentious issue for the foreseeable future. Trump's "law and order" rhetoric on the campaign trail has led to significant changes in federal criminal justice policy. At the state and local levels, lawmakers are struggling with the opioid epidemic, overincarceration, and how to work with new federal enforcement goals.
In the current environment, how should legislators tackle the most serious and enduring criminal justice issues? What policies should be implemented? What should officials' priorities be? To answer these and other questions, experts from courtrooms, universities, law enforcement agencies, and think tanks will gather at the Cato Institute for its third annual criminal justice conference, Criminal Justice at a Crossroads. We hope that you will join us.
Panel 4: The Drug War and the Opioid Crisis: Approaches and Remedies
Leo Beletsky, professor, School of Law & Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University
Jeffrey Miron, director of economic studies at the Cato Institute and senior lecturer on economics and director of undergraduate studies at Harvard University
Zachary Bolitho, Counsel to the Deputy Attorney General
Moderated by Mike Riggs, reporter, Reason
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The first months of the Trump administration have confirmed that criminal justice will remain a contentious issue for the foreseeable future. Trump's "law and order" rhetoric on the campaign trail has led to significant changes in federal criminal justice policy. At the state and local levels, lawmakers are struggling with the opioid epidemic, overincarceration, and how to work with new federal enforcement goals.
In the current environment, how should legislators tackle the most serious and enduring criminal justice issues? What policies should be implemented? What should officials' priorities be? To answer these and other questions, experts from courtrooms, universities, law enforcement agencies, and think tanks will gather at the Cato Institute for its third annual criminal justice conference, Criminal Justice at a Crossroads. We hope that you will join us.
Flash Talk
William R. Kelly, professor of sociology and director of the Center for Criminology and Criminal Justice Research at the University of Texas at Austin
The first months of the Trump administration have confirmed that criminal justice will remain a contentious issue for the foreseeable future. Trump's "law and order" rhetoric on the campaign trail has led to significant changes in federal criminal justice policy. At the state and local levels, lawmakers are struggling with the opioid epidemic, overincarceration, and how to work with new federal enforcement goals.
In the current environment, how should legislators tackle the most serious and enduring criminal justice issues? What policies should be implemented? What should officials' priorities be? To answer these and other questions, experts from courtrooms, universities, law enforcement agencies, and think tanks will gather at the Cato Institute for its third annual criminal justice conference, Criminal Justice at a Crossroads. We hope that you will join us.
Panel 3: Criminal Justice and the Border
Dara Lind, senior reporter, Vox.com
Laura Donohue, professor of law at Georgetown University Law Center
Jay Ahern, principal and security services practice leader at The Chertoff Group and former acting commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Moderated by Matthew Feeney, Policy Analyst, Cato Institute
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The first months of the Trump administration have confirmed that criminal justice will remain a contentious issue for the foreseeable future. Trump's "law and order" rhetoric on the campaign trail has led to significant changes in federal criminal justice policy. At the state and local levels, lawmakers are struggling with the opioid epidemic, overincarceration, and how to work with new federal enforcement goals.
In the current environment, how should legislators tackle the most serious and enduring criminal justice issues? What policies should be implemented? What should officials' priorities be? To answer these and other questions, experts from courtrooms, universities, law enforcement agencies, and think tanks will gather at the Cato Institute for its third annual criminal justice conference, Criminal Justice at a Crossroads. We hope that you will join us.
Flash Talk
Alyssa Rosenberg, opinion writer, Washington Post
Amy Bach, Executive Director and President of Measures for Justice
The first months of the Trump administration have confirmed that criminal justice will remain a contentious issue for the foreseeable future. Trump's "law and order" rhetoric on the campaign trail has led to significant changes in federal criminal justice policy. At the state and local levels, lawmakers are struggling with the opioid epidemic, overincarceration, and how to work with new federal enforcement goals.
In the current environment, how should legislators tackle the most serious and enduring criminal justice issues? What policies should be implemented? What should officials' priorities be? To answer these and other questions, experts from courtrooms, universities, law enforcement agencies, and think tanks will gather at the Cato Institute for its third annual criminal justice conference, Criminal Justice at a Crossroads. We hope that you will join us.
Panel 2: The Defendant in Court
Hon. Jed Rakoff, Senior Judge, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
Scott Greenfield, criminal defense attorney and editor of Simple Justice
Suja Thomas, professor of law at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Moderated by Trevor Burrus, Research Fellow, Cato Institute
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The first months of the Trump administration have confirmed that criminal justice will remain a contentious issue for the foreseeable future. Trump's "law and order" rhetoric on the campaign trail has led to significant changes in federal criminal justice policy. At the state and local levels, lawmakers are struggling with the opioid epidemic, overincarceration, and how to work with new federal enforcement goals.
In the current environment, how should legislators tackle the most serious and enduring criminal justice issues? What policies should be implemented? What should officials' priorities be? To answer these and other questions, experts from courtrooms, universities, law enforcement agencies, and think tanks will gather at the Cato Institute for its third annual criminal justice conference, Criminal Justice at a Crossroads. We hope that you will join us.
Flash Talk
Hon. Steven S. Alm, Judge (ret.), First Circuit Court of Hawai'i, creator of HOPE Probation
The first months of the Trump administration have confirmed that criminal justice will remain a contentious issue for the foreseeable future. Trump's "law and order" rhetoric on the campaign trail has led to significant changes in federal criminal justice policy. At the state and local levels, lawmakers are struggling with the opioid epidemic, overincarceration, and how to work with new federal enforcement goals.
In the current environment, how should legislators tackle the most serious and enduring criminal justice issues? What policies should be implemented? What should officials' priorities be? To answer these and other questions, experts from courtrooms, universities, law enforcement agencies, and think tanks will gather at the Cato Institute for its third annual criminal justice conference, Criminal Justice at a Crossroads. We hope that you will join us.
Opening Remarks
Clark Neily, Vice President for Criminal Justice, Cato Institute
Panel 1: Law Enforcement and the Communities They Serve
Chief Ron Davis (ret.), East Palo Alto, California Police Department and principal consultant, 21st Century Policing Strategies LLC
Chief J. Thomas Manger, Montgomery County, Maryland and president of the Major Cities Chiefs Association
Sgt. Renée J. Mitchell, American Society of Evidence-Based Policing
Moderated by Jonathan Blanks, Research Associate in Cato's Project on Criminal Justice, Cato Institute
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Communist totalitarian regimes that sprang up after the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917 did not aim simply to change social and economic relations between individuals and the state. They aimed to transform human nature in order to create a “New Man.” The New Man’s behavior and beliefs would adhere to the tenets of Marxism-Leninism. He would be free of selfishness and base instincts such as nationalism and class consciousness. He would be austere, disciplined, hardworking, and willing to sacrifice himself for the common good. But man is not a blank slate. The incompatibility of communist ideas and human nature necessitated a massive expansion of propaganda, to brainwash those who could be influenced, and terror, to eliminate those deemed irredeemable. Please join us as our panel looks at the means that the communist state employed and the continued application of those “novel” techniques today.
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At the end of the Second World War, Hong Kong lived up to its description as “the barren island.” It had few natural resources, its trade and infrastructure lay in tatters, its small manufacturing base had been destroyed, and its income per capita was less than a quarter of its mother country, Britain. But by the time of the handover of Hong Kong to China in 1997, it was one of the most prosperous nations on Earth. By 2015, its GDP per capita was more than 40 percent higher than Britain’s. How did that happen? Around the world, postwar governments turned to industrial planning, Keynesian deficits, and high inflation to stimulate their economies. The government of Hong Kong rejected this emerging global consensus. The colony’s laissez-faire policies were implemented by a handful of civil servants, the most important of whom was John Cowperthwaite, deputy and then Financial Secretary of the colony between 1951 and 1971. He, more than anyone, shaped the economic policies of Hong Kong and set the stage for the territory’s remarkable transformation. Please join us for Monnery’s examination of Cowperthwaite’s life and ideas.
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President Trump has indicated that he may withhold certification of Iranian compliance with the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as the Iran nuclear deal.
Yet the International Atomic Energy Agency, along with America’s European allies, Russia, and China are all in consensus that Iran is in fact complying with its obligations under the agreement. If President Trump chooses not to certify Iranian compliance on October 15, he will initiate a process likely to unravel the JCPOA and relinquish the most intrusive nuclear inspections program in the world.
All of Washington’s policy options outside the JCPOA—including reimposing economic sanctions, challenging Iranian influence in the Middle East, supporting opposition groups in hopes of regime change, and outright military action—involve serious costs and risks greater than the status quo.
Join us for a discussion of the available options, their relative strengths and weaknesses, and the potential consequences of abandoning the Iran nuclear deal.
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Sixteen years ago, the United States initiated combat operations in Afghanistan in response to the terrorist attacks of 9/11. Goals have changed marginally over the years, but they typically include defeating al Qaeda and other terrorist groups with global reach, strengthening the Afghan government and security forces to prevent the Taliban from retaking political power, and denying terrorists a safe haven. Recently, the secretary of defense noted, “We are not winning in Afghanistan right now.” The United States appears set to respond with a nominal troop surge, but both the strategy and the U.S. commitment appear uncertain.Can a mini-surge reasonably achieve these or lesser goals? What costs and benefits are associated with a modest surge or the other potential policy choices, such as a negotiated settlement or completely removing U.S. military forces? What evidence do the past 16 years offer in support of the various strategies? How will Afghanistan look in another 16 years? Please join us for a wide-ranging discussion.
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President Trump has repeatedly signaled his intention to declare Iran in violation of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as the Iran nuclear deal.
The problem is that Iran is in fact complying with its obligations under the deal, which significantly rolled back Iran’s nuclear program, imposed strict limits on what remained, and subjected Iran to the most intrusive inspections regime in the world.
The alternative policy options outside the JCPOA are unappealing. In a new Cato Policy Analysis, Emma Ashford and John Glaser assess the costs of four alternatives – sanctions, challenging Iranian influence in the Middle East, supporting internal groups to foment regime change, and military action – and conclude they all carry unacceptably high risks and threaten to exacerbate the very behavior Iran hawks hope to forestall.
Join us online for a discussion of these alternatives and send your questions using #CatoConnects.
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Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) is a U.S. government program that provides resources to targeted communities, predominantly American Muslims, ostensibly to root out extremism before it results in violence. The program involves law enforcement agencies that partner with community leaders such as teachers, religious leaders, and health professionals to identify allegedly at-risk community members and steer them away from violence.The program is controversial for a variety of reasons. Is the government’s theory of radicalization sound? Is the Muslim community unfairly singled out? Are targeted communities compromising their rights by assisting the government, or is this a productive partnership? Has the election of Donald Trump changed the CVE discussion? Join us for a timely and important debate.
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Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) is a U.S. government program that provides resources to targeted communities, predominantly American Muslims, ostensibly to root out extremism before it results in violence. The program involves law enforcement agencies that partner with community leaders such as teachers, religious leaders, and health professionals to identify allegedly at-risk community members and steer them away from violence.The program is controversial for a variety of reasons. Is the government’s theory of radicalization sound? Is the Muslim community unfairly singled out? Are targeted communities compromising their rights by assisting the government, or is this a productive partnership? Has the election of Donald Trump changed the CVE discussion? Join us for a timely and important debate.
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The First Amendment has moved to the center of American political conflict. On college campuses, students and faculty demand protection from speech and speakers. Polls show students and young people in general evince less support for free speech than previous generations had shown. In legal and public debate, the free exercise of religion conflicts with the right to marriage, thereby placing the First Amendment at the center of vitriolic cultural clashes. Moreover, the challenges for the First Amendment seemed fated to grow. Modern surveillance methods can chill speech even absent malign intent from officials. The global nature of the Internet also means that regulations arising from nations less protective of speech than the United States might become the rule for all. If this were not enough, traditional First Amendment issues such as campaign finance remain controversial during and after hard-fought elections. Cato's first conference on the First Amendment, a new biennial effort, offers provocative and thoughtful views on these issues.
PANEL 4 – FREE SPEECH FOR A NEW ERA
Surveillance and Free Speech
Matthew Feeney, Cato Institute
Extremist Speech and Free Speech
Flemming Rose, Cato Institute
Extremist Speech and Compelled Conformity
Danielle Keats Citron, University of Maryland School of Law
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The First Amendment has moved to the center of American political conflict. On college campuses, students and faculty demand protection from speech and speakers. Polls show students and young people in general evince less support for free speech than previous generations had shown. In legal and public debate, the free exercise of religion conflicts with the right to marriage, thereby placing the First Amendment at the center of vitriolic cultural clashes. Moreover, the challenges for the First Amendment seemed fated to grow. Modern surveillance methods can chill speech even absent malign intent from officials. The global nature of the Internet also means that regulations arising from nations less protective of speech than the United States might become the rule for all. If this were not enough, traditional First Amendment issues such as campaign finance remain controversial during and after hard-fought elections. Cato's first conference on the First Amendment, a new biennial effort, offers provocative and thoughtful views on these issues.
Poll Results
Emily Ekins, Cato Institute
Roundtable Discussants:
Jeffrey Herbst, Consultant and Scholar
Conor Friedersdorf, The Atlantic
Kmele Foster, Freethink
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The First Amendment has moved to the center of American political conflict. On college campuses, students and faculty demand protection from speech and speakers. Polls show students and young people in general evince less support for free speech than previous generations had shown. In legal and public debate, the free exercise of religion conflicts with the right to marriage, thereby placing the First Amendment at the center of vitriolic cultural clashes. Moreover, the challenges for the First Amendment seemed fated to grow. Modern surveillance methods can chill speech even absent malign intent from officials. The global nature of the Internet also means that regulations arising from nations less protective of speech than the United States might become the rule for all. If this were not enough, traditional First Amendment issues such as campaign finance remain controversial during and after hard-fought elections. Cato's first conference on the First Amendment, a new biennial effort, offers provocative and thoughtful views on these issues.
Free Speech, Libel, and Privacy in the Internet Age
Eugene Volokh, UCLA Law School and Founder, The Volokh Conspiracy
The First Amendment has moved to the center of American political conflict. On college campuses, students and faculty demand protection from speech and speakers. Polls show students and young people in general evince less support for free speech than previous generations had shown. In legal and public debate, the free exercise of religion conflicts with the right to marriage, thereby placing the First Amendment at the center of vitriolic cultural clashes. Moreover, the challenges for the First Amendment seemed fated to grow. Modern surveillance methods can chill speech even absent malign intent from officials. The global nature of the Internet also means that regulations arising from nations less protective of speech than the United States might become the rule for all. If this were not enough, traditional First Amendment issues such as campaign finance remain controversial during and after hard-fought elections. Cato's first conference on the First Amendment, a new biennial effort, offers provocative and thoughtful views on these issues.
Walter Olson, Cato Institute
Robin Fretwell Wilson, University of Illinois Law School
John M. Barry, author of Roger Williams and the Creation of the American Soul
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The First Amendment has moved to the center of American political conflict. On college campuses, students and faculty demand protection from speech and speakers. Polls show students and young people in general evince less support for free speech than previous generations had shown. In legal and public debate, the free exercise of religion conflicts with the right to marriage, thereby placing the First Amendment at the center of vitriolic cultural clashes. Moreover, the challenges for the First Amendment seemed fated to grow. Modern surveillance methods can chill speech even absent malign intent from officials. The global nature of the Internet also means that regulations arising from nations less protective of speech than the United States might become the rule for all. If this were not enough, traditional First Amendment issues such as campaign finance remain controversial during and after hard-fought elections. Cato's first conference on the First Amendment, a new biennial effort, offers provocative and thoughtful views on these issues.
PANEL 1 – ENDURING ISSUES AT A TIME OF CHANGE
Progressivism and the First Amendment
Robert F. Bauer, New York University Law School
Citizens United: A Look Back and Forward
Jeffrey Milyo, University of Missouri
Commercial Speech as Free Speech
Martin Redish, Northwestern Law School
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This September, Congress will work to reauthorize the expiring National Flood Insurance Program (NFIB). This effort comes on the tail of the worst flooding in Texas history after Hurricane Harvey dropped an estimated 27 trillion gallons of rainfall around the Gulf Coast causing catastrophic damage to both lives and property.
In this environment, what should Congress understand as it undertakes reforms to the flood insurance program? The magnitude and depth of the program's insolvency, arbitrary actuarial standards, and restrictive competitive road blocks all bedevil the effective operation of the NFIB. Are there promising avenues for reforms that would allow market forces to enhance the stability and reliability of consumers' insurance needs?
What about flooding itself—what impact does climate change have on the need for flood insurance in the first place? Can we expect more frequent and more dangerous storms in the future? Further, what role do local and regional zoning regulations have on impervious ground conditions and water absorption? Our esteemed panel will answer these questions on hurricanes, floods, and their aftermath, as well as offer suggestions for what Congress should, and should not, do regarding future disaster mitigation efforts.
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With a new president and Congress in place since January 2017, how has the congressional oversight dynamic changed since the Obama administration with respect to America’s 17 intelligence agencies? Has the “Russiagate” episode altered the relationship between the House and Senate Intelligence Committees and their congressional overseers? What are the prospects for domestic surveillance reform? Are the House and Senate Intelligence Committees even properly structured and staffed to perform their jobs in the twenty-first century? Join us in a discussion covering these subjects and more.
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Sub-Saharan Africa faces three interrelated challenges over the next generation. It will double its population to two billion by 2045. By then, more than half of Africans will be living in the cities. And this group of mostly young people will be connected with each other and with the world through mobile devices. Properly harnessed, Africa's youth could be a force for economic growth and political change. Without economic growth and jobs, however, Africa's demographic expansion could prove to be a political and social catastrophe. Old systems of patronage and of muddling through will no longer work. If African leaders want to remain in power, they will have to do more to enable high economic growth rates. Making Africa Work aims to ensure that African growth is based on more than the export of commodities and that it creates jobs on the continent.
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You think you know why our government in Washington is broken, but you really don't. You think it's broken because politicians curry favor with special interests and activists of the left or right. There's something to that, and it helps explain why these politicians can't find common ground. But this theory misses the root cause. A half century ago, elected officials in Congress and the White House figured out a new system for enacting laws and spending programs—one that lets them take credit for promising good news while avoiding blame when the government produces bad results. With five key tricks, politicians of both parties now avoid accounting to us for what government actually does to us.
While you understand that these politicians seem to pull rabbits out of hats, hardly anyone sees the sleight of hand by which they get away with their tricks. Otherwise, their tricks wouldn't work. DC Confidential exposes the sleights of hand. Its author argues that we can stop the tricks, fix our broken government, and make Washington work for us once again.
The book explains the necessary reform and lays out an action plan to put it in place. Stopping the tricks would be a constructive, inclusive response to the anger that Americans from across the political spectrum feel toward what should be our government.
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The Cato Institute's Center for Constitutional Studies Presents a Symposium through the Generosity of George M. Yeager
Cato's annual Constitution Day symposium marks the day in 1787 that the Constitutional Convention finished drafting the U.S. Constitution. We celebrate that event each year with the release of the new issue of the Cato Supreme Court Review and with a day-long symposium featuring noted scholars discussing the recently concluded Supreme Court term and the important cases coming up. Past speakers have included Judges Alex Kozinski, Diane Sykes, and Douglas Ginsburg, Professors Richard Epstein, Michael McConnell, and Nadine Strossen, and Supreme Court litigators Paul Clement, Neal Katyal, and Walter Dellinger.
| 5:00—6:00PM | ANNUAL B. KENNETH SIMON LECTURE: THE ADMINISTRATIVE THREAT TO CIVIL LIBERTIES Philip Hamburger, Maurice & Hilda Friedman Professor of Law, Columbia Law School |
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The Cato Institute's Center for Constitutional Studies Presents a Symposium through the Generosity of George M. Yeager
Cato's annual Constitution Day symposium marks the day in 1787 that the Constitutional Convention finished drafting the U.S. Constitution. We celebrate that event each year with the release of the new issue of the Cato Supreme Court Review and with a day-long symposium featuring noted scholars discussing the recently concluded Supreme Court term and the important cases coming up. Past speakers have included Judges Alex Kozinski, Diane Sykes, and Douglas Ginsburg, Professors Richard Epstein, Michael McConnell, and Nadine Strossen, and Supreme Court litigators Paul Clement, Neal Katyal, and Walter Dellinger.
| 3:45—5:00PM | PANEL IV: LOOKING AHEAD: OCTOBER TERM 2017 Moderator: Ilya Shapiro, Editor-in-Chief, Cato Supreme Court ReviewChristopher Landau, Partner, Kirkland & Ellis LLPNeal Katyal, Partner, Hogan LovellsNina Totenberg, Legal Affairs Correspondent, NPR |
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The Cato Institute's Center for Constitutional Studies Presents a Symposium through the Generosity of George M. Yeager
Cato's annual Constitution Day symposium marks the day in 1787 that the Constitutional Convention finished drafting the U.S. Constitution. We celebrate that event each year with the release of the new issue of the Cato Supreme Court Review and with a day-long symposium featuring noted scholars discussing the recently concluded Supreme Court term and the important cases coming up. Past speakers have included Judges Alex Kozinski, Diane Sykes, and Douglas Ginsburg, Professors Richard Epstein, Michael McConnell, and Nadine Strossen, and Supreme Court litigators Paul Clement, Neal Katyal, and Walter Dellinger.
| 2:15—3:30PM | PANEL III: PROPERTY, RELIGIOUS AND SECULAR Moderator: Walter Olson, Senior Fellow, Cato InstituteRoger Pilon, Vice President for Legal Affairs, Cato InstituteRick Garnett, Paul J. Schierl/Fort Howard Corporation Professor, University of Notre Dame Law SchoolThomas M. Hefferon, Partner, Goodwin Procter LLP |
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The Cato Institute's Center for Constitutional Studies Presents a Symposium through the Generosity of George M. Yeager
Cato's annual Constitution Day symposium marks the day in 1787 that the Constitutional Convention finished drafting the U.S. Constitution. We celebrate that event each year with the release of the new issue of the Cato Supreme Court Review and with a day-long symposium featuring noted scholars discussing the recently concluded Supreme Court term and the important cases coming up. Past speakers have included Judges Alex Kozinski, Diane Sykes, and Douglas Ginsburg, Professors Richard Epstein, Michael McConnell, and Nadine Strossen, and Supreme Court litigators Paul Clement, Neal Katyal, and Walter Dellinger.
| 1:00—2:15PM | PANEL II: MONEY AND CRIME Moderator: Trevor Burrus, Research Fellow, Cato InstituteDavid Goldberg, Lecturer in Law, Stanford Law SchoolDavid Post, Professor of Law Emeritus, Beasley School of Law at Temple UniversityThaya Brook Knight, Associate Director, Financial Regulation Studies, Cato Institute |
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The Cato Institute's Center for Constitutional Studies Presents a Symposium through the Generosity of George M. Yeager
Cato's annual Constitution Day symposium marks the day in 1787 that the Constitutional Convention finished drafting the U.S. Constitution. We celebrate that event each year with the release of the new issue of the Cato Supreme Court Review and with a day-long symposium featuring noted scholars discussing the recently concluded Supreme Court term and the important cases coming up. Past speakers have included Judges Alex Kozinski, Diane Sykes, and Douglas Ginsburg, Professors Richard Epstein, Michael McConnell, and Nadine Strossen, and Supreme Court litigators Paul Clement, Neal Katyal, and Walter Dellinger.
| 10:30—10:45AM | WELCOMING REMARKSRoger Pilon, Vice President for Legal Affairs and Director, Center for Constitutional Studies, Cato InstituteINTRODUCTIONIlya Shapiro, Senior Fellow in Constitutional Studies and Editor-in-Chief, Cato Supreme Court Review | | 10:45—12:00PM | PANEL I: FIRST AMENDMENT CHALLENGESModerator: Ilya Shapiro, Editor-in-Chief, Cato Supreme Court ReviewClay Calvert, Director, Marion B. Brechner First Amendment Project, University of FloridaPaul M. Sherman, Senior Attorney, Institute for JusticeBob Corn-Revere, Partner, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP |
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What is the state of human freedom and progress around the world? If human well-being is getting better, why do so many people remain pessimistic?
Evidence from academic institutions and international organizations shows dramatic improvements in human well-being. These improvements are especially striking in the developing world. Unfortunately, there is often a wide gap between the reality and public perception of human well-being. To make matters worse, the media emphasizes bad news, while ignoring many positive long-term trends.
We think freedom is a big part of the story. Because freedom is inherently valuable and plays a role in human and economic progress, it is worth carefully tracking. Join Cato scholars to analyze the evolution of global freedom since the Institute's founding 40 years ago and explore the prospects for the next 40 years of expanding human freedom.
The 40th Anniversary e-Briefing Series offers Cato Sponsors a special opportunity to engage with Cato's leadership and scholars as the Institute commemorates this milestone while also examining the future of liberty and achieving our mission of creating a free society.
Forty years ago, the Cato Institute opened its doors as a new public policy research organization dedicated to liberty. Today, through our independent, nonpartisan research, worldwide events, vast online resources, and media outreach, Cato engages millions on the timeless principles of individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and peace. Cato's success is a testament to our Sponsors' commitment to the Institute and our work. Thank you for your continued support.
Send any questions, comments, or other feedback to Harrison Moar at hmoar@cato.org.
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During the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, political dictators were not only popular in their own countries, but were also admired by numerous highly educated and idealistic Western intellectuals. The objects of this political hero-worship included Benito Mussolini, Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong, Fidel Castro and more recently Hugo Chavez, among others. Hollander will discuss the sources of these misjudgments and misperceptions, the specific appeals of particular dictators, and the part played by their charisma, or pseudo-charisma. He will shed new light not only on the political disposition of numerous Western intellectuals — such as Martin Heidegger, Eric Hobsbawm, Norman Mailer, Ezra Pound, Susan Sontag and George Bernard Shaw — but also on the personality of those political leaders who encouraged, and in some instances helped to design, the cult surrounding their rise to dictatorship.
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The legal sale of recreational marijuana remains limited to a handful of states, but 29 states plus the District of Columbia allow the prescription and distribution of medical marijuana. Ten of those states—which represent 115 electoral votes—went for President Trump in the 2016 election. National polling shows that just over half of Americans favor marijuana legalization, but a much larger majority want the federal government to leave marijuana alone in states where it is legal.
While candidate Trump promised to protect medical marijuana on the campaign trail, President Trump's Justice Department wants to be more aggressive against state-legal marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). Ultimately, Congress holds the reins on the Department of Justice's ability to enforce particular provisions of the CSA and determines which substances should be under federal control.
While marijuana decriminalization is often thought to be a Democrat-friendly topic, some of the best arguments for federal recognition of state marijuana policy rest in traditional Republican values of federalism, deference to local policy choices, and a limited federal government. Moreover, businesses that have no direct ties to cannabis cultivation or distribution like banks and financial institutions can benefit from clear federal rules that tolerate state-legal marijuana transactions.
Join us for a lunchtime discussion to explore several ways Congress can reshape federal marijuana policy in a manner that is more consistent both with public opinion and the conservative values of limited government, federalism, and local policymaking.
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A key question in debates over whether states should implement Obamacare's Medicaid expansion, and whether Congress should repeal Obamacare entirely, is whether government expansions of health insurance coverage improve health, and if so, how much. A new study by Bernard Black and colleagues finds that the uninsured "consume fewer healthcare services, but their health (while alive) does not deteriorate relative to the insured, and, in our central estimates, they do not die significantly faster than the insured." Come hear Professor Black and leading scholars discuss one of the most important but least understood aspects of health reform.
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Why is Westeros mired in 8,000 years of economic stagnation? Should Daenerys firebomb King's Landing to prevent a longer war? The world of Game of Thrones is teeming with fascinating interactions between institutions, incentives, and power that creates a sweeping geopolitical mega-saga just begging to be theorized. An examination of these issues through the lens of economics, law, international relations, and power politics promises to be both instructive and entertaining. The day after the Season 7 finale airs, join the Cato Institute and the R Street Institute in an exploration of the intrigue and game theory (and inevitable analogies to our current political landscape) that pervade the world of ice and fire.
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What are the biggest challenges facing U.S. foreign policy? While much of the current foreign policy debate in Washington and around the world is focused on the Trump administration, policymakers must also look further ahead in order to address potential conflicts and issues that will shape the world in the first half of the 21st century.From the Middle East to Russia to the rise of China, world affairs and the U.S. role in it is constantly changing. Indeed, the world has changed a great deal since the Cato Institute was founded 40 years ago. This discussion presents an opportunity to explore the next 40 years and how Cato scholars plan to approach these issues. Emma Ashford, research fellow in the defense and foreign policy studies department, and John Glaser, associate director of foreign policy studies, will join the 40th Anniversary Sponsor e-Briefing Series to offer their thoughts on the biggest challenges and opportunities facing U.S. foreign policy and address your questions. They look forward to your participation, which will guide this thought-provoking discussion.The 40th Anniversary e-Briefing Series offers Cato Sponsors a special opportunity to engage with Cato’s leadership and scholars as the Institute commemorates this milestone while also examining the future of liberty and achieving our mission of creating a free society. Forty years ago, the Cato Institute opened its doors as a new public policy research organization dedicated to liberty. Today, through our independent, nonpartisan research, worldwide events, vast online resources, and media outreach, Cato engages millions on the timeless principles of individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and peace. Cato’s success is a testament to our Sponsors’ commitment to the Institute and our work. Thank you for your continued support.
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North Korea remains a vexing, high-stakes puzzle. With so little known about the “hermit kingdom” leadership, how should the United States respond to North Korea’s growing nuclear capabilities? Doug Bandow provides his insights after a rare visit to the isolated nation. Join us for a live discussion about the North Korea problem.
Send your questions and join the conversation with #CatoConnects.
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From Cato University 2017: Summer Seminar on Political Economy
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From Cato University 2017: Summer Seminar on Political Economy
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Public choice has emerged to explain behavior in both markets and politics. To what extent do voters and consumers behave rationally, and how can a science largely germinated in the study of market exchange help to explain politics?
From Cato University 2017: Summer Seminar on Political Economy
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Most of the order in human life wasn't consciously foreseen, designed, or imposed; it just grew. Free societies include many islands of conscious planning, but the overall order of a free society isn't planned. Organizations have purposes, but society has no one purpose.
From Cato University 2017: Summer Seminar on Political Economy
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Modern widespread prosperity is made possible by respect for individual freedom — to think, to plan, to challenge old ways of doing things, to introduce new products and services, to be enterprising. How are liberty and shared prosperity closely connected?
From Cato University 2017: Summer Seminar on Political Economy
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One of the most potent and controversial tools in the American intelligence community’s arsenal is set to lapse at the end of this year. Section 702 of the FISA Amendments Act of 2008 allows the government to intercept the communications of foreign targets as they cross U.S. soil—including conversations with American citizens. Spy agencies claim it’s a vital weapon against terrorists and should not only be reauthorized but also made permanent. Civil libertarians, however, worry that the law’s incredible scope—targeting some 100,000 people and hauling in hundreds of millions, if not billions, of communications each year—makes it ripe for abuse without significant reform.
Among the law’s most vocal critics have been two senators from opposite sides of the political spectrum: Ron Wyden and Rand Paul. At this Cato forum, they’ll explore how section 702 works and whether it needs stronger safeguards to protect Americans’ privacy. Should a warrant be required to search for citizens’ communications in the vast 702 database? Is it feasible to demand an estimate of how many Americans have been “incidentally” caught up in 702 surveillance—a number that the intelligence community has said it’s unable to provide? And does the foreign backlash against 702 surveillance threaten global Internet commerce? We’ll delve into these questions in a wide-ranging discussion.
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One of the fundamental historical arguments for traditional public schooling is that compulsory common schools are necessary for a stable democratic society. Horace Mann, the father of American public schooling, argued that common schools would force children from diverse backgrounds, religions, and races to interact with one another and receive instruction on proper virtues. Other people, however, believe that allowing parents to choose the schools they think best for their children could improve essential democratic outcomes by forcing schools to compete and to teach more effectively.
Which system is best to strengthen tolerance and civic engagement in our society? Which theories have the most merit? What does the scientific evidence say?
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Thomas Jefferson famously wrote that the earth belongs to the living. His letter to James Madison is often quoted for the proposition that we should not be bound to the “dead hand of the past,” suggesting that the Constitution should instead be interpreted as a living, breathing document. Less well known is Madison’s response, in which he said that the Constitution forms a debt against the living, who take the benefit of it. This debt, Madison claimed, could only be discharged by a kind of originalism. Who is right? Thomas Jefferson or James Madison? Please join us for a conversation with Ilan Wurman, author of the forthcoming book A Debt Against the Living: An Introduction to Originalism, to discuss this and many other questions. Stanford law professor and former federal judge Michael W. McConnell has described the book as the first “to explain to the ordinary citizen—free from what the late Justice Antonin Scalia called ‘jiggery pokery’—what it means to understand the Constitution as enduring law rather than politics by a different name.” All are welcome, but interns, law students, and potential law students may be particularly interested.
One basis of modern medicine is that low doses of many chemicals are beneficial, while higher ones are toxic. And yet a great disparity has evolved with the regulation of many entities — including carcinogens, ionizing radiation, and toxics. Their regulation is based on the notion that that a single molecule or photon is as capable of inducing cancer as the billionth one. How has this disparity happened — with low, beneficial doses being treated and regulated the same way as higher ones? What is correct?One highly compelling look at this subject has emerged from Dr. Edward Calabrese’s painstaking and voluminous research. Using recently declassified Atomic Energy Commission documents, Calabrese details the establishment of the linear no-threshold model at the height of the Cold War, when thermonuclear bombs were routinely detonated in the atmosphere, resulting in radioactive fallout. His is a spellbinding story of what is often called “noble cause corruption” of science, and of how difficult it is to correct when backed by the might of the federal government.
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Political communication can be described as the use of three separate “languages”: progressive, conservative and libertarian. Each serves to reinforce the validity of the positions of its constituent members while at the same time maligning the views of their opponents.By identifying and understanding the language that each group employs, we can discuss politics while minimizing miscommunication, break down barriers to real connection, and create space for a less fractious exchange of ideas.Join us for a timely introduction to Kling’s new and updated version of this modern classic.
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Ayn Rand’s first novel, We the Living, is a captivating story set in 1920s Russia about students trapped in a communist state. As Rand said, “We the Living is not a story about Soviet Russia in 1925. It is a story about Dictatorship, any dictatorship, anywhere, at any time.” With new authoritarian challenges to liberal democracy arising throughout the Western world, its ideas are as timely as ever. The theatrical company Austin Shakespeare will present a staged reading from The Unconquered, Rand’s play from the book edited by Robert Mayhew. A panel discussion on its themes of individualism, authoritarianism, and threats to liberty will follow.
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“Discrimination” has a terrible connotation — excluding or treating people differently for ultimately superficial reasons — and fear that choice programs would allow schools to discriminate in admissions has been widespread. But is “discrimination” always and inescapably wrong? Could it reflect a school’s capabilities or sense of mission? Join us for a very open discussion — including opinions from the audience — of this highly sensitive issue.
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According to a recent New York Times analysis, drug overdoses are now the leading cause of death among Americans under age 50. Driving this trend, which shows no sign of abatement, is a surge in opioid-related overdoses. These types of deaths have occurred with such frequency that Maryland, Florida, and now Arizona, have declared medical states of emergencyWhat to do? Solutions range from requiring more federal intervention in the practice of medicine, increasing punishing actions on heroin production in Central America and Afghanistan, and enhancing domestic law enforcement efforts to crack down on street-corner dealers and their supply networks. Other ideas involve an increase in public education, medical intervention, and monitoring, as well as deregulation and legalization.Join us for a clarifying examination of the issues and learn what Congress should and should not do to remedy the situation.
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The Democracy Fund Voter Study Group, a new research collaboration of nearly two dozen analysts and scholars from across the political spectrum, recently released new data and analysis exploring voter perceptions before and after the 2016 election.During the intense political division of the 2016 presidential campaign, the Voter Study Group began collaborating across ideological lines to examine the underlying values and opinions that influence voter decision-making. The expert group commissioned a new survey of 8,000 adults who had participated in similar surveys in mid-2016, 2011, and 2012. This unique longitudinal data set provides the basis for four new reports analyzing many of the most hotly-debated subjects of the presidential election, including economic stress, trade, race, immigration, and the evolution of the parties. During this special #CatoConnects experts who participated in this Democracy Fund project will be providing analysis and results from this study.The Cato Institute’s Emily Ekins, a member of the study group, created a “typology” of Trump voters finding five unique groups: American Preservationists (20%), Staunch Conservatives (31%), Anti-Elites (19%), Free Marketeers (25%), and the Disengaged (5%). Despite media narratives seeking out a single explanation of the Trump vote, these results indicate there is no such thing as “one kind of Trump voter” who voted for him for one single reason. Rob Griffin, another member of the study group, also finds that long-term economic stress combined with anxieties over immigration and cultural concerns, profoundly shaped the 2016 election. Ekins will discuss this and her findings that have several implications from the libertarian perspective.
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Following stunning losses by the once hegemonic African National Congress in 2016 local elections, Herman Mashaba, a successful businessman and politician from the opposition Democratic Alliance, became mayor of Johannesburg—South Africa’s economic powerhouse. Over the course of last year, Mashaba started to tackle widespread corruption as well as failing delivery of public services in the city. In addition to speaking about the state of Johannesburg, Mashaba will offer his thoughts on economic stagnation and the potentially explosive political situation in the country. Princeton Lyman, who served as the U.S. Ambassador to South Africa at the time of the transfer of power from white minority to black majority, will discuss America’s original hopes for a new South Africa and the extent to which America’s expectations have been left unfulfilled.
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While there is an ongoing debate about what caused the 2008 financial crisis, there is little disagreement that the housing market was at the heart of the problem. In the years since the crisis, Congress passed a massive new piece of legislation, the Dodd-Frank Act, and federal financial regulators have been actively issuing new regulations. But what about the government-sponsored housing enterprises, known as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac? What was their role in the crisis, and what has been done to reduce their potential harm in the future? Join us as we discuss these questions with experts from the policy world and the industry itself.
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This is an exclusive opportunity for Cato Sponsors to interact with Peter and discuss topics of interest—from policy research to the organization’s operations to Peter’s own involvement with Cato and the broader liberty movement. He looks forward to taking your questions and engaging in a thought-provoking discussion.
The 40th Anniversary e-Briefing Series offers Cato Sponsors a special online-only opportunity to directly engage with Cato’s leadership and scholars as the Institute commemorates this milestone while also examining the future of liberty.
Forty years ago, the Cato Institute opened its doors as a new public policy research organization dedicated to liberty. Today, through our independent, nonpartisan research, worldwide events, vast online resources, and media outreach, Cato engages millions on the timeless principles of individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and peace. Cato’s success is a testament to our Sponsors’ commitment to the Institute and our work. Thank you for your continued support.
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Kidney disease kills more than 50,000 people each year—more than auto accidents, drug overdoses, or suicides.
There are more than 500,000 people with end-stage renal disease currently undergoing dialysis, the majority of whom are Hispanics, African-Americans, and Native Americans. The only cure is a kidney transplant.
However, a severe kidney shortage exists right now: while about 17,000 transplants were performed in 2016, about 100,000 patients remain on the waiting list. Thousands of people will die this year without a kidney becoming available for them.Various methods to increase the supply of available kidneys have proven to be either unworkable or insufficient to significantly allay the shortage.
Join our esteemed panel as we explore various ways to alleviate this critical shortage.
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The Iran deal may not survive the Trump administration. The 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action requires Iran to limit its nuclear program and allow International Atomic Energy Agency inspections in exchange for sanctions relief from the United States, the European Union, and the UN Security Council. As a candidate, Trump said he would dismantle the deal. He now claims that Iran violated the deal’s “spirit” and has initiated a White House review of it. Trump’s skepticism matches that of several U.S. allies in the region and the mood of Republican majorities in Congress. Meanwhile, ahead of their coming election, Iranian hardliners criticize President Hassan Rouhani for not getting better terms.
Advocates of the deal point out that it’s working. Even the Trump administration has formally recognized Iran’s compliance. Freezing Iran’s program, some argue, upsets hawks on both sides precisely because it limits tensions and lowers the odds of war.
To discuss the deal and its prospects, Cato is hosting Ambassador Wendy Sherman, who led the U.S. negotiating team for the Obama administration. She’ll be interviewed by Laura Rozen, Al-Monitor’s diplomatic correspondent.
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Public schools were created with a mission to bring diverse people together and inculcate shared values thought necessary for democracy. But teaching children about politically, religiously, racially, or otherwise highly charged topics has turned out to be very difficult, driven by fear of igniting explosive conflicts. The result has been that potential flashpoints—but also crucial topics—have often been soft-pedaled or skipped entirely in schools. Which raises a fundamental question: Can a public education system encompassing very diverse people ever teach all children about highly controversial topics? Join a panel of experts as they tackle a critical question that is, itself, highly contentious.
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The Trump administration and Republicans in Congress are pushing ahead with major tax reforms. There is broad agreement on the need to simplify the tax code and to cut tax rates to improve America’s competitiveness. The administration’s tax plan would slash the top business tax rate to 15 percent, while simplifying and reducing individual income tax brackets. The House reform blueprint would cut individual and corporate tax rates and allow for expensing of capital investment. The blueprint also suggests creating Universal Savings Accounts. However, there is still disagreement among experts and political leaders over changes to the business tax base, the need for revenue neutrality, and other aspects of reform.
Join our panel of experts who will discuss the economics of tax reform and comment on the policy process in the months ahead. We will explore the proposed changes to individual taxes outlined in the Trump and House plans, and further, examine U.S. business taxation in light of dramatic reforms undertaken in the UK and around the world that offer important lessons for U.S. policymakers.
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The idea of regional or state-based visas is not a new one. Indeed, Canada and Australia have each implemented successful variations that provide some valuable lessons and hint at the major economic benefits possible for us in the United States. Adoption of a state-based visa program in America would permit our 50-state governments to craft rules for work visa programs that are more adaptable to local economic conditions than the present one-size-fits-all system run from Washington, D.C. While state governors and state and federal lawmakers are warming to the idea, all that stands in the way here is congressional approval.
Join us as we discuss the merits of such a plan, the implications for federalism, immigration, and labor markets, and the possibility of it gaining traction in this Congress.
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Unlike most other people around the world, even in democracies such as Canada and England, we Americans are free to speak our minds without government approval or oversight. The Constitution’s First Amendment and the law that has grown up under it ensures that right, even when the speech is politically controversial or otherwise offensive. Yet the battle to protect free speech is never finally won, as our campuses and courtrooms attest. And no one has done more in that battle to defend that right than Floyd Abrams, who has gone before the Supreme Court in cases ranging from the struggle over the Pentagon Papers to Citizens United and more, much more. With this new, accessible book, The Soul of the First Amendment, Abrams draws on a lifetime of experience defending our right to speak freely. Please join us for a discussion of this bedrock principle in our constitutional order.
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Is it time to end the U.S. Department of Education? With bipartisan support, the Every Student Succeeds Act curbed much of the federal control that reached its apogee with the No Child Left Behind Act, Race to the Top, and NCLB waivers. Now, with the Trump administration considering federal influence to spread school choice, even many of the biggest advocates of a robust federal role may be rethinking federal power. Join us as we debate whether it is time, politically and educationally, to eliminate the Department of Education, and if so, what should happen to its programs and functions.
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There is a growing consensus that America imprisons too many people. Americans constitute 5 percent of the world’s population and yet we hold nearly one quarter of its prisoners. In his new book, Locked In: The True Causes of Mass Incarceration and How to Achieve Real Reform, law professor John Pfaff argues that the War on Drugs and other federal policies receive outsized attention in the popular movements for criminal justice reform while local institutional actors go virtually unmentioned. According to Pfaff, the charging decisions of local prosecutors have been a key driver of prison growth since the early 1990s. Please join us for a lively discussion about police, prosecutors, sentencing, and our burgeoning prison population.
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The 2016 presidential campaign represented a break from the past in many ways, perhaps nowhere more so than in foreign policy. Donald Trump’s insurgent campaign did not draw advisers from the established foreign policy community — the voices that Barack Obama once disparagingly referred to as "the Blob" — and the candidate himself often seemed willing to challenge foreign policy orthodoxy, from NATO spending to U.S. Middle East interventionism.
As such, the Trump administration offers a unique opportunity for voices outside the traditional Washington foreign policy community. Thus far, the incoming administration has engaged leaders in the business world and recruited from the military and the corporate sector for key posts. Yet foreign policy and international relations researchers at universities around the country form another untapped pool of expert knowledge on foreign affairs. From grand strategy to cybersecurity, and nuclear posture to democratic stability, political scientists study the key questions animating today’s most important political debates.
Join the Bridging the Gap Initiative and the Cato Institute for a discussion of the ways in which international relations scholars and academics can influence policy during the Trump administration. Our panelists will highlight key foreign policy issues facing the new administration and explore how political science research can help to shape the course of the next four years.
Join the conversation on Twitter using #CatoFP. Follow @CatoEvents on Twitter to get future event updates, live streams, and videos from the Cato Institute.
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National decline often arises from special interests corrupting a country’s institutions. Such narrow interests include crony capitalists, consumer activists, economic elites, and labor unions. Less attention is given to government insiders — rulers, elected officials, bureaucrats, and public employees. In autocracies and democracies, government insiders have the motive, means, and opportunity to co-opt political power for their benefit and at the expense of national well-being. Many storied empires have succumbed to such inside jobs. Today, they imperil countries as different as China and the United States. Democracy — government by the people — does not ensure government for the people. Understanding how government insiders use their power to subvert the public interest — and how these negative consequences can be mitigated — will be front and center at this intriguing book forum.
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Third-party payers, private and public, have difficulty restraining healthcare prices, which are typically opaque and all over the place. A new insurance feature — known as “reference pricing” or “reverse deductibles” — has dramatically reduced prices, made prices more transparent to consumers, and spurred consumers to switch to lower-cost providers, all by making consumers cost-conscious. Please join us as we discuss this new innovation and direction in health-care pricing.
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Since 1994 public polling has looked at the popularity of many of the existing goals and provisions of Obamacare (like universal coverage and community rating) and has found that these provisions, when decoupled from costs, enjoy majority support among Americans. Yet again, today in 2017, our pollsters have replicated the same pattern but with a twist: what happens if the other side of the equation, the cost, is factored into the question? What happens to public support for the most popular provisions of Obamacare and further, how did this massive transformation of the health insurance markets affect the quality of healthcare people thought they were going to get as a result?
Join us as we dig into this new research and take the true measure of public attitudes toward the full implications of this legislation. Furthermore, we’ll examine how mandatory insurance irreparably undermines the very goal of insurance by destroying what Americans want more than anything from health insurance reform: quality healthcare.
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What is the proper global role for the United States in the 21st Century?
Since World War II, the United States, as the most powerful state, has chosen to be deeply engaged in the world. It has assumed responsibility for global peace and stability, guaranteed the security of dozens of foreign nations, promoted free trade, and posed as the policeman of the world by intervening in distant disputes with little direct relevance for core U.S. interests.
The bi-partisan consensus in support of this role has recently shown signs of wear. President Donald Trump criticized it, and won. Public opinion polls for the first time in recent years show significant support for pulling back from this activist foreign policy and pursuing a more modest, less costly approach to the world.
In America Abroad: The United States’ Global Role in the 21st Century, Stephen G. Brooks and William C. Wohlforth make a powerful case that America should continue its strategy of deep engagement. But what are the merits of an alternative approach, a grand strategy of restraint? Please join us as we discuss competing ideas about the future of U.S. foreign policy.
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On March 20 the Supreme Court will finally hear oral arguments in Murr v. Wisconsin, a property rights case it agreed to take up in January 2016. We don’t know why the Court waited almost 14 months to schedule the case for argument and did not wait an additional month — when Judge Gorsuch might be on the Court — but better now than never. Joseph Murr and his siblings own two side-by-side lakeside lots, one with a recreational cabin and the other left vacant as an investment. Due to land-use restrictions, they allege that Wisconsin has “taken” the vacant lot, which would require the state to pay just compensation under the Fifth Amendment’s Takings Clause. Wisconsin courts rejected this claim by considering the economic use of the two lots combined. The Murr case thus asks how courts should define the “relevant parcel” of land when evaluating regulatory takings. Cato filed a brief in this case, arguing that current regulatory-takings jurisprudence is unclear and puts a thumb on the scale for the government. Another amicus brief, filed by Nevada and eight other states and co-authored by Ilya Somin, argues that the Wisconsin court’s rule “creates significant perverse incentives for both landowners and regulators.” Please join us for a discussion of one of the most important cases of this Supreme Court term on the eve of argument.
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In Everyone Loses: The Ukraine Crisis and the Ruinous Contest for Post-Soviet Eurasia, Samuel Charap (Senior Fellow for Russia and Eurasia, IISS) and Timothy J. Colton (Morris and Anna Feldberg Professor of Government and Russian Studies and Chair of the Department of Government, Harvard University) examine the roots of the Ukraine crisis, which saw the Russian annexation of the Crimean peninsula, offering a coherent narrative of Western and Russian policies in post-Soviet Eurasia since 1991, and providing a balanced assessment of both Russia and the West’s actions post-2014. The authors argue that all governments involved must recognize the failure of current policies and commit to finding mutually acceptable alternatives. Everyone Loses provides a timely and readable analysis of how we arrived at this dangerous juncture and how we might get out of it.
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Republicans and Democrats agree that more effort should be made to restore America’s infrastructure. But how should we decide what projects are funded? How much should be spent on new infrastructure and how much on reconstruction? How does funding and finance influence priorities? Should the goal be to create short-term jobs, long-term economic growth, or simply new transportation alternatives?Join four leading transportation experts in a discussion of highways, transit, high-speed rail, airports and air traffic control, and transportation finance.
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Can states that possess nuclear weapons better coerce adversaries than states without nuclear weapons?
In Nuclear Weapons and Coercive Diplomacy, Todd S. Sechser and Matthew Fuhrmann argue that the empirical record undermines the case that nuclear weapons are a useful coercive tool. They show that states with nuclear weapons don’t have more leverage in settling territorial disputes, they don’t initiate military challenges more often, they are not more likely to escalate ongoing disputes, they are not more likely to blackmail rivals, and they are just as likely as nonnuclear states to make concessions in high-stakes confrontations.
This is not to say nuclear weapons are unimportant. They are extremely useful for deterrence. But it turns out they don’t enable states to get their way with ease.
These findings have important implications for foreign policy and our understanding of complex issues ranging from Iran and North Korea, to the prospect of conflict in the South China Sea, to America’s own approach to the world.
Please join us for this timely and provocative discussion.
Republicans and Democrats agree that more effort should be made to restore America’s infrastructure. But how should we decide what projects are funded? How much should be spent on new infrastructure and how much on reconstruction? How does funding and finance influence priorities? Should the goal be to create short-term jobs, long-term economic growth, or simply new transportation alternatives? Join four leading transportation experts in a discussion of highways, transit, intercity rail, airports and air traffic control, transportation finance, and regulation.
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Is the Supreme Court "pro-business?" That's a claim often heard from critics of the Roberts Court, now circulating once more amid a likely battle over the confirmation of a successor to the late Justice Antonin Scalia. But what does the claim mean? Does it charge the Court with ruling wrongly in favor of business litigants, with shaping legal doctrine in unprincipled ways, or with something else? In Business and the Roberts Court, Professor Jonathan Adler assembles essays from scholars who consider how and whether Roberts Court decisions can or cannot be fairly deemed favorable to business. One pattern is that this Court follows doctrinal commitments — in areas from free speech to federalism to employment and securities law — that sometimes though not always coincide with the interests of producers and employers in the national economy. As the Senate considers President Trump's nomination of Neil Gorsuch to the vacant seat on the Court, join us for a book forum on one of the most important elements of Chief Justice John Roberts' rule — and Antonin Scalia's legacy.
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Should the United States continue to use its military to guarantee the flow of oil from the Persian Gulf?
For more than 30 years, U.S. foreign policy has been shaped by a commitment to safeguard the flow of oil from the Persian Gulf. Yet profound changes in international oil markets, growth in domestic U.S. energy production, and dramatic shifts in the Middle Eastern balance of power suggest that it may be time to reconsider whether this commitment is still warranted.
In Crude Strategy, a multidisciplinary team of political scientists, economists, and historians set out to explore the links between Persian Gulf oil and U.S. national security. Their essays explore key questions such as the potential economic cost of disruption in oil supply, whether disruptions can be blunted with nonmilitary tools, the potential for instability in Saudi Arabia, and the most effective U.S. military posture for the region.
By clarifying the assumptions underlying the U.S. military presence in the Persian Gulf, the authors conclude that the case for revising America’s grand strategy towards the region is far stronger than is commonly assumed.
Please join us for a discussion of this fascinating topic.
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The last round of Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) occurred in 2005. Since then, Congress has repeatedly failed to authorize another one despite well documented evidence of overcapacity from the Department of Defense. Last year, in a thoroughgoing review, the Pentagon concluded that the U.S. military will have 22 percent excess capacity as of 2019. The Army will be carrying the greatest excess overhead—33 percent—while the Air Force will have a 32 percent surplus. The Navy and Marine Corps combined will have 7 percent surplus in 2019. Over the interim years, opponents have given a number of reasons to block another BRAC round, citing a weak economy, or saying that closing bases amounts to inefficient expenditures of public money, or that widespread economic hardship would irreparably affect the civilian support jobs surrounding closed bases. These outcomes need not be so, and proponents have a very different tale to tell based on the careful examinations of previous closures.
Join us as our experts survey the political landscape and take a look at the real impact from past BRACs.
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In the 2016 campaign, Donald Trump said that he would stop Barack Obama’s Clean Power Plan, “cancel” the 2015 Paris Accord on greenhouse gases, and end what he called “the war on coal.” Now, the President says, is the time for action. What will he do regarding energy? How can he do it? What will be the consequences? Beyond those questions of the moment lies the larger issue: What should he be doing? Please join us for a lively look at energy policy in the new administration on February 22 at 4pm.
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Join us for a special briefing to celebrate the release of the 2017 edition of the Cato Handbook for Policymakers. This invaluable resource sets the standard in Washington for reducing the power of the federal government and expanding freedom to all Americans. Each chapter provides analysis of the critical issues of the day and provides policy recommendations for staffers interested in individual liberty, free markets, and peace.And while clearly dedicated to advancing a market-liberal policy agenda, the Cato Institute has always carefully avoided partisanship. It has been our position that, with some exceptions, Republicans, Democrats, and independents all share the same basic policy goals of peace, prosperity, and personal liberty. It is in that nonpartisan spirit that we invite staff and representatives from both parties to join us as we launch this eighth edition, introduce some of the key contributors, and chart a path toward a better tomorrow.
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Predominantly Muslim societies suffer from low levels of political, economic, and civil liberties. Authoritarian political regimes, rigid social structures, and radical religious movements that suppress human liberty in the name of God loom large in the Muslim world. Is this liberty deficit due to a “dark age” of Islam, which can be overcome with reform and a different religious interpretation? Can Islam make its peace with liberal democracy, as Christianity and other religions did after their own illiberal ages? Or is there something different about Islam, making it inherently incompatible with a secular government and a free society? Mustafa Akyol, a longtime defender of "Islamic liberalism,” is optimistic. Shadi Hamid is more pessimistic, arguing that Islam is “exceptional,” in the sense of being essentially resistant to liberalism. Please join us for this timely and provocative debate.
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If you own a cell phone, you’re carrying a miniature tracking device in your pocket — a fact law enforcement agencies are increasingly taking advantage of to investigate crimes and monitor suspected criminals. “Cell-site simulators” or “Stingrays” — first designed for military use, but increasingly in the hands of local police forces — are the technology that makes it possible. Yet those agencies have fought fiercely against efforts to inform the public about how they are used, and a recent bipartisan report by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform found there’s no consensus on the rules that should regulate their deployment, or even what legal authorities govern Stringray tracking.At this Cato Policy Forum, Rep. Jason Chaffetz will present his committee’s findings, followed by a panel discussion in which policy experts and technologists explore how law enforcement can exploit this powerful tool to fight crime — while also checking its enormous power to encroach on privacy.
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If you own a cell phone, you’re carrying a miniature tracking device in your pocket — a fact law enforcement agencies are increasingly taking advantage of to investigate crimes and monitor suspected criminals. “Cell-site simulators” or “Stingrays” — first designed for military use, but increasingly in the hands of local police forces — are the technology that makes it possible. Yet those agencies have fought fiercely against efforts to inform the public about how they are used, and a recent bipartisan report by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform found there’s no consensus on the rules that should regulate their deployment, or even what legal authorities govern Stringray tracking.At this Cato Policy Forum, Rep. Jason Chaffetz will present his committee’s findings, followed by a panel discussion in which policy experts and technologists explore how law enforcement can exploit this powerful tool to fight crime — while also checking its enormous power to encroach on privacy.
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During the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump promised to “open up” libel laws to make it easier to sue news organizations. He also criticized political donors for fostering corruption and misrule. Later, as president-elect, Trump criticized First Amendment protections accorded to flag burning. His critics say these statements indicate President Trump may seriously undermine free speech. His defenders doubt that, and note that Trump has actually fought censorship by confronting political correctness. He has also pioneered using social media to campaign and, in all likelihood, to govern. Finally, apart from his own actions, President Trump will nominate new members of the U.S. Supreme Court, the final arbiter in First Amendment cases. Will President Trump be good or bad for free speech? Please join us as three First Amendment experts assess what’s to come.
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House Republicans have proposed to replace the corporate income tax with a destination-based cash flow tax. Proponents say this new tax is desirable because it is “border adjustable,” which means that exports would be exempt from tax and all imports would be subject to tax. Critics, by contrast, say such a tax violates the rules of the World Trade Organization and worry that an adverse WTO decision could set the stage for a value-added tax. Moreover, there are concerns that destination-based taxes undermine tax competition, thus making it easier for politicians to raise tax rates and increase the burden of government spending.
Join us for a lively discussion as top scholars comb through the implications and provide their considered analysis on the merits and demerits of these important reforms.
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The 2016 election saw new arguments over the old ideas of populism and nationalism. Both had seemed doomed in this new era of technocracy and globalization. New research from Democracy Fund Voice examines how populism, nationalism, and immigration affected the 2016 election. Many voters who strongly favored Donald Trump feel alienated from government, community, and a changed and changing America. What are the implications of these frustrations and fears for the Trump administration and its critics? Do the new populism and nationalism bode well or ill for the preservation of a free society?Please join us for an intriguing look at the 2016 electorate and the implications of populism and nationalism for public policy and future debates.
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With the potential repeal of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act comes an opportunity for Congress to replace it with reforms that could dramatically improve health care by expanding choice, lowering costs, and improving quality.
The discipline of economics can be of tremendous help in defining the contours of a plan that would accomplish those goals. It can also help predict whether any ideas from the vast array of proposed reforms can plausibly achieve these outcomes. Of the leading options under discussion, which are likely to work and which will lock in bad incentives and sustain harmful market distortions?
Join us for a lively presentation as we explore the options through an economic lens and identify the kinds of reforms that are most likely to satisfy the health care needs of Americans, sick and healthy alike.
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Is the modern welfare state still viable? Can it be reformed? Or do we need a new model that relies less on government redistribution and regulation and more on free markets and competition? In his latest book James Bartholomew examines welfare systems around the world and documents the strength and weaknesses of their approaches to poverty, education, health care, retirement, and other issues. Bartholomew offers a new framework for expanding liberty, while battling
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Donald Trump's inconsistency on foreign policy as a candidate has left experts confounded about what to expect over the next four years. Nevertheless, as he takes office, Trump will inherit a number of serious foreign policy challenges from his predecessor. How the Trump administration handles five key decisions, in particular, will shape the course of foreign policy over the next four years.
Will President Trump
- decide to intervene more aggressively in Syria?
- choose confrontation or cooperation with Russia regarding Syria, NATO, Ukraine, and nuclear weapons?
- take sides in the brewing Middle East cold war between Saudi Arabia and Iran?
- expand the U.S. military presence in the Middle East and North Africa to combat terrorism?
- double down on the pivot to Asia or find a new way to deal with China's rise?
With Barack Obama gone and Donald Trump in the White House, should we expect a more activist and hawkish U.S. foreign policy in 2017? Or is the new president more likely to follow his "America First" campaign rhetoric and focus more on domestic concerns? Join us as we discuss these and other questions.
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Ten years after controlling the executive branch and both chambers of Congress, the Republican Party has once again been entrusted to take the reins of power under a nominally unified brand.Yet, the widely covered initiatives of the incoming GOP president have been roundly praised and condemned with equal fervor. Likewise, for advocates of limited government, free markets and a peaceful view towards international relations, the pitch has been mixed. On one hand, there is a cautious optimism for fiscal and regulatory reforms, but conversely, many fear that protections of our most basic civil liberties are now under threat.Join us for a lively discussion as Cato scholars outline a vision for Congress that honors those classic liberal values of freedom, a restrained federal government and an ongoing commitment to peace and prosperity for all.
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More men in their prime are out of work than ever before. In his new book Men without Work, noted political economist Nicholas Eberstadt describes a new population of men—beyond the “employed” and “unemployed”—who are “unemployed but not looking for work.” Eberstadt concludes that researchers have been too quick to blame joblessness on general economic conditions rather than the personal behaviors and motivations of those men who have given up on work. David Bier, immigration policy analyst at the Cato Institute, will comment on Eberstadt’s book, focusing on reasons why immigrants have avoided this worrying trend. Join us for a discussion of the future of work in the United States.
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The United States’ historical advantages cause its people to misperceive international affairs, according to Why America Misunderstands the World: National Experience and Roots of Misperception. The author, Paul Pillar, who spent most of his career interpreting foreign actions at the CIA, argues that intelligence analysis has limited impact on how U.S. policy-makers look at the world. American culture, which comes from historical experience, instead plays the leading role.
That experience has been exceptionally fortunate, Pillar writes. Geographic remoteness from threatening rivals, abundant resources, and a liberal consensus produced great wealth, safety, power and political stability. Americans often take these blessings for granted, Pillar argues, or as proof of innate superiority.
One result is underestimation of the difficulties foreign nations face in achieving security, prosperity and unity. Another is overestimation of U.S. power to correct foreign troubles. We tend, according to Pillar, toward a Manichean worldview, where the goodness of U.S. action is taken as obvious, nationalistic resistance to it is surprising, and hostile actors’ unity and aggression is routinely exaggerated.
Eight years ago, Barack Obama arrived in Washington pledging to reverse the dramatic expansion of state surveillance his predecessor had presided over in the name of fighting terrorism. Instead, the Obama administration saw the Bush era's "collect it all" approach to surveillance become still more firmly entrenched. Meanwhile, the advanced spying technologies once limited to intelligence agencies have been gradually trickling down to local police departments. From the high-profile tussle between Apple and the FBI over smartphone encryption to debates over how to detect "lone wolf" terrorists before they strike, hard questions about modern privacy have figured prominently in the 2016 presidential race. Moreover, as WikiLeaks' sensational release of hacked Democratic Party e-mails demonstrated, surveillance isn't just a campaign issue: It's a campaign tactic too. As the nation braces itself for a new presidential administration, the Cato Institute will gather technologists, legislators, activists, and intelligence officials to survey the privacy landscape, look ahead to the issues Americans will be debating over the next eight years — from government hacking to predictive "big data" to the "Internet of things" — and examine how and whether Americans can still live at least occasionally free from prying eyes.* The 2016 Cato Surveillance Conference
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Eight years ago, Barack Obama arrived in Washington pledging to reverse the dramatic expansion of state surveillance his predecessor had presided over in the name of fighting terrorism. Instead, the Obama administration saw the Bush era's "collect it all" approach to surveillance become still more firmly entrenched. Meanwhile, the advanced spying technologies once limited to intelligence agencies have been gradually trickling down to local police departments. From the high-profile tussle between Apple and the FBI over smartphone encryption to debates over how to detect "lone wolf" terrorists before they strike, hard questions about modern privacy have figured prominently in the 2016 presidential race. Moreover, as WikiLeaks' sensational release of hacked Democratic Party e-mails demonstrated, surveillance isn't just a campaign issue: It's a campaign tactic too. As the nation braces itself for a new presidential administration, the Cato Institute will gather technologists, legislators, activists, and intelligence officials to survey the privacy landscape, look ahead to the issues Americans will be debating over the next eight years — from government hacking to predictive "big data" to the "Internet of things" — and examine how and whether Americans can still live at least occasionally free from prying eyes.* The 2016 Cato Surveillance Conference
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Eight years ago, Barack Obama arrived in Washington pledging to reverse the dramatic expansion of state surveillance his predecessor had presided over in the name of fighting terrorism. Instead, the Obama administration saw the Bush era's "collect it all" approach to surveillance become still more firmly entrenched. Meanwhile, the advanced spying technologies once limited to intelligence agencies have been gradually trickling down to local police departments. From the high-profile tussle between Apple and the FBI over smartphone encryption to debates over how to detect "lone wolf" terrorists before they strike, hard questions about modern privacy have figured prominently in the 2016 presidential race. Moreover, as WikiLeaks' sensational release of hacked Democratic Party e-mails demonstrated, surveillance isn't just a campaign issue: It's a campaign tactic too. As the nation braces itself for a new presidential administration, the Cato Institute will gather technologists, legislators, activists, and intelligence officials to survey the privacy landscape, look ahead to the issues Americans will be debating over the next eight years — from government hacking to predictive "big data" to the "Internet of things" — and examine how and whether Americans can still live at least occasionally free from prying eyes.* The 2016 Cato Surveillance Conference
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Eight years ago, Barack Obama arrived in Washington pledging to reverse the dramatic expansion of state surveillance his predecessor had presided over in the name of fighting terrorism. Instead, the Obama administration saw the Bush era's "collect it all" approach to surveillance become still more firmly entrenched. Meanwhile, the advanced spying technologies once limited to intelligence agencies have been gradually trickling down to local police departments. From the high-profile tussle between Apple and the FBI over smartphone encryption to debates over how to detect "lone wolf" terrorists before they strike, hard questions about modern privacy have figured prominently in the 2016 presidential race. Moreover, as WikiLeaks' sensational release of hacked Democratic Party e-mails demonstrated, surveillance isn't just a campaign issue: It's a campaign tactic too. As the nation braces itself for a new presidential administration, the Cato Institute will gather technologists, legislators, activists, and intelligence officials to survey the privacy landscape, look ahead to the issues Americans will be debating over the next eight years — from government hacking to predictive "big data" to the "Internet of things" — and examine how and whether Americans can still live at least occasionally free from prying eyes.* The 2016 Cato Surveillance Conference
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Eight years ago, Barack Obama arrived in Washington pledging to reverse the dramatic expansion of state surveillance his predecessor had presided over in the name of fighting terrorism. Instead, the Obama administration saw the Bush era's "collect it all" approach to surveillance become still more firmly entrenched. Meanwhile, the advanced spying technologies once limited to intelligence agencies have been gradually trickling down to local police departments. From the high-profile tussle between Apple and the FBI over smartphone encryption to debates over how to detect "lone wolf" terrorists before they strike, hard questions about modern privacy have figured prominently in the 2016 presidential race. Moreover, as WikiLeaks' sensational release of hacked Democratic Party e-mails demonstrated, surveillance isn't just a campaign issue: It's a campaign tactic too. As the nation braces itself for a new presidential administration, the Cato Institute will gather technologists, legislators, activists, and intelligence officials to survey the privacy landscape, look ahead to the issues Americans will be debating over the next eight years — from government hacking to predictive "big data" to the "Internet of things" — and examine how and whether Americans can still live at least occasionally free from prying eyes.* The 2016 Cato Surveillance Conference
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Eight years ago, Barack Obama arrived in Washington pledging to reverse the dramatic expansion of state surveillance his predecessor had presided over in the name of fighting terrorism. Instead, the Obama administration saw the Bush era's "collect it all" approach to surveillance become still more firmly entrenched. Meanwhile, the advanced spying technologies once limited to intelligence agencies have been gradually trickling down to local police departments. From the high-profile tussle between Apple and the FBI over smartphone encryption to debates over how to detect "lone wolf" terrorists before they strike, hard questions about modern privacy have figured prominently in the 2016 presidential race. Moreover, as WikiLeaks' sensational release of hacked Democratic Party e-mails demonstrated, surveillance isn't just a campaign issue: It's a campaign tactic too. As the nation braces itself for a new presidential administration, the Cato Institute will gather technologists, legislators, activists, and intelligence officials to survey the privacy landscape, look ahead to the issues Americans will be debating over the next eight years — from government hacking to predictive "big data" to the "Internet of things" — and examine how and whether Americans can still live at least occasionally free from prying eyes.* The 2016 Cato Surveillance Conference
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Eight years ago, Barack Obama arrived in Washington pledging to reverse the dramatic expansion of state surveillance his predecessor had presided over in the name of fighting terrorism. Instead, the Obama administration saw the Bush era's "collect it all" approach to surveillance become still more firmly entrenched. Meanwhile, the advanced spying technologies once limited to intelligence agencies have been gradually trickling down to local police departments. From the high-profile tussle between Apple and the FBI over smartphone encryption to debates over how to detect "lone wolf" terrorists before they strike, hard questions about modern privacy have figured prominently in the 2016 presidential race. Moreover, as WikiLeaks' sensational release of hacked Democratic Party e-mails demonstrated, surveillance isn't just a campaign issue: It's a campaign tactic too. As the nation braces itself for a new presidential administration, the Cato Institute will gather technologists, legislators, activists, and intelligence officials to survey the privacy landscape, look ahead to the issues Americans will be debating over the next eight years — from government hacking to predictive "big data" to the "Internet of things" — and examine how and whether Americans can still live at least occasionally free from prying eyes.* The 2016 Cato Surveillance Conference
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Eight years ago, Barack Obama arrived in Washington pledging to reverse the dramatic expansion of state surveillance his predecessor had presided over in the name of fighting terrorism. Instead, the Obama administration saw the Bush era's "collect it all" approach to surveillance become still more firmly entrenched. Meanwhile, the advanced spying technologies once limited to intelligence agencies have been gradually trickling down to local police departments. From the high-profile tussle between Apple and the FBI over smartphone encryption to debates over how to detect "lone wolf" terrorists before they strike, hard questions about modern privacy have figured prominently in the 2016 presidential race. Moreover, as WikiLeaks' sensational release of hacked Democratic Party e-mails demonstrated, surveillance isn't just a campaign issue: It's a campaign tactic too. As the nation braces itself for a new presidential administration, the Cato Institute will gather technologists, legislators, activists, and intelligence officials to survey the privacy landscape, look ahead to the issues Americans will be debating over the next eight years — from government hacking to predictive "big data" to the "Internet of things" — and examine how and whether Americans can still live at least occasionally free from prying eyes.* The 2016 Cato Surveillance Conference
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December 2016 marks the 25th anniversary of the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the emergence of 15 independent post-Soviet states, including Russia. The political elite of the new Russia was to play a key role in a peaceful end of the communist empire that threatened nuclear Armageddon for almost half of a century. The world greeted the entry of an independent democratic Russia onto the international stage with genuine enthusiasm and great hope. Some even believed that the world was entering a promising new era. Twenty-five years later, Russia’s autocratic regime has effectively destroyed the domestic political opposition, media freedom, and independent courts. In foreign affairs, Russia has engaged in military aggressions in neighboring Georgia and Ukraine, and is actively involved in the civil war in Syria. It is meddling in the internal affairs of European countries and, some suspect, even the United States. Join us to hear our panelists discuss what went wrong and where Russia is likely headed.
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North Korea’s nuclear ambitions have persisted through the Clinton, Bush, and Obama administrations. Indeed, the North is expected to possess as many as 100 nuclear warheads by 2020. Pyongyang is also developing the missile capability to strike U.S. bases in the Pacific and someday even the American homeland. Virtually no one believes that the Kim regime will voluntarily relinquish its growing arsenal.
Many American policymakers see China as the best means to pressure North Korea to change course. Yet Beijing so far has continued to underwrite the Kim regime. What must the United States and its allies do to convince Beijing to cut commerce with the North? Would such a course most likely result in reform in Pyongyang or a North Korean collapse? Could the latter be worse than the status quo?
Join our panel for an open discussion of these and related questions, as they consider China’s role in confronting the “North Korea problem.”
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In the years since the financial crisis, lawmakers and regulators have turned their attention to the financial sector, passing new laws and imposing new restrictions throughout the sector. Many of these provisions are now being challenged in the courts. In MetLife v. FSOC, for example, the insurance giant has taken on the government’s controversial Systemically Important Financial Institution (SIFI) designation process, winning in the lower court and now pursuing an appeal. And in Timbervest v. SEC, the Court will consider whether the SEC’s administrative proceedings have started to erode due process. In the fervor to “rein in Wall Street” that followed, did these new rules go too far, stretching the Constitution to its limit?Join us as we discuss the importance of several key cases poised to impact the financial sector, and Cato’s role in serving as amici in these and other cases.
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The freedom of speech and the freedom of the press are at the core of a free society, yet we’re increasingly discovering that, while in theory, almost everyone believes in freedom of speech, in practice, few are committed to the policies that truly safeguard it.
On the campaign trail, both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump called for “closing down” parts of the Internet as an anti-ISIS measure. Trump further claimed that freedom of the press was detrimental to the fight against terrorism, and demanded that libel laws be expanded to allow individuals to sue media organizations that publish unflattering stories about them. Following the 2016 election results, pundits blamed social media for creating an increasingly polarized voting public; Facebook and Google announced an initiative to go after so-called “fake news sites,” despite controversy over which sites, exactly, should qualify as fake; and more and more platforms have adopted increasingly restrictive policies regarding acceptable speech.
Nick Gillespie and Flemming Rose are among the many classical liberals who worry about the trajectory freedom of speech and freedom of the press seems to be taking. As editor in chief of Reason Magazine and Reason TV, Gillespie has faced Department of Justice subpoenas and a gag order from the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. When Rose, then-culture editor of the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten, became the target of death threats and more after commissioning 12 cartoons of the prophet Muhammad to be published around an op-ed on Islam, free speech, and multiculturalism in 2006, he refused to retract his opinions, instead becoming a global activist for free speech—detailed in his book The Tyranny of Silence: How One Cartoon Ignited a Global Debate on the Future of Free Speech, published by the Cato Institute.
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After another year of protests and unrest across the country, criminal justice reform remains a contentious issue. Some cities have experienced an increase in homicide rates, police departments are under intense scrutiny for their handling of police shootings, and prisoners are protesting living conditions. Meanwhile, policymakers are making scant progress to roll back mass incarceration.Given the decentralized nature of the American criminal justice system, with some 18,000 law enforcement agencies spread across 50 state jurisdictions, which reforms are the most urgent, and what can we realistically expect to accomplish in the near term? To help answer these questions, the Cato Institute will host a conference to address the most pressing issues. The State of American Criminal Justice brings together experts from courtrooms, universities, prisons, and police departments to examine the myriad policies and incentives that drive the criminal justice system at its various stages—seeking insights, strategies, and solutions. Join us for a discussion on some of the most urgent criminal justice questions facing policymakers today at all levels of government.
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After another year of protests and unrest across the country, criminal justice reform remains a contentious issue. Some cities have experienced an increase in homicide rates, police departments are under intense scrutiny for their handling of police shootings, and prisoners are protesting living conditions. Meanwhile, policymakers are making scant progress to roll back mass incarceration.Given the decentralized nature of the American criminal justice system, with some 18,000 law enforcement agencies spread across 50 state jurisdictions, which reforms are the most urgent, and what can we realistically expect to accomplish in the near term? To help answer these questions, the Cato Institute will host a conference to address the most pressing issues. The State of American Criminal Justice brings together experts from courtrooms, universities, prisons, and police departments to examine the myriad policies and incentives that drive the criminal justice system at its various stages—seeking insights, strategies, and solutions. Join us for a discussion on some of the most urgent criminal justice questions facing policymakers today at all levels of government.
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After another year of protests and unrest across the country, criminal justice reform remains a contentious issue. Some cities have experienced an increase in homicide rates, police departments are under intense scrutiny for their handling of police shootings, and prisoners are protesting living conditions. Meanwhile, policymakers are making scant progress to roll back mass incarceration.Given the decentralized nature of the American criminal justice system, with some 18,000 law enforcement agencies spread across 50 state jurisdictions, which reforms are the most urgent, and what can we realistically expect to accomplish in the near term? To help answer these questions, the Cato Institute will host a conference to address the most pressing issues. The State of American Criminal Justice brings together experts from courtrooms, universities, prisons, and police departments to examine the myriad policies and incentives that drive the criminal justice system at its various stages—seeking insights, strategies, and solutions. Join us for a discussion on some of the most urgent criminal justice questions facing policymakers today at all levels of government.
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After another year of protests and unrest across the country, criminal justice reform remains a contentious issue. Some cities have experienced an increase in homicide rates, police departments are under intense scrutiny for their handling of police shootings, and prisoners are protesting living conditions. Meanwhile, policymakers are making scant progress to roll back mass incarceration.Given the decentralized nature of the American criminal justice system, with some 18,000 law enforcement agencies spread across 50 state jurisdictions, which reforms are the most urgent, and what can we realistically expect to accomplish in the near term? To help answer these questions, the Cato Institute will host a conference to address the most pressing issues. The State of American Criminal Justice brings together experts from courtrooms, universities, prisons, and police departments to examine the myriad policies and incentives that drive the criminal justice system at its various stages—seeking insights, strategies, and solutions. Join us for a discussion on some of the most urgent criminal justice questions facing policymakers today at all levels of government.
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After another year of protests and unrest across the country, criminal justice reform remains a contentious issue. Some cities have experienced an increase in homicide rates, police departments are under intense scrutiny for their handling of police shootings, and prisoners are protesting living conditions. Meanwhile, policymakers are making scant progress to roll back mass incarceration.
Given the decentralized nature of the American criminal justice system, with some 18,000 law enforcement agencies spread across 50 state jurisdictions, which reforms are the most urgent, and what can we realistically expect to accomplish in the near term? To help answer these questions, the Cato Institute will host a conference to address the most pressing issues. The State of American Criminal Justice brings together experts from courtrooms, universities, prisons, and police departments to examine the myriad policies and incentives that drive the criminal justice system at its various stages—seeking insights, strategies, and solutions. Join us for a discussion on some of the most urgent criminal justice questions facing policymakers today at all levels of government.
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Each year unelected federal administrators write thousands of regulations possessing the force of law. What do these civil servants know about the American people whom they ostensibly serve? Not much, according to this enlightening and disturbing study.
The authors surveyed federal agency officials, congressional and White House staffers, and employees of various policy-making organizations about their attitudes toward and knowledge of the public. They found a great difference between what official Washington assumes they know about average Americans and the actual opinions and attitudes of American citizens. When it comes to policy issues—on such crucial issues as defense, crime, social security, welfare, public education, and the environment—officials' perceptions of the public's knowledge and positions are often wide of the mark. Compounding this ignorance is a pervasive attitude of smug dismissiveness toward the citizenry and little sense of accountability. As a result, bureaucrats tend to follow their own preferences without much reference to the opinions of the public. The authors recommend changes to improve governance.
Please join us for interesting look at the Washington elite in a time of populist anger.
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President-elect Donald Trump has said that he will balance the federal budget and cut spending. During the election campaign, he complained about “waste, fraud, and abuse all over the place” and promised to “cut so much, your head will spin.” And he said, “We are going to ask every department head in government to provide a list of wasteful spending projects that we can eliminate in my first 100 days.”Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) has created such a list of wasteful spending programs in his new report Federal Fumbles: 100 Ways the Government Dropped the Ball. Join the senator and leading budget experts to discuss the report and describe ways that the incoming Trump administration can cut unneeded spending.
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Housing prices are rapidly climbing in many American urban areas, pushing low-income and sometimes even middle-income people out of rental and home buying markets. American homeownership rates have fallen to the lowest levels since 1965, increasing wealth inequality and reducing productivity.Should urban areas respond to this affordability crisis by “growing up,” that is, building higher densities in the existing urban footprint as recommended by a recent White House policy paper? Or should they “grow out,” that is, build more developments at market densities at the urban fringe? Join three housing policy experts in a discussion of this question that is critical to the future of American cities.
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The Cato Institute’s Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives invites you to join us at CATO’S 34TH ANNUAL MONETARY CONFERENCE. Leading experts will address the risks inherent in the unconventional monetary policies of the world’s leading central banks and the steps that need to be taken to restore long-run economic growth.
The lack of any monetary rule to guide policy decisions has created great uncertainty and increased financial volatility. Zero or negative interest rates and quantitative easing have created severe distortions in asset markets by increasing risk taking and politicizing credit allocation while failing to bring about robust economic growth. Attend Cato’s Annual Monetary Conference to find out why.
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The Cato Institute’s Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives invites you to join us at CATO’S 34TH ANNUAL MONETARY CONFERENCE. Leading experts will address the risks inherent in the unconventional monetary policies of the world’s leading central banks and the steps that need to be taken to restore long-run economic growth.
The lack of any monetary rule to guide policy decisions has created great uncertainty and increased financial volatility. Zero or negative interest rates and quantitative easing have created severe distortions in asset markets by increasing risk taking and politicizing credit allocation while failing to bring about robust economic growth. Attend Cato’s Annual Monetary Conference to find out why.
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The Cato Institute’s Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives invites you to join us at CATO’S 34TH ANNUAL MONETARY CONFERENCE. Leading experts will address the risks inherent in the unconventional monetary policies of the world’s leading central banks and the steps that need to be taken to restore long-run economic growth.
The lack of any monetary rule to guide policy decisions has created great uncertainty and increased financial volatility. Zero or negative interest rates and quantitative easing have created severe distortions in asset markets by increasing risk taking and politicizing credit allocation while failing to bring about robust economic growth. Attend Cato’s Annual Monetary Conference to find out why.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The Cato Institute’s Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives invites you to join us at CATO’S 34TH ANNUAL MONETARY CONFERENCE. Leading experts will address the risks inherent in the unconventional monetary policies of the world’s leading central banks and the steps that need to be taken to restore long-run economic growth.
The lack of any monetary rule to guide policy decisions has created great uncertainty and increased financial volatility. Zero or negative interest rates and quantitative easing have created severe distortions in asset markets by increasing risk taking and politicizing credit allocation while failing to bring about robust economic growth. Attend Cato’s Annual Monetary Conference to find out why.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The Cato Institute’s Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives invites you to join us at CATO’S 34TH ANNUAL MONETARY CONFERENCE. Leading experts will address the risks inherent in the unconventional monetary policies of the world’s leading central banks and the steps that need to be taken to restore long-run economic growth.
The lack of any monetary rule to guide policy decisions has created great uncertainty and increased financial volatility. Zero or negative interest rates and quantitative easing have created severe distortions in asset markets by increasing risk taking and politicizing credit allocation while failing to bring about robust economic growth. Attend Cato’s Annual Monetary Conference to find out why.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The Cato Institute’s Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives invites you to join us at CATO’S 34TH ANNUAL MONETARY CONFERENCE. Leading experts will address the risks inherent in the unconventional monetary policies of the world’s leading central banks and the steps that need to be taken to restore long-run economic growth.
The lack of any monetary rule to guide policy decisions has created great uncertainty and increased financial volatility. Zero or negative interest rates and quantitative easing have created severe distortions in asset markets by increasing risk taking and politicizing credit allocation while failing to bring about robust economic growth. Attend Cato’s Annual Monetary Conference to find out why.
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The optimism that followed the end of the Cold War has been replaced by fear and pessimism. Russia is reasserting itself on the world stage, China continues to increase tensions in the Asia-Pacific region, and North Korea is inching toward a nuclear weapon capable of hitting the U.S. homeland. All of this has led many to believe that the world is more dangerous than ever before.Meanwhile, the growth of U.S. defense spending has slowed, leading some to conclude that America’s military has been “gutted” and is unprepared to meet today’s challenges, including its role as protector of the global order.Is the world more dangerous than ever? Have funding constraints degraded the strength of the U.S. military? Should we revisit U.S. grand strategy, including the missions that we assign to the American military? Join us for a conversation on the myths and misperceptions that cloud a clear discussion of U.S. foreign policy.
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For-profit colleges have been accused of deceiving students, fueling debt, and producing atrocious outcomes. Many big chains—most notably Corinthian Colleges and ITT—have gone out of business under heavy scrutiny from public officials. Are for-profit schools truly miserable, or are they being targeted for political reasons? And what do the election results bode for them? Join us for a free-flowing exchange about for-profit higher education.
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Since the Franklin Roosevelt administration, the vision of U.S. trade policy has been to expand global commerce by reducing government-imposed barriers. Ambassadors Kantor and Schwab played significant roles in that effort. Ambassador Kantor finalized the NAFTA, and also the Uruguay Round negotiations that established the World Trade Organization (WTO). Ambassador Schwab concluded trade agreements with Peru, Colombia, Panama, and South Korea.
Unfortunately, positions espoused in 2016 by major party presidential candidates indicate little or no support for trade liberalization. Have decades of U.S. leadership toward a more open global economy come to an end? What could be done to improve public understanding of trade’s benefits? Will the political focus remain largely on protecting existing jobs, or will broader societal gains from trade be recognized? What might supporters of trade reform do to advance their cause? Please join us for this timely discussion.
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The 2008 collapse of Iceland’s grossly overextended banks added fuel to the conflagration in global financial markets and wreaked havoc with the country’s economy, which at one point saw its stock market lose 95 percent of its value and its unemployment rate rise above 25 percent.Since then the economy has recovered, the country’s unemployment rate today stands at just 2.5 percent, and the government recently paid back a $2.5 billion IMF loan.However, last spring the government announced it would impose a haircut on its foreign bondholders, threatening its access to financial markets and endangering its strong economic performance of the last few years.The island’s October 29 election solidified the Pirate Party’s presence in government and may result in a new ruling coalition that is ambivalent — or hostile — towards market economics as well as any commitments made by its predecessors to investors or trading partners. Our panelists hope to shed some light on what Iceland’s future will hold and what that means for U.S. policy and global finance.
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The bleak prospect of living in a country governed by one of the major-party presidential candidates seems to bolster arguments against voting. Declining to participate in this year’s deeply unsatisfactory election may signal a preference for “none of the above” while denying personal sanction to the many wrongs and injustices governments mete out in our names. Not voting is a time-saver, too.
But non-participation in the vote may be an unwise option. Voting doesn’t just elect a candidate: it may signal to a variety of important audiences what direction the electorate would like the country to take. Perhaps voting is the best option available, even if other candidates and other systems of government would provide more liberty and prosperity. Failing to vote may waste personal power.
Is the best choice to vote one’s conscience, vote strategically, or not vote at all?
Join us for a debate on the merits of voting, followed by a convivial reception to pre-mourn the outcomes of the forthcoming election.
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Scapegoating trade for problems real and imagined is nothing new. Blaming foreigners for domestic woes ingratiates politicians to excitable elements of the electorate and helps them direct voter anger away from their own records. But this year the rhetoric has been especially disparaging, with candidates from across the spectrum perpetuating noxious fallacies about trade, its purpose, and its beneficiaries.
Among the prominent myths in circulation this year are that trade is a national competition between Team USA and the foreign team; trade destroyed U.S. manufacturing; the trade deficit means the United States is losing at trade; outsourcing hurts the U.S. economy; and, trade agreements only benefit big corporations and the rich.
Join us for a special presentation where we will set the record straight and take a clarifying look at the many misconceptions swirling around in conversations about U.S. trade policy.
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Recent events in Oklahoma and North Carolina continue to draw the nation's attention to the combustible relationship between police and the communities they serve. Yet despite the national focus, important facts are getting blurred as partisans on both sides square off in an increasingly divisive national debate.
Join our panel of Cato scholars to sort out and clarify a broad range of issues, including pretextual stops, police militarization, the use of body cameras and more.
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Every day we’re bludgeoned by news of how bad everything is—financial collapse, unemployment, poverty, environmental disasters, disease, hunger, war. Indeed, our world now seems to be on the brink of collapse, and yet: We’ve made more progress over the last 100 years than in the first 100,000. Some 285,000 more people have gained access to safe water every day for the last 25 years. In the last 50 years world poverty has fallen more than it did in the preceding 500. By almost any index you care to identify, things are markedly better now than they have ever been for almost everyone alive. Examining official data from the United Nations, the World Bank and the World Health Organization, Johan Norberg traces just how far we have come in tackling the issues facing our species. While it’s true that not every problem has been solved, we do now have a good idea of the solutions and we know what it will take to see this progress continue.
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Throughout history, kings and emperors have promised “freedoms” to their people. Yet these freedoms were really only permissions handed down from on high. The American Revolution inaugurated a new vision: People have basic rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and government must ask permission from them. Sadly, our modern bureaucratic society has turned back the clock, transforming America into a nation where our freedoms — the right to speak freely, to earn a living, to own a gun, to use private property, even to take medicine to save one’s own life — are again treated as privileges the government may grant or withhold at will. In this new book,Timothy Sandefur examines the history of the distinction between rights and privileges that played such a crucial role in the American experiment, and the fight ahead to regain our freedoms. Illustrated with dozens of real-life examples — including many cases he himself litigated — Sandefur shows how treating freedoms as government-created privileges undermines our Constitution and betrays the basic principles of human dignity.
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Rising premiums, insurer exits, and a shifting mix of plan types has observers questioning the future of Obamacare’s health-insurance exchanges. In many parts of the United States, only one insurer remains in the exchange. In some cases, premiums are rising by an average of 50 percent. Are these just growing pains, or are the exchanges in the throes of a death spiral? A panel of scholars will offer differing perspectives on the performance and prospects for the centerpiece of Obamacare.
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China’s turn to the free market in goods and services has enabled it to achieve high growth and remarkable material progress for decades, but growth in recent years has slowed markedly. Weiying Zhang, one of China’s most influential economists, will explain why the country needs a free market for ideas if it is to become prosperous. Competing viewpoints, scholarship, and faiths are necessary to test out new ideas and for a society to progress. After 2003, however, the Chinese government has stalled reforms and is increasingly restricting the market for ideas. Zhang will draw from ancient through contemporary Chinese history to show how this restriction is jeopardizing China’s future. Ning Wang will explain how the government’s monopoly on ideas is responsible for China’s lack of innovation in science and technology, and is holding back its economy in a world that is becoming increasingly knowledge intensive.
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China’s eight-fold expansion in steel production over the past 20 years has resulted in a worldwide oversupply. China now accounts for half of global steel output and is the largest exporter. Steel producers in the United States and other countries have faced a rising tide of imported steel. The U.S. reaction has been to impose antidumping (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) measures to restrict imports. AD/CVD orders have not succeeded in restoring full profitability to U.S. steel mills, but have raised costs for manufacturers that use steel as an input.
How did China become the dominant player in the global steel marketplace? Will its production continue to rise, or be curtailed? What are the implications of global oversupply for the American steel industry? And what policy responses might best serve U.S. interests? Please join us for a discussion of these important issues.
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Across the political spectrum there is a growing recognition that our current welfare state is unable to meet the challenges of the 21st century. Among the alternatives being explored by scholars on both the right and left is the idea of a Universal Basic Income (UBI), a simple cash payment from the government to every citizen, without other requirements or restrictions. Two new books look at this idea from very different, but overlapping directions. Charles Murray, envisions a UBI as an alternative to the current bloated and bureaucratic welfare state. Andy Stern worries about inequality and a future in which automation has reduced low-skilled employment. Along with Cato senior fellow Michael Tanner, they will discuss whether a UBI is a practical and affordable approach to poverty in a new economy and whether or not there really is an opportunity to build a cross-partisan consensus for a new approach to social welfare.
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Are immigrants and refugees critical threats to American security? The Syrian refugee crisis and terrorist attacks in the United States and Europe have prompted fierce debate over how to strike the proper balance between national security, the benefits of immigration, and a humanitarian refugee policy. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has taken the extreme position that the United States should not welcome any immigrants or refugees from Muslim-majority nations because of the threat of terrorism. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, on the other hand, has called for significant increases in the number of Syrian refugees that the United States accepts. Join us for a wide-ranging discussion as our expert panel examines the risk posed by foreign-born terrorists and how the public views the connection between immigrants and refugees on the one hand and national security and terrorism on the other.
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Law professor James Duane became a viral sensation in 2008 for a lively lecture that explained why people shouldn’t agree to answer questions from the police. In his new book, You Have the Right to Remain Innocent, Duane expands on that presentation, offering a vigorous defense of every citizen’s constitutionally protected right to avoid self-incrimination. By using case histories of innocent persons who were wrongfully imprisoned because of information they gave to police, Duane debunks the claim that “if you haven’t done anything wrong, then you don’t have anything to worry about.” Join us for an informative lecture about the Constitution and how to protect yourself and stay out of trouble with the police.
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Six years after its enactment, Obamacare remains one of the most controversial, divisive, and enduring political issues in America. In Unraveled: Obamacare, Religious Liberty, and Executive Power, Professor Josh Blackman argues that, to implement the law, President Obama has broken promises about cancelled insurance policies, exceeded the traditional bounds of executive power, and infringed on religious liberty. At the same time, conservative opponents have stopped at nothing to unravel Obamacare, including a three-week government shutdown, four Supreme Court cases, and 50 repeal votes. This legal thriller provides the definitive account of the battle to stop Obamacare from being “woven into the fabric of America.” Unraveled is the much-anticipated follow-up to the critically acclaimed Unprecedented: The Constitutional Challenge to Obamacare (2013), which told the story of the individual-mandate litigation. Together, these two books showcase unparalleled access — Blackman has interviewed all the principals save the Supreme Court justices themselves — and a compelling narrative that reads like a legal thriller. Join us for a book forum that will discuss the past, present, and the future of Obamacare in our gridlocked government.
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As of 2016 over a million drones have been sold in America—to individual consumers, private companies, nonprofits, universities, and law enforcement organizations at the local, state, and federal levels. New regulatory schemes—some mandatory, others voluntary—have been implemented to help these stakeholders manage the safety, privacy, and operational concerns expressed about the use of drones domestically. But recent developments raise critical questions about whether the full range of the possibilities—and the perils—of domestic drone use have been explored.
The recent mass shooting incident in Dallas involved the first use of an armed unmanned system on U.S. soil. Will the precedent lead police to seek to use aerial armed drones in the future? Technology is allowing drones to stay aloft for hours, even days at a time. Will such capabilities lead to persistent, pervasive aerial surveillance? And what about the economic promise of drones? How are they being used now in the commercial sector? Have aviation safety concerns been adequately addressed? Our panelists will explore these issues in depth.
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As of 2016 over a million drones have been sold in America—to individual consumers, private companies, nonprofits, universities, and law enforcement organizations at the local, state, and federal levels. New regulatory schemes—some mandatory, others voluntary—have been implemented to help these stakeholders manage the safety, privacy, and operational concerns expressed about the use of drones domestically. But recent developments raise critical questions about whether the full range of the possibilities—and the perils—of domestic drone use have been explored.
The recent mass shooting incident in Dallas involved the first use of an armed unmanned system on U.S. soil. Will the precedent lead police to seek to use aerial armed drones in the future? Technology is allowing drones to stay aloft for hours, even days at a time. Will such capabilities lead to persistent, pervasive aerial surveillance? And what about the economic promise of drones? How are they being used now in the commercial sector? Have aviation safety concerns been adequately addressed? Our panelists will explore these issues in depth.
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So far missing from the presidential campaigns has been a serious discussion of long-run structural issues facing the U.S. economy, especially the large projected budget deficits. Continuing to delay action on fiscal imbalances is not an option for the next administration. Economic and fiscal realities will constrain future policy options, as noted in recent studies by the International Monetary Fund and the Cato Institute. Please join our panel of distinguished economists as they examine and analyze the most pressing economic, financial, and fiscal issues facing the next president.
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From Cato Institute Policy Perspectives 2016
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From Cato Institute Policy Perspectives 2016
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From Cato Institute Policy Perspectives 2016
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Each year, thousands of young professionals descend on D.C. hoping to land their dream jobs. With so much competition among young job seekers, how can you stand out from the rest of the pack? Make the most of your internship, network with peers, and learn from a panel of D.C. insiders. Speakers will offer advice and discuss their paths to professional success. They will highlight how to leverage your talent, gain influence, and start your career. Reception to follow.
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On September 7, 2016, the Mercatus Center at George Mason University and the Cato Institute’s Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives teamed up to host a distinguished group of scholars to explore pressing questions about monetary policy rules.
This video features the keynote address from John B.Taylor, Mary and Robert Raymond Professor of Economics at Stanford University and George P. Shultz Senior Fellow in Economics at the Hoover Institution.
More information on the "Monetary Rules for a Post-Crisis World" event: http://mercatus.org/events/monetary-rules-post-crisis-world.
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From the 15th Annual Constitution Day
Cato's Constitution Day Symposium is a comprehensive critique of the Supreme Court's just-concluded term, plus a look at the term ahead.
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From the 15th Annual Constitution Day
Cato's Constitution Day Symposium is a comprehensive critique of the Supreme Court's just-concluded term, plus a look at the term ahead.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
From the 15th Annual Constitution Day
Cato’s Constitution Day Symposium is a comprehensive critique of the Supreme Court’s just-concluded term, plus a look at the term ahead.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
From the 15th Annual Constitution Day
Cato's Constitution Day Symposium is a comprehensive critique of the Supreme Court's just-concluded term, plus a look at the term ahead.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
From the 15th Annual Constitution Day
Cato's Constitution Day Symposium is a comprehensive critique of the Supreme Court's just-concluded term, plus a look at the term ahead.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Socialist experiments have failed no matter when and where they have been tried. Instead of tranquility and prosperity, they have resulted in strife and impoverishment. Yet socialism keeps on reappearing — albeit in different guises — throughout the world. From Venezuela since the early 2000s to the strong support for Bernie Sanders’s presidential campaign on American college campuses today, socialism continues to enjoy a surprising degree of popularity. What accounts for that? Are socialist instincts, including zero-sum thinking and egalitarian sharing, parts of human nature that evolved in our premodern ancestors thousands of years ago? And if they are inherent to the design of the human brain, can they be overridden so that it is possible to more effectively explain the benefits of free markets? Please join our distinguished panel for a timely discussion of the origins and staying power of socialism.
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Brazil is a country where spectacular displays of wealth coexist with barefaced poverty, making it one of the most unequal nations in the Americas. In 2010 Alex Cuadros was hired by Bloomberg News to report on the rise of Brazilian billionaires, an elite group whose growing riches mirrored the ascendancy of their country as a global economic powerhouse. Cuadros will explain how many of these fortunes were made thanks to influence peddling and whether the recent well-publicized corruption scandals that rocked the country could be a signal of strengthening institutions. João Augusto de Castro Neves will offer his insights about the political and economic crisis engulfing Brazil.
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The Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act (ACA) remains unpopular. A continuing exodus of insurers has left consumers with fewer choices and higher prices, while fueling speculation about the collapse of the dwindling number of health insurance exchanges. Reports indicate one third of counties, one sixth of enrollees, and seven entire states will have only one carrier in the Exchange. At the same time, critics have yet to coalesce around an alternative to the ACA.
A promising bicameral bill introduced by Senator Jeff Flake and Representative Dave Brat offers an opportunity to not only replace ObamaCare, but to restart health care reform entirely.
Join our panel of experts as they describe how to make health care better, more affordable, and more secure.
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Over the past several years economic inequality has risen to the forefront of American political consciousness. Politicians, pundits, and academics paint a picture of a new Gilded Age in which a hereditary American gentry becomes ever richer, while the vast majority of Americans toil away in near-Dickensian poverty. Paul Krugman put it this way: “Describing our current era as a new Gilded Age or Belle Époque isn’t hyperbole; it’s the simple truth.”
But is inequality as bad as portrayed? And, if so, is it really a problem? Does economic inequality lead to more poverty? And what can we do about it, even if we wanted to? Join us as Cato senior fellow Michael Tanner reviews his new study that answers these questions and describes five dimensions of thought that are mired in error.
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Immigration is one of the most controversial public policy topics today. On one hand, tens of millions of immigrants and their children are assimilating and integrating into American economic life. On the other, concerns about immigrants and how they will affect the economic future of Americans and our nation as a whole is one of the best predictors of support for Donald Trump, the 2016 Republican Presidential candidate. Unfortunately, many of those concerns are fueled by misunderstanding the effects that immigrants and their descendants have on the U.S. economy. This special conference, timed just prior to the Presidential election, brings together some of the best minds and researchers on the economics of immigration to help inform Americans and to guide policymakers.
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Immigration is one of the most controversial public policy topics today. On one hand, tens of millions of immigrants and their children are assimilating and integrating into American economic life. On the other, concerns about immigrants and how they will affect the economic future of Americans and our nation as a whole is one of the best predictors of support for Donald Trump, the 2016 Republican Presidential candidate. Unfortunately, many of those concerns are fueled by misunderstanding the effects that immigrants and their descendants have on the U.S. economy. This special conference, timed just prior to the Presidential election, brings together some of the best minds and researchers on the economics of immigration to help inform Americans and to guide policymakers.
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Immigration is one of the most controversial public policy topics today. On one hand, tens of millions of immigrants and their children are assimilating and integrating into American economic life. On the other, concerns about immigrants and how they will affect the economic future of Americans and our nation as a whole is one of the best predictors of support for Donald Trump, the 2016 Republican Presidential candidate. Unfortunately, many of those concerns are fueled by misunderstanding the effects that immigrants and their descendants have on the U.S. economy. This special conference, timed just prior to the Presidential election, brings together some of the best minds and researchers on the economics of immigration to help inform Americans and to guide policymakers.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Immigration is one of the most controversial public policy topics today. On one hand, tens of millions of immigrants and their children are assimilating and integrating into American economic life. On the other, concerns about immigrants and how they will affect the economic future of Americans and our nation as a whole is one of the best predictors of support for Donald Trump, the 2016 Republican Presidential candidate. Unfortunately, many of those concerns are fueled by misunderstanding the effects that immigrants and their descendants have on the U.S. economy. This special conference, timed just prior to the Presidential election, brings together some of the best minds and researchers on the economics of immigration to help inform Americans and to guide policymakers.
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A well-timed gif immortalizing U.S. gymnast McKayla Maroney’s stunning acrobatics in the women’s vault final of the artistic gymnastics event set the overall tone of the 2012 London Olympics and has no doubt been watched far more times, by far more people, than the live event ever was. When McKayla was awarded the silver medal for her efforts, the world was at least as unimpressed as she was, with the face she made on the winner’s podium quickly becoming one of the most recognizable and long-lasting memes on the Internet. Later that year, McKayla and President Obama posed for a photograph in the Oval Office, emulating her by-then trademark scowl and crossed arms.McKayla is far from the only Olympian to have crossed pop culture barriers in this way. American swimmer Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time, is the subject of numerous memes. Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt’s victory pose fueled a photo craze called “Bolting,” while a picture taken of British track and field athlete Mo Farah during the 5,000-meter race inspired the popular photoshop meme Mo Farah Running Away From Things.It’s therefore no surprise that when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued constrictive new rules governing how brands, news agencies, and more could discuss the Olympics online, the Internet was incredulous.Nonsponsor businesses are banned from using any of the Olympics’ trademarked words or phrases (including “Olympic,” “Olympian,” “Team USA,” “Go for the gold,” and “Let the games begin”) or “terms that reference the location of the Olympics” (including “Rio 2016”). The rules sternly warn that “the use of Olympic material transformed into graphic animated formats such as animated GIFs … or short video formats such as Vines … is expressly prohibited.” Hashtags that include Olympics trademarks (such as #TeamUSA or #Rio2016), posting Olympics results, retweeting official Olympics social media accounts, and using social media to wish athletes luck are all verboten.But, despite the IOC’s stern warning, the Internet is still awash with gifs, tweets, memes, and more—with many of them coming from nonsponsors, and at least one American business is suing for the right to root for the home team.Meanwhile, the IOC stands by what sees as a righteous defense of its intellectual property, raising important questions about free speech and digital copyright.What is the proper balance between intellectual property and freedom of speech? Does digital copyright impose a chilling effect on online speech and innovation—or does widespread circumvention of such legal impositions weaken the rule of law? Is the IOC’s (and Minnesota business Zerorez) “sue first” mentality indicative of the overlawyering of America and the international community? What do conflicts like these mean for the future of digital media?
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Since the end of World War II, the United States has played a unique role in the world. It defended war-ravaged nations, enabling them to rebuild, and led a global coalition during the Cold War. Today it continues to provide security for other nations against a number of threats, from a rising China to non-state actors such as ISIS and al Qaeda. Washington also tries to adjudicate disputes, much as a baseball umpire ensures that the players obey the rules of the game. The United States and the rest of the world have benefited, but it has come at a cost. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have caused millions of Americans to question the nation’s global role. A new documentary, American Umpire, explores how the United States assumed these responsibilities in the first place. Then, through a series of interviews with prominent policymakers, scholars, military leaders, and journalists, it considers possible options for the future. Writer and producer Elizabeth Cobbs will join us for a special screening of the film, followed by a discussion, with a distinguished panel of experts, of its implications for U.S. foreign policy. Please join us.
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Welfare reform was not just one of the most important legislative achievements of its era, it continues to serve as the starting point for discussions of poverty and inequality today. The conference will look back at the goals of welfare reform and whether or not it has achieved them, as well as looking forward to next steps. We hope to answer such questions as the following: Did welfare reform achieve its goal of moving people from welfare to work? Did welfare reform improve economic self-sufficiency and mobility? How did welfare reform impact family structure, health, and child achievement? Did reformed welfare still provide an adequate safety net during the economic turbulence of the last decade? Is welfare reform still relevant today? How can we build on welfare reform to reduce poverty and increase opportunity? What should a safety net look like in the future?
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Welfare reform was not just one of the most important legislative achievements of its era, it continues to serve as the starting point for discussions of poverty and inequality today. The conference will look back at the goals of welfare reform and whether or not it has achieved them, as well as looking forward to next steps. We hope to answer such questions as the following: Did welfare reform achieve its goal of moving people from welfare to work? Did welfare reform improve economic self-sufficiency and mobility? How did welfare reform impact family structure, health, and child achievement? Did reformed welfare still provide an adequate safety net during the economic turbulence of the last decade? Is welfare reform still relevant today? How can we build on welfare reform to reduce poverty and increase opportunity? What should a safety net look like in the future?
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Welfare reform was not just one of the most important legislative achievements of its era, it continues to serve as the starting point for discussions of poverty and inequality today. The conference will look back at the goals of welfare reform and whether or not it has achieved them, as well as looking forward to next steps. We hope to answer such questions as the following: Did welfare reform achieve its goal of moving people from welfare to work? Did welfare reform improve economic self-sufficiency and mobility? How did welfare reform impact family structure, health, and child achievement? Did reformed welfare still provide an adequate safety net during the economic turbulence of the last decade? Is welfare reform still relevant today? How can we build on welfare reform to reduce poverty and increase opportunity? What should a safety net look like in the future?
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From Cato University 2016: Summer Seminar on Political Economy
The Cato Institute’s premier educational event, this annual program brings together outstanding faculty and participants from across the country and, often, from around the globe in order to examine the roots of our commitment to liberty and limited government, and explore the ideas and values on which the American republic was founded.
The mythology at the heart of the Star Wars motion pictures has become a powerful common language for talking about not just good versus evil, fathers and sons, and destiny and choice, but also foundational political ideas like the role of government, the nature of power, the decay of institutions, and the need for and permissibility of rebellion and revolution. In The World According to Star Wars, legal scholar Cass R. Sunstein offers insights on theses topics and more, showing how and why Star Wars resonates so deeply with so many and what it has to teach us about the most important questions we face today.
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From Cato University 2016: Summer Seminar on Political Economy
The Cato Institute’s premier educational event, this annual program brings together outstanding faculty and participants from across the country and, often, from around the globe in order to examine the roots of our commitment to liberty and limited government, and explore the ideas and values on which the American republic was founded.
From Cato University 2016: Summer Seminar on Political Economy
The Cato Institute’s premier educational event, this annual program brings together outstanding faculty and participants from across the country and, often, from around the globe in order to examine the roots of our commitment to liberty and limited government, and explore the ideas and values on which the American republic was founded.
From Cato University 2016: Summer Seminar on Political Economy
The Cato Institute’s premier educational event, this annual program brings together outstanding faculty and participants from across the country and, often, from around the globe in order to examine the roots of our commitment to liberty and limited government, and explore the ideas and values on which the American republic was founded.
From Cato University 2016: Summer Seminar on Political Economy
The Cato Institute’s premier educational event, this annual program brings together outstanding faculty and participants from across the country and, often, from around the globe in order to examine the roots of our commitment to liberty and limited government, and explore the ideas and values on which the American republic was founded.
From Cato University 2016: Summer Seminar on Political Economy
The Cato Institute’s premier educational event, this annual program brings together outstanding faculty and participants from across the country and, often, from around the globe in order to examine the roots of our commitment to liberty and limited government, and explore the ideas and values on which the American republic was founded.
From Cato University 2016: Summer Seminar on Political Economy
The Cato Institute’s premier educational event, this annual program brings together outstanding faculty and participants from across the country and, often, from around the globe in order to examine the roots of our commitment to liberty and limited government, and explore the ideas and values on which the American republic was founded.
From Cato University 2016: Summer Seminar on Political Economy
The Cato Institute’s premier educational event, this annual program brings together outstanding faculty and participants from across the country and, often, from around the globe in order to examine the roots of our commitment to liberty and limited government, and explore the ideas and values on which the American republic was founded.
From Cato University 2016: Summer Seminar on Political Economy
The Cato Institute’s premier educational event, this annual program brings together outstanding faculty and participants from across the country and, often, from around the globe in order to examine the roots of our commitment to liberty and limited government, and explore the ideas and values on which the American republic was founded.
From Cato University 2016: Summer Seminar on Political Economy
The Cato Institute’s premier educational event, this annual program brings together outstanding faculty and participants from across the country and, often, from around the globe in order to examine the roots of our commitment to liberty and limited government, and explore the ideas and values on which the American republic was founded.
From Cato University 2016: Summer Seminar on Political Economy
The Cato Institute’s premier educational event, this annual program brings together outstanding faculty and participants from across the country and, often, from around the globe in order to examine the roots of our commitment to liberty and limited government, and explore the ideas and values on which the American republic was founded.
From Cato University 2016: Summer Seminar on Political Economy
The Cato Institute’s premier educational event, this annual program brings together outstanding faculty and participants from across the country and, often, from around the globe in order to examine the roots of our commitment to liberty and limited government, and explore the ideas and values on which the American republic was founded.
From Cato University 2016: Summer Seminar on Political Economy
The Cato Institute’s premier educational event, this annual program brings together outstanding faculty and participants from across the country and, often, from around the globe in order to examine the roots of our commitment to liberty and limited government, and explore the ideas and values on which the American republic was founded.
From Cato University 2016: Summer Seminar on Political Economy
The Cato Institute’s premier educational event, this annual program brings together outstanding faculty and participants from across the country and, often, from around the globe in order to examine the roots of our commitment to liberty and limited government, and explore the ideas and values on which the American republic was founded.
From Cato University 2016: Summer Seminar on Political Economy
The Cato Institute’s premier educational event, this annual program brings together outstanding faculty and participants from across the country and, often, from around the globe in order to examine the roots of our commitment to liberty and limited government, and explore the ideas and values on which the American republic was founded.
From Cato University 2016: Summer Seminar on Political Economy
The Cato Institute’s premier educational event, this annual program brings together outstanding faculty and participants from across the country and, often, from around the globe in order to examine the roots of our commitment to liberty and limited government, and explore the ideas and values on which the American republic was founded.
From Cato University 2016: Summer Seminar on Political Economy
The Cato Institute’s premier educational event, this annual program brings together outstanding faculty and participants from across the country and, often, from around the globe in order to examine the roots of our commitment to liberty and limited government, and explore the ideas and values on which the American republic was founded.
From Cato University 2016: Summer Seminar on Political Economy
The Cato Institute’s premier educational event, this annual program brings together outstanding faculty and participants from across the country and, often, from around the globe in order to examine the roots of our commitment to liberty and limited government, and explore the ideas and values on which the American republic was founded.
From Cato University 2016: Summer Seminar on Political Economy
The Cato Institute’s premier educational event, this annual program brings together outstanding faculty and participants from across the country and, often, from around the globe in order to examine the roots of our commitment to liberty and limited government, and explore the ideas and values on which the American republic was founded.
During child abuse trials, jurors naturally defer to the testimony of medical experts who are called to explain an infant’s injuries. But if that medical testimony is based on questionable science, innocent people will be vulnerable to overzealous prosecutors. A new documentary, The Syndrome, follows the efforts of a group of doctors, scientists, and legal scholars who challenge the validity of “shaken baby syndrome,” a child abuse theory used in hundreds of prosecutions each year. Filmmaker Meryl Goldsmith and investigative reporter Susan Goldsmith examine the debate over this theory and focus on the men and women who are dedicating their lives to defending people who are unfairly prosecuted and freeing those who have already been wrongly convicted. Join us for a screening of this controversial film.
This film screening will not be livestreamed. Join the conversation on Twitter using #CatoEvents. Follow @CatoEvents on Twitter to get future event updates, live streams, and videos from the Cato Institute.
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Andrew Johnson opposed the Smithsonian Institution all his life, James Buchannan vetoed the Morrill Land-Grant Bill, Franklin Delano Roosevelt halved the federal government’s research budgets, Harry Truman vetoed the National Science Foundation bill, Dwight Eisenhower dedicated much of his farewell address to regretting the government funding of university science, and Lyndon Johnson complained that the National Institutes of Health had produced no measurable health benefits. What inspired these presidents’ antipathy? What can we learn from it?
We often hear about the accomplishments of state-funded science, and yet we have few ways of measuring its failure. While we can easily note the prima facie folly of shrimp treadmills, the true negative effects are often the science that is foregone in order to advance government priorities. The distortions caused by this scrambling of incentives and actors were duly noted by some of the more prescient of our former presidents.
Terence Kealey, Cato Institute Senior Visiting Fellow, former president of the University of Buckingham, and author of the landmark book, The Economic Laws of Scientific Research will explain why successive presidents understood we could improve science by keeping the government out.
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The Trans-Pacific Partnership is a trade agreement reached last year between the United States and 11 other Pacific-Rim nations. The deal was signed earlier this year, but congressional ratification faces substantive and political obstacles in 2016–and possibly well beyond.
Like all U.S. free-trade agreements, the TPP is not free trade, but managed trade. It achieves reductions in many trade barriers, while creating and prolonging other forms of protectionism. Does that mean free traders should oppose them? After all, past agreements have reduced domestic impediments to trade, expanded our economic freedoms, and locked in positive reforms, even if only as the residual byproduct of an ill-premised mercantilist process. Ultimately, free trade agreements have delivered freer trade.
If the agreement as written delivers more liberalization than protectionism and can be considered "net liberalizing," then it is credible to argue that free traders should support ratification of the TPP. Whether they do, then, depends on their capacity to not make the perfect the enemy of the good.
At this policy event, U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman will present his case for the TPP, which will be followed by a panel discussion of the Cato Institute's TPP assessment and a second panel discussion of the substantive and political obstacles to ratification.
- Download the abstract of the forthcoming Cato publication: "Should Free Traders Support the Trans-Pacific Partnership? An Assessment of the Largest-Ever U.S. Preferential Trade Agreement," by Daniel Ikenson, Simon Lester, Scott Lincicome, Daniel Pearson, and K. William Watson.
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The Trans-Pacific Partnership is a trade agreement reached last year between the United States and 11 other Pacific-Rim nations. The deal was signed earlier this year, but congressional ratification faces substantive and political obstacles in 2016–and possibly well beyond.
Like all U.S. free-trade agreements, the TPP is not free trade, but managed trade. It achieves reductions in many trade barriers, while creating and prolonging other forms of protectionism. Does that mean free traders should oppose them? After all, past agreements have reduced domestic impediments to trade, expanded our economic freedoms, and locked in positive reforms, even if only as the residual byproduct of an ill-premised mercantilist process. Ultimately, free trade agreements have delivered freer trade.
If the agreement as written delivers more liberalization than protectionism and can be considered "net liberalizing," then it is credible to argue that free traders should support ratification of the TPP. Whether they do, then, depends on their capacity to not make the perfect the enemy of the good.
At this policy event, U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman will present his case for the TPP, which will be followed by a panel discussion of the Cato Institute's TPP assessment and a second panel discussion of the substantive and political obstacles to ratification.
- Download the abstract of the forthcoming Cato publication: "Should Free Traders Support the Trans-Pacific Partnership? An Assessment of the Largest-Ever U.S. Preferential Trade Agreement," by Daniel Ikenson, Simon Lester, Scott Lincicome, Daniel Pearson, and K. William Watson.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The Trans-Pacific Partnership is a trade agreement reached last year between the United States and 11 other Pacific-Rim nations. The deal was signed earlier this year, but congressional ratification faces substantive and political obstacles in 2016–and possibly well beyond.
Like all U.S. free-trade agreements, the TPP is not free trade, but managed trade. It achieves reductions in many trade barriers, while creating and prolonging other forms of protectionism. Does that mean free traders should oppose them? After all, past agreements have reduced domestic impediments to trade, expanded our economic freedoms, and locked in positive reforms, even if only as the residual byproduct of an ill-premised mercantilist process. Ultimately, free trade agreements have delivered freer trade.
If the agreement as written delivers more liberalization than protectionism and can be considered "net liberalizing," then it is credible to argue that free traders should support ratification of the TPP. Whether they do, then, depends on their capacity to not make the perfect the enemy of the good.
At this policy event, U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman will present his case for the TPP, which will be followed by a panel discussion of the Cato Institute's TPP assessment and a second panel discussion of the substantive and political obstacles to ratification.
- Download the abstract of the forthcoming Cato publication: "Should Free Traders Support the Trans-Pacific Partnership? An Assessment of the Largest-Ever U.S. Preferential Trade Agreement," by Daniel Ikenson, Simon Lester, Scott Lincicome, Daniel Pearson, and K. William Watson.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The U.S. Postal Service has lost more than $50 billion since 2007 as mail volume has plummeted. House and Senate committees are working on legislation to stem the losses, and a stamp price hike is in the mix. Meanwhile, many European nations have reinvigorated their postal systems by privatizing them and opening them to competition.
What challenges does the USPS face, and what changes are being considered by Congress? Should the USPS be moved to the private sector, and should entrepreneurs be allowed to compete?
Join our distinguished panel of experts to hear about the postal deficit crisis and ideas for major reforms.
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Twenty-five years ago, India abandoned its traditional socialist policies and embraced economic liberalization and globalization. Consequently, it became a miracle economy, averaging 8.5 percent growth in the 2000s, and it is currently the fastest growing major economy in the world. Once the biggest beggar for foreign aid, it is now a net aid-giver. India has become a major global supplier of computer software and business services, small cars, and generic pharmaceuticals. It has been called a potential superpower and the only credible check to China’s dominance in Asia in the 21st century. Yet it faces major challenges. Most of India’s successes have been in the private sector, and most of its failures in the government sector. Its social indicators have improved more slowly than in almost any Asian miracle economy, or even in poor neighbors like Bangladesh. All government services are marred by poor quality, corruption, and waste. Join our panelists for a discussion on India’s prospects after 25 years of economic reform.
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If enacted, the Trans-Pacific Partnership will promote economic growth in the United States and 11 other countries in the Asia-Pacific region by reducing protectionist trade barriers. The agreement will also set rules in areas other than trade policy, including minimum standards of patent protection in all member countries. These patent rules have led many groups to criticize the TPP and other similar agreements for increasing the cost of drugs in poor countries. Some proponents of the agreement counter by noting the importance of patent protection both for promoting the development of new drugs and for driving growth in high-tech industries.
The most controversial pharmaceutical provision in the TPP has been a requirement to provide a greater period of exclusivity to a special class of drugs known as biologics. The U.S. pharmaceutical industry has complained that the TPP's biologic provision is not strict enough, and powerful members of Congress may prevent the TPP's ratification unless something can be done to strengthen the rule.
Are the TPP's patent rules too strong, too weak, or just right? Come hear our expert panel discuss what the TPP will do, or should do, to shape the global pharmaceutical market.
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For the past two decades Democratic and Republican leaders have viewed U.S. military power as indispensable to global stability. Known as "primacy" or "liberal hegemony," U.S. military alliances, they believed, would secure the peace between foreign powers, and armed interventions would be necessary to prevent terrorism and civil conflicts abroad.
This grand strategy perspective is now undergoing major revisions, with many foreign policy and military experts now calling for restraint. The United States is now viewed as greatly benefiting from a robust state of national security thanks to its geographic, economic, and military advantages. Further, decades of rigorous military interventions and long-term military alliances have caused more problems than they solved—and a grand strategy of restraint aligns with the fundamental values at the core of our nation's founding.
At this conference, experts on international security will deeply examine the major shifts now taking place in global perspectives, and will both confront and critically examine the arguments and assumptions of the "primacy" consensus. Panelists will also discuss what form a more restrained U.S. foreign policy should take, and the prospects for restraint given American politics today.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
For the past two decades Democratic and Republican leaders have viewed U.S. military power as indispensable to global stability. Known as "primacy" or "liberal hegemony," U.S. military alliances, they believed, would secure the peace between foreign powers, and armed interventions would be necessary to prevent terrorism and civil conflicts abroad.
This grand strategy perspective is now undergoing major revisions, with many foreign policy and military experts now calling for restraint. The United States is now viewed as greatly benefiting from a robust state of national security thanks to its geographic, economic, and military advantages. Further, decades of rigorous military interventions and long-term military alliances have caused more problems than they solved—and a grand strategy of restraint aligns with the fundamental values at the core of our nation's founding.
At this conference, experts on international security will deeply examine the major shifts now taking place in global perspectives, and will both confront and critically examine the arguments and assumptions of the "primacy" consensus. Panelists will also discuss what form a more restrained U.S. foreign policy should take, and the prospects for restraint given American politics today.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
For the past two decades Democratic and Republican leaders have viewed U.S. military power as indispensable to global stability. Known as "primacy" or "liberal hegemony," U.S. military alliances, they believed, would secure the peace between foreign powers, and armed interventions would be necessary to prevent terrorism and civil conflicts abroad.
This grand strategy perspective is now undergoing major revisions, with many foreign policy and military experts now calling for restraint. The United States is now viewed as greatly benefiting from a robust state of national security thanks to its geographic, economic, and military advantages. Further, decades of rigorous military interventions and long-term military alliances have caused more problems than they solved—and a grand strategy of restraint aligns with the fundamental values at the core of our nation's founding.
At this conference, experts on international security will deeply examine the major shifts now taking place in global perspectives, and will both confront and critically examine the arguments and assumptions of the "primacy" consensus. Panelists will also discuss what form a more restrained U.S. foreign policy should take, and the prospects for restraint given American politics today.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
For the past two decades Democratic and Republican leaders have viewed U.S. military power as indispensable to global stability. Known as "primacy" or "liberal hegemony," U.S. military alliances, they believed, would secure the peace between foreign powers, and armed interventions would be necessary to prevent terrorism and civil conflicts abroad.
This grand strategy perspective is now undergoing major revisions, with many foreign policy and military experts now calling for restraint. The United States is now viewed as greatly benefiting from a robust state of national security thanks to its geographic, economic, and military advantages. Further, decades of rigorous military interventions and long-term military alliances have caused more problems than they solved—and a grand strategy of restraint aligns with the fundamental values at the core of our nation's founding.
At this conference, experts on international security will deeply examine the major shifts now taking place in global perspectives, and will both confront and critically examine the arguments and assumptions of the "primacy" consensus. Panelists will also discuss what form a more restrained U.S. foreign policy should take, and the prospects for restraint given American politics today.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Throughout our history, Americans have been a highly religious people. Indeed, many of the original colonists came to the New World specifically to escape religious persecution. And though somewhat less devout than we once were, the United States still leads the developed world in religiosity.
Today, however, many feel that religious freedom is under serious—perhaps unprecedented—threat. With everything from health-insurance mandates, to the censoring of high school graduation speeches, to punishing vendors who refuse to work gay weddings, religious liberty seems to be increasingly curbed by powerful and intrusive government.
What should we do when a law or government action, often not intended to inhibit religious exercise, nevertheless does? How much of a connection between church and state is “too much,” such that it infringes on the rights of nonbelievers? How can we maximize harmony between religious and nonreligious Americans?
While these sorts of questions have arisen throughout American history, they may now be more important than ever. In this conference, we will seek to answer them.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Throughout our history, Americans have been a highly religious people. Indeed, many of the original colonists came to the New World specifically to escape religious persecution. And though somewhat less devout than we once were, the United States still leads the developed world in religiosity.
Today, however, many feel that religious freedom is under serious—perhaps unprecedented—threat. With everything from health-insurance mandates, to the censoring of high school graduation speeches, to punishing vendors who refuse to work gay weddings, religious liberty seems to be increasingly curbed by powerful and intrusive government.
What should we do when a law or government action, often not intended to inhibit religious exercise, nevertheless does? How much of a connection between church and state is “too much,” such that it infringes on the rights of nonbelievers? How can we maximize harmony between religious and nonreligious Americans?
While these sorts of questions have arisen throughout American history, they may now be more important than ever. In this conference, we will seek to answer them.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Throughout our history, Americans have been a highly religious people. Indeed, many of the original colonists came to the New World specifically to escape religious persecution. And though somewhat less devout than we once were, the United States still leads the developed world in religiosity.
Today, however, many feel that religious freedom is under serious—perhaps unprecedented—threat. With everything from health-insurance mandates, to the censoring of high school graduation speeches, to punishing vendors who refuse to work gay weddings, religious liberty seems to be increasingly curbed by powerful and intrusive government.
What should we do when a law or government action, often not intended to inhibit religious exercise, nevertheless does? How much of a connection between church and state is “too much,” such that it infringes on the rights of nonbelievers? How can we maximize harmony between religious and nonreligious Americans?
While these sorts of questions have arisen throughout American history, they may now be more important than ever. In this conference, we will seek to answer them.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Throughout our history, Americans have been a highly religious people. Indeed, many of the original colonists came to the New World specifically to escape religious persecution. And though somewhat less devout than we once were, the United States still leads the developed world in religiosity.
Today, however, many feel that religious freedom is under serious—perhaps unprecedented—threat. With everything from health-insurance mandates, to the censoring of high school graduation speeches, to punishing vendors who refuse to work gay weddings, religious liberty seems to be increasingly curbed by powerful and intrusive government.
What should we do when a law or government action, often not intended to inhibit religious exercise, nevertheless does? How much of a connection between church and state is “too much,” such that it infringes on the rights of nonbelievers? How can we maximize harmony between religious and nonreligious Americans?
While these sorts of questions have arisen throughout American history, they may now be more important than ever. In this conference, we will seek to answer them.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Throughout our history, Americans have been a highly religious people. Indeed, many of the original colonists came to the New World specifically to escape religious persecution. And though somewhat less devout than we once were, the United States still leads the developed world in religiosity.
Today, however, many feel that religious freedom is under serious—perhaps unprecedented—threat. With everything from health-insurance mandates, to the censoring of high school graduation speeches, to punishing vendors who refuse to work gay weddings, religious liberty seems to be increasingly curbed by powerful and intrusive government.
What should we do when a law or government action, often not intended to inhibit religious exercise, nevertheless does? How much of a connection between church and state is "too much," such that it infringes on the rights of nonbelievers? How can we maximize harmony between religious and nonreligious Americans?
While these sorts of questions have arisen throughout American history, they may now be more important than ever. In this conference, we will seek to answer them.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Ilya Somin’s Democracy and Political Ignorance has profoundly influenced libertarian thinking about voters and elections. More generally, the 2016 primary season has satisfied few and left the electorate choosing between two highly disliked presidential candidates. The appearance of the second edition of Democracy and Political Ignorance offers a chance to bring its author back to Cato for a broad discussion of his premises and conclusions in light of the 2016 voting. Does the election so far confirm the ideas in Democracy and Political Ignorance? What does the election so far tell us about the possibilities of limited government? Is populism a natural outgrowth, or a denial, of voter ignorance?Please join us to hear views of the 2016 election that go beyond the shallow and the mundane.
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A whole brain emulation, or “em,” is a fully functional computational model of a specific human brain. As such, it thinks and feels much like the copied human mind would. Economist Robin Hanson predicts that the age of em is not that far off, and that copied human minds may soon be more common than biological ones.
That’s a bold prediction, to be sure. Hanson’s new book, The Age of Em, explores the economic, social, and policy questions that we may face in this possible future. It also touches on the science of forecasting: What can we know about the future, using what tools, and with what degree of reliability? Even those who find farfetched his claims about brain emulation will do well to consider how sure they are of their own predictions of the future, and on what foundations they rest.
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Evidence from academic institutions and international organizations shows dramatic improvements in human well-being. These improvements are especially striking in the developing world.Unfortunately, there is often a wide gap between the reality and public perception, including that of many policymakers, scholars in unrelated fields, and intelligent lay persons. To make matters worse, the media emphasizes bad news, while ignoring many positive long-term trends.To help correct popular misperceptions regarding the actual state of humanity, Cato created the HumanProgress project. Through the presentation of empirical data that focuses on long-term developments, the goal of the project is to provide a useful resource for legislative staff, scholars, journalists, students, and the general public. To learn more and to meet the team behind this remarkable venture, please join us.
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The Cato Institute’s Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives is pleased to announce another installment of its “live” edition of EconTalk. Join Russ Roberts as he interviews David Beckworth, the author of Boom and Bust Banking: The Causes and Cures of the Great Recession and of the widely read Market Monetarist blog, Macro and Other Market Musings, on the part that the Federal Reserve and other central banks played (and the part they ought to have played) in the Great Recession.
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Shatz and Shapiro are co-authors of the forthcoming, Foundations of the Islamic State: Management, Money, and Terror in Iraq, 2005-2010 (RAND).Please join us for a discussion by two experts on one of the most important and consequential issues the United States faces today. In 2014, a militant group calling itself the Islamic State, or ISIL, but more generally known as ISIS, attracted widespread attention with several military victories in Iraq and Syria — particularly the takeover of Iraq’s second-largest city, Mosul. Cries of alarm escalated substantially a few months later after ISIS performed and webcast several beheadings of defenseless Western hostages. Unlike other groups designated as terrorist organizations, ISIS actually seeks to hold and govern — and then expand its control over — territory. Moreover, unlike the more wary al-Qaeda central, ISIS welcomes fighters from abroad. Some fear the potential return of people with Western passports who have joined it, as well as potential homegrown terrorists who might be inspired by ISIS’ propaganda or example.ISIS obtains finances by selling oil and antiquities and by extorting, or taxing, people under its control. Key to its success or failure is whether it will be able to fund itself through such activities and whether its social and economic viability can be undermined. In this panel, Howard Shatz and Jacob Shapiro will assess the degree to which the Islamic State is a viable economic and social entity, and the degree to which it is vulnerable. Please join us for what will be a highly informative event about a situation of significant importance.
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In discussions with his advisers, President Obama has been heard to worry about "leaving a loaded weapon lying around" for future presidents, Newsweek reported just before the 2012 election, in an article titled "Obama's Executive Power Grab. Yet in his second term, boasting that "I've got a pen and a phone," he's increasingly governed by unilateral directive, in areas ranging from education policy, immigration, and environmental regulation at home to military action abroad — ensuring that his successor will inherit a presidency with dangerously expansive powers.
Likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton has said she'll go "as far as I can, even beyond President Obama" unilaterally on immigration and use executive action to stop corporations from headquartering abroad to avoid taxes. "I won't refuse them," Republican frontrunner Donald Trump says of executive orders, "I will do a lot of right things."
Is the expansion of unilateral executive power the "right thing" for our system of government or a "loaded weapon" that threatens the constitutional separation of powers? Join us for a lively presentation as we explore the recent relationship between the executive and congressional branches.
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Three economists with new books discuss how to revive economic growth. Mark Skousen has long advocated a new measure of the economy called Gross Output (GO) as a more comprehensive measure of the economy than GDP, a valuable tool in analyzing the business cycle, and a better picture of what drives the economy, and now the federal government has begun publishing that statistic. Steve Forbes calls for patient-centered health care, a flat tax, and sound money as the keys to reform. George Gilder proposes a completely new framework for understanding economic growth. Books will be available for purchase.
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Entrepreneurship and innovation are key drivers of economic growth. For decades economic dynamism and creative destruction powered U.S. economic growth. Now, however, there is evidence that American innovation is declining. The ratio of new firms to all firms has declined from 15 percent in 1978 to 8 percent in 2011, and since 2008 the number of business failures has exceeded new business starts. Prominent economists have linked declining entrepreneurship to slower growth rates, and have argued that unless the trend in innovation reverses, the economy might continue to stagnate.
Every small business requires access to capital in order to grow. Congress, concerned about these trends in entrepreneurship, passed the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act in 2012 with the intent to make small business funding easier. In her new paper, "A Walk through the JOBS Act of 2012," the Cato Institute's Thaya Brook Knight provides a substantive yet easy-to-follow analysis of the law and associated agency rulemaking.
Join us as Knight describes how the Act changed existing securities laws and regulation, and explains what these changes mean for small business capital access. She'll also recommend ways for policymakers to continue to improve the funding climate for small business.
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A “ruling class” has emerged in America against the hopes and designs of our Founding Fathers. Over the last hundred years, members of that class have rejected the Constitution and expanded their own power, slowly at first and now rapidly. These people believe their actions are justified because they think they are smarter than the rest of us—so smart they can run our lives better than we can.But for all the power and resources at their command, they have failed. Miserably. Society has become increasingly unequal, even as we’re promised “equality.” Our government finances are out of control, our basic infrastructure is broken, and education is unaffordable and mediocre. And yet the ruling class thinks the solution is for us to grant them ever more control.We can stop this—but to do so we must unite. In Conspiracies of the Ruling Class, Lawrence Lindsey lays out his plan for how we can use common sense to change the way our country is run. Finally, here is the truth from a Washington insider about how to reawaken the spirit upon which America was founded, with liberty for every person to pursue his or her own dreams.
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Overdoses from heroin and prescription painkillers have killed an alarming number of Americans in recent years. Last month, President Obama announced a $1.1 billion package to combat opiod abuse. Some analysts say the federal government is not doing enough to attack heroin production in Mexico and Afghanistan. Others argue that drug interdiction and police crackdowns have failed and call for deregulation and legalization. Please join us for a wide-ranging debate about the heroin problem and what to do about it.
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After the economic disaster of the Great Leap Forward that claimed tens of millions of lives from 1958–1962, Mao Zedong launched an ambitious scheme to shore up his reputation and eliminate those he viewed as a threat to his legacy. The stated goal of the Cultural Revolution was to purge China of its bourgeoisie and remaining capitalists. The Cultural Revolution soon resulted in street fighting between rival factions. As China descended into chaos, the military intervened, turning the country into a garrison state marked by bloody purges that killed as many as one in 50 people. After the army itself fell victim to the Cultural Revolution, ordinary people used the political chaos to resurrect the market and hollow out the party's ideology. In short, they buried Maoism. Please join us for a discussion of the horrors of the Cultural Revolution and its unintended consequences.
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As a young man, David Coltart was urged by Robert Mugabe to return from South Africa to Zimbabwe, where Coltart rose to become senator and education minister. But, as Mugabe became increasingly dictatorial, Coltart became one of Mugabe’s favorite targets of vilification. Coltart was branded a traitor to the state and worthy of remaining in Zimbabwe only as a resident of one of its prisons. For three decades, Coltart has kept detailed notes and records of all his work, including a meticulous diary of cabinet meetings. Coltart’s book deals with the last 60 years of Zimbabwe’s history: from the obstinate rule of Ian Smith that provoked Rhodesia’s Unilateral Declaration of Independence from Britain in 1965, to the civil war of the 1970s, the Gukurahundi genocide of the 1980s, Robert Mugabe’s war on white landowners, and the struggles waged by Coltart’s party — the Movement for Democratic Change. Coltart will also discuss one of his key concerns: the role of political extremists who have consistently subverted Zimbabwe’s chances of realizing its true potential.
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The Constitution begins with the words “We the People.” But from our earliest days there have been two competing notions of “the People,” leading to two very different constitutional visions. Those who view “We the People” collectively think popular sovereignty resides in the people as a group, which leads them to favor a democratic constitution that allows the will of the people to be expressed by majority rule. In contrast, those who think popular sovereignty resides in the people as individuals contend that a republican constitution is needed to secure the preexisting inalienable rights of “We the People,” each and every one, against abuses by the majority. In his latest book, with a foreword by George Will, Randy Barnett explains why “We the People” would greatly benefit from the renewal of our republican Constitution, and how this can be accomplished in the courts and the political arena. Please join us for a discussion of this important new book.
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Please join us as Michael Mandelbaum—prominent columnist and author, and a leading foreign-policy thinker—discusses his new book, Mission Failure: America and the World in the Post–Cold War Era. In this definitive work, Mandelbaum critically assesses American military interventions since the end of the Cold War and the deeply flawed post–Cold War efforts to promote American values and American institutions throughout the world. Each intervention was designed to transform local economic and political systems, and each, argues Mandelbaum, failed. It is, he writes, “the story of good, sometimes noble, and thoroughly American intentions coming up against the deeply embedded, often harsh, and profoundly un-American realities of places far from the United States.” In these encounters, he concludes, "the realities prevailed." We hope you will be able to join us for what will be a provocative and highly illuminating event.
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We are witnessing the dawn of a robotics revolution. In the future, robots will undergo exponential growth in terms of their ability and application. What does that mean for human employment and productivity growth? What about incomes, leisure time, and the overall standard of living? Randy Bateman believes that, as was the case in the Industrial Revolution, robots will initially assist rather than displace human workers. Afterwards, however, there will be a great economic upheaval and a realignment of employment and tax policies. On the flip side, dangerous, dirty, and demeaning jobs will be eliminated. The two thirds of the planet that is ocean can be more widely explored and exploited.
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As the Cold War wound down, the United States initiated a new conflict—a war for the greater Middle East. From the Balkans and East Africa to the Persian Gulf and Central Asia, U.S. forces embarked upon a series of campaigns across the Islamic world with no end in sight. In his aptly titled new book, America’s War for the Greater Middle East, Andrew Bacevich connects the dots of a sweeping narrative from episodes as varied as the Beirut bombing of 1983, the Mogadishu firefight of 1993, the invasion of Iraq in 2003, and the rise of ISIS in the present decade. Indeed, Bacevich claims that America’s costly military interventions can only be understood when seeing the seemingly discrete events as part of a single war. Is he right? Or are America’s military adventures in the Middle East discrete occurrences driven by the unique circumstances of the moment? Is it really one big, long war, or many? Join us to find out.
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Cryptocurrencies and blockchain technologies, like Bitcoin, are revolutionizing the way we think about government currency monopolies, transferring money across the globe, maintaining financial privacy and security, and verifying ownership of money or potentially everything. Their place in society and the financial system is rapidly expanding and with it a host of hopes, questions, and risks. Will they provide financial security outside of government systems, or will consumers be unprotected from losses? Will they ensure financial privacy or enable criminal activity? Will they replace central banking or serve as a new tool for monetary management? And will government regulations encourage, discourage, or remain neutral to these emerging and transformative technologies? Join us for a day-long conference considering the policy implications of the decentralized cryptocurrency revolution.
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Cryptocurrencies and blockchain technologies, like Bitcoin, are revolutionizing the way we think about government currency monopolies, transferring money across the globe, maintaining financial privacy and security, and verifying ownership of money or potentially everything. Their place in society and the financial system is rapidly expanding and with it a host of hopes, questions, and risks. Will they provide financial security outside of government systems, or will consumers be unprotected from losses? Will they ensure financial privacy or enable criminal activity? Will they replace central banking or serve as a new tool for monetary management? And will government regulations encourage, discourage, or remain neutral to these emerging and transformative technologies? Join us for a day-long conference considering the policy implications of the decentralized cryptocurrency revolution.
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Cryptocurrencies and blockchain technologies, like Bitcoin, are revolutionizing the way we think about government currency monopolies, transferring money across the globe, maintaining financial privacy and security, and verifying ownership of money or potentially everything. Their place in society and the financial system is rapidly expanding and with it a host of hopes, questions, and risks. Will they provide financial security outside of government systems, or will consumers be unprotected from losses? Will they ensure financial privacy or enable criminal activity? Will they replace central banking or serve as a new tool for monetary management? And will government regulations encourage, discourage, or remain neutral to these emerging and transformative technologies? Join us for a day-long conference considering the policy implications of the decentralized cryptocurrency revolution.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Cryptocurrencies and blockchain technologies, like Bitcoin, are revolutionizing the way we think about government currency monopolies, transferring money across the globe, maintaining financial privacy and security, and verifying ownership of money or potentially everything. Their place in society and the financial system is rapidly expanding and with it a host of hopes, questions, and risks. Will they provide financial security outside of government systems, or will consumers be unprotected from losses? Will they ensure financial privacy or enable criminal activity? Will they replace central banking or serve as a new tool for monetary management? And will government regulations encourage, discourage, or remain neutral to these emerging and transformative technologies? Join us for a day-long conference considering the policy implications of the decentralized cryptocurrency revolution.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Cryptocurrencies and blockchain technologies, like Bitcoin, are revolutionizing the way we think about government currency monopolies, transferring money across the globe, maintaining financial privacy and security, and verifying ownership of money or potentially everything. Their place in society and the financial system is rapidly expanding and with it a host of hopes, questions, and risks. Will they provide financial security outside of government systems, or will consumers be unprotected from losses? Will they ensure financial privacy or enable criminal activity? Will they replace central banking or serve as a new tool for monetary management? And will government regulations encourage, discourage, or remain neutral to these emerging and transformative technologies? Join us for a day-long conference considering the policy implications of the decentralized cryptocurrency revolution.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Cryptocurrencies and blockchain technologies, like Bitcoin, are revolutionizing the way we think about government currency monopolies, transferring money across the globe, maintaining financial privacy and security, and verifying ownership of money or potentially everything. Their place in society and the financial system is rapidly expanding and with it a host of hopes, questions, and risks. Will they provide financial security outside of government systems, or will consumers be unprotected from losses? Will they ensure financial privacy or enable criminal activity? Will they replace central banking or serve as a new tool for monetary management? And will government regulations encourage, discourage, or remain neutral to these emerging and transformative technologies? Join us for a day-long conference considering the policy implications of the decentralized cryptocurrency revolution.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Cryptocurrencies and blockchain technologies, like Bitcoin, are revolutionizing the way we think about government currency monopolies, transferring money across the globe, maintaining financial privacy and security, and verifying ownership of money or potentially everything. Their place in society and the financial system is rapidly expanding and with it a host of hopes, questions, and risks. Will they provide financial security outside of government systems, or will consumers be unprotected from losses? Will they ensure financial privacy or enable criminal activity? Will they replace central banking or serve as a new tool for monetary management? And will government regulations encourage, discourage, or remain neutral to these emerging and transformative technologies? Join us for a day-long conference considering the policy implications of the decentralized cryptocurrency revolution.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Cryptocurrencies and blockchain technologies, like Bitcoin, are revolutionizing the way we think about government currency monopolies, transferring money across the globe, maintaining financial privacy and security, and verifying ownership of money or potentially everything. Their place in society and the financial system is rapidly expanding and with it a host of hopes, questions, and risks. Will they provide financial security outside of government systems, or will consumers be unprotected from losses? Will they ensure financial privacy or enable criminal activity? Will they replace central banking or serve as a new tool for monetary management? And will government regulations encourage, discourage, or remain neutral to these emerging and transformative technologies? Join us for a day-long conference considering the policy implications of the decentralized cryptocurrency revolution.
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The global poverty aid industry is big business, with the West spending more than a trillion dollars in the past decade on programs to promote development. Filmed in 20 countries, Poverty, Inc. unearths the uncomfortable side of international charity, finding that much of it hurts the world’s poor more than it helps them. Join us for a screening of the documentary that explores how perverse incentives, lack of local knowledge, and weak institutional environments combine with altruism and cynicism to produce sometimes catastrophic results. The record of aid contrasts with the film’s portrayal of the dignity and productive potential of the poor. Co-producer Mark Weber will briefly answer questions after the screening.
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Since 2001 the United States has created or restructured more than two counterterrorism organizations for every apprehension it has made of Islamists apparently planning to commit terrorism within the country. Central to this massive enterprise are the efforts of police and intelligence agencies to follow up on over ten million tips, the vast majority of which lead nowhere. In their new book, Chasing Ghosts, John Mueller and Mark G. Stewart try to answer a few simple, yet rarely asked questions: Is the chase worth the effort? Or is it excessive given the danger that terrorism actually presents? The authors will present their findings followed by questions and discussion related to the U.S. fight against terrorism. Please join us for what is sure to be a lively event.
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There is, perhaps, no bigger name in American education than John Dewey, and he wrote, arguably, nothing more influential than Democracy and Education, which turns 100 years old this year. How has the book held up over the century, with its prescription for schools to use children's natural inclinations to both educate them and unite diverse people? How educationally and socially effective have those ideas been, and how lasting their influence? Join us as we reflect on 100 years of this seminal work.
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Colombia’s half-century war with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) has cost the lives of hundreds of thousands of people and remains Latin America’s longest armed conflict. After more than three years of talks, the Colombian government and the guerrillas are nearing a self-imposed deadline for the completion of peace negotiations. Despite the support that the peace process enjoys outside Colombia, key provisions already agreed to are leading many to reject the agreement. José Miguel Vivanco will explain why the lack of meaningful accountability for crimes against humanity committed by both parties contravenes international law, delegitimizes the negotiations, and undermines the chance for sustainable peace. Adam Isacson will make the case in favor of the agreement.
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Supporters claim the dependent-coverage mandate is one of the most popular provisions of the Affordable Care Act. This provision requires employer-based insurance plans that offer dependent coverage to cover dependents up to age 26. Scholars are just beginning to measure the benefits and costs of this mandate. In a forthcoming study, Stanford University economist Jay Bhattacharya examines the effect of this mandate on wages, finding it has reduced cash compensation by $1,200 per covered worker. Asako S. Moriya from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has measured the effect of the mandate on inpatient hospitalizations among young adults, emergency department use, and other measures. We hope you’ll join our expert panel to discuss new research on this still-controversial law.
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In 2015 Japan passed landmark reforms of its national security laws, including a reinterpretation of its constitutional prohibition against collective security activities. Now Japan can legally cooperate with the United States in defensive military operations, leading many observers to declare that Japan has abandoned its post–World War II “pacifist principles.”Are such pronouncements correct? Or are the national security reforms simply the most recent recalibration of Japan’s postwar grand strategy? In her new analysis, Jennifer Lind argues the latter, stating that cries of “Japan is abandoning pacifism” are not only misleading, but distort the magnitude of recent changes. According to Lind, while Japan prefers to buck-pass to the United States, it has historically accepted more responsibility in the alliance when its threat environment grows increasingly dangerous and uncertainty exists about the U.S. commitment.But what are the implications for U.S. security of a more assertive Japan? And does Japan’s acceptance of more responsibility suggest that other U.S. allies would act accordingly if Washington were to step back? Lind along with a distinguished panel will discuss these and other important questions.
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Every year, federal, state, and local governments spend nearly $1 trillion to fight poverty, yet millions of Americans remain trapped in poverty with little hope for the future. Could the welfare system itself be part of the problem? Phil Harvey and Lisa Conyers make the case that our current welfare system has failed the poor, hurting the very people it is supposed to help. They suggest that good intentions are not enough and that if we truly want to reduce poverty, we need to understand the limits of government and radically reform our approach to welfare.
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Domestic minerals and metals are a cornerstone of the U.S. economy, but data just published by the Energy Information Agency (EIA) show that investment in U.S. mining and exploration declined an incredible 35 percent last year—from $135 billion in 2014 to $88 billion in 2015—representing the second largest decline since 1948. The withdrawal of federal lands, often with permanent restrictions on mining force manufacturers to look elsewhere, and the permitting process is long and drawn out. Federal holdings used to be called the “land of many uses,” but increasingly Washington has decided that one of those uses is no longer the mining of coal and minerals. Millions of acres, largely in the West, are now zoned for no mining, no matter how remote or rich they might be.Mamula, a PhD geologist with extensive experience in both private industry and government (with the U.S. Geological Survey and the Central Intelligence Agency), will discuss the causes of and the solutions for this problem which is increasing in strategic importance for the United States.
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Between January and March 2015, U.S. Special Operations forces deployed to over 80 countries. Although many of these deployments focused on training exercises or advisory roles, it is an astounding measure of the scope of the U.S. military's involvement around the world. U.S. forces are engaged in active conflict in at least 6 countries, ranging from the well-known (Iraq; Afghanistan) to the largely invisible (Somalia; Yemen).
The public often seems blissfully unaware of America's wars, reflecting a blurring of the line between war and peace. The ubiquity of the "Global War on Terror," the emergence of non-state actors, and technological advances have contributed to a situation in which the United States is involved in a range of conflicts around the world, most of which are invisible to the people who pay for them.
What is the nature and scope of America's involvement in these conflicts? Does lack of public awareness impact U.S. national security debates? And does U.S. involvement actually serve U.S. interests? Join our panelists for a discussion of these questions in the context of three "invisible" wars: Yemen, Pakistan, and Somalia.
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Two years ago, in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby, the Supreme Court ruled that regulations implementing Obamacare’s “preventive care” mandate violated the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) for certain closely held corporations. Employers with religious objections to some of the contraceptives that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) required them to cover had to be exempt from that regulation. They thus joined churches and their “auxiliaries,” which HHS had exempted from the contraceptive mandate after public outrage at the scope of the initial regulation. But what about nonprofits that HHS considered insufficiently religious to merit exemption? Religious schools, charities, and the like were instead offered an “accommodation”: These employers had to give the government information about their insurers and sign forms allowing their health plan to provide contraceptives. The only justification for this differential treatment was that employees of organizations that aren’t houses of worship are less likely to share their employer’s faith. In other words, HHS refused to exempt people who work for groups like Little Sisters of the Poor — a group of nuns who vow obedience to the Pope! — because they’re less committed to a religious mission. Thus the Supreme Court has taken up the issue of whether the contraceptive mandate and its “accommodation” violate RFRA by forcing religious nonprofits to act in violation of their sincerely held religious beliefs when the government has not proven that this compulsion is the least restrictive means of advancing any compelling interest. Please join us for a discussion of all the issues these cases raise, including what to look for at oral argument the following week.
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American public schools often censor controversial student speech that the Constitution protects. Lessons in Censorship brings clarity to a bewildering array of court rulings that define the speech rights of young citizens in the school setting. Ross examines disputes that have erupted in our schools and courts over the civil rights movement; war and peace; rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals (LGBT); abortion; immigration; evangelical proselytizing; and the Confederate flag. She argues that the failure of schools to respect civil liberties betrays their educational mission and threatens democracy.
From the 1940s through the Warren years, the Supreme Court celebrated free expression and emphasized the role of schools in cultivating liberty. But the Burger, Rehnquist, and Roberts courts retreated from that vision, curtailing certain categories of student speech in the name of order and authority. Drawing on hundreds of lower court decisions, Ross shows how some judges either misunderstand the law or decline to rein in censorship that is clearly unconstitutional, and she powerfully demonstrates the continuing vitality of the Supreme Court's initial affirmation of students' expressive rights.
Lessons in Censorship was named the best book of 2015 on the First Amendment by Concurring Opinions (First Amendment News 91). More reviews of the work may be found at catherinejrosslawprof.com.
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Less than 18 months ago, a cover story for the New York Times Magazine asked, “Has the ‘libertarian moment’ finally arrived?” From public suspicion of the surveillance state, to increasing tolerance for marijuana legalization, to marriage equality, to weariness with war—the article argued that after years of intellectual work, “for perhaps the first time,” libertarianism has “genuine political momentum on its side.” However, the Rand Paul presidential campaign failed to catch fire. The two breakout candidates of the presidential campaign have been a socialist and an authoritarian. The idea of tolerance seems increasingly quaint, as Mexicans and Muslims have become the target of public frustrations. And the public seems to have forgotten its weariness with war, as the Islamic State continues its brutal terrorism. Was all this talk of the libertarian moment simply wishful thinking? Or was the libertarian moment never about politics in the first place? Join David Boaz, Matt Welch, Ramesh Ponnuru, and Conor Friedersdorf for a wide-ranging conversation on the future of libertarianism.
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Four years ago, in Sackett v. EPA (2012), the Supreme Court unanimously rejected the EPA's effort to deny judicial review of its determination that a rural lot where an Idaho couple was building their home was a federal wetland. The Army Corps of Engineers makes tens of thousands of similar wetlands determinations each year under the Clean Water Act (CWA), but it claims that Sackett doesn't apply because these determinations are legally different from the EPA's orders. On March 30, the Supreme Court will hear argument in U.S. Army Corps of Engineers v. Hawkes Co. to decide whether landowners have access to court to challenge agency rulings that their property contains wetlands that are subject to federal regulation. While 30 states are now suing to overturn the newest CWA rule expanding power over "waters of the United States," invalidating that rule won't change existing federal control over individual landowners if the agencies continue to assert similarly overbroad authority. What recourse do landowners have when federal agencies decide that private property contains wetlands? According to the Obama administration, landowners first must spend hundreds of thousands of dollars and many years seeking a permit from the same officials who may not have the proper regulatory authority to begin with. The Supreme Court rejected that approach in Sackett. A win for Hawkes here would provide much broader relief from abusive agency rulings and procedures.
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Libertarians and conservatives held high hopes for a return to limited, constitutional government and fiscal responsibility with the arrival of the Tea Party movement in 2008 and 2009. Today, Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders are making credible runs for the White House. What happened? Was the commitment to Founding Era principles weakly held, after all? Join us on March 10th at 4 p.m. for a discussion about what, exactly, happened to the Tea Party.
Ask your questions to the panel using the hashtag #CatoConnects.
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Dramatic improvements in robotics, artificial intelligence, additive manufacturing (3D printing), and nanoenergetics are dramatically changing the character of global conflicts. The convergence of these new and improving technologies increases the capabilities available to smaller and smaller political entities—extending even to the individual. In a new Cato Policy Analysis author T. X. Hammes explores these developments and ponders their impact on U.S. national security. How should policymakers and military planners take these changes into account as they consider future policies? And in what ways do the convergence of technologies and the proliferation of new military capabilities challenge the conventional wisdom surrounding how to fight—and even whether to fight? The author will present his findings, followed by comments and questions from our distinguished panelists.
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Since Milton Friedman, school choice proponents have argued that vouchers and other private choice programs would improve student performance, and nearly every “gold-standard” study has found they do – until now. Recent studies of Louisiana’s voucher program have found that it actually reduced students’ performance on standardized tests. Why? In this forum top experts will discuss several possible reasons for this, including the role of various regulations, and will debate what the body of research says about how to design choice policies. We hope you’ll join us for this crucial conversation.
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Drug trafficking is one of the most resilient and lucrative industries in the world, with estimated revenues of $300 billion a year. Despite the tens of billions of dollars that governments spend every year trying to disrupt them, drug cartels have shown tremendous ingenuity, adaptability, and entrepreneurship to satisfy over a quarter billion customers worldwide. Tom Wainwright will use insights from classical economics and modern business theory to explain how drug cartels work, why they're thriving, and how the illicit business could be defeated by the laws of economics—that is, by recognizing the futility of prohibition. Moisés Naím will relate the book’s insights to current hemispheric affairs.
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In an effort to combat the Great Recession, the Federal Reserve embarked on an unprecedented program of quantitative easing (QE) — the large-scale purchase of financial assets using freshly created money. The idea was to lower interest rates, encourage spending and investment, and thereby boost growth and jobs. By late 2014, the Fed had added more than $3.5 trillion to its books — effectively quintupling the size of its balance sheet. But did it work? Did QE boost growth and jobs? Did it save the American economy from the abyss? Or did it merely sow the seeds of the next crisis? Join us as our expert panel debates one of the defining monetary policy issues of our time — the legacy of QE.
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Since the end of the Cold War, the United States has conducted a number of humanitarian interventions. Following the UN’s enshrinement of the “responsibility to protect,” and in the midst of ongoing international instability, Washington is bound to face pressure to perform more such operations. Given that likelihood, policymakers need standards for deciding when to intervene abroad. In his new book, Michael Doyle provides a sophisticated analysis of the circumstances in which moral and security considerations supersede the norm of state sovereignty and justify foreign intervention. Building on John Stuart Mill’s 1859 essay “A Few Words on Non-intervention,” Doyle argues that the default principle of non-intervention should only be overridden in grave situations following multilateral deliberation. Please join us for an engaging discussion.
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In the past, the European Union was seen as a force for economic liberalization. Brussels broke down many barriers to the free movement of goods, services, people, and capital. As such, the EU was credited with growing prosperity and stability on the continent. In recent decades, however, the EU became synonymous with unwieldy bureaucracy and overregulation. Today, many see the EU as a source of Europe’s problems, including slow growth, high unemployment, and rising social tensions. The "Index of Liberalization," published by the Italian think tank Instituto Bruno Leoni, identifies barriers to entry in key economic sectors across the EU. Massimiliano Trovato will present the latest data and discuss the role that Brussels is playing, and fails to play, in returning the EU to a path of growth.
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The No Child Left Behind Act, with its rules about everything from teacher qualifications to school interventions, has finally been replaced. What took so long? Finally getting the left and right to agree that Washington had gone too far. But is the Every Student Succeeds Act, NCLB’s replacement, really designed to withdraw Washington from the nation’s classrooms? And is there danger that the U.S. Department of Education will write regulations maintaining federal power no matter what the statute’s intent? We hope you’ll join us for a crucial discussion about the newest federal education law.
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Derivatives have been called “weapons of mass destruction” and have been accused of not only magnifying but also causing the recent financial crisis. In the wake of the crisis, many called for increased regulation of these products, and Dodd-Frank delivered. But what are derivatives? Do they have a beneficial role in our economy? Do they deepen financial markets and contribute to stability or are they disruptive? And are Dodd-Frank’s provisions likely to be effective? What do derivatives have to do with beer? We will address these and related issues as we delve into derivatives and their regulation. We hope you will join us.
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In 1792 James Madison, the principal author of the Constitution, wrote that “Government is instituted to protect property of every sort.” But from the 20th century on the Supreme Court has upheld one inroad after another on the property rights of Americans, culminating in the notorious Kelo decision of 2005, which upheld the city of New London, Connecticut’s transfer of Suzette Kelo’s home to a private developer. That prompted Cato to publish, six months later, Timothy Sandefur’s Cornerstone of Liberty, a detailed account of the demise of property rights in America. Perhaps the Court was listening, because since then it has issued a number of rulings that give hope that the tide may be turning. At least, we have now a full update of Tim’s first book, coauthored this time with his wife Christina, which throws the gauntlet down again before the Court. Please join us for what should be a spirited discussion of the state of property rights in America today.
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Economic sanctions have become a key component of the U.S. response to any crisis. Indeed, the Obama administration has imposed sanctions on countries as diverse as Russia, Iran, and Egypt, drawing on the strength and global reach of the U.S. financial system to coerce these states. There is no denying that sanctions can be powerful tools of statecraft. Yet the evidence also suggests a more complicated picture.Not only are sanctions often ineffective, they can also carry significant costs for U.S. businesses. In the most recent case—those levied against Russia for its aggression in Ukraine—it is unclear whether sanctions have produced any political change. At the same time, other nations are learning from the American example, experimenting with their own sanctions. Join us for an in-depth discussion of the future of economic coercion, the limitations of sanctions, and the ways in which policymakers can mitigate them.
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With the Federal Aviation Administration’s authorization expiring in March, aviation experts are urging Congress to overhaul our air traffic control (ATC) system. The system suffers from uncertain funding, is bogged down by bureaucracy, and may not be able to meet growing demands for air travel.Other nations have transformed their ATC systems, creating more entrepreneurial structures. Canadian reforms, in particular, have caught the eye of U.S. policymakers. That nation privatized its ATC as a self-supporting nonprofit corporation.Join our panel of experts to discuss the advantages of restructuring America’s air traffic control system.
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In his final State of the Union address, President Obama hinted at plans for his last year in office, which included efforts to further regulate the economy as a means of addressing policy issues like climate change and income inequality, and paid only scant attention to the Constitution where executive power is concerned. What does the president’s agenda mean for free markets and personal freedom? What can liberty-minded policymakers do to address pressing issues while still working to reduce the size and scope of government?Please join us as Cato policy experts discuss the current state of the union with respect to the courts, criminal justice reform, immigration, and taxation.
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Five U.S. states either permit aid in dying or are poised to do so shortly. Several others are considering legislation and/or court judgments that may find in favor of it in various ways. Yet the ethical questions surrounding aid in dying run deep, as even its advocates must admit: Is the choice to hasten a terminally ill patient’s death ever an ethical one? If so, what legal safeguards may be necessary? How do proponents answer charges that aid in dying will result in elder abuse, the degradation of the value of life, and the risk of a slippery slope toward premeditated killing?
As with those of many other political persuasions, libertarians may be divided on this issue. Yet it remains important to us, as to all others. Serious questions about individual autonomy and self-ownership are involved here no matter which side is in the right.
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For thousands of years, farmers used selective breeding to produce more plentiful harvests and increase the usefulness of domesticated animals. Today, genetic engineering allows businesses to do the same—but more cheaply, precisely and speedily. Unbeknownst to most people, the use of genetically modified organisms is not limited to agriculture. GMO technology is all around us, helping to produce life-enhancing products, such as synthetic insulin, and life-saving medicines, such as cancer-fighting Avastin. Still, controversy surrounding GMOs persists. Join us to hear our two distinguished speakers discuss the risks and benefits associated with GMO science.
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The benefits from international trade have been huge. However, because of a deep flaw in global markets for natural resources like oil, consumers are forced to enrich repressive governments and armed groups overseas when paying at the pump, in stores, and online.In his book, Blood Oil, Leif Wenar shows how an antiquated, anti-market rule at the foundations of global trade can be replaced by a rule of law that will get consumers out of business with autocrats, militias, and extremists abroad. Princeton’s Angus Deaton, winner of the 2015 Nobel Prize in Economics, calls Blood Oil “the indispensable guide, combining politics, economics, and ethics to tell us just how and why we are all involved, and what we ought to do to make the world a better place.” Harvard’s Steven Pinker praised it as “a fantastically stimulating read: analytic, informative, rationally optimistic, and written with erudition and panache.”Wenar, a professor at the King’s College London School of Law, has written a timely and provocative book. Please join us for a full discussion of his findings, and their policy implications.
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On the morning of January 7, 2015, Cherif and Said Kouachi, two brothers deeply offended by satirical drawings of the Muslim prophet Mohammad published in the French weekly newspaper Charlie Hebdo, exacted their own punishment for perceived blasphemy. They forced their way into a staff meeting in the newspaper’s offices and massacred 12 people. The phenomenon of killing or threatening to kill those who insult you or your way of life has come to be known as the assassin’s veto.Where should the law come down on this? Should it defend free expression at all costs no matter how inflammatory or who is offended? Or should it permit the state’s coercive power to silence those who trade in insult or invective? This conflict poses a fundamental question: how much expression must a free society tolerate?European nations have often restricted “extreme speech” while the United States has protected speech short of immediate incitement to violence. Yet Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer has urged his fellow jurists to learn from the laws of other nations. Should the United States sustain its broad protections for speech or find a better, more European balance between freedom and other values?
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In his new book The Economics of Immigration: Market-Based Approaches, Social Science, and Public Policy, editor and economics professor Benjamin Powell brings together several immigration scholars to discuss how immigrants affect the wages of American workers and government budgets, as well as how they assimilate into American culture. The book also presents different policy recommendations in light of the economic evidence—including proposals for a market in visas, open borders, and cuts in legal immigration. The author and editor will be joined by Neil G. Ruiz, PhD, Executive Director of the Center for Law, Economics, and Finance at George Washington University, who will offer his own comments and criticisms. Please join us as four economists discuss the economic impact of immigration.
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During his first presidential run, Barack Obama repeatedly promised to roll back the imperial presidency that had grown inexorably over the past half century. Then he was elected. Since 2009 Obama has claimed unprecedented power for himself while advancing a novel argument about his duty as president to ignore the separation of powers and act unilaterally to overcome congressional gridlock. "We can't wait," has been his refrain — though he has, of course, been unable to cite a "presidential power when Congress won't act" clause in the Constitution in defense of his actions. In Lawless, George Mason University law professor David Bernstein takes readers on a whirlwind tour through the Obama administration's bureaucratic overreaching; dubious assertion of executive authority over both foreign and domestic policy; unilateral changes, modifications, and delays to existing law; and implausible interpretations of constitutional law. Obama's defenders, however, claim that he has actually been restrained compared to his predecessors and that claims of rampant illegality amount to not much more than partisan sniping. Who's right? To help us untangle the legal web, the author of this provocative new book will be joined by Ilya Shapiro and Simon Lazarus.
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“We’ve paid a heavy price for having a president whose priority is expanding his own power,” then-senator Barack Obama proclaimed on the campaign trail in 2007. As president, he promised, “I’ll turn the page on the imperial presidency.”And yet, as Pulitzer-prize winning journalist Charlie Savage documents in his new book Power Wars, from the early days of the Obama administration, “policy choices that departed from Bush-era programs dwindled, and those that continued— or even expanded— Bush-era programs rose.” Indeed, as president, Obama has launched more than seven times as many drone strikes as his predecessor, including the remote-control execution of an American citizen. He’s continued and expanded dragnet domestic surveillance programs based on a secret interpretation of the PATRIOT Act and launched two wars without authorization from Congress. Much has changed in the Obama era, but the imperial presidency endures and thrives.Based on interviews with more than 150 current and former government officials, Savage’s Power Wars stands as the most comprehensive account yet of the internal deliberations within the Obama administration. It’s an indispensable source for anyone seeking to understand the factors that drove such powerful continuity between two seemingly very different presidents. Please join us for a lively and timely discussion of the politics and law of presidential power.
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The REAL ID Act is a law that Congress passed without hearings in 2005, which sought to make state driver licensing into a national ID system. The law tries to coerce state compliance with federal identification standards by threatening that the Transportation Security Administration will refuse driver’s licenses and IDs from noncompliant states when Americans go to travel. This fall, a Department of Homeland Security campaign to stir up fears that the TSA will refuse drivers licenses at airports across America was so successful that passport offices in New Mexico were swamped, and a DHS official recently published a piece in the Albuquerque Journal backtracking on a widely reported January 2016 deadline for state compliance.
DHS claims that all but a few holdout states stand in the way of having a national ID. But no state is in compliance today, and no state will be for the foreseeable future. Congress continues to fund this intrusive federal power grab, even as recent experience shows that national identification requirements are ineffective in enhancing security. Join us for a discussion of the national ID law, the ongoing implementation issues, and the reasons to abandon the policy of having a U.S. national ID.
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The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) is authorized by Section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930 to restrict the importation of articles that infringe patents and other intellectual property rights. In its ClearCorrect decision, which involves clear plastic teeth straighteners, a 5–1 ITC majority found that electronic data transmissions also qualify as articles under Section 337. A three-judge panel at the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit recently issued a 2-1 verdict against the ITC, but that split ruling may be subject to further review.Does the ITC’s decision in ClearCorrect reflect a correct reading of the statute, or has the majority gotten it wrong? If the judicial system eventually agrees with the Commission, will the precedent have only limited effect, or will Internet freedom be compromised by potential ITC scrutiny of imported digital data? Please join us to hear diverse perspectives on these issues.
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Liberal democracy improves foreign policy. That, at least, is the view of most political scientists and the idea behind the U.S. Constitution’s assignment of war powers to both executive and legislative branches. The need for public consent, the theory goes, prevents leaders from launching reckless wars. Divided power and a free press generate debate that exposes bad ideas. U.S. politics inhibits foolish wars.In a new book, Deceit on the Road to War: Presidents, Politics, and American Democracy, John Schuessler darkens that story. The need for broad support in democracies, he argues, also encourages leaders to deceive the public. Examining the U.S. debate about entry into World War II, the Vietnam War, and the recent Iraq War, Schuessler finds that presidents used information advantages over the public to manipulate it into war. The result was good in World War II, but this history suggests that democracies, at least this one, might not be so wise about starting wars.
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Featuring Terence Kealey, Author, The Economic Laws of Scientific Research,Adjunct Scholar, Cato Institute; Ronald Bailey, Author, The End of Doom:Environmental Renewal in the Twenty-first CenturyScience Correspondent, Reason; Peter Goettler, President and CEO, Cato Institute; and George Selgin, Senior Fellow and Director, Center for Monetary andFinancial Alternatives, Cato Institute.
| 12:40 – 2:00PM | Luncheon Address—Truman, Eisenhower and LBJ WereRight to Be Skeptical about Government Funding ofScience |
Featuring Terence Kealey, Author, The Economic Laws of Scientific Research,Adjunct Scholar, Cato Institute; Ronald Bailey, Author, The End of Doom:Environmental Renewal in the Twenty-first CenturyScience Correspondent, Reason; Peter Goettler, President and CEO, Cato Institute; and George Selgin, Senior Fellow and Director, Center for Monetary andFinancial Alternatives, Cato Institute.
Online registration is now closed.
| 10:30 – 10:50AM. | Registration | | 10:50 – 11:00AM | Welcoming RemarksPeter Goettler, President and CEO, Cato Institute | | 11:00 – 11:40AM | Keynote Address—The End of DoomRonald Bailey, Author, The End of Doom: Environmental Renewal in the Twenty-first CenturyScience Correspondent, Reason | | 11:40AM – 12:10PM | Instead of the Fed: How Financial Deregulation Could Have Ended Financial Crises a Century Ago, and How It Still CanGeorge Selgin, Senior Fellow and Director, Center for Monetary andFinancial Alternatives, Cato Institute |
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The highly publicized officer-involved killings of Tamir Rice, Walter Scott, Freddie Gray, and others have prompted renewed discussions about American law enforcement. Police departments face increasing criticism from protesters, the media, and the federal government. President Obama’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing published its recommendations earlier this year, but what do they mean for officers and the communities they patrol? Is sweeping reform necessary? With approximately 18,000 police agencies operating in the United States, is such reform even possible?American policing is changing. Emerging technologies provide new methods both for police accountability and surveillance capabilities. Law enforcement scholars and practitioners continue to develop innovative strategies to address crime and disorder. In many cities, police agencies are wrestling with how to increase public safety while respecting the dignity of individuals, particularly in minority communities.An array of law enforcement experts will explore these issues and more at the Cato Institute’s conference “Policing in America.” We hope that you will join us for a lively discussion of the developing changes and looming challenges in American law enforcement policy.
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The highly publicized officer-involved killings of Tamir Rice, Walter Scott, Freddie Gray, and others have prompted renewed discussions about American law enforcement. Police departments face increasing criticism from protesters, the media, and the federal government. President Obama’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing published its recommendations earlier this year, but what do they mean for officers and the communities they patrol? Is sweeping reform necessary? With approximately 18,000 police agencies operating in the United States, is such reform even possible?American policing is changing. Emerging technologies provide new methods both for police accountability and surveillance capabilities. Law enforcement scholars and practitioners continue to develop innovative strategies to address crime and disorder. In many cities, police agencies are wrestling with how to increase public safety while respecting the dignity of individuals, particularly in minority communities.An array of law enforcement experts will explore these issues and more at the Cato Institute’s conference “Policing in America.” We hope that you will join us for a lively discussion of the developing changes and looming challenges in American law enforcement policy.
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The highly publicized officer-involved killings of Tamir Rice, Walter Scott, Freddie Gray, and others have prompted renewed discussions about American law enforcement. Police departments face increasing criticism from protesters, the media, and the federal government. President Obama’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing published its recommendations earlier this year, but what do they mean for officers and the communities they patrol? Is sweeping reform necessary? With approximately 18,000 police agencies operating in the United States, is such reform even possible?American policing is changing. Emerging technologies provide new methods both for police accountability and surveillance capabilities. Law enforcement scholars and practitioners continue to develop innovative strategies to address crime and disorder. In many cities, police agencies are wrestling with how to increase public safety while respecting the dignity of individuals, particularly in minority communities.An array of law enforcement experts will explore these issues and more at the Cato Institute’s conference “Policing in America.” We hope that you will join us for a lively discussion of the developing changes and looming challenges in American law enforcement policy.
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The highly publicized officer-involved killings of Tamir Rice, Walter Scott, Freddie Gray, and others have prompted renewed discussions about American law enforcement. Police departments face increasing criticism from protesters, the media, and the federal government. President Obama’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing published its recommendations earlier this year, but what do they mean for officers and the communities they patrol? Is sweeping reform necessary? With approximately 18,000 police agencies operating in the United States, is such reform even possible?American policing is changing. Emerging technologies provide new methods both for police accountability and surveillance capabilities. Law enforcement scholars and practitioners continue to develop innovative strategies to address crime and disorder. In many cities, police agencies are wrestling with how to increase public safety while respecting the dignity of individuals, particularly in minority communities.An array of law enforcement experts will explore these issues and more at the Cato Institute’s conference “Policing in America.” We hope that you will join us for a lively discussion of the developing changes and looming challenges in American law enforcement policy.
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The highly publicized officer-involved killings of Tamir Rice, Walter Scott, Freddie Gray, and others have prompted renewed discussions about American law enforcement. Police departments face increasing criticism from protesters, the media, and the federal government. President Obama’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing published its recommendations earlier this year, but what do they mean for officers and the communities they patrol? Is sweeping reform necessary? With approximately 18,000 police agencies operating in the United States, is such reform even possible?American policing is changing. Emerging technologies provide new methods both for police accountability and surveillance capabilities. Law enforcement scholars and practitioners continue to develop innovative strategies to address crime and disorder. In many cities, police agencies are wrestling with how to increase public safety while respecting the dignity of individuals, particularly in minority communities.An array of law enforcement experts will explore these issues and more at the Cato Institute’s conference “Policing in America.” We hope that you will join us for a lively discussion of the developing changes and looming challenges in American law enforcement policy.
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The highly publicized officer-involved killings of Tamir Rice, Walter Scott, Freddie Gray, and others have prompted renewed discussions about American law enforcement. Police departments face increasing criticism from protesters, the media, and the federal government. President Obama’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing published its recommendations earlier this year, but what do they mean for officers and the communities they patrol? Is sweeping reform necessary? With approximately 18,000 police agencies operating in the United States, is such reform even possible?American policing is changing. Emerging technologies provide new methods both for police accountability and surveillance capabilities. Law enforcement scholars and practitioners continue to develop innovative strategies to address crime and disorder. In many cities, police agencies are wrestling with how to increase public safety while respecting the dignity of individuals, particularly in minority communities.An array of law enforcement experts will explore these issues and more at the Cato Institute’s conference “Policing in America.” We hope that you will join us for a lively discussion of the developing changes and looming challenges in American law enforcement policy.
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The highly publicized officer-involved killings of Tamir Rice, Walter Scott, Freddie Gray, and others have prompted renewed discussions about American law enforcement. Police departments face increasing criticism from protesters, the media, and the federal government. President Obama’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing published its recommendations earlier this year, but what do they mean for officers and the communities they patrol? Is sweeping reform necessary? With approximately 18,000 police agencies operating in the United States, is such reform even possible?American policing is changing. Emerging technologies provide new methods both for police accountability and surveillance capabilities. Law enforcement scholars and practitioners continue to develop innovative strategies to address crime and disorder. In many cities, police agencies are wrestling with how to increase public safety while respecting the dignity of individuals, particularly in minority communities.An array of law enforcement experts will explore these issues and more at the Cato Institute’s conference “Policing in America.” We hope that you will join us for a lively discussion of the developing changes and looming challenges in American law enforcement policy.
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Since assuming the presidency of China in 2013, Xi Jinping has become the most powerful Chinese leader since Mao Zedong, centralizing his authority over the Communist Party, the military, and the government. Eminent scholars and civil rights activists from China will describe the deterioration of human rights under Xi’s rule, citing the rise of arbitrary arrests and detentions; a crackdown on academic freedom; the persecution of some ethnic groups; and increasing restrictions on journalists, the internet, religious organizations, and other groups in civil society. The speakers will discuss those developments within the context of other policies, including a new national security law, an anti-corruption campaign, and economic measures in the face of a significant growth slowdown.
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| 10:30 – 10:50AM. | Registration | | 10:50 – 11:00AM | Welcoming RemarksPeter Goettler, President and CEO, Cato Institute | | 11:00 – 11:40AM | Keynote Address—Debunking the Myths of Dynastic WealthRob Arnott, Founder, Chairman, and CEO, Research Affiliates | | 11:40AM – 12:10PM | Freedom and Progress around the World |
Judge Alex Kozinski recently published a scathing critique of the American criminal justice system in an article titled “Criminal Law 2.0.” According to Judge Kozinski, we should be alarmed by the number of people who have been exonerated by DNA testing. That testing has exposed a system that is rife with false confessions, unreliable eyewitnesses, junk forensics, and misbehaving prosecutors, among other problems. Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson, on the other hand, says critics have exaggerated the problems and ignored the virtues of our institutions. Although the American criminal justice system has its share of failings, it gets a lot of things right and is thus worthy of our admiration and respect. Please join us for a vigorous debate between two of our most experienced and learned judges.
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Finland's top scores on the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) have prompted policymakers worldwide to seek the source of that nation's seemingly meteoric shot to prominence and to replicate its policies. Standard explanations for Finland's rise include its focus on equity and the absence of standardized tests, accountability, and market-based reforms such as school choice. But Finland's growth began well before the policies credited for its success, and its PISA scores have recently been in decline. Real Finnish Lessons explores the role of Finland's complicated and unique history in its educational trajectory and shows the powerful role of Finnish culture in the country's success. Please join us as we tackle Finland's rise, decline, and the deeper explanations needed to make Finland's experience truly informative for all nations.
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Since the 2008 financial crisis, there has been a convergence of monetary policies by major central banks aimed at keeping benchmark interest rates near zero and supporting asset prices in the hope of stimulating economic growth. Yet global growth is still sluggish and the risk of asset bubbles is mounting. The distinguished speakers at this conference will consider the risks of unconventional monetary policy, the steps that need to be taken to normalize policy, and the fundamental question of rules versus discretion in the conduct of monetary policy.
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Since the 2008 financial crisis, there has been a convergence of monetary policies by major central banks aimed at keeping benchmark interest rates near zero and supporting asset prices in the hope of stimulating economic growth. Yet global growth is still sluggish and the risk of asset bubbles is mounting. The distinguished speakers at this conference will consider the risks of unconventional monetary policy, the steps that need to be taken to normalize policy, and the fundamental question of rules versus discretion in the conduct of monetary policy.
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Since the 2008 financial crisis, there has been a convergence of monetary policies by major central banks aimed at keeping benchmark interest rates near zero and supporting asset prices in the hope of stimulating economic growth. Yet global growth is still sluggish and the risk of asset bubbles is mounting. The distinguished speakers at this conference will consider the risks of unconventional monetary policy, the steps that need to be taken to normalize policy, and the fundamental question of rules versus discretion in the conduct of monetary policy.
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Since the 2008 financial crisis, there has been a convergence of monetary policies by major central banks aimed at keeping benchmark interest rates near zero and supporting asset prices in the hope of stimulating economic growth. Yet global growth is still sluggish and the risk of asset bubbles is mounting. The distinguished speakers at this conference will consider the risks of unconventional monetary policy, the steps that need to be taken to normalize policy, and the fundamental question of rules versus discretion in the conduct of monetary policy.
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Since the 2008 financial crisis, there has been a convergence of monetary policies by major central banks aimed at keeping benchmark interest rates near zero and supporting asset prices in the hope of stimulating economic growth. Yet global growth is still sluggish and the risk of asset bubbles is mounting. The distinguished speakers at this conference will consider the risks of unconventional monetary policy, the steps that need to be taken to normalize policy, and the fundamental question of rules versus discretion in the conduct of monetary policy.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Since the 2008 financial crisis, there has been a convergence of monetary policies by major central banks aimed at keeping benchmark interest rates near zero and supporting asset prices in the hope of stimulating economic growth. Yet global growth is still sluggish and the risk of asset bubbles is mounting. The distinguished speakers at this conference will consider the risks of unconventional monetary policy, the steps that need to be taken to normalize policy, and the fundamental question of rules versus discretion in the conduct of monetary policy.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Since the 2008 financial crisis, there has been a convergence of monetary policies by major central banks aimed at keeping benchmark interest rates near zero and supporting asset prices in the hope of stimulating economic growth. Yet global growth is still sluggish and the risk of asset bubbles is mounting. The distinguished speakers at this conference will consider the risks of unconventional monetary policy, the steps that need to be taken to normalize policy, and the fundamental question of rules versus discretion in the conduct of monetary policy.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The way human history is taught is misleading, argues Matt Ridley. Far too much emphasis is placed on the “top-down twitch” — the belief that change comes from on high: the politicians who run countries, scientists who discover truths, inventors who make breakthroughs, men and women who head companies. In fact, Ridley says, bottom-up progress through evolution is far more crucial. From the natural forces that formed the universe and human life itself to the cultural mechanisms that have shaped everything from our educational system and global financial structure, to the products we buy and the language we speak, “evolution is far more common, and far more influential, than most people recognize.”
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Economist and historian Robert Higgs has advanced our understanding of the causes, means, and effects of government power and the need to deconstruct statism and re-establish institutions that protect and advance liberty, prosperity, and peace. His work has engaged such issues as health care, the environment, law and economics, urban development, race discrimination, agriculture, immigration, war and peace, economic development, government spending and debt, welfare, money and banking, presidential power, civil liberties, the Great Depression, science, unemployment, and far more.
His new book offers general readers keen analysis and engaging wit, informed by humility and compassion. Higgs examines the moral and practical imperatives of individual liberty, entrepreneurship and innovation, peace, economic growth, personal responsibility, civic virtue, and the rule of law. Taking a Stand’s 99 short, accessible chapters present a powerful and uplifting vision for the future.
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In late November world leaders will gather in Paris at the United Nations Climate Change Conference for what is viewed as the last great chance for a sweeping international agreement to limit carbon dioxide emissions. The consequences of this gathering may be enormous. Please join us to hear distinguished climate scientists and legal experts assess the issues sure to drive the debate before, during, and after the Paris meeting.
Conference attendees will receive a free print edition of the new ebook Lukewarming: The New Climate Science That Changes Everything, by Patrick Michaels and Paul Knappenberger, being released in the next several weeks.
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Many people have heard of the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, two prospective “mega-regional” trade agreements involving the United States. But less is known about some of the other trade and economic architecture that is emerging across the globe. For example, the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) is a customs and economic union among Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and the Russian Federation, which took effect on January 1 of this year. The EAEU plans to expand to include other countries in the immediate region and to forge union-wide free trade agreements with external countries, as it already has with Vietnam.What exactly is the EAEU and what are its rules and goals? How does it complement or clash with World Trade Organization rules? What does this relatively new entity mean for regional trade and investment? How will the emergence and evolution of the EAEU interplay with the TPP, TTIP, other mega-regionals, and the WTO? And, lastly, how might it affect Russia’s relations with the West?Please join us for a discussion of these and other relevant questions.
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In late November world leaders will gather in Paris at the United Nations Climate Change Conference for what is viewed as the last great chance for a sweeping international agreement to limit carbon dioxide emissions. The consequences of this gathering may be enormous. Please join us to hear distinguished climate scientists and legal experts assess the issues sure to drive the debate before, during, and after the Paris meeting.
Conference attendees will receive a free print edition of the new ebook Lukewarming: The New Climate Science That Changes Everything, by Patrick Michaels and Paul Knappenberger, being released in the next several weeks.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
In late November world leaders will gather in Paris at the United Nations Climate Change Conference for what is viewed as the last great chance for a sweeping international agreement to limit carbon dioxide emissions. The consequences of this gathering may be enormous. Please join us to hear distinguished climate scientists and legal experts assess the issues sure to drive the debate before, during, and after the Paris meeting.
Conference attendees will receive a free print edition of the new ebook Lukewarming: The New Climate Science That Changes Everything, by Patrick Michaels and Paul Knappenberger, being released in the next several weeks.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
In late November world leaders will gather in Paris at the United Nations Climate Change Conference for what is viewed as the last great chance for a sweeping international agreement to limit carbon dioxide emissions. The consequences of this gathering may be enormous. Please join us to hear distinguished climate scientists and legal experts assess the issues sure to drive the debate before, during, and after the Paris meeting.
Conference attendees will receive a free print edition of the new ebook Lukewarming: The New Climate Science That Changes Everything, by Patrick Michaels and Paul Knappenberger, being released in the next several weeks.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
After 6 years of negotiations, a Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement among 12 countries on 4 continents was struck in Atlanta this month. The deal, should it be ratified and implemented, would constitute the world’s largest trade agreement since the Uruguay Round produced the World Trade Organization in 1995.
But ratification is not assured. Objections to the TPP’s terms from Congressional Democrats and Republicans alike ensure that 2016, in the midst of the political debates, elections, and conventions, will provide the backdrop for a national referendum on the TPP and on trade and globalization more broadly.
Join Cato trade policy scholars for a discussion of the most salient issues going into 2016 and what needs to happen to ratify and implement the TPP.
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How do economics and game theory explain the dating scene in D.C.? To find out, join us on October 27 at 6:00 p,m. for a reception and book forum with journalist Jon Birger, author of Date-onomics: How Dating Became a Lopsided Numbers Game. Using a combination of basic economic principles, demographics, game theory, and number crunching, Jon Birger explains America’s curiously lopsided dating and marriage market among single, college-educated, looking-for-a-partner women.Birger investigates not only the consequences of this unequal ratio of college-educated men to women on dating but also a host of other social issues.
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It has been a dizzying year in the world of surveillance: In June, nearly two years after Edward Snowden shocked the world with unprecedented leaks revealing the scope of National Security Agency spying, Congress moved to limit the bulk collection of domestic communications data via the USA FREEDOM Act — first introduced at a Cato conference in 2013 — but how much privacy protection will the law’s reforms truly provide?Meanwhile, courts and policymakers struggle to keep up with a rapidly evolving array of high-tech threats to privacy, each posing difficult policy questions. Should encryption technologies be engineered to include back doors for government, as some law enforcement officials have proposed? How should companies respond to ever-growing demands for user data on a borderless Internet — and what consequences will the answer hold for America’s technology sector and global freedom? What tools can individuals rely on to protect themselves from intrusive states and malicious hackers? Does cybersecurity require sharing ever more information with government? Are new laws required to regulate the increasing use of cell phone location tracking by police?The Cato Institute’s Second Annual Surveillance Conference will explore these questions and more with the top scholars, litigators, intelligence officials, activists, and technologists working at the intersection of privacy, technology, and national security.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
It has been a dizzying year in the world of surveillance: In June, nearly two years after Edward Snowden shocked the world with unprecedented leaks revealing the scope of National Security Agency spying, Congress moved to limit the bulk collection of domestic communications data via the USA FREEDOM Act — first introduced at a Cato conference in 2013 — but how much privacy protection will the law’s reforms truly provide?Meanwhile, courts and policymakers struggle to keep up with a rapidly evolving array of high-tech threats to privacy, each posing difficult policy questions. Should encryption technologies be engineered to include back doors for government, as some law enforcement officials have proposed? How should companies respond to ever-growing demands for user data on a borderless Internet — and what consequences will the answer hold for America’s technology sector and global freedom? What tools can individuals rely on to protect themselves from intrusive states and malicious hackers? Does cybersecurity require sharing ever more information with government? Are new laws required to regulate the increasing use of cell phone location tracking by police?The Cato Institute’s Second Annual Surveillance Conference will explore these questions and more with the top scholars, litigators, intelligence officials, activists, and technologists working at the intersection of privacy, technology, and national security.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
It has been a dizzying year in the world of surveillance: In June, nearly two years after Edward Snowden shocked the world with unprecedented leaks revealing the scope of National Security Agency spying, Congress moved to limit the bulk collection of domestic communications data via the USA FREEDOM Act — first introduced at a Cato conference in 2013 — but how much privacy protection will the law’s reforms truly provide?Meanwhile, courts and policymakers struggle to keep up with a rapidly evolving array of high-tech threats to privacy, each posing difficult policy questions. Should encryption technologies be engineered to include back doors for government, as some law enforcement officials have proposed? How should companies respond to ever-growing demands for user data on a borderless Internet — and what consequences will the answer hold for America’s technology sector and global freedom? What tools can individuals rely on to protect themselves from intrusive states and malicious hackers? Does cybersecurity require sharing ever more information with government? Are new laws required to regulate the increasing use of cell phone location tracking by police?The Cato Institute’s Second Annual Surveillance Conference will explore these questions and more with the top scholars, litigators, intelligence officials, activists, and technologists working at the intersection of privacy, technology, and national security.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
It has been a dizzying year in the world of surveillance: In June, nearly two years after Edward Snowden shocked the world with unprecedented leaks revealing the scope of National Security Agency spying, Congress moved to limit the bulk collection of domestic communications data via the USA FREEDOM Act — first introduced at a Cato conference in 2013 — but how much privacy protection will the law’s reforms truly provide?Meanwhile, courts and policymakers struggle to keep up with a rapidly evolving array of high-tech threats to privacy, each posing difficult policy questions. Should encryption technologies be engineered to include back doors for government, as some law enforcement officials have proposed? How should companies respond to ever-growing demands for user data on a borderless Internet — and what consequences will the answer hold for America’s technology sector and global freedom? What tools can individuals rely on to protect themselves from intrusive states and malicious hackers? Does cybersecurity require sharing ever more information with government? Are new laws required to regulate the increasing use of cell phone location tracking by police?The Cato Institute’s Second Annual Surveillance Conference will explore these questions and more with the top scholars, litigators, intelligence officials, activists, and technologists working at the intersection of privacy, technology, and national security.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
It has been a dizzying year in the world of surveillance: In June, nearly two years after Edward Snowden shocked the world with unprecedented leaks revealing the scope of National Security Agency spying, Congress moved to limit the bulk collection of domestic communications data via the USA FREEDOM Act — first introduced at a Cato conference in 2013 — but how much privacy protection will the law’s reforms truly provide?Meanwhile, courts and policymakers struggle to keep up with a rapidly evolving array of high-tech threats to privacy, each posing difficult policy questions. Should encryption technologies be engineered to include back doors for government, as some law enforcement officials have proposed? How should companies respond to ever-growing demands for user data on a borderless Internet — and what consequences will the answer hold for America’s technology sector and global freedom? What tools can individuals rely on to protect themselves from intrusive states and malicious hackers? Does cybersecurity require sharing ever more information with government? Are new laws required to regulate the increasing use of cell phone location tracking by police?The Cato Institute’s Second Annual Surveillance Conference will explore these questions and more with the top scholars, litigators, intelligence officials, activists, and technologists working at the intersection of privacy, technology, and national security.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
It has been a dizzying year in the world of surveillance: In June, nearly two years after Edward Snowden shocked the world with unprecedented leaks revealing the scope of National Security Agency spying, Congress moved to limit the bulk collection of domestic communications data via the USA FREEDOM Act — first introduced at a Cato conference in 2013 — but how much privacy protection will the law’s reforms truly provide?Meanwhile, courts and policymakers struggle to keep up with a rapidly evolving array of high-tech threats to privacy, each posing difficult policy questions. Should encryption technologies be engineered to include back doors for government, as some law enforcement officials have proposed? How should companies respond to ever-growing demands for user data on a borderless Internet — and what consequences will the answer hold for America’s technology sector and global freedom? What tools can individuals rely on to protect themselves from intrusive states and malicious hackers? Does cybersecurity require sharing ever more information with government? Are new laws required to regulate the increasing use of cell phone location tracking by police?The Cato Institute’s Second Annual Surveillance Conference will explore these questions and more with the top scholars, litigators, intelligence officials, activists, and technologists working at the intersection of privacy, technology, and national security.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
It has been a dizzying year in the world of surveillance: In June, nearly two years after Edward Snowden shocked the world with unprecedented leaks revealing the scope of National Security Agency spying, Congress moved to limit the bulk collection of domestic communications data via the USA FREEDOM Act — first introduced at a Cato conference in 2013 — but how much privacy protection will the law’s reforms truly provide?Meanwhile, courts and policymakers struggle to keep up with a rapidly evolving array of high-tech threats to privacy, each posing difficult policy questions. Should encryption technologies be engineered to include back doors for government, as some law enforcement officials have proposed? How should companies respond to ever-growing demands for user data on a borderless Internet — and what consequences will the answer hold for America’s technology sector and global freedom? What tools can individuals rely on to protect themselves from intrusive states and malicious hackers? Does cybersecurity require sharing ever more information with government? Are new laws required to regulate the increasing use of cell phone location tracking by police?The Cato Institute’s Second Annual Surveillance Conference will explore these questions and more with the top scholars, litigators, intelligence officials, activists, and technologists working at the intersection of privacy, technology, and national security.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
It has been a dizzying year in the world of surveillance: In June, nearly two years after Edward Snowden shocked the world with unprecedented leaks revealing the scope of National Security Agency spying, Congress moved to limit the bulk collection of domestic communications data via the USA FREEDOM Act — first introduced at a Cato conference in 2013 — but how much privacy protection will the law’s reforms truly provide?Meanwhile, courts and policymakers struggle to keep up with a rapidly evolving array of high-tech threats to privacy, each posing difficult policy questions. Should encryption technologies be engineered to include back doors for government, as some law enforcement officials have proposed? How should companies respond to ever-growing demands for user data on a borderless Internet — and what consequences will the answer hold for America’s technology sector and global freedom? What tools can individuals rely on to protect themselves from intrusive states and malicious hackers? Does cybersecurity require sharing ever more information with government? Are new laws required to regulate the increasing use of cell phone location tracking by police?The Cato Institute’s Second Annual Surveillance Conference will explore these questions and more with the top scholars, litigators, intelligence officials, activists, and technologists working at the intersection of privacy, technology, and national security.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Liberal democracies such as the United States face an acute dilemma in the conduct of foreign relations. American national interests sometimes require cooperation with repressive, corrupt, or otherwise odious regimes. But close working relationships with autocratic regimes should not be undertaken lightly. Such partnerships risk compromising, or even making a mockery of, America’s values of democratic governance, civil liberties, and free markets. In their new book, Perilous Partners: The Benefits and Pitfalls of America’s Alliances with Authoritarian Regimes, Cato Institute senior fellow Ted Galen Carpenter and Cato adjunct scholar Malou Innocent contend that U.S. officials have amassed a less-than-stellar record of grappling with ethical dilemmas. When are alliances with “friendly dictators” necessary for America’s security? When are such alliances a gratuitous betrayal of fundamental American values? And when is the situation a close call? Please join the authors and two distinguished commentators for a spirited discussion of these and other relevant questions.
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Zoning has shaped American cities since 1916, when New York City adopted the first comprehensive ordinance. It has remained a popular and widely used institution, particularly for homeowners wishing to protect the value of their homes. As values have soared in recent years, however, this protection has accelerated to the degree that new housing development has become unreasonably difficult and costly. The widespread Not in My Backyard (NIMBY) syndrome is driven by voters’ excessive concern about their home values and creates barriers to growth that reach beyond individual communities. Those barriers contribute to suburban sprawl, entrench income and racial segregation, retard regional immigration to the most productive cities, add to national wealth inequality, and slow the growth of the American economy. Zoning Rules, an update of Fischel’s 1985 classic book The Economics of Zoning, examines this history while offering solutions to the unintended consequences of zoning.
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A heightened sense of anxiety on Europe's eastern border has renewed geopolitical concerns on the Continent. This panel will focus on the security rationale for TTIP, discuss the interplay between economic security and national defense, and describe the relative importance of geopolitical considerations to the launch and success of the TTIP. Panelists will discuss the implications of the TTIP for energy security, privacy protection, cybersecurity, NATO, and other policies at the intersection of economics and security.
Moderated by: Bill Watson, Cato Institute
Fran Burwell, Atlantic Council
Phil Levy, The Chicago Council on Global Affairs
Peter Rashish, Transnational Strategy Group
Touted as the portion of the negotiations that could produce the largest economic gains, the regulatory coherence negotiations are complicated by several factors, including the level of technical detail involved, the reliance of negotiators on domestic regulators (who may have a professional interest in scuttling a deal) for expertise, and the wide disparity in approaches contemplated by U.S. and EU negotiators. Panelists will break down the negotiations and provide greater clarity with respect to the possibilities and probabilities.
Moderated by: Simon Lester, Cato Institute
Alberto Alemanno, HEC Paris & NYU Law
Per Altenberg, Swedish Board of Trade
Greg Shaffer, University of California, Irvine School of Law
Common to most trade negotiations are estimates of the likely economic benefits of a completed deal. Often, these estimates vary, as they are based on different assumptions in the models. Sometimes it is difficult to understand how estimates for an agreement with yet-to-be-determined provisions can have any credibility. Panelists will discuss the basics of the economic modeling that is common to estimating the benefits of trade agreements, describe how those estimates affect the negotiations, and explain divergences in the estimates of some of the most commonly referenced models.
Moderated by: Hanna Norberg, TradeEconomista.com
Laura Baughman, Trade Partnership
Gabriel Felbermayr, Ifo Institute
Gabriel Siles-Brugge, University of Manchester
Whether a TTIP deal is achieved depends on the tenor and substance of the U.S.-EU negotiations. But those negotiations are shaped, to a great extent, by the parameters established through domestic political processes. This session will feature an interview between a host and three discussants who will focus on some of the domestic political landmines within the United States and the European Union, as well as strategies to mitigate risks and bridge political divides.
Moderated by: Dan Pearson, Cato Institute
Jim Kolbe, German Marshall Fund
Edward Alden, Council on Foreign Relations
Damien Levie, Delegation of the European Union to the United States
Moderated by: Dan Ikenson, Cato Institute
Susan Danger, American Chamber of Commerce to the European Union (AmCham EU)
Nancy McLernon, Organization for International Investment
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The TTIP and other mega-regional trade negotiations have been garnering attention for both their potential to liberalize trade and their potentially adverse impacts on the existing multilateral trading system. This panel will discuss the implications of the TTIP for the World Trade Organization and its member states. It will include discussion of the prospects for multilateralization of TTIP's provisions; accession by other WTO members, the potential impact on the WTO dispute settlement body, prospects for developing countries, and the implications for U.S. and EU relations with the big economies left out of these deals — such as China and Brazil — if the TTIP succeeds in writing a new gold-standard of trade rules.
Moderated by: Joakim Reiter, UN Conference on Trade and Development
Vinod Aggarwal, University of California, Berkeley
Joost Pauwelyn, Georgetown University Law Center
Harsha Singh, International Center for Trade and Sustainable Development
It is clear that the first tank of gas on the road to TTIP has run out. So where do we go from here? This panel will discuss the state of the negotiations, describe what lies ahead, and ask whether the United States and the EU have bitten off more than they can chew. If the negotiations were less ambitious in scope, would a final agreement be more achievable? Are there alternative architectures worth considering? Should we abandon the "single undertaking" approach and instead aim for a series of annual or biannual agreements? Should we consider including other countries that are closely integrated with the United States and the EU — such as Canada, Mexico, and Turkey — in the negotiations? If an agreement as currently proposed is achievable, what will it take to make it happen? And after such an agreement is reached, how daunting will the ratification processes be? What will it take to get to the final stage implementation?
Moderated by: Inu Barbee, Georgetown University
Michelle Egan, American University
John Gillingham, Harvard University Center for European Studies
Gary Hufbauer, Peterson Institute
What is at stake in these negotiations? Why are some issues more difficult to resolve than others, and how can compromise be reached? This panel will identify the low-hanging fruit, the sacred cows, and everything in between to provide a better understanding of the issues under negotiation, from the easiest to most difficult and consequential. Given the comprehensive nature of the agreement, there is room for debate on a number of topics, such as regulatory coherence, investor-state dispute settlement, privacy and data flows, financial services, government procurement, agriculture, services, labor and the environment, and, of course, tariffs. So what exactly is on the table, and what positions, if any, have both sides taken?
Moderated by: Dan Ikenson, Cato Institute
Susan Aaronson, George Washington University
Axel Berger, German Development Institute
Marjorie Chorlins, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Celeste Drake, AFL-CIO
Iana Dreyer, Borderlex
Fredrik Erixon, ECIPE
The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations were launched to great fanfare in mid-2013 with the pronouncement that a comprehensive deal would be reached by the end of 2014 on a "single tank of gas." But after more than two years and 10 rounds of negotiations, an agreement is nowhere in sight and substantive differences remain between the parties. Despite a retreat from the original level of ambition, skepticism is mounting on both sides of the Atlantic that a deal will be reached anytime soon. What are the prospects for fulfilling the promise of a comprehensive trade and investment deal between the United States and the European Union? What exactly is under negotiation, and what is the strategy for advancing those negotiations? Would it make sense to exclude sacred-cow issues that will only bog down the negotiations? Is it wise to continue pursuing a single comprehensive deal for all issues on the table, or is it better to aim for a sequence of smaller agreements? Should a deal include other closely integrated countries, such as Canada, Mexico, and Turkey? How will TTIP affect the multilateral trading system, relations with the BRICS countries, and prospects for developing countries?
Those and many other questions will be addressed through panel presentations, roundtable discussions, and debates by more than 30 trade experts from around the world at a conference hosted by the Cato Institute.
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Despite today’s polarized political atmosphere, it is possible to construct an ambitious and highly promising agenda of pro-growth policy reform that would command support across the ideological spectrum. Such an agenda would focus on policies whose primary effect is to inflate the incomes and wealth of the rich, the powerful, and the well-established by shielding them from market competition.
Excessive monopoly privileges granted under copyright and patent law, restrictions on high-skilled immigration, protection of incumbent service providers under occupational licensing, and artificial scarcity created by land-use regulation are four such examples.
Rolling back these types of regulations is the low hanging fruit of pro-growth reform. Unfortunately that fruit is guarded by “dragons”—the powerful interest groups that benefit from the status quo and can be expected to defend it tenaciously.
Join us to discuss why this fight needs to be waged and won in order to reverse the deterioration in America’s long-term growth outlook.
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On October 3rd, 1965, President Lyndon Baines Johnson signed the Immigration Act of 1965 into law. Widely viewed as a component of the Civil Rights Movement, the 1965 Act liberalized immigration and replaced the last eugenics-inspired portions of the Immigration Act of 1924. For the first time in generations, immigrants from Western Europe were not given legal preference over those from Asia and the rest of the developing world.
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On October 3rd, 1965, President Lyndon Baines Johnson signed the Immigration Act of 1965 into law. Widely viewed as a component of the Civil Rights Movement, the 1965 Act liberalized immigration and replaced the last eugenics-inspired portions of the Immigration Act of 1924. For the first time in generations, immigrants from Western Europe were not given legal preference over those from Asia and the rest of the developing world.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
On October 3rd, 1965, President Lyndon Baines Johnson signed the Immigration Act of 1965 into law. Widely viewed as a component of the Civil Rights Movement, the 1965 Act liberalized immigration and replaced the last eugenics-inspired portions of the Immigration Act of 1924. For the first time in generations, immigrants from Western Europe were not given legal preference over those from Asia and the rest of the developing world.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
On October 3rd, 1965, President Lyndon Baines Johnson signed the Immigration Act of 1965 into law. Widely viewed as a component of the Civil Rights Movement, the 1965 Act liberalized immigration and replaced the last eugenics-inspired portions of the Immigration Act of 1924. For the first time in generations, immigrants from Western Europe were not given legal preference over those from Asia and the rest of the developing world.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
On October 3rd, 1965, President Lyndon Baines Johnson signed the Immigration Act of 1965 into law. Widely viewed as a component of the Civil Rights Movement, the 1965 Act liberalized immigration and replaced the last eugenics-inspired portions of the Immigration Act of 1924. For the first time in generations, immigrants from Western Europe were not given legal preference over those from Asia and the rest of the developing world.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Indigenous peoples’ land rights around the world have long been violated or weakened by hostile or wrong-headed government policies. Tim Wilson will explain why property rights are human rights, and how legal impediments still undermine the ability of Aboriginal and other indigenous Australians to use their land titles as they see fit, including with various ownership structures. Karol Boudreaux will discuss how legal, social, and technological developments on the five continents are increasingly devolving property rights to indigenous and local people. Both speakers will discuss how this shift toward rights can help reduce poverty, improve governance, discourage land grabs, reduce conflict, and manage natural resources and the environment.
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Americans swim daily in a sea of mandated disclosures. These disclosures accompany every trip to the doctor’s office, every credit card statement, every purchase of a song on your smartphone. Their intent is to transform every person into a well-informed consumer, able to make sound choices whether considering a range of medical treatments or a range of credit card features. But are the reams of information produced through mandated disclosures actually helpful? Are we making better choices? Is the enormous expense of compiling, distributing, and reviewing the information worth the benefit to the consumer? In their book, More Than You Wanted to Know: The Failure of Mandated Disclosure, law professors Omri Ben-Shahar and Carl E. Schneider conclude that these disclosures have utterly failed to achieve their goals and that widespread reliance on them is misplaced. Please join Professor Ben-Shahar and distinguished commentators for a spirited discussion of the use and misuse of mandated disclosure in our daily lives.
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The disappointing aftermath of the Arab Spring produced pessimism about the spread of liberalism in much of the Muslim world. Sudanese-born author Amir Ahmad Nasr will draw from his profoundly personal and critically acclaimed book to discuss the real ramifications of the digital revolution and the social movements it helped unleash. He will make the case for an assertive liberalism and explain how the power of the internet is a force for good in transforming ideas and identities in Islamic societies. Souad Adnane will explain why such optimism is justified now that the door has opened for people to question dogmas and think about new possibilities for social change even if the initial goals of the Arab Spring were not achieved.
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Each year, thousands of young professionals descend on Washington with the hope of landing the perfect job at a think tank, on Capitol Hill, or in related fields. With so many bright, talented interns and recent graduates vying for the same opportunities, how can you distinguish yourself from the pack?
Join the Cato Institute and America’s Future Foundation for a crash course in creative networking and career advancement — an event specifically designed for young professionals. Speakers will discuss topics related to post-graduate professional success, with a special focus on policy research and analysis, and the role of ideas generated within the nonprofit network in the broad public policy debate.
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The most publicized bailout of the financial crisis was the TARP bill that provided capital injections to a wide range of banks. But most of the assistance to financial firms was provided through a less publicized set of emergency lending programs authorized by Section 13-3 of the Federal Reserve Act. This emergency lending authority supported the Fed’s rescue of AIG, a massive set of guarantees for Citibank, which would have failed without them, and an alphabet soup of lending ‘facilities’ that supported a small set of Wall Street dealers with almost unlimited cheap credit for a period of years.
When Congress examined this issue during the Dodd-Frank Act, they placed new limits on emergency lending that are contained in Section 1101 of the legislation. These limits are clearly intended to limit 13-3 lending to programs that are truly broad based (as opposed to bailing out a small set of insider Wall Street institutions) and to exclude the use of the program for bailouts of institutions that are actually insolvent. Join us as we discuss whether Dodd-Frank’s limitations to the Fed’s 13-3 powers went too far, or not far enough.
| 11:30 a.m.–12:10 p.m. | Panel 1: A Policy PerspectiveModerated by: Ylan Mui, Washington PostMark Calabria, Cato InstituteMarcus Stanley, Americans for Financial ReformPhillip Swagel, University of Maryland | | 12: 15 – 12:45 p.m. | Panel 2: A Congressional PerspectiveModerated by: Mark Calabria, Cato InstituteSenator David Vitter (R-LA)Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) |
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By returning the focus of the Catholic Church to the plight of the poor, Pope Francis has become much loved and admired. His prestige and influence is commensurate with his humanity and humility. But is Francis right about capitalism and its consequences? Is it true that capitalism is a form of exploitation that leads to poverty and inequality? Or is it the only proven way of dramatically reducing poverty and, even, achieving unprecedented material abundance? Please join our distinguished panel for a discussion of Pope Francis’s economics, and the Papal interpretation of economic history and the state of the world.
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Without congressional reauthorization, E-Verify, the electronic employment eligibility verification program, will sunset on September 30. E-Verify is intended to screen illegal immigrants out of the job market by turning off the “jobs magnet” that attracts them to American soil.Many policymakers want to mandate E-Verify as part of an enforcement-only immigration policy. But its high error rate will delay or prevent employment for many current U.S. citizens, legal immigrants, and migrant workers. Furthermore, E-Verify is incapable of meaningfully locking unlawful immigrants out of America’s job market. If E-Verify is ever made permanent, and its inadequacy in stemming the flow of illegal migrants made apparent, the likely outcome will be the creation of a biometric identification system capable of regulating our lives in areas far outside of immigration enforcement. Join us for a discussion of E-Verify and its many perils.
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The Magna Carta was a milestone that circumscribed the power of the sovereign for the first time in human history. In his new book, distinguished British historian and television personality David Starkey looks at the origins of the Great Charter in the 13th century, its significant early revisions, and the ways in which it has been interpreted and reinterpreted by subsequent generations. Starkey explains how core principles of this quintessentially English document migrated to the North American colonies and eventually became the cornerstone of the U.S. Constitution. He also explores how the Magna Carta indirectly led to the enshrinement of human rights in such documents as the Bill of Rights. Please join us for a discussion of the past and current state of constitutional politics in the western world—including the assault on our freedoms by the proponents of multiculturalism and political correctness.
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It has long been a public policy goal—and social ideal—to bring black and white children together in the same schools. It is a goal, however, that has not been met. In this forum we will discuss several reasons for this, including federal policies that have all but assured segregated housing and, hence, segregated public schools. We will also look at potential ways to solve these problems that are both ambitious and realistic about what can be accomplished. We hope you’ll join us for this crucial conversation.
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For many centuries, only the politically connected and elite prospered in India, while the rest of the population lived in poverty. Since 1991, however, 250 million people have been lifted out of poverty and are finding new ways of unlocking their potential. India Awakes explores an inherited British bureaucracy, which created layers of rules and regulations, and it shows how globalization and economic liberalization are leading to social change. Join us to see a segment of the documentary from the Free to Choose Network. Film host Johan Norberg will discuss how individuals from different parts of India are breaking down the centuries-old caste system through new opportunities, entrepreneurship, and by obtaining property and other legal rights.
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Next week marks the one-year anniversary of the start of America's War with ISIS. But after 12 months and more than 5,000 airstrikes—and with some 3,500 U.S. soldiers on the ground—Congress has yet to hold a vote on authorization for our latest Middle East war.
Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) calls this situation "inexcusable." He has been a leader in the effort to get Congress to live up to the most solemn responsibility with which the Constitution entrusts it. "How much longer will we allow war to be waged without Congress even being willing to have a debate about the strategy and scope of the mission?" he asked from the Senate floor recently. "How much longer will we keep asking service members to risk their lives without Congress doing the basic job" of taking an up-or-down vote on the war?
Join us on August 6 as we discuss the dangerous growth of executive war powers and how Congress can reclaim its constitutional prerogatives over war and peace.
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From Cato University 2015: Summer Seminar on Political Economy
The Cato Institute’s premier educational event, this annual program brings together outstanding faculty and participants from across the country and, often, from around the globe in order to examine the roots of our commitment to liberty and limited government, and explore the ideas and values on which the American republic was founded.
From Cato University 2015: Summer Seminar on Political Economy
The Cato Institute’s premier educational event, this annual program brings together outstanding faculty and participants from across the country and, often, from around the globe in order to examine the roots of our commitment to liberty and limited government, and explore the ideas and values on which the American republic was founded.
From Cato University 2015: Summer Seminar on Political Economy
The Cato Institute’s premier educational event, this annual program brings together outstanding faculty and participants from across the country and, often, from around the globe in order to examine the roots of our commitment to liberty and limited government, and explore the ideas and values on which the American republic was founded.
From Cato University 2015: Summer Seminar on Political Economy
The Cato Institute’s premier educational event, this annual program brings together outstanding faculty and participants from across the country and, often, from around the globe in order to examine the roots of our commitment to liberty and limited government, and explore the ideas and values on which the American republic was founded.
From Cato University 2015: Summer Seminar on Political Economy
The Cato Institute’s premier educational event, this annual program brings together outstanding faculty and participants from across the country and, often, from around the globe in order to examine the roots of our commitment to liberty and limited government, and explore the ideas and values on which the American republic was founded.
From Cato University 2015: Summer Seminar on Political Economy
The Cato Institute’s premier educational event, this annual program brings together outstanding faculty and participants from across the country and, often, from around the globe in order to examine the roots of our commitment to liberty and limited government, and explore the ideas and values on which the American republic was founded.
From Cato University 2015: Summer Seminar on Political Economy
The Cato Institute’s premier educational event, this annual program brings together outstanding faculty and participants from across the country and, often, from around the globe in order to examine the roots of our commitment to liberty and limited government, and explore the ideas and values on which the American republic was founded.
From Cato University 2015: Summer Seminar on Political Economy
The Cato Institute’s premier educational event, this annual program brings together outstanding faculty and participants from across the country and, often, from around the globe in order to examine the roots of our commitment to liberty and limited government, and explore the ideas and values on which the American republic was founded.
From Cato University 2015: Summer Seminar on Political Economy
The Cato Institute’s premier educational event, this annual program brings together outstanding faculty and participants from across the country and, often, from around the globe in order to examine the roots of our commitment to liberty and limited government, and explore the ideas and values on which the American republic was founded.
From Cato University 2015: Summer Seminar on Political Economy
The Cato Institute’s premier educational event, this annual program brings together outstanding faculty and participants from across the country and, often, from around the globe in order to examine the roots of our commitment to liberty and limited government, and explore the ideas and values on which the American republic was founded.
From Cato University 2015: Summer Seminar on Political Economy
The Cato Institute’s premier educational event, this annual program brings together outstanding faculty and participants from across the country and, often, from around the globe in order to examine the roots of our commitment to liberty and limited government, and explore the ideas and values on which the American republic was founded.
From Cato University 2015: Summer Seminar on Political Economy
The Cato Institute’s premier educational event, this annual program brings together outstanding faculty and participants from across the country and, often, from around the globe in order to examine the roots of our commitment to liberty and limited government, and explore the ideas and values on which the American republic was founded.
From Cato University 2015: Summer Seminar on Political Economy
The Cato Institute’s premier educational event, this annual program brings together outstanding faculty and participants from across the country and, often, from around the globe in order to examine the roots of our commitment to liberty and limited government, and explore the ideas and values on which the American republic was founded.
From Cato University 2015: Summer Seminar on Political Economy
The Cato Institute’s premier educational event, this annual program brings together outstanding faculty and participants from across the country and, often, from around the globe in order to examine the roots of our commitment to liberty and limited government, and explore the ideas and values on which the American republic was founded.
From Cato University 2015: Summer Seminar on Political Economy
The Cato Institute’s premier educational event, this annual program brings together outstanding faculty and participants from across the country and, often, from around the globe in order to examine the roots of our commitment to liberty and limited government, and explore the ideas and values on which the American republic was founded.
From Cato University 2015: Summer Seminar on Political Economy
The Cato Institute’s premier educational event, this annual program brings together outstanding faculty and participants from across the country and, often, from around the globe in order to examine the roots of our commitment to liberty and limited government, and explore the ideas and values on which the American republic was founded.
From Cato University 2015: Summer Seminar on Political Economy
The Cato Institute’s premier educational event, this annual program brings together outstanding faculty and participants from across the country and, often, from around the globe in order to examine the roots of our commitment to liberty and limited government, and explore the ideas and values on which the American republic was founded.
From Cato University 2015: Summer Seminar on Political Economy
The Cato Institute’s premier educational event, this annual program brings together outstanding faculty and participants from across the country and, often, from around the globe in order to examine the roots of our commitment to liberty and limited government, and explore the ideas and values on which the American republic was founded.
America’s growing national debt, now surpassing $18 trillion dollars, has dropped out of the headlines recently, but that doesn’t mean the problem has gone away. Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid alone account for 47 percent of federal spending today, a portion that will only grow larger in the future, reaching well over $26 trillion in just 10 years. Furthermore, if you fold in the unfunded liabilities of Social Security and Medicare our real indebtedness exceeds $90.5 trillion.To avoid the pressing budgetary disaster, Democrats and Republicans must come together and reform these entitlement programs. Join us for an in-depth look at the obstacles and the potential solutions to the implications of sky-high national debt and the future that doing nothing portends.
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Throughout the past five decades there have been many forecasts of impending environmental doom. These projections have universally been proven wrong. Those who have bet on human resourcefulness, however„ have almost always been correct. In his book, Bailey provides a detailed examination of the theories, studies, and assumptions currently spurring forecasts of calamity and shaping environmental policy. Breaking down the numbers, he finds that — thanks to human ingenuity and economic progress — many current ecological trends are in fact positive. Cancer rates are falling in America, world population will soon be declining, more and more land is being restored to nature, increasing wealth is leading to decreasing pollution, and the cost of clean energy will soon fall below that of fossil fuels. As Bailey demonstrates, the way to cement these trends is not to retreat into a maze of paralyzing regulation but to craft our own future through continuing economic and technological development.
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The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act — a.k.a. Obamacare — remains highly controversial and faces ongoing legal and political challenges. Polls show that by a large margin Americans remain opposed to the healthcare law. However, the question is: replace it with what?In A Better Choice: Healthcare Solutions for America, John C. Goodman provides a way out of the healthcare quagmire. Join us to hear from Mr. Goodman, as well as Cato’s own Michael F. Cannon.
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News organizations have recently documented the proliferation of synthetic or “designer” drugs that produce physical and psychological effects similar to those of traditional mind-altering substances such as marijuana, cocaine, and heroin. Policymakers have scrambled to outlaw substances that can sometimes regain legal status with a modest change in chemical makeup. Some of the new drugs even masquerade as such innocuous, perfectly legal products as air fresheners or potpourri. Can these new mind-altering substances be outlawed without resorting to tortured legal rationales? Are there alternatives to a prohibitionist strategy? Could policymakers better promote public safety by requiring strict production standards, but not attempting to ban their use? Cato senior fellow Ted Galen Carpenter will discuss his recent study on synthetic drugs, followed by a discussion with other experts on the future of drug policy in the United States.
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Human beings are social creatures by nature. It should therefore come as no surprise that many decisions occur within the context of social groups. Whether a decision involves choosing a restaurant or which nominee a political party should support, individuals within a group often accept trade-offs as long as decisions are made within established rules. How do these rules develop? How do individuals determine what trade-offs they are willing to accept? If rules and trade-offs are unique to each group, how can political scientists truly understand what people want? In his book, Choosing in Groups, Professor Michael Munger of Duke University examines these dynamics and the relevance they have for understanding political institutions and politics in general.
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Dominated by Europe's welfare states, the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has been pushing policies to enable higher taxes and bigger government. The latest example is a base erosion and profit-shifting (BEPS) initiative that would raise business tax burdens and undermine the competitiveness of American firms operating in global markets. An expert panel will explain the new OECD scheme and outline a better policy approach.
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Are libertarians and conservatives just variations of the same ideological species, or do they represent unique and separate philosophical traditions? One of National Review's founding editors, Frank Meyer — father of Federalist Society president Eugene Meyer — called for a synthesis of the traditionalist and libertarian strains within the magazine's followers. This "fusionism" animated Cold War conservatism and influenced the likes of Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan. Decades later, facing a very different electoral landscape, another National Review staffer, Charles C. W. Cooke, hopes to get the band back together again. But does the political calculus still work? Can there be a marriage of convenience when the issues that strain the would-be alliance — gay marriage, immigration, the drug war, foreign policy — are as salient to many voters as issues that would cement it? With the 2016 election season already underway, please join us for a spirited discussion of The Conservatarian Manifesto and decide for yourself whether conservatives and libertarians should work closely to advance their common goals.
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As U.S. policymakers debate how best to deal with the problem of abusive patent litigation, some other governments have decided to fight fire with fire by creating state-owned patent assertion entities. The phenomenon deserves more attention from policymakers in Washington, who are bound to play an important role in shaping international rules to regulate these government "patent trolls." Known formally as sovereign patent funds, these public-private entities amass large patent portfolios they can use to help domestic companies—sometimes through litigation against foreign competitors. Is this policy a reasonable response to the difficulties many companies face managing patents in a global economy, or is it merely a new form of protectionist industrial policy? Come hear our expert panel discuss the peculiar complexities of this emerging issue.
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The Supreme Court’s decision on King v. Burwell validated President Obama’s massive power grab, allowing him to tax, borrow, and spend $700 billion without congressional approval. This establishes a precedent that could let any president modify, amend, or suspend any enacted law at his or her whim.As it stands, Obamacare will continue to disrupt coverage for sick Americans until Congress repeals it and replaces it with reforms that make health care better, more affordable, and more secure. Despite the ruling, Obamacare remains unpopular with the American public and the battle to set in place a health care system that works for all Americans is far from over.Come hear leading scholars discuss the impact of King v. Burwell on health care reform, separation of powers, and the rule of law.
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Many in Washington deny that the nation's energy needs can be met by free markets. Wars on coal and carbon dioxide follow this faith in government regulation and control of energy. Since the 1970s, however, more libertarian voices have been heard on these issues. Rob Bradley, who has been involved with free-market energy policy since its inception, will discuss the history of libertarian thinking on past energy policy and its relevance for current policy debates. Please join us for a provocative look at an alternative way of thinking about energy and public policy.
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Cato Connects features a LIVE discussion on Obergefell v. Hodges — what the ruling means to the 14th amendment and for marriage equality.In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court held that the Fourteenth Amendment requires a state to license a marriage between two people of the same sex.Produced by Caleb O. Brown, Austin Bragg, Tess Terrible and Kevin Sennett.
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The Supreme Court has ruled in King v. Burwell that individuals who get their health insurance through an exchange established by the federal government are eligible for tax subsidies. Says Cato scholar Michael F. Cannon, “The Court today validated President Obama’s massive power grab, allowing him to tax, borrow, and spend $700 billion that no Congress ever authorized. …In doing so, the Court has sent a dangerous message to future administrations: If you are going to violate the law, make sure you go big.”
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The EPA’s most costly air-pollution and global-warming regulations are justified by the belief that small particles in outdoor air, like soot and dust, kill people. Based upon internal EPA documents and original research, Steven Milloy, publisher of the widely read blog JunkScience.com, will demonstrate that the agency’s belief does not pass scientific muster. As has been the case with climate change research, the dangerous liaison between regulatory agencies and academia has again resulted in a substantial distortion of reality. Please join us for a probing critique of science in service to regulatory overreach.
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Recent advances in energy production technology have driven a remarkable achievement: since 2008, American oil production has more than doubled and natural gas production is up about 24 percent. Directional drilling, horizontal drilling, hydraulic fracturing, and radical new advances in offshore platform technology and global positioning software have revolutionized both onshore and offshore oil and gas production. These advances have required considerable capital investment that would have been less likely in a nation constrained by a cap-and-trade or carbon-tax system. Please join us for an informed look at recent successes in energy production, their implications for public policy, and strategies to maintain America's global leadership.
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Please join us for a special documentary film premiere. An Unlikely Solution offers first-person perspectives on the unique, newly emerging phenomena of consumer lending, via the Internet, by Native American tribes.
There are few areas of finance that generate more controversy than short-term consumer lending, especially in the form of pay-day or installment loans. Critics see such loans as “predatory,” while others, including many consumers, see such products as filling a critical need of access to credit that traditional banks cannot or will not fill. As if to make an already controversial issue more so, a number of Native American tribes have entered this business, leveraging the power of the Internet to overcome the geographic challenges of remote reservations. The entry of lending companies formed as arms of tribal governments into this business has raised issues of tribal economic development and sovereignty, not normally considered in the regulation of consumer finance.
Join us for a screening (approximately 40 minutes) of An Unlikely Solution, which examines these questions from the first-person perspectives of tribes, consumers, regulators and others.
Following the film, there will be a special panel discussion featuring Gary Davis, President and CEO, National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development; William Isaac, Former Chair, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation; and Chico Harlan, Personal Economics Reporter, The Washington Post; moderated by Mark Calabria, Director, Financial Regulation Studies, Cato Institute.
Join the conversation on Twitter with the hashtag #UnlikelySolution.
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Our growing national debt has dropped out of the headlines recently — but that doesn’t mean that the problem has gone away. The official national debt recently topped $18 trillion, and is projected to approach $27 trillion within 10 years. Worse, if you include the unfunded liabilities of Social Security and Medicare, our real indebtedness exceeds $90 trillion. Yet, despite these undeniable facts and figures, politicians from both parties continue to avoid taking serious responsibility and action when it comes to the difficult decisions that must be made.
Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid alone account for roughly half of federal spending today, a portion that will only grow larger in the future and increase more rapidly with the government’s newest entitlement program — Obamacare. The simple truth is that there is no way to address America’s debt problem without reforming entitlements.
Please join us for a discussion with other leading scholars on the subject — one that carries heavy implications for the future of the U.S. economy.
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In 2005 the Supreme Court ruled that the city of New London, Connecticut, could condemn residential properties and transfer them to a private developer for a planned office park (which never materialized). Although the Fifth Amendment permits taking private property only for "public use," the Court held that transfers to private parties for economic development were a sufficiently public "purpose." This unpopular ruling triggered an unprecedented political and judicial reaction, with 45 states limiting their eminent domain law. But many of these changes impose few or no genuine constraints.In his detailed study of this controversial case — the first book-length analysis of Kelo by a legal scholar — Ilya Somin argues that the ruling was a grave error. Economic development and "blight" condemnations are unconstitutional under both originalist and "living Constitution" theories of legal interpretation. They also victimize the poor and the politically weak, and often destroy more economic value than they create.
Despite the case's outcome, Kelo shattered what many believed to be a consensus that virtually any condemnation satisfies the Fifth Amendment. Kelo thus led to significant progress, but there is much work to be done. Please join us for a discussion of the state of property rights in America 10 years after the Supreme Court's most notorious ruling on eminent domain.
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In 2005 the Supreme Court ruled that the city of New London, Connecticut, could condemn residential properties and transfer them to a private developer for a planned office park (which never materialized). Although the Fifth Amendment permits taking private property only for "public use," the Court held that transfers to private parties for economic development were a sufficiently public "purpose." This unpopular ruling triggered an unprecedented political and judicial reaction, with 45 states limiting their eminent domain law. But many of these changes impose few or no genuine constraints.In his detailed study of this controversial case — the first book-length analysis of Kelo by a legal scholar — Ilya Somin argues that the ruling was a grave error. Economic development and "blight" condemnations are unconstitutional under both originalist and "living Constitution" theories of legal interpretation. They also victimize the poor and the politically weak, and often destroy more economic value than they create.
Despite the case's outcome, Kelo shattered what many believed to be a consensus that virtually any condemnation satisfies the Fifth Amendment. Kelo thus led to significant progress, but there is much work to be done. Please join us for a discussion of the state of property rights in America 10 years after the Supreme Court's most notorious ruling on eminent domain.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
In 2005 the Supreme Court ruled that the city of New London, Connecticut, could condemn residential properties and transfer them to a private developer for a planned office park (which never materialized). Although the Fifth Amendment permits taking private property only for "public use," the Court held that transfers to private parties for economic development were a sufficiently public "purpose." This unpopular ruling triggered an unprecedented political and judicial reaction, with 45 states limiting their eminent domain law. But many of these changes impose few or no genuine constraints.In his detailed study of this controversial case — the first book-length analysis of Kelo by a legal scholar — Ilya Somin argues that the ruling was a grave error. Economic development and "blight" condemnations are unconstitutional under both originalist and "living Constitution" theories of legal interpretation. They also victimize the poor and the politically weak, and often destroy more economic value than they create.
Despite the case's outcome, Kelo shattered what many believed to be a consensus that virtually any condemnation satisfies the Fifth Amendment. Kelo thus led to significant progress, but there is much work to be done. Please join us for a discussion of the state of property rights in America 10 years after the Supreme Court's most notorious ruling on eminent domain.
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June marks the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta, the “Great Charter of Liberties” that King John of England agreed to and that aimed to limit the Crown’s power. The Magna Carta exerted a significant influence on the development of the common law in England and subsequently in the United States. Richard Helmholz will explain the emergence of the Magna Carta, describe its substance, and discuss its impact on the rule of law in England. Roger Pilon will speak about the charter’s importance to the United States. And Tom Palmer will discuss similar charters in other parts of medieval Europe. Other speakers will address the unsteady spread of the rule of law around the world: Richard Pipes will describe the case of Russia, Swami Aiyar will discuss India’s experience, and Juan Carlos Botero will give a global overview of progress and challenges based on the Rule of Law Index.
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June marks the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta, the “Great Charter of Liberties” that King John of England agreed to and that aimed to limit the Crown’s power. The Magna Carta exerted a significant influence on the development of the common law in England and subsequently in the United States. Richard Helmholz will explain the emergence of the Magna Carta, describe its substance, and discuss its impact on the rule of law in England. Roger Pilon will speak about the charter’s importance to the United States. And Tom Palmer will discuss similar charters in other parts of medieval Europe. Other speakers will address the unsteady spread of the rule of law around the world: Richard Pipes will describe the case of Russia, Swami Aiyar will discuss India’s experience, and Juan Carlos Botero will give a global overview of progress and challenges based on the Rule of Law Index.
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The Federal Reserve’s “stress tests” were intended to make the financial system safer. Using risk modeling, the tests subject banks to various stress scenarios in the economy to see how well they would perform and determine the capital “buffer” banks need to remain solvent and safely weather poor economic conditions. But with the Fed relying on risk modeling to determine regulatory capital requirements for banks, what happens if the models are wrong? Risk models can suffer from major weaknesses, ranging from poor assumptions to inadequate data, and can be particularly blind to tail-end risks—for example, the subprime crisis. Rather than making us safer, could the reliance on risk modeling by regulators actually be paving the way for the next systemwide financial crisis?
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In the United States and around the world, medical treatment has traditionally been segregated along state lines. Recently, new technology has made the provision of medical care online (telemedicine) a possibility, and consumers could benefit greatly from this development. However, state and national regulations often interfere with online medical care when it crosses borders. Can these regulations be adjusted to allow interstate and international trade?
What policy concerns might arise in relation to online medical services that might require continued government involvement? Are there constitutional issues at stake? For example, do government restrictions on doctors offering medical advice online constitute an abridgement of free speech? Join us for a discussion of these issues.
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Because of an aging population and poorly designed entitlement programs, the burden of federal spending is projected to increase dramatically over the next few decades. Some lawmakers have proposed versions of a balanced budget amendment to avert this future fiscal crisis, but evidence strongly suggests that spending caps are the most effective way to address the problem. The Cato Institute has brought together three experts to talk about the world’s most successful spending caps.
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According to Washington elites, revolutions in information, transport, and weapons technologies have shrunk the world, leaving the United States and its allies more vulnerable than ever to violent threats like terrorism or cyberwar. As a result, they practice responses driven by fear: theories of falling dominoes, hysteria in place of sober debate, and an embrace of preemptive war to tame a chaotic world. Patrick Porter pushes back against the decades-old globalist fad, arguing that technology has not overcome distance, and that the world has changed less than threat inflators suggest. He concludes by noting the disastrous policies the globalists have produced and by pointing the way toward a more sensible and restrained strategy. Please join us for a discussion of this timely and iconoclastic book.
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The death of Freddie Gray while in police custody has started a wide-ranging debate about policing and poverty in American cities. Does Congress need to spend more money on jobs programs and police body cameras? Should the Department of Justice sue the City of Baltimore for a pattern and practice of civil rights violations? Are better policy options available? Please join us for a discussion of these questions.
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Despite many predictions to the contrary, the British Conservative Party, led by Prime Minister Cameron, secured a majority in the House of Commons in this month’s general election. The Liberal Democrats, who joined the Conservatives in government in 2010, and the Labour Party both suffered losses. In Scotland, nationalists took all but three of Scotland’s 59 seats.The Conservative victory raises a host of questions related to the future of freedom in the United Kingdom. Speaking the day after the election Cameron said that his government would deliver a referendum on the UK’s membership in the European Union, which will undoubtedly prompt debate on the merits of the free movement of goods and people. Cameron also said that his government will devolve powers to Northern Ireland, Wales, and Scotland, a commitment that will spur on discussion about localism and the role of central government. Despite winning a majority, the Conservatives will have to defend their economic plan, which will be strongly opposed by left-wing parties in the House of Commons.Mark Littlewood, the director-general of the London-based Institute of Economic Affairs, will join Cato scholars and Iain Murray, vice president for strategy at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, for a discussion on the outcome of the election and what it means for the state of freedom in the UK.
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Since 2008, oil production has more than doubled and natural gas production is up about 24 percent, according to the Energy Information Agency. Advances in technology have driven this remarkable achievement. Three major techniques that have revolutionized both onshore and offshore oil and gas production are directional drilling, horizontal drilling, and hydraulic fracturing, also known as "fracking." In addition, offshore drilling in a record 10,500 feet of water — and then through thousands of feet of sediment below the seafloor — has been made possible by radical new advances in offshore platform technology tied in with global positioning software. These advances in technology have required considerable capital investment that would have been less likely in a nation constrained by a cap-and-trade or carbon-tax system. Please join us for an informed look at recent successes in energy production and their implications for public policy.
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The recent financial crisis led to sweeping reforms that inspired countless references to the New Deal. Comparable to the New Deal in both scope and scale, the 2,300-page Dodd-Frank Act of 2010 also shared with New Deal reforms the assumption that the cause of the crisis was misbehavior by securities market participants, exacerbated by lax regulatory oversight. With Wasting a Crisis, Paul G. Mahoney shows that this narrative is formulated by political actors hoping to deflect blame from prior policy errors. Mahoney moves beyond this received wisdom, showing that lax regulation was not a substantial cause of the Great Depression. As new regulations were formed around this narrative, not only were the majority largely ineffective, they were also often counterproductive, consolidating market share in the hands of leading financial firms. An overview of 21st-century securities reforms from the same analytic perspective, including Dodd-Frank and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, shows a similar pattern and suggests that they too may offer little benefit to investors and some measurable harm.
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Debates over economic interdependence and war are centuries old. Liberals have argued that interdependence creates interests on both sides of dyads that help prevent war. Realists have argued that the “high politics” of war and peace are rarely driven by the “low politics” of commerce. Dale Copeland’s new book offers a more supple, less categorical judgment. According to Copeland, leaders’ expectations of the future trade environment determine how economic interdependence influences the prospects of war and peace. Please join us for a discussion with other leading scholars on the subject—one that carries heavy implications for the future of U.S.-China relations, in particular.
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In 2005, Congress gave states three years to begin issuing driver’s licenses according to national identification card standards. The REAL ID Act sought to coerce states into using machine-readable technology with federally defined data elements in their cards, capturing digital images of identity-source documents, and providing other states electronic access to information contained in their motor vehicle databases. Confronted by this unfunded domestic surveillance mandate, state leaders across the country instigated the “REAL ID Rebellion” in 2006.
The Department of Homeland Security has never made good on the REAL ID law’s threat that Transportation Security Administration agents would refuse airport access to travelers from recalcitrant states. But the threat remains, and many states are inching toward putting their residents into the national ID system.
Please join us for a discussion of the prospects for the U.S. national ID law 10 years along, and its incursion on the common law treatment of names.
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For decades, libertarians have expressed pointed and principled opposition to U.S. interventionism, offering alternatives that have been largely ignored by policymakers in Washington. The promises of stability and peace from both Democratic and Republican administrations have yet to be fulfilled, and the costs of foreign wars in blood, treasure, and prestige have taken their toll. The American public is both tired and wary of intervention. Has the time finally come for a libertarian foreign policy? What would it look like? What would it mean for American security and America’s place among nations? Join us for a discussion of these topics.
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“South Africa is sliding downhill while much of the rest of the continent is clawing its way up,” so wrote The Economist in 2013. For over two decades, South Africa has basked in the glow of a peaceful transition from apartheid to majority rule, but the country’s endemic corruption, high crime rate, and failing public services can no longer be ignored. Some even wonder if the misrule by the African National Congress could turn South Africa into a Zimbabwe-like failed state. Frans Cronje and Vukasin Petrovic will discuss the likely future of political and economic developments in South Africa.
“Outlook 2015: South Africa and the World,” PowerPoint Presentation by Frans Cronje
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In a 2013 address to the United Nations General Assembly, President Barack Obama announced that the United States would continue to safeguard the “free flow of energy... to the world,” even as the shale revolution ushers in an unprecedented increase in oil and natural gas production here at home. New oil and gas production technologies, such as hydraulic fracturing, horizontal drilling, and deepwater drilling, have already begun to redraw the map of energy production. Because oil is traded in a global market, increased domestic production does not insulate the U.S. from supply shocks and price volatility. But even if the move toward “energy independence” makes little difference to U.S. national security, changes in the geography of energy production could still have an important impact.
A major new study investigates how changing trade flows and energy revenues affect U.S. national security via two potential mechanisms: shifts in U.S. bilateral relationships with oil-exporting countries and disruptions in regional security. Join us as the lead researcher, Eugene Gholz, presents the findings, followed by comments and discussion among experts in the field.
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Disclaimer: Please note that Erica Borghard’s comments are her own personal views, and do not represent the official positions of the U.S. Military Academy, the U.S. Army, or the Department of Defense.
The rise of ISIS and the spread of the Syrian civil war to Iraq have led to renewed discussions of U.S. intervention. Though Washington is regularly bombing ISIS targets, there is little in the way of viable on-the-ground support, and a much-vaunted U.S. training campaign for moderates has had difficulty finding acceptable trainees. Many of America’s allies are complicit in funding extremist groups within Syria, even if they oppose ISIS itself, while the White House continues to equivocate on whether it will negotiate with the Assad regime. America’s goals in Syria are unclear, and there is a broad consensus that the current U.S. approach — loosely defined as ‘degrading and destroying’ ISIS — is murky at best.
What is the United States trying to accomplish in Syria? Are its goals achievable with current strategies? Join our panelists as they discuss how we reached this point, and the extent to which the U.S. should or should not be involved in the ongoing conflict.
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Although cannabis (otherwise known as marijuana) is still classified as a Schedule I drug in the United States—meaning that it is illegal to possess, use, buy, sell, or cultivate under federal law—state laws in 23 states (plus the District of Columbia) allow for its medical use, and four states (plus the District of Columbia) allow for its recreational use. The trend towards legalization is likely to continue with polls routinely showing majority support for legalization from the American public.
Despite a fair amount of legal confusion created by the conflicting patchwork of laws across the country (and even within the same municipalities), entrepreneurs are pouring into the industry, starting new stores, cafes, testing labs, consulting firms, and a myriad of other businesses spurred by the booming cannabis economy.
Join the Cato Institute for panel discussion of the ways in which the newly (and increasingly) legal cannabis industry is harnessing the power of technology, as well as the legal barriers that still stand in their way.
After the panel, mingle with speakers and guests—and enjoy drinks and appetizers—in Cato’s gorgeous roof garden overlooking downtown Washington, D.C.
#CatoDigital is a regular event series at the Cato Institute highlighting the intersection of tech, social media, and the ideas of liberty.
This event will be live-streamed at www.cato.org/live and questions may be submitted via Twitter using #CatoDigital.
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Members of Congress in both houses have again introduced measures to repeal long-standing constraints on the ability of the Government Accountability Office to perform a program audit of the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy actions. Auditing the Fed has become the topic of bitter debate, not along party lines, but instead pitting government transparency advocates against proponents of Federal Reserve political independence. Please join our panel as we try to answer these questions: What is “Audit the Fed” really about? What would it entail? And, most importantly, is it good public policy?
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Since 2001 the Federal Bureau of Investigation has led a vigorous hunt for domestic terrorists. The results have been mixed. Several attacks have occurred, though not with the apocalyptic results officials predicted. Authorities have stopped other domestic terrorists and, arguably, manufactured more. Through informants and undercover agents, the FBI has essentially organized fake terrorist plots, some ensnaring individuals so inept that they seemed incapable of succeeding in terrorism without government assistance.
One such case is featured in The Newburgh Sting, a 2014 documentary that aired on HBO. The film uses the FBI’s own secret recordings to show how an undercover informant induced four men to join a plot to blow up a Bronx synagogue and attack a nearby U.S. military base. The presiding judge said the government “came up with the crime, provided the means, and removed all relevant obstacles,” thus making a terrorist out of a man “whose buffoonery is positively Shakespearean in scope.”
Please join us for a discussion with The Newburgh Sting’s creator, featuring segments of the film, along with experts from Cato and Amnesty. They will discuss why these sorts of investigations occur and what harm they might cause.
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| 10:30 – 10:55 a.m. | Registration | | 10:55 – 11:00 a.m. | Welcoming Remarks John Allison, Former President and CEO, Cato Institute | | 11:00 – 11:30 a.m. | The Libertarian Mind in America | | 11:30 a.m.– 12:10 p.m. | Power to the People Johan Norberg, Senior Fellow, Cato Institute |
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Some tax reform plans would replace the "progressive" rate structure in the internal revenue code with a single, low rate. That's a big issue that warrants serious debate. But there's another important aspect of tax reform, which is whether some forms of income should be taxed more than one time. An expert panel will explain why this "tax base" issue has major implications for the ability of tax reform to generate faster growth and higher living standards.
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What if, instead of heading down to your local liquor store, the next time you found yourself craving an alcoholic beverage, you could simply pull out your smart phone, place an order, and a short while later, get your drinks, all without leaving your home? That’s the concept behind Klink, an alcohol delivery app that brings the user-friendly connectivity of the sharing economy to one of the most heavily regulated industries in the nation.
Join the Cato Institute for a lunchtime discussion of the role Klink is playing in the sharing economy, the tough regulatory landscape it must navigate, and what the app means for the future of alcohol delivery.
#CatoDigital (formerly #NewMediaLunch) is a regular event series at the Cato Institute highlighting the intersection of tech, social media, and the ideas of liberty.
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The law authorizing federal highway and transit programs expires on May 31, and Congress is currently debating where the money will come from for a new transportation bill and where it should be spent. But a third question is even more important: what are the incentives created by federal transportation spending and how can they be improved to provide Americans with faster, cleaner, and safer transportation? Randal O'Toole will describe the perverse incentives that currently govern federal transit programs; Baruch Feigenbaum will discuss federal policies that make infrastructure unnecessarily expensive; and Marc Scribner will explore other incentives created by federal regulation and ask, "Is there a future for federal transportation policy?"
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On January 8, 1964, President Lyndon Johnson delivered a State of the Union address to Congress in which he declared an "unconditional war on poverty in America." Johnson’s goal was not only to "relieve the symptom of poverty, but to cure it and, above all, to prevent it." Since then, federal and state governments have spent more than $19 trillion fighting poverty. But what has really been accomplished with all of that funding?This special half-day conference brings together a wide range of experts from across the political spectrum to discuss whether the War on Poverty succeeded in reducing poverty in the United States, what remains to be done, and whether private charitable efforts would be a better alternative to government welfare programs.
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On January 8, 1964, President Lyndon Johnson delivered a State of the Union address to Congress in which he declared an "unconditional war on poverty in America." Johnson’s goal was not only to "relieve the symptom of poverty, but to cure it and, above all, to prevent it." Since then, federal and state governments have spent more than $19 trillion fighting poverty. But what has really been accomplished with all of that funding?This special half-day conference brings together a wide range of experts from across the political spectrum to discuss whether the War on Poverty succeeded in reducing poverty in the United States, what remains to be done, and whether private charitable efforts would be a better alternative to government welfare programs.
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On January 8, 1964, President Lyndon Johnson delivered a State of the Union address to Congress in which he declared an "unconditional war on poverty in America." Johnson’s goal was not only to "relieve the symptom of poverty, but to cure it and, above all, to prevent it." Since then, federal and state governments have spent more than $19 trillion fighting poverty. But what has really been accomplished with all of that funding?This special half-day conference brings together a wide range of experts from across the political spectrum to discuss whether the War on Poverty succeeded in reducing poverty in the United States, what remains to be done, and whether private charitable efforts would be a better alternative to government welfare programs.
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On March 15, the statutory debt ceiling kicks in again — after a year of unlimited federal borrowing that has brought our national debt to the edge of $20 trillion. Of course, nobody is betting on the debt ceiling being maintained, which creates a huge problem for advocates of limited government. What in practical politics can hold back the growth of the federal government when unlimited borrowing capacity creates the illusion of limitless, cost-free resources? The participants on this panel will attempt to answer that question with a variety of solutions, ranging from leveraging trends in existing Supreme Court precedent to restoring the moral and social underpinnings of a free society to amending the U.S. Constitution using the Compact for a Balanced Budget. Please join us for a discussion on how to limit Leviathan.
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Can you imagine being denied a bank account just because some bureaucrat disapproves of your job? It could happen to you!
Launched in early 2013, "Operation Choke Point" is a joint effort by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the bank regulators to limit access to the bank payments system by various businesses. Initially targeted at small-dollar nonbank lenders, Choke Point has grown to cover a variety of legitimate businesses that just happen to be unpopular with DOJ.
Since, in today’s economy, almost any economic activity depends on access to the payments system, allowing the DOJ to arbitrarily limit access represents an almost unprecedented abuse of power. Many targeted businesses and individuals are turning to cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin and dogecoin in order to survive without access to the traditional banking system.
What can be done about Operation Choke Point, who is being targeted, and what implications does this hold for the future of cryptocurrencies?
This panel will be occurring at the annual South by Southwest - Interactive conference in Austin, Texas. You will need to be a registered participant of the conference to attend. However, all Cato supporters are invited to follow along on Twitter using #CatoCrypto. We will also be posting a video on the Cato website after the conference is over.
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During the Cold War, annual Pentagon spending averaged about $458 billion in today’s prices; over the next decade, its projected budget will average over half a trillion dollars per year. Yet, while our spending is consistent with Cold War levels, that money pays for fewer troops; supports less base capacity; and buys fewer ships, aircraft, and tanks. In short, we are getting less bang for our buck. And the situation is only getting worse as personnel costs continue to demand an ever-increasing share of the Pentagon’s budget.There is broad agreement that reforms are needed. But what reforms? And are they possible? Our panel of experts will seek to answer these questions, highlighting the changes they believe are necessary to cure the Pentagon’s spending ills, and debating whether such reforms are politically viable. Please join us for this important discussion.
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Please join us for an informative and entertaining policy luncheon and discussion with Alex Nowrasteh, Brink Lindsey, and Richard Rahn. This luncheon will feature presentations by Cato scholars Alex Nowrasteh, author of many studies on immigration policy, and Brink Lindsey, author of Human Capitalism: How Economic Growth Has Made Us Smarter — and More Unequal and The Age of Abundance: How Prosperity Transformed America's Politics and Culture.
The economic benefits of immigration reform are large, but increased enforcement mechanisms like E-Verify or a national identity card could erase most of those gains. Nowrasteh will explain how to maximize the benefits and minimize the costs of immigration reform and how to wall off the welfare state, especially in light of President Obama's recent executive actions.
It's been almost six years since the official end of the Great Recession, but U.S. economic growth has remained stubbornly sluggish. Fears are mounting that growth rates well below the long-term historical average may now be the "new normal." Cato scholar Brink Lindsey argues that those fears are well-founded: absent major policy change, U.S. economic performance will likely remain disappointing for some time to come. Throughout the 20th century, rising labor force participation for women and rising skill levels for all workers helped to propel growth, but now those demographic trends have shifted with negative implications for growth. To revive long-term growth prospects, sweeping policy reforms are needed to spur American innovation and dynamism. Lindsey will outline a pro-growth policy agenda and assess the political prospects for positive change.
| 11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | Registration and Reception | | 12:00 – 2:00 p.m. | Policy Forum and LuncheonWelcoming RemarksRodolfo MilaniCan We Ever Reform Immigration?Alex Nowrasteh, Immigration Policy Analyst, Center for Global Liberty and Prosperity, Cato InstituteReversing the Growth SlowdownBrink Lindsey, Vice President for Research, Cato Institutemoderated byRichard RahnSenior Fellow, Cato Institute |
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Recent Russian aggression in Ukraine has raised the profile of NATO, giving the organization a sense of purpose not seen since the end of the Cold War. Yet NATO has changed substantially since 1991, growing to include member states in Eastern Europe. NATO’s mission has also evolved, from collective defense to broader military cooperation, and from European security to a more global approach, including recent involvement in Afghanistan and the Libyan civil war. NATO itself has become a political entity, with NATO enlargement an ongoing point of contention between Russia and the West.Is NATO best positioned to address transatlantic security concerns? Should the organization be reformed? Or is it time to create a new framework for European security concerns? What should be the U.S. role in this process? Join our panel for an open discussion of these and other questions, as they debate the future of the transatlantic security framework from various points of view.
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Join Russ Roberts as he interviews George Mason University economics professor Lawrence H. White about Renewing the Search for a Monetary Constitution — a new Cato book White has coedited with Victor J. Vanberg and Ekkehard Köhler.
Despite their substantial independence and discretionary powers, central banks have generally failed to achieve their goals of maintaining either low and stable inflation or tolerably low unemployment. Many blame monetary discretion for this failure, noting that such discretion tempts central bankers to engage in monetary "fine tuning" that ends up fueling booms and busts, leaving declared objectives to fall by the wayside. Should monetary authorities be reined in by a constitution? If so, how might this be done successfully? The essays in Renewing the Search for a Monetary Constitution, by Lawrence White and others, address these and other crucial questions.
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Contrary to myth, Obamacare’s opponents have many alternatives to the health care law that is once again before the Supreme Court. The Washington Examiner’s Philip Klein, a leading conservative health care writer, takes us inside the debate on the right over how to overhaul the health care system along free-market lines in the wake of a ruling in King v. Burwell, and possibly in the wake of Obamacare.
Drawing on eight years of experience reporting on the issue, and dozens of interviews with prominent health policy experts, Klein lays out a free-market vision for health care and presents three competing approaches to getting there: reform, replace, and restart. Join us to hear from Klein, as well as from leading proponents of each school of thought.
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The American Founders planned for a republic and feared its corruption. Jay Cost thinks their fears are coming true. His new book reveals that big government has promoted corruption that favors the privileged over the many, corruption that is both legal and too often accepted.
Cost argues that politicians today have professionalized the pathways of corruption so thoroughly that they can more easily defy detection, and, barring that, retain plausible deniability. From the 18th century to today, Cost traces the history of how America ceased being a republic and became a special-interest democracy.
Will the 2016 elections bring change? Cost’s sweeping history of American political corruption does not spare the age of Obama. He demonstrates that a president who promised to change the system became a willing participant, as did both parties in the U.S. Congress — at a cost of hundreds of billions of dollars to taxpayers.
Please join us for a disturbing portrait of a nation fostering and fighting political decline.
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The rise of ridesharing in the U.S. and abroad has been accompanied by complaints and concerns related to the regulation of rideshare companies such as Uber and Lyft. Reports of rideshare drivers assaulting passengers as well as worries about insurance coverage and vehicle inspections have all prompted discussion about the safety of ridesharing. In addition, market incumbents have complained that rideshare companies are unfairly flouting existing regulation. Please join us for a discussion on ridesharing and what regulatory framework should govern this new and controversial industry.
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Colleges often seem hostile to, or at least uninterested in, Western civilization, free markets, and other “conservative” or “libertarian” subjects. This has left a void that is increasingly being filled by privately funded academic centers founded in or near colleges and universities. But how objective are such centers? Do their donors call all the shots? Can they significantly widen inquiry in academia? Please join Cato and the John W. Pope Center for Higher Education Policy for an in-depth discussion of this growing phenomenon.Download “Renewal in the University: How Academic Centers Restore the Spirit of Inquiry,” by the Pope Center’s Jay Schalin.
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President Barack Obama’s announcement that the United States will seek to ease the embargo on, and normalize relations with, Cuba marks the beginning of the end of more than 50 years of failed efforts by Washington to improve human rights or achieve political or economic reform on the island through economic sanctions and diplomatic isolationism. Further moves to end the embargo depend on Congress, however. Senator Flake will explain why he supports normalizing relations and discuss what to expect from a new Congress on policy toward Cuba. Carl Meacham will present national security arguments in favor of engaging Cuba.
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| 12:35 – 2:00 p.m. | Luncheon Address His Highness: The Unconstitutional World of Barack Obama Tucker Carlson, Editor-in-Chief, The Daily Caller and Co-Host, Fox & Friends Weekend |
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| 10:50 – 11:00 a.m. | Welcoming Remarks John Allison, President and CEO, Cato Institute | | 11:00 – 11:30 a.m. | The Forever-War President: Obama’s Dangerous War-Powers Legacy | | 11:30 a.m.– 12:10 p.m. | Impact of the 2014 Elections on Policy Daniel Mitchell, Senior Fellow, Cato Institute |
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In 2012, the Live Free or Die state launched a bold initiative to advance educational freedom: scholarship tax credits. The New Hampshire Opportunity Scholarship Act grants tax credits to businesses worth 85 percent of their contributions to nonprofit scholarship organizations that fund low- and middle-income students to attend private or home schools. The scholarship law then faced both a repeal effort in the legislature and a bitter lawsuit that went to the state’s highest court. Join us as we present Live Free and Learn: Scholarship Tax Credits in New Hampshire, a short film detailing the struggle over New Hampshire’s scholarship law and some of the families it has touched. After the film, please join us live online and on Twitter at #CatoConnects for a discussion on the politics, policy, and constitutionality of scholarship tax credit laws.
Live Free and Learn: Scholarship Tax Credits in New Hampshire on YouTube.
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| 12:30 – 2:00 p.m. | Luncheon Address The Dangers of the Imperial Presidency Tom Campbell, Dean, Chapman University School of Law; Former Member of Congress |
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| 10:30 – 10:50 a.m. | Registration | | 10:50 – 11:00 a.m. | Welcoming Remarks John Allison, President and CEO, Cato Institute | | 11:00 – 11:20 a.m. | Technology and Liberty | | 11:20 – 11:40 a.m. | Are Millennials More Libertarian? Emily Ekins, Research Fellow, Cato Institute; Polling Director, Reason Foundation | | 11:40 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | Making Immigration Work |
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The economic reforms and subsequent growth in China must count as among the most astonishing and hopeful events of our age. Weiying Zhang was among the leaders who set China on its path of change. His new collection of essays recounts the successes and failures of reform and looks to the future for continued progress. He emphasizes the importance of entrepreneurs in continuing and deepening economic liberalization along with reducing state ownership and control. Please join us to hear a real hero of liberty talk about the past, present, and future of China and free market economics.
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We hear a lot about moral decline these days. Michael Shermer, the author of Why People Believe Weird Things, The Believing Brain, and eight other books on the evolution of human beliefs and behavior, argues that the scientific way of thinking has made people — and society as a whole — more moral. The Age of Reason and the Enlightenment led theorists to apply scientific reasoning to the nonscientific disciplines of politics, economics, and moral philosophy. Instead of relying on the woodcuts of dissected bodies in old medical texts, physicians opened bodies themselves to see what was there; instead of divining truth through the authority of an ancient book, people began to explore the book of nature for themselves through travel and exploration; instead of the supernatural belief in the divine right of kings, people employed a natural belief in the right of democracy. Abstract reasoning, rationality, empiricism, and skepticism, Shermer says, have profoundly changed the way we perceive morality and, indeed, move us ever closer to a more just world. With advance endorsements from Steven Pinker, Jared Diamond, and Michio Kaku, this book is likely to provoke lots of debate.
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In an engaging new book, David Gans and Ilya Shapiro provide a comprehensive analysis of the issues in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby, the blockbuster legal challenge to the Obamacare regulation that required employer-sponsored health plans to provide “free” contraceptive coverage. In a series of debates, these opposing advocates examine whether for-profit corporations can assert religious-exercise claims under federal law, whether businesses (or their owners/directors/officers) with religious objections should be exempt from coverage requirements, and what the consequences would be if the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Hobby Lobby. The Court’s decision will be discussed for years and this spirited debate will provide fascinating and informative food for thought for scholars, students, and the public as they grapple with fundamental questions of corporate personhood, religious liberty, and health care policy. Please join us for a reprise of these debates, with commentary by the architect of the constitutional challenge to Obamacare’s individual mandate, Professor Randy Barnett.
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Never in human history have people been more connected than they are today — nor have they been more thoroughly monitored. Over the past year, the disclosures spurred by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden have drawn public attention to the stunning surveillance capabilities of the American intelligence community, and the unprecedented volume of data they collect from hundreds of millions of people around the world. But the growth of government surveillance is by no means restricted to spies: Even ordinary law enforcement agencies increasingly employ sophisticated tracking technologies, from face recognition software to “Stingray” devices that can locate suspects by sniffing out their cellular phone signals. Are these tools a vital weapon against criminals and terrorists — or a threat to privacy and freedom? How should these tracking technologies be regulated by the Fourth Amendment and federal law? Can we reconcile the secrecy that spying demands with the transparency that democratic accountability requires?This inaugural Cato Institute Surveillance Conference will explore these questions, guided by a diverse array of experts: top journalists and privacy advocates; lawyers and technologists; intelligence officials … and those who’ve been targets of surveillance. And for the more practically minded, a special Crypto Reception, following the Conference, will teach attendees how to use privacy-enhancing technologies to secure their own communications.
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Never in human history have people been more connected than they are today — nor have they been more thoroughly monitored. Over the past year, the disclosures spurred by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden have drawn public attention to the stunning surveillance capabilities of the American intelligence community, and the unprecedented volume of data they collect from hundreds of millions of people around the world. But the growth of government surveillance is by no means restricted to spies: Even ordinary law enforcement agencies increasingly employ sophisticated tracking technologies, from face recognition software to “Stingray” devices that can locate suspects by sniffing out their cellular phone signals. Are these tools a vital weapon against criminals and terrorists — or a threat to privacy and freedom? How should these tracking technologies be regulated by the Fourth Amendment and federal law? Can we reconcile the secrecy that spying demands with the transparency that democratic accountability requires?This inaugural Cato Institute Surveillance Conference will explore these questions, guided by a diverse array of experts: top journalists and privacy advocates; lawyers and technologists; intelligence officials … and those who’ve been targets of surveillance. And for the more practically minded, a special Crypto Reception, following the Conference, will teach attendees how to use privacy-enhancing technologies to secure their own communications.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Never in human history have people been more connected than they are today — nor have they been more thoroughly monitored. Over the past year, the disclosures spurred by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden have drawn public attention to the stunning surveillance capabilities of the American intelligence community, and the unprecedented volume of data they collect from hundreds of millions of people around the world. But the growth of government surveillance is by no means restricted to spies: Even ordinary law enforcement agencies increasingly employ sophisticated tracking technologies, from face recognition software to “Stingray” devices that can locate suspects by sniffing out their cellular phone signals. Are these tools a vital weapon against criminals and terrorists — or a threat to privacy and freedom? How should these tracking technologies be regulated by the Fourth Amendment and federal law? Can we reconcile the secrecy that spying demands with the transparency that democratic accountability requires?This inaugural Cato Institute Surveillance Conference will explore these questions, guided by a diverse array of experts: top journalists and privacy advocates; lawyers and technologists; intelligence officials … and those who’ve been targets of surveillance. And for the more practically minded, a special Crypto Reception, following the Conference, will teach attendees how to use privacy-enhancing technologies to secure their own communications.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Never in human history have people been more connected than they are today — nor have they been more thoroughly monitored. Over the past year, the disclosures spurred by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden have drawn public attention to the stunning surveillance capabilities of the American intelligence community, and the unprecedented volume of data they collect from hundreds of millions of people around the world. But the growth of government surveillance is by no means restricted to spies: Even ordinary law enforcement agencies increasingly employ sophisticated tracking technologies, from face recognition software to “Stingray” devices that can locate suspects by sniffing out their cellular phone signals. Are these tools a vital weapon against criminals and terrorists — or a threat to privacy and freedom? How should these tracking technologies be regulated by the Fourth Amendment and federal law? Can we reconcile the secrecy that spying demands with the transparency that democratic accountability requires?This inaugural Cato Institute Surveillance Conference will explore these questions, guided by a diverse array of experts: top journalists and privacy advocates; lawyers and technologists; intelligence officials … and those who’ve been targets of surveillance. And for the more practically minded, a special Crypto Reception, following the Conference, will teach attendees how to use privacy-enhancing technologies to secure their own communications.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Never in human history have people been more connected than they are today — nor have they been more thoroughly monitored. Over the past year, the disclosures spurred by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden have drawn public attention to the stunning surveillance capabilities of the American intelligence community, and the unprecedented volume of data they collect from hundreds of millions of people around the world. But the growth of government surveillance is by no means restricted to spies: Even ordinary law enforcement agencies increasingly employ sophisticated tracking technologies, from face recognition software to “Stingray” devices that can locate suspects by sniffing out their cellular phone signals. Are these tools a vital weapon against criminals and terrorists — or a threat to privacy and freedom? How should these tracking technologies be regulated by the Fourth Amendment and federal law? Can we reconcile the secrecy that spying demands with the transparency that democratic accountability requires?
This inaugural Cato Institute Surveillance Conference will explore these questions, guided by a diverse array of experts: top journalists and privacy advocates; lawyers and technologists; intelligence officials … and those who’ve been targets of surveillance. And for the more practically minded, a special Crypto Reception, following the Conference, will teach attendees how to use privacy-enhancing technologies to secure their own communications.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
In 2009 Brian Aitken, a media consultant and web entrepreneur, ran afoul of New Jersey's draconian gun laws when he was arrested while transporting two handguns unloaded and locked in the trunk of his car. Despite the fact that Aitken owned the guns legally and had called the New Jersey State Police for advice on how to legally transport his firearms, he found himself sentenced to seven years in prison.In 2010 New Jersey governor Chris Christie commuted Aitken's sentence. But Aitken's experience, like that of other law-abiding gun owners who've faced long prison sentences for honest mistakes, raises troubling questions about gun-law overreach, prosecutorial discretion, and judicial abdication. Join us for what promises to be a lively discussion of these issues.
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On December 5, 1933, the 21st Amendment to the Constitution was ratified, supposedly ending our nation’s failed experiment with prohibitionism. Yet, 81 years later, modern-day prohibitionists continue to deny the laws of supply and demand, attempting to control what individuals can choose to put into their own bodies.Please join the Cato Institute for a celebration of the 81st anniversary of the repeal of alcohol prohibition. Panelists will discuss modern prohibitions—from the Drug War to blue laws; tobacco regulation to transfats—drawing connections with their earlier antecedent.Alcoholic beverages and other commonly restricted refreshments (bring on the trans fats!) will be served following the discussion.
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Many people believe that science and research are public goods and thus need financial support from the government. Most economists believe that economic growth depends on innovation which in turn arises from science and research. The conventional wisdom concludes that economic growth depends on government largesse, perhaps as much as it does on markets.Economic growth and innovation are closely linked, but we might doubt that science and research are public goods. Consider the history of public support for science. The United States was effectively laissez faire in science and research until 1940, yet the inauguration of vast federal funding for science and innovation since that date has not altered the nation’s underlying rates of economic growth. The Wright brothers, Thomas Edison, and Nikola Tesla transformed their industries without government grants. Indeed, in 2003 the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development OECD found in surveying its members that only privately funded R&D led to economic growth—publicly funded R&D had no beneficial effects at all.Everybody supports the public funding of scientific research: industry loves corporate welfare, the universities love the grants, the politicians love the reflected glory, and the general public believes the conventional wisdom previously noted. Terence Kealey argues that science and research are most certainly not public goods and that we could—if we wished—leave R&D solely to the market.
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The Great Recession ended over five years ago, so why does the U.S. economy remain so sluggish? Fears are mounting that growth rates well below the long-term historical trend line may now be the “new normal.” Labor-force participation has been falling, while growth in labor skills has slowed considerably. Furthermore, the main engine of innovation—the “creative destruction” of entrepreneurial dynamism—appears to be sputtering, as the rates of both gross job creation and destruction and new firm formation have been declining steadily. Meanwhile, some experts even argue that the low-hanging fruit of major transformative breakthroughs has already been plucked and that, consequently, technological progress itself is winding down.
The purpose of this conference is to assess the long-term growth outlook of the U.S. economy and explore what policy changes might be needed to arrest and reverse the growth slowdown. We will bring together top economists and other experts for a full-day conference on these vital issues, with the first three sessions devoted to diagnosis of the key problems and the final two sessions focused on prescriptions for growth-enhancing policy reforms.
In conjunction with the conference, the Cato Institute is hosting a special online forum on reviving economic growth. We have reached out to leading economists and policy experts and challenged them to answer the following question: “If you could wave a magic wand and make one or two policy or institutional changes to brighten the U.S. economy’s long-term growth prospects, what would you change and why?” Their response essays will be made available here in the run-up to the conference.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The Great Recession ended over five years ago, so why does the U.S. economy remain so sluggish? Fears are mounting that growth rates well below the long-term historical trend line may now be the “new normal.” Labor-force participation has been falling, while growth in labor skills has slowed considerably. Furthermore, the main engine of innovation—the “creative destruction” of entrepreneurial dynamism—appears to be sputtering, as the rates of both gross job creation and destruction and new firm formation have been declining steadily. Meanwhile, some experts even argue that the low-hanging fruit of major transformative breakthroughs has already been plucked and that, consequently, technological progress itself is winding down.
The purpose of this conference is to assess the long-term growth outlook of the U.S. economy and explore what policy changes might be needed to arrest and reverse the growth slowdown. We will bring together top economists and other experts for a full-day conference on these vital issues, with the first three sessions devoted to diagnosis of the key problems and the final two sessions focused on prescriptions for growth-enhancing policy reforms.
In conjunction with the conference, the Cato Institute is hosting a special online forum on reviving economic growth. We have reached out to leading economists and policy experts and challenged them to answer the following question: “If you could wave a magic wand and make one or two policy or institutional changes to brighten the U.S. economy’s long-term growth prospects, what would you change and why?” Their response essays will be made available here in the run-up to the conference.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The Great Recession ended over five years ago, so why does the U.S. economy remain so sluggish? Fears are mounting that growth rates well below the long-term historical trend line may now be the “new normal.” Labor-force participation has been falling, while growth in labor skills has slowed considerably. Furthermore, the main engine of innovation—the “creative destruction” of entrepreneurial dynamism—appears to be sputtering, as the rates of both gross job creation and destruction and new firm formation have been declining steadily. Meanwhile, some experts even argue that the low-hanging fruit of major transformative breakthroughs has already been plucked and that, consequently, technological progress itself is winding down.
The purpose of this conference is to assess the long-term growth outlook of the U.S. economy and explore what policy changes might be needed to arrest and reverse the growth slowdown. We will bring together top economists and other experts for a full-day conference on these vital issues, with the first three sessions devoted to diagnosis of the key problems and the final two sessions focused on prescriptions for growth-enhancing policy reforms.
In conjunction with the conference, the Cato Institute is hosting a special online forum on reviving economic growth. We have reached out to leading economists and policy experts and challenged them to answer the following question: “If you could wave a magic wand and make one or two policy or institutional changes to brighten the U.S. economy’s long-term growth prospects, what would you change and why?” Their response essays will be made available here in the run-up to the conference.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The Great Recession ended over five years ago, so why does the U.S. economy remain so sluggish? Fears are mounting that growth rates well below the long-term historical trend line may now be the “new normal.” Labor-force participation has been falling, while growth in labor skills has slowed considerably. Furthermore, the main engine of innovation—the “creative destruction” of entrepreneurial dynamism—appears to be sputtering, as the rates of both gross job creation and destruction and new firm formation have been declining steadily. Meanwhile, some experts even argue that the low-hanging fruit of major transformative breakthroughs has already been plucked and that, consequently, technological progress itself is winding down.
The purpose of this conference is to assess the long-term growth outlook of the U.S. economy and explore what policy changes might be needed to arrest and reverse the growth slowdown. We will bring together top economists and other experts for a full-day conference on these vital issues, with the first three sessions devoted to diagnosis of the key problems and the final two sessions focused on prescriptions for growth-enhancing policy reforms.
In conjunction with the conference, the Cato Institute is hosting a special online forum on reviving economic growth. We have reached out to leading economists and policy experts and challenged them to answer the following question: “If you could wave a magic wand and make one or two policy or institutional changes to brighten the U.S. economy’s long-term growth prospects, what would you change and why?” Their response essays will be made available here in the run-up to the conference.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The Great Recession ended over five years ago, so why does the U.S. economy remain so sluggish? Fears are mounting that growth rates well below the long-term historical trend line may now be the “new normal.” Labor-force participation has been falling, while growth in labor skills has slowed considerably. Furthermore, the main engine of innovation—the “creative destruction” of entrepreneurial dynamism—appears to be sputtering, as the rates of both gross job creation and destruction and new firm formation have been declining steadily. Meanwhile, some experts even argue that the low-hanging fruit of major transformative breakthroughs has already been plucked and that, consequently, technological progress itself is winding down.The purpose of this conference is to assess the long-term growth outlook of the U.S. economy and explore what policy changes might be needed to arrest and reverse the growth slowdown. We will bring together top economists and other experts for a full-day conference on these vital issues, with the first three sessions devoted to diagnosis of the key problems and the final two sessions focused on prescriptions for growth-enhancing policy reforms.In conjunction with the conference, the Cato Institute is hosting a special online forum on reviving economic growth. We have reached out to leading economists and policy experts and challenged them to answer the following question: “If you could wave a magic wand and make one or two policy or institutional changes to brighten the U.S. economy’s long-term growth prospects, what would you change and why?” Their response essays will be made available here in the run-up to the conference.
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What happens when the biggest businesses in the world are accused of committing crimes? What should happen? Too Big to Jail peers into the hidden world of corporate prosecutions, revealing how Justice Department lawyers have used settlements, non-prosecution agreements, deferred prosecution agreements, and plea bargains to exact billions of dollars from corporate defendants—without ever going to court. This lack of judicial oversight creates a very real danger that justice is not being served: the guilty can literally buy their way out of prosecution, while others are forced to pay fines grossly disproportionate to any offense. Please join us for an in-depth discussion with two scholars whose work is on the cutting edge of an emerging national debate.
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Luncheon Address — Restoring the Lost Constitution
Randy Barnett, Author, Senior Fellow, Cato Institute
Director, Georgetown Center for the Constitution
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James L. Buckley’s new book, Saving Congress from Itself, describes the damage caused by federal aid-to-state programs and proposes a full repeal. Buckley’s analysis is grounded in his distinguished career as a U.S. senator from New York, a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, and a high-level Reagan administration official. He argues that repealing aid-to-state programs would free the federal government to focus on truly national matters, put the government on sounder financial footing, and improve the ability of states to manage their programs for education, welfare, transportation, and other activities. Cato’s Roger Pilon and Chris Edwards will comment on Buckley’s proposal and describe the legal and practical aspects of reviving federalism and ending aid.
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Sixty years ago the U.S. Supreme Court's first case on gay rights was set in motion. It has been neglected through many of the intervening years but is now recognized as a landmark in the law of free speech. In One, Inc., v. Olesen, a fledgling Los Angeles–based magazine seeking to advance the interests of homosexuals sued after the Post Office declared it obscene and banned its distribution through the mail. Against long odds, facing the full force of the federal government, and with little support from the civil libertarians of the day, the small publication persevered to the Supreme Court—and its unexpected victory there opened up legal space for other dissenting and unpopular opinions to thrive. Join us as three experts discuss the One, Inc. case as a turning point in First Amendment law and an example of how freedom of expression works to vindicate the interests of those on society's margins. We'll also learn about ongoing efforts to get the U.S. government to open its archives to shed light on its handling of the case.
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In The Moral Case for Fossil Fuels energy expert Alex Epstein argues that we are only hearing one side of a critical story. We are taught to think only of the negatives of fossil fuels, not their positives — their ability to provide cheap, reliable energy for a world of seven billion people. The moral significance of cheap, reliable energy, Epstein illustrates, is woefully underrated. Energy enables us to improve nearly every single aspect of life, whether economic or environmental, and if we look at the big picture of fossil fuels compared with the alternatives, the impact of fossil fuels is to make the world a far better place.
Epstein confronts the most common myths about fossil fuels: they are dirty, unsustainable, and harm the developing world. Drawing on original insights and cutting-edge research, Epstein offers facts to the contrary. Fossil fuels take a naturally dirty environment and make it clean; they take a naturally dangerous climate and make it safer; the sun and wind are intermittent, unreliable fuels that always need backup from a reliable source of energy — usually fossil fuels; and, fossil fuels are the key to improving the quality of life for billions of people in the developing world. Calls to "get off fossil fuels" are calls to degrade the lives of innocent people who merely want the same opportunities we enjoy in the West.
Will The Moral Case for Fossil Fuels become the Silent Spring of its time? Decide for yourself after hearing Alex Epstein discuss this powerful, highly innovative book.
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President Obama will soon announce that he plans to use executive power to delay the deportations of millions of undocumented immigrants, among other reforms. Join us and submit your questions via Twitter as we discuss the policy and politics of the President's plan.
Follow @CatoEvents and use #CatoConnects to ask questions and join the conversation on Twitter.
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In National Security and Double Government, Michael Glennon examines the continuity in U.S. national security policy from the Bush administration to the Obama administration. Glennon explains the lack of change by pointing to the enervation of America's "Madisonian institutions," namely, the Congress, the presidency, and the courts. In Glennon's view, these institutions have been supplanted by a "Trumanite network" of bureaucrats who make up the permanent national security state. National security policymaking has been removed from public view and largely insulated from law and politics. Glennon warns that leaving security policy in the hands of the Trumanite network threatens Americans' liberties and the republican form of government. Please join us for a discussion of this timely book.
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American cities, once economic and social launching pads for residents, are all too often plagued by poverty and decay. One need only look at the ruins of Detroit to see how far some once-great cities have fallen, or at Boston and San Francisco for evidence that such decline is reversible. In Boom Towns, Stephen J. K. Walters argues that commonplace explanations for urban decay are seriously incomplete. He reconceives of cities as dense accumulations of capital in all of its forms—which makes our labor more productive and our leisure more pleasurable. Policymakers, therefore, must properly define and enforce property rights in order to prevent the flight of capital that weakens urban centers. With its fresh interpretation of one of the quandaries of our day, Boom Towns offers a novel contribution to the debate about American cities and a program for their restoration.
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Evidence from academic institutions and international organizations shows dramatic improvements in human well-being. These improvements are especially striking in the developing world. Unfortunately, there is often a wide gap between reality and public perceptions, including that of many policymakers, scholars in unrelated fields, and intelligent lay persons. To make matters worse, the media emphasizes bad news, while ignoring many positive long-term trends. Please join us for a discussion of psychological, physiological, cultural, and other social reasons for the persistence of pessimism in the age of growing abundance.
Follow HumanProgress.org on Twitter at @HumanProgress and use #HPpinker.
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What happens if you throw a depression and nobody from the government shows up? No Quantitative Easers or fiscal stimulators or financial-firm rescuers? And what would happen if, instead of lowering interest rates and spending more to spur recovery, the government did nothing? The answer, in 1921 at least, is that the economy not only recovers but is "roaring" in less than two years. Was "The Crash that Cured Itself," as the subtitle of James Grant's fascinating new book refers to it, a fluke, or does it offer useful lessons for today's erstwhile depression fighters?Join us to hear James Grant, Jim Powell, and Lawrence H. White discuss this and other important questions raised by Grant's stimulating new book.
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Journalists face constant intimidation. Whether it takes the extreme form of beheadings, death threats, government censorship or simply political correctness—it casts a shadow over their ability to tell a story.
No one knows this better than Flemming Rose, the editor at the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten who, in 2006, published cartoons of the prophet Muhammad, inciting a worldwide firestorm. In his new book, The Tyranny of Silence: How One Cartoon Ignited a Global Debate on the Future of Free Speech he not only recounts that story, but takes a hard look at the slippery slope of attempts to limit free speech.
Rose writes about the people and experiences that have influenced the way he views the world and his understanding of the crisis, including meetings with dissidents from the former Soviet Union and ex-Muslims living in Europe. Rose offers more than a personal account of a riveting event. He defends freedom of speech as essential to a world that is increasingly multicultural, multireligious, and multiethnic. Please join us to hear this important voice favoring freedom of speech.
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CATO'S 32ND ANNUAL MONETARY CONFERENCE —will bring together leading scholars and advocates for fundamental monetary reform to discuss:
- The bitcoin revolution and future of crypto-currencies
- How technology will drive further innovations so that private currencies become a reality
- The role of gold in a decentralized monetary regime
- The steps necessary to return to constitutional money based on the convertibility principle and free banking
When the Federal Reserve was created in 1913, its powers were limited and the United States was still on the gold standard. Today the Fed has virtually unlimited power and the dollar has no backing. Limited, constitutional government requires a rules based, free-market monetary system with a stable-valued dollar, not the topsy-turvy fiat dollar that now exists under central banking. This conference will examine the case for sound money and the reforms needed to realize it.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
CATO'S 32ND ANNUAL MONETARY CONFERENCE —will bring together leading scholars and advocates for fundamental monetary reform to discuss:
- The bitcoin revolution and future of crypto-currencies
- How technology will drive further innovations so that private currencies become a reality
- The role of gold in a decentralized monetary regime
- The steps necessary to return to constitutional money based on the convertibility principle and free banking
When the Federal Reserve was created in 1913, its powers were limited and the United States was still on the gold standard. Today the Fed has virtually unlimited power and the dollar has no backing. Limited, constitutional government requires a rules based, free-market monetary system with a stable-valued dollar, not the topsy-turvy fiat dollar that now exists under central banking. This conference will examine the case for sound money and the reforms needed to realize it.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
CATO'S 32ND ANNUAL MONETARY CONFERENCE —will bring together leading scholars and advocates for fundamental monetary reform to discuss:
- The bitcoin revolution and future of crypto-currencies
- How technology will drive further innovations so that private currencies become a reality
- The role of gold in a decentralized monetary regime
- The steps necessary to return to constitutional money based on the convertibility principle and free banking
When the Federal Reserve was created in 1913, its powers were limited and the United States was still on the gold standard. Today the Fed has virtually unlimited power and the dollar has no backing. Limited, constitutional government requires a rules based, free-market monetary system with a stable-valued dollar, not the topsy-turvy fiat dollar that now exists under central banking. This conference will examine the case for sound money and the reforms needed to realize it.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
CATO'S 32ND ANNUAL MONETARY CONFERENCE —will bring together leading scholars and advocates for fundamental monetary reform to discuss:
- The bitcoin revolution and future of crypto-currencies
- How technology will drive further innovations so that private currencies become a reality
- The role of gold in a decentralized monetary regime
- The steps necessary to return to constitutional money based on the convertibility principle and free banking
When the Federal Reserve was created in 1913, its powers were limited and the United States was still on the gold standard. Today the Fed has virtually unlimited power and the dollar has no backing. Limited, constitutional government requires a rules based, free-market monetary system with a stable-valued dollar, not the topsy-turvy fiat dollar that now exists under central banking. This conference will examine the case for sound money and the reforms needed to realize it.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
CATO'S 32ND ANNUAL MONETARY CONFERENCE —will bring together leading scholars and advocates for fundamental monetary reform to discuss:
- The bitcoin revolution and future of crypto-currencies
- How technology will drive further innovations so that private currencies become a reality
- The role of gold in a decentralized monetary regime
- The steps necessary to return to constitutional money based on the convertibility principle and free banking
When the Federal Reserve was created in 1913, its powers were limited and the United States was still on the gold standard. Today the Fed has virtually unlimited power and the dollar has no backing. Limited, constitutional government requires a rules based, free-market monetary system with a stable-valued dollar, not the topsy-turvy fiat dollar that now exists under central banking. This conference will examine the case for sound money and the reforms needed to realize it.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
CATO'S 32ND ANNUAL MONETARY CONFERENCE —will bring together leading scholars and advocates for fundamental monetary reform to discuss:
- The bitcoin revolution and future of crypto-currencies
- How technology will drive further innovations so that private currencies become a reality
- The role of gold in a decentralized monetary regime
- The steps necessary to return to constitutional money based on the convertibility principle and free banking
When the Federal Reserve was created in 1913, its powers were limited and the United States was still on the gold standard. Today the Fed has virtually unlimited power and the dollar has no backing. Limited, constitutional government requires a rules based, free-market monetary system with a stable-valued dollar, not the topsy-turvy fiat dollar that now exists under central banking. This conference will examine the case for sound money and the reforms needed to realize it.
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The Ivory Tower is changing. People want to acquire new skills more often, get degrees later in life, and do so on schedules convenient to their packed lives. In response, new options are popping up all over, including online classes, for-profit institutions, and competency-based programs. How should federal policy deal with this fast-changing landscape? And what do the midterm election results, due the night before the forum, bode for federal policy? Please join us to discuss these big questions.
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The 2014 midterm elections are being held at a time when libertarian ideas are ascending. But will more influence and media attention translate into electoral victories? Will the makeup of the next Congress be conducive or detrimental to the advancement of free markets and individual liberty? Join us for an election recap and discussion of the state of libertarian ideas in various races and prospects for the next Congress.
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What is the proper role of the Supreme Court under the Constitution? Should the Court be "active" or "restrained"? Or is that even the proper way to look at the question, however much we've heard it put that way for several decades now? In his new book, Damon Root traces this debate from the Constitution's conception to the present. His central focus, however, is on the emergence of the modern libertarian approach, which cuts through the often sterile debate between liberals and conservatives and points to the Constitution itself by way of determining the proper role of the Court under it. Please join us for a refreshing account of this recent history.
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In Pruitt v. Burwell and Halbig v. Burwell, federal courts have ruled that the Internal Revenue Service is misinterpreting the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, unlawfully paying billions of dollars to private health insurance companies, and unlawfully subjecting more than 50 million individuals and employers to the Act's individual and employer mandates. In King v. Burwell, another federal court found the IRS's interpretation is permissible. A fourth lawsuit, Indiana v. IRS, is due a ruling at any time.
While these cases attempt to uphold the ACA by challenging the Obama administration's interpretation, supporters and critics agree they could have as large an impact on the law as any constitutional challenge. Is the IRS acting within the confines of the law? Is the ACA unworkable as written? Is it inevitable that the Supreme Court will hear one of these cases, or a similar challenge yet to be filed? What is the impact of the IRS's (mis)interpretation? What impact would a ruling for the plaintiffs have on the health care sector and the ACA? Leading experts, including the attorneys general behind Pruitt v. Burwell and Indiana v. IRS, will discuss these and other dimensions of this litigation.
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In Pruitt v. Burwell and Halbig v. Burwell, federal courts have ruled that the Internal Revenue Service is misinterpreting the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, unlawfully paying billions of dollars to private health insurance companies, and unlawfully subjecting more than 50 million individuals and employers to the Act's individual and employer mandates. In King v. Burwell, another federal court found the IRS's interpretation is permissible. A fourth lawsuit, Indiana v. IRS, is due a ruling at any time.
While these cases attempt to uphold the ACA by challenging the Obama administration's interpretation, supporters and critics agree they could have as large an impact on the law as any constitutional challenge. Is the IRS acting within the confines of the law? Is the ACA unworkable as written? Is it inevitable that the Supreme Court will hear one of these cases, or a similar challenge yet to be filed? What is the impact of the IRS's (mis)interpretation? What impact would a ruling for the plaintiffs have on the health care sector and the ACA? Leading experts, including the attorneys general behind Pruitt v. Burwell and Indiana v. IRS, will discuss these and other dimensions of this litigation.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
In Pruitt v. Burwell and Halbig v. Burwell, federal courts have ruled that the Internal Revenue Service is misinterpreting the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, unlawfully paying billions of dollars to private health insurance companies, and unlawfully subjecting more than 50 million individuals and employers to the Act's individual and employer mandates. In King v. Burwell, another federal court found the IRS's interpretation is permissible. A fourth lawsuit, Indiana v. IRS, is due a ruling at any time.
While these cases attempt to uphold the ACA by challenging the Obama administration's interpretation, supporters and critics agree they could have as large an impact on the law as any constitutional challenge. Is the IRS acting within the confines of the law? Is the ACA unworkable as written? Is it inevitable that the Supreme Court will hear one of these cases, or a similar challenge yet to be filed? What is the impact of the IRS's (mis)interpretation? What impact would a ruling for the plaintiffs have on the health care sector and the ACA? Leading experts, including the attorneys general behind Pruitt v. Burwell and Indiana v. IRS, will discuss these and other dimensions of this litigation.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
In Pruitt v. Burwell and Halbig v. Burwell, federal courts have ruled that the Internal Revenue Service is misinterpreting the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, unlawfully paying billions of dollars to private health insurance companies, and unlawfully subjecting more than 50 million individuals and employers to the Act's individual and employer mandates. In King v. Burwell, another federal court found the IRS's interpretation is permissible. A fourth lawsuit, Indiana v. IRS, is due a ruling at any time.
While these cases attempt to uphold the ACA by challenging the Obama administration's interpretation, supporters and critics agree they could have as large an impact on the law as any constitutional challenge. Is the IRS acting within the confines of the law? Is the ACA unworkable as written? Is it inevitable that the Supreme Court will hear one of these cases, or a similar challenge yet to be filed? What is the impact of the IRS's (mis)interpretation? What impact would a ruling for the plaintiffs have on the health care sector and the ACA? Leading experts, including the attorneys general behind Pruitt v. Burwell and Indiana v. IRS, will discuss these and other dimensions of this litigation.
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When the Federal Reserve was founded in 1913, it was with the purpose of providing for a stable monetary and financial system. However, the Great Depression, the Great Inflation, and the Panic of 2008 serve as serious reminders of the Fed’s failure to achieve its original mission. Yet, despite this record, the Fed’s regulation of the economy has expanded. After a century, it is time to judge the Federal Reserve’s history and evaluate alternatives to central banking. To that end, the Cato Institute has established the Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives, which will focus on the development of policy recommendations that will create a more free-market monetary system in the United States. Please join Cato’s scholars for a discussion on how the Cato Institute’s new center seeks to educate the public and elected officials on the need for a monetary system that is consistent with the rule of law and genuine competition.
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Police misconduct and abuse have been getting a lot of extra media attention lately. In just the past few months, Americans have been horrified by stories of grenades thrown in children's cribs, homeless men beaten to death, unwarranted anal probes, and more. The outrage in Ferguson underscored the rapid growth in police militarization, highlighting the perceived code of silence upheld by those behind the "thin blue line" and driving demand for more accountability among the nation's law enforcement officers. Could cameras offer a viable solution to the problems at hand?
Does filming police make for more accountable law enforcement? Will on-body cameras (such as those recently adopted by D.C.'s Metropolitan Police Department as part of a pilot program) force accountability, or will they suffer form the same problems that have plagued existing cameras placed in police vehicles? What are your rights as a citizen journalist when it comes to filming police actions in a public space?
Join us for a lunchtime discussion about technological solutions to many common complaints about police misconduct. Jonathan Blanks, a research associate in Cato's Center for Constitutional Studies and a frequent commentator on criminal justice issues, Steve Silverman who founded Flex Your Rights to improve the constitutional literacy of all Americans, and Matthew Fogg, a 32-year veteran of the United States Marshals Service, will touch upon some of the biggest victories and concerns surrounding police work and cameras.
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In 2012, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey contended that “we are living in the most dangerous time in my lifetime, right now.” In 2013, he was more assertive, stating that the world is “more dangerous than it has ever been.” Is this accurate? A Dangerous World? brings together leading experts on international security to assess the supposed dangers to American security. They examine the most frequently referenced threats, including wars between nations and civil wars, and discuss the impact of rising nations, nuclear weapons proliferation, general unrest, transnational crime, and state failures. Please join us for an illuminating analysis of current and future American national security.
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Ben Freeth and his father-in-law, Mike Campbell, were successful Zimbabwean farmers and model employers. The family farm, purchased after Robert Mugabe came to power in 1980, was declared of “no interest” to the government in 1999. Yet they were later evicted and savagely beaten by government thugs. Mike, who would later to die from his injuries, launched a legal battle against the Zimbabwean government. He won a landmark case in the Southern African Development Community’s regional court, the SADC Tribunal in 2008. Ben will speak about the struggles of daily life and promotion of human rights, property rights and the rule of law in contemporary Zimbabwe.
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John Allison will discuss "The Philosophical Fight for the Future of America"—the battle of ideas and morality between Progressive collectivism and free market capitalism that will define the future well being of America. These divergent world views are not reconcilable and lead to radically different public policy outcomes. Cato’s president will examine the threat posed by the proliferation of statist ideas, as well as ways to increase public understanding of the merits of individual liberty and limited government.
Next, Michael Cannon will discuss the important Halbig v. Burwell decision—a ruling that could lead to the ultimate repeal of Obamacare. In the landmark decision, the D.C. Circuit ruled the president has no authority to tax, borrow, and spend tens of billions of dollars to mask from consumers in 36 states the true cost of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act's overpriced health insurance. If the court's ruling stands, millions of Americans will feel the full cost of their Obamacare coverage and will demand thatCongress reopen and possibly repeal the law.
Finally, David Boaz will discuss the future for freedom in America. From the rapid rise to prominence of first-term Senator Rand Paul to the state-level movements to legalize gay marriage and marijuana, the philosophy of fiscal conservatism, social liberalism, and restrained foreign policy seems to be gaining currency in American politics. In light of recent setbacks for individual liberty, Cato’s executive vice president will discuss how we can get back on the path to freedom, free markets, limited government, and peace at this auspicious "libertarian moment."
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Following the fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989, communist governments crumbled throughout the Soviet bloc. By late December 1991, the Soviet Union itself ceased to exist. The pace of transition from communist dictatorship to democracy and market economics was uneven. Some countries experienced high rates of economic growth and rapid return to political freedom, while others remained stuck in poverty and authoritarianism. Which reforms worked and which did not? What were the pre-conditions for a successful transformation and what lessons can non-free societies learn from the experiences of former communist countries?
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Experimental self-driving cars will be on the market by 2020 and will radically transform the 21st century. What should Washington policymakers know about the future of American mobility? How will self-driving cars affect the viability of urban transit and regional planning? What kind of regulation will be needed to protect safety and privacy? Please join us for a preview of the future of American transportation.
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The "Bootlegger and Baptist" theory, an innovative public-choice theory developed more than 30 years ago, holds that for a regulation to emerge and endure, both the "bootleggers," who seek to obtain private benefits from the regulation, and the "Baptists," who seek to serve the public interest, must support the regulation. Economists Adam Smith and Bruce Yandle provide an accessible description of the theory and cite numerous examples of coalitions of economic and moral interests that desire a common goal. The book applies the theory's insights to a wide range of current issues, including the recent financial crisis and environmental regulation, and provides readers with both an understanding of how regulation is a product of economic and moral interests and a fresh perspective on the ongoing debate of how special-interest groups influence politics. Please join us for an engaging discussion of why government regulation fails so often to attain the public interest.
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When Congress authorized the arming and training of Syrian moderates to combat ISIS, it explicitly stated that this action should not be construed as an authorization for the introduction of U.S.armed forces into hostilities. Yet, on the orders of President Obama, the United States has begun bombing ISIS targets within Syria. Did the president violate the Constitution, which grants Congress the exclusive power to “declare War”? If intervention is in America’s national security interest, how should the mission be defined and how should it be achieved?
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Balance sheet crises, in which the prices of widely held and highly leveraged assets collapse, pose distinctive economic challenges. In what promises to be a deeply insightful event, authors Vernon L. Smith and Steven D. Gjerstad will discuss their new book Rethinking Housing Bubbles.Their book examines causes and consequences, and with both authors’ well-known backgrounds in experimental economics, analyzes the events that led to and resulted from the recent U.S. housing bubble as a case study in the formation and propagation of balance sheet crises. The book also examines all previous downturns in the U.S. economy and documents substantive differences between the recurrent features of economic cycles and financial crises and the beliefs that public officials hold about them, especially within the Federal Reserve System. The book concludes with an examination of similar events in other countries and assesses alternative strategies to contain financial crises and to recover from them. Please join us for what promises to be a substantive, highly compelling discussion from two recognized authorities.
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Why do people borrow? An attempt to live beyond their means or income smoothing that accompanies growing prosperity? Consumer Credit and the American Economy examines the economics, behavioral science, sociology, history, law, and regulation of consumer credit in the United States. The authors look at why Americans use credit and the implications for both the American economy and government regulation. With the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, created by the Dodd-Frank Act, spreading its wings, there is perhaps no better time to have an in-depth discussion about the past and future of consumer credit. This panel features some of the leading experts in consumer financial regulation, who have served as both regulators and scholars.This event is being co-sponsored by the Federalist Society.
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Originalism, which has become the most prominent theory of constitutional interpretation, holds that the U.S. Constitution should be interpreted according to its meaning at the time it was enacted. In a new book that offers an innovative defense of that theory, John McGinnis and Michael Rappaport maintain that the text of the Constitution should be followed because it was enacted by supermajorities—both its original enactment and in subsequent amendments. A text approved by supermajorities has special value in a democracy because it has unusually wide support and thus tends to maximize the welfare of the greatest number. But what is originalism’s place in constitutional interpretation when the Supreme Court has created so much non-originalist precedent? Indeed, had the Court not interpreted the Constitution so freely, perhaps the nation would have resorted to the Article V amendment process more often and with greater effect. Please join us for a spirited discussion of Originalism and the Good Constitution and what this new defense of originalism means to the quest for constitutionally limited government.
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To celebrate Constitution Day and the publication of the thirteenth annual Cato Supreme Court Review.
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To celebrate Constitution Day and the publication of the thirteenth annual Cato Supreme Court Review.
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To celebrate Constitution Day and the publication of the thirteenth annual Cato Supreme Court Review.
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When government imposes new taxes, rules, or regulations, it creates outcomes that often differ from the original intent. In some cases, these outcomes are so severe that they render the policy a failure. The law of unintended consequences has taken on an increasing importance during the era of ever-expanding government, and this book explores four important examples: cigarette taxes, alcohol prohibition, the minimum wage, and federal income tax. Hall examines how the policies came into being, what underlying political considerations influenced the process, the unintended outcomes of the policies, and why many of these policies are still in place. Because many of these unintended consequences are seriously adverse, the author argues that the moral of these four key examples is that whenever a new government policy is being considered, much more detailed review must be given to the range of potential unintended consequences—a practice that is rarely or accurately undertaken.
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To celebrate Constitution Day and the publication of the thirteenth annual Cato Supreme Court Review.
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To celebrate Constitution Day and the publication of the thirteenth annual Cato Supreme Court Review.
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Following the controversial use of military vehicles and weapons by the police in Ferguson, Missouri, President Obama ordered a review of federal programs that facilitate the flow of weaponry from the Pentagon to local police departments. These military transfers raise a host of questions. Do the police need armored vehicles, M-16s, and grenade launchers to do their job effectively? Are the Pentagon programs adequately monitored? Should no-knock police raids be rare, or routine? Please join us for a wide-ranging discussion of modern American policing.
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The shooting of Michael Brown by police officer Darren Wilson sparked days of protest in Ferguson, Missouri. Meanwhile, in New York City, thousands of residents have protested the violent arrest that led to Eric Garner’s death. In recent years, the Department of Justice has sought to clean up police forces in Albuquerque, New Orleans, Seattle, and Detroit. Are the tensions that boiled over in Ferguson simmering in other cities? What are the lessons to be drawn from events in Ferguson? Has American law enforcement become overly aggressive and militarized? Are minorities being treated unfairly? Is police misconduct widespread? Join us for a wide-ranging discussion about Ferguson and American policing.
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In the wake of the 2008–2009 financial crisis a pervasive view began to emerge of banking as an inherently unstable occupation that must be tightly regulated and monitored by government agencies. Charles Calomiris and co-author Stephen Haber overturn this notion by presenting an inconvenient truth: not all countries suffer systemic banking crises. Some countries have managed to create a system that provides abundant credit without the propensity for banks to fail. So what is their secret? The answer is equally simple: The well-being of a banking sector depends on the ability of political institutions to limit rent-seeking by populist groups. Join the Cato Institute for a lively discussion of the true causes of the financial crisis and whether in light of the evidence presented by the authors the antidote (Dodd-Frank) causes more problems than it solves.
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When and why does the American public support war? Washington politicians and pundits often puzzle over these questions as they try to win support for their policies, but there is a large body of academic research on public opinion and war. Do events, such as casualties or the prospect of victory, affect support more, or do partisan identities or other attachments play a larger role? What sorts of arguments should hawks and doves make if they hope to win support for their views? Please join four leading political scientists as they examine the causes of public support for war.
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The Federalist Papers, which explain America's founding principles and the practical means for securing them, were instrumental in winning the hard-fought battle to ratify the Constitution. Yet today, high-school students often find it difficult to read them, if they are even encouraged to do so. To address that problem, and to help America's future leaders to better understand the principles embedded in the Constitution, One Generation Away has published a book of essays by leading constitutional scholars that explains the central themes of the Federalist Papers in a language that upper-level high-school students of today will more easily comprehend. Please join us for a discussion of this book by two of its authors, followed by a discussion of how it may be used in the classroom.
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Motivated by the world's highest corporate tax rate and an aggressive form of worldwide taxation, several American companies are engaging in cross-border mergers to find tax jurisdictions with better policies. The Cato Institute will host a panel of experts on August 26 to discuss appropriate public policy responses to corporate inversions.
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Recent events in Ferguson, Missouri raise many issues concerning American policing and the criminal justice system generally. Join Tim Lynch for a live, online Q&A as he discusses the ongoing situation in Ferguson, including the shooting of Michael Brown; police misconduct and officer-involved shootings; the right to protest; the militarization of policing; public safety; and the role of the federal government.
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In a recent 90-day period, there were almost 400,000 hits on Wikipedia articles about bills pending in Congress. The collaboratively edited Internet encyclopedia is a major source of information about congressional activity for average Americans. But past editing controversies have caused some of the most knowledgeable potential editors — congressional staff — to steer clear of providing information to the public this way. Wikipedia could deliver government transparency on a grand scale, positioning the public to demand better outcomes. Congressional staffers can aid that process by learning how to edit Wikipedia and how to navigate its rules around notability, neutrality, and conflicts of interest. Join us for a discussion of congressional Wikipedia editing and the sea change to government transparency it might produce.
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The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act says its exchange subsidies, employer-mandate tax, and (to a large extent) its individual-mandate tax may be implemented only "through an Exchange established by the State." Since January, however, the IRS has been implementing those provisions (save the delay of the employer mandate) in the 36 states with exchanges established by the federal government. Four lawsuits have been filed so far challenging the IRS's actions. On July 22, the D.C. Circuit ruled in Halbig v. Burwell that the IRS has no such authority — in essence, that the Obama administration is violating the law by taxing, borrowing, and spending tens of billions of dollars to encourage people to enroll in ObamaCare. On the same day, the Fourth Circuit issued a conflicting ruling in King v. Burwell, which the plaintiffs have appealed to the Supreme Court. Two scholars who laid the groundwork for these lawsuits will explain what the two courts said, what happens next, and what Halbig and King mean for the nation.
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The Congressional Budget Office has released its new budget outlook, and there is some good news about the recent decline in the deficit. However, the long-term fiscal outlook remains grim. Senator Johnson is leading efforts to focus Washington’s attention on the debt crisis that will occur in coming years without major spending reforms. He advocates using 30-year projections to judge proposed fiscal policy changes, and he will illustrate his findings in a PowerPoint presentation. Chris Edwards will discuss why the fiscal outlook is worse than shown in official projections and how an unreformed budget will sap growth and undermine future living standards.
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From Cato University 2014: Summer Seminar on Political EconomyThe Cato Institute’s premier educational event, this annual program brings together outstanding faculty and participants from across the country and, often, from around the globe in order to examine the roots of our commitment to liberty and limited government, and explore the ideas and values on which the American republic was founded.
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From Cato University 2014: Summer Seminar on Political EconomyThe Cato Institute’s premier educational event, this annual program brings together outstanding faculty and participants from across the country and, often, from around the globe in order to examine the roots of our commitment to liberty and limited government, and explore the ideas and values on which the American republic was founded.
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From Cato University 2014: Summer Seminar on Political EconomyThe Cato Institute’s premier educational event, this annual program brings together outstanding faculty and participants from across the country and, often, from around the globe in order to examine the roots of our commitment to liberty and limited government, and explore the ideas and values on which the American republic was founded.
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From Cato University 2014: Summer Seminar on Political EconomyThe Cato Institute’s premier educational event, this annual program brings together outstanding faculty and participants from across the country and, often, from around the globe in order to examine the roots of our commitment to liberty and limited government, and explore the ideas and values on which the American republic was founded.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
From Cato University 2014: Summer Seminar on Political EconomyThe Cato Institute’s premier educational event, this annual program brings together outstanding faculty and participants from across the country and, often, from around the globe in order to examine the roots of our commitment to liberty and limited government, and explore the ideas and values on which the American republic was founded.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
From Cato University 2014: Summer Seminar on Political EconomyThe Cato Institute’s premier educational event, this annual program brings together outstanding faculty and participants from across the country and, often, from around the globe in order to examine the roots of our commitment to liberty and limited government, and explore the ideas and values on which the American republic was founded.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
From Cato University 2014: Summer Seminar on Political EconomyThe Cato Institute’s premier educational event, this annual program brings together outstanding faculty and participants from across the country and, often, from around the globe in order to examine the roots of our commitment to liberty and limited government, and explore the ideas and values on which the American republic was founded.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
From Cato University 2014: Summer Seminar on Political EconomyThe Cato Institute’s premier educational event, this annual program brings together outstanding faculty and participants from across the country and, often, from around the globe in order to examine the roots of our commitment to liberty and limited government, and explore the ideas and values on which the American republic was founded.
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The Republican Party continues its trek through the electoral and ideological wilderness. The party’s problems are evident. Its presidential candidates have won a majority in only one of the past six elections. Although holding the House of Representatives, the GOP leadership remains distrusted, not least with the party’s grassroots. Ed Hudgins believes a turn toward libertarian ideas and policies would bring the party philosophical coherence and sustained electoral success. Others doubt liberty should dominate the GOP’s policies or argue libertarianism has little electoral appeal to traditional Republican voters. Please join us to hear a debate that will inform the next two pivotal national elections.
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From Cato University 2014: Summer Seminar on Political EconomyThe Cato Institute’s premier educational event, this annual program brings together outstanding faculty and participants from across the country and, often, from around the globe in order to examine the roots of our commitment to liberty and limited government, and explore the ideas and values on which the American republic was founded.
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From Cato University 2014: Summer Seminar on Political EconomyThe Cato Institute’s premier educational event, this annual program brings together outstanding faculty and participants from across the country and, often, from around the globe in order to examine the roots of our commitment to liberty and limited government, and explore the ideas and values on which the American republic was founded.
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From Cato University 2014: Summer Seminar on Political EconomyThe Cato Institute’s premier educational event, this annual program brings together outstanding faculty and participants from across the country and, often, from around the globe in order to examine the roots of our commitment to liberty and limited government, and explore the ideas and values on which the American republic was founded.
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From Cato University 2014: Summer Seminar on Political EconomyThe Cato Institute’s premier educational event, this annual program brings together outstanding faculty and participants from across the country and, often, from around the globe in order to examine the roots of our commitment to liberty and limited government, and explore the ideas and values on which the American republic was founded.
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From Cato University 2014: Summer Seminar on Political EconomyThe Cato Institute’s premier educational event, this annual program brings together outstanding faculty and participants from across the country and, often, from around the globe in order to examine the roots of our commitment to liberty and limited government, and explore the ideas and values on which the American republic was founded.
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From Cato University 2014: Summer Seminar on Political EconomyThe Cato Institute’s premier educational event, this annual program brings together outstanding faculty and participants from across the country and, often, from around the globe in order to examine the roots of our commitment to liberty and limited government, and explore the ideas and values on which the American republic was founded.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
From Cato University 2014: Summer Seminar on Political EconomyThe Cato Institute’s premier educational event, this annual program brings together outstanding faculty and participants from across the country and, often, from around the globe in order to examine the roots of our commitment to liberty and limited government, and explore the ideas and values on which the American republic was founded.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
From Cato University 2014: Summer Seminar on Political EconomyThe Cato Institute’s premier educational event, this annual program brings together outstanding faculty and participants from across the country and, often, from around the globe in order to examine the roots of our commitment to liberty and limited government, and explore the ideas and values on which the American republic was founded.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
From Cato University 2014: Summer Seminar on Political EconomyThe Cato Institute’s premier educational event, this annual program brings together outstanding faculty and participants from across the country and, often, from around the globe in order to examine the roots of our commitment to liberty and limited government, and explore the ideas and values on which the American republic was founded.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
From Cato University 2014: Summer Seminar on Political EconomyThe Cato Institute’s premier educational event, this annual program brings together outstanding faculty and participants from across the country and, often, from around the globe in order to examine the roots of our commitment to liberty and limited government, and explore the ideas and values on which the American republic was founded.
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The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals—known as the second-highest court in the land—has ruled in the case Halbig v. Burwell that the IRS regulation authorizing tax credits in federal exchanges was invalid. But at the center of the Halbig ruling is checking presidential power. President Obama, like an autocrat, thought he could levy taxes on his own authority.The decision also shows that the Affordable Care Act does not work as promised. Could this lead to the collapse of Obamacare? What’s the next step in the effort to replace the ACA with a free-market alternative? Cato scholar Michael Cannon—along with law professor Jonathan Adler—first drew attention to this issue in August 2011 and has been called the “intellectual father” of Halbig. Michael will update Cato Sponsors on the latest developments, chart the next move, and take your questions.Recommended Reading: "Reining in ObamaCare — and the President," by Michael F. Cannon and Jonathan H. Adler * "Halbig v. Sebelius*," by Jonathan H. Adler and Michael F. Cannon
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From Cato University 2014: Summer Seminar on Political EconomyThe Cato Institute’s premier educational event, this annual program brings together outstanding faculty and participants from across the country and, often, from around the globe in order to examine the roots of our commitment to liberty and limited government, and explore the ideas and values on which the American republic was founded.
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While accounts of the 2008 Financial Crisis differ across the political spectrum, almost all accounts contain some role for our mortgage finance system. Although efforts were made in the Dodd-Frank Act to improve mortgage standards, these requirements were modest at best and ignored the vast guarantees and moral hazard behind our current system. Join our panel to discuss the history of our current mortgage finance system and what must be done to avoid future crises.
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Four years after the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Financial Protection Act (Dodd-Frank) was signed into law, there are many open questions about what the Act has achieved and what lies ahead for the U.S. financial system. This two-day conference, hosted jointly by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University and the Cato Institute, explores some of the most hotly debated aspects of financial regulation and policies to improve financial markets in a post-Dodd-Frank world.
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Four years after the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Financial Protection Act (Dodd-Frank) was signed into law, there are many open questions about what the Act has achieved and what lies ahead for the U.S. financial system. This two-day conference, hosted jointly by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University and the Cato Institute, explores some of the most hotly debated aspects of financial regulation and policies to improve financial markets in a post-Dodd-Frank world.
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Four years after the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Financial Protection Act (Dodd-Frank) was signed into law, there are many open questions about what the Act has achieved and what lies ahead for the U.S. financial system. This two-day conference, hosted jointly by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University and the Cato Institute, explores some of the most hotly debated aspects of financial regulation and policies to improve financial markets in a post-Dodd-Frank world.
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Four years after the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Financial Protection Act (Dodd-Frank) was signed into law, there are many open questions about what the Act has achieved and what lies ahead for the U.S. financial system. This two-day conference, hosted jointly by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University and the Cato Institute, explores some of the most hotly debated aspects of financial regulation and policies to improve financial markets in a post-Dodd-Frank world.
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Four years after the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Financial Protection Act (Dodd-Frank) was signed into law, there are many open questions about what the Act has achieved and what lies ahead for the U.S. financial system. This two-day conference, hosted jointly by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University and the Cato Institute, explores some of the most hotly debated aspects of financial regulation and policies to improve financial markets in a post-Dodd-Frank world.
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In an era of fiscal constraints and concerns about direct military involvement abroad, helping others defend themselves is an attractive option to address America’s global security concerns. Efforts to train, equip, and advise partner nations are elements of foreign internal defense (FID) policies. But when is FID a smart tool? Does FID produce more effective and self-sufficient partners, at lower political and financial costs to Americans? Or, does FID pull the United States into local fights, and risk outsourcing U.S. security interests to partners with limited capabilities and whose political interests may not align with ours? Please join us as the panelists discuss these and other questions.
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In Licensed to Lie, attorney Sidney Powell takes readers through a series of disturbing events, missteps, and cover-ups in our federal criminal justice system. According to Powell, the malfeasance stretches across all three branches of our government — from the White House to the U.S. Senate, to members of the judiciary. Even worse, the law itself is becoming pernicious. Americans can now be prosecuted, convicted, and imprisoned for actions that are not crimes. And if acquitted, there is no recourse against prosecutors who hid evidence vital to the defense. Join us for a discussion of these distressing legal trends and what might be done about them.
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George F. Kennan was the eminent U.S. foreign policy strategist of the 20th century. Kennan was the author of the famous “X” telegram, which outlined a policy of containment for dealing with the Soviet Union. Although once the Director of Policy Planning at the State Department, Kennan would renounce the way his doctrine was applied, critiquing the Washington foreign policy establishment for its militarism and recklessness. Why did Kennan grow estranged from the foreign policy establishment? Why did his views diverge so widely from what would become the conventional wisdom? What would he say about the Obama administration’s foreign policy? Please join us for a discussion of what Kennan’s views tell us about the man and the Washington policy world.
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A unanimous Supreme Court recently declared that that our networked mobile devices merit the highest level of Fourth Amendment protection against government searches, since these devices often contain more sensitive information than even “the most exhaustive search of a house” would reveal. Yet increasingly, the vast troves of personal data they contain are synched to "the cloud,” where the outdated Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986 allows many types of information to be accessed without a warrant. The need to bring the law up to date has been recognized not only by privacy advocates, but major technology companies, more than half of the House of Representatives, and even federal law enforcement officials. Join us for a lively discussion of how and why to drag federal privacy law into the 21st century, with keynote remarks by Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX) and a panel discussion featuring both policy experts and representatives of the tech firms we increasingly entrust with our most private data.
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Launched in early 2013, “Operation Choke Point” is a joint effort by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the bank regulators to limit access to the bank payments system by various businesses. Initially targeted at small-dollar nonbank lenders, Choke Point has grown to cover a variety of legitimate, legal businesses that just happen to be unpopular with DOJ, such as gun dealers and porn stars. Initial responses from DOJ claimed such efforts were limited to illegal businesses committing fraud. A recent report by the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform reveals DOJ’s claims to be false. In today’s economy, almost any economic activity depends on access to the payments system; allowing DOJ, without trial or a right to appeal, to arbitrarily limit access represents an almost unprecedented abuse of power.
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In Unstoppable, famed political activist Ralph Nader calls for an alliance of principled libertarians, conservatives, and progressives against a corrupt and overreaching Washington establishment. Although long an iconic figure on the political left, Nader here seeks to bridge ideological divisions by identifying opportunities for left-right cooperation. According to Nader, the possibilities for joint action include opposing unnecessary wars and bloated Pentagon spending, protecting endangered civil liberties, and combating corporate welfare and bailouts. Please join us for a lively discussion of this provocative book by a man cited by The Atlantic as one of the hundred most influential figures in American history. Prominent conservative writers Daniel McCarthy and Timothy Carney will offer their comments on the book and assess both the potential and limits of Nader's envisioned alliance.
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In Money: How the Destruction of the Dollar Threatens the Global Economy, Steve Forbes and coauthor Elizabeth Ames explain how the lack of any anchor for the U.S. dollar after President Nixon closed the gold window in August 1971 has increased uncertainty and put us on a pure discretionary government fiat money system. The Federal Reserve, now in its 100th year of operation, has become a central bank that serves as the fiscal agent of a profligate government, not the guardian of sound money. The authors argue that the 2008 financial crisis would not have occurred under a true gold standard, nor would government have become the bloated Leviathan it now is. They advocate returning to the hallmark of a liberal economic order — namely, a stable-valued dollar convertible into gold.
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On April 2, the Supreme Court issued its latest blockbuster ruling on campaign finance, McCutcheon v. FEC, striking down the "aggregate" contribution limits on how much money any one person can contribute to election campaigns (leaving untouched the "base" limits on donations to individual candidates or party committees). Within days of the decision, while pundits and activists were still battling in the media, two e-books were published about the case. One was by Shaun McCutcheon himself, an Alabama engineer who has quickly gone from political neophyte to Supreme Court plaintiff, thus providing a rare first-person layman's account of high-stakes litigation. The other was by two law professors specializing in the First Amendment, Ronald Collins and David Skover, who dissect the Court's ruling and put it in the broader context of campaign finance regulation. Please join us to hear about McCutcheon and its implications for our political system from authors with unique perspectives on the subject.
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Jon Stewart once derided economists' prose as being so boring that “it turned my brain off,” but it doesn't have to be that way. Pioneers in academia, the creative arts, and nonprofits have found new and provocative ways to communicate the timeless ideas of economic liberty.
Amity Shlaes, the bestselling author of The Forgotten Man: A New History of the Great Depression, and Paul Rivoche, a professional illustrator whose portfolio includes Iron Man and Superman, have teamed up to produce The Forgotten Man Graphic Edition which introduces the Great Contraction of the 1930s to younger readers. Such history is vital to our time and to the future. The myths and half-truths of the 1930s remain a potent cause of current policy failures. The combination of ideas and images define much of the new media and should interest younger readers who increasingly turn to unconventional publications.
Scott Barton directs LearnLiberty.org, an online education platform that seeks to be a resource for learning about the ideas of a free society. LearnLiberty has earned 19 million views from 300 videos in the past three years. In 2011 Learn Liberty earned a Templeton Freedom Award for Innovative New Media.
Please join us on June 17 as we have a look at an intriguing effort to use new media to communicate free-market economics creatively and effectively.
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In a May 9 preliminary decision, the U.S. International Trade Commission determined "there is a reasonable indication that a U.S. industry is materially injured by reason of imports of sugar from Mexico that are allegedly subsidized and sold in the United States at less than fair value." As a result, antidumping and countervailing duty investigations into the questions of domestic injury, dumping, and subsidization will proceed with final determinations expected in early 2015.
If duties are imposed on imports of sugar from Mexico, the decision will mark the latest U.S. government intervention on behalf of domestic sugar producers to ensure higher-than-world-average sugar prices in the United States. This raises costs of production for sugar-using industries and discourages domestic value-added activity.
What have been the real costs of U.S. sugar protection? How has it impacted consumers, industrial users, and trade relations? What mechanisms exist to prevent the U.S. trade laws from enabling one U.S. industry to impose injurious costs on another?
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The United States, argues Barry R. Posen, has grown incapable of moderating its foreign policy ambitions. Since the collapse of Soviet power, it has pursued a grand strategy that has tended to overreach, generating a host of failures and encountering many unexpected difficulties along the way.
In this new book, Posen explains why the dominant view among the nation’s foreign policy elites, what he calls “liberal hegemony,” has proved unnecessary, counterproductive, costly, and wasteful. His alternative — restraint — would resist the impulse to use U.S. military power, and focus the military’s and the nation’s attention on the most urgent challenges to national security.
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Attorney General Eric Holder’s Department of Justice has faced much criticism in the past six years. From “Fast and Furious” to the surveillance of Fox News reporter James Rosen, Holder has attracted the ire of congressional Republicans, and even some Democrats. In 2012 Holder became the first sitting cabinet member in American history to be held in contempt by Congress. In their new book, Obama’s Enforcer: Eric Holder’s Justice Department Hans von Spakovsky of the Heritage Foundation and John Fund of National Review argue that Holder’s Justice Department has become an enclave of radical progressive legal activism that serves as a heat shield to protect the Obama administration. In addition, argue the authors, Holder’s DOJ helps push the administration’s hidden agenda, from the war on Fox News to the targeting of Tea Party groups. Join us for a discussion of the book with Hans von Spakovsky and comments by former DOJ official J. Christian Adams.
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In his new book Immigration Economics, author and noted immigration scholar George J. Borjas will discuss how immigrants affect the wages of American workers, government budgets, and virtually every other aspect of the American economy and workforce. Professor Borjas brings his years of research and his own voluminous work to bear on this issue–reaching some controversial conclusions along the way. Borjas will be joined by Amelie Constant, another well-known immigration researcher and economist, who will comment on Borjas’ new book and spark a lively discussion on immigration and the American economy. Join us as two of the most respected immigration economists discuss this timely issue.
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In an article that went viral in 1989, Francis Fukuyama advanced the notion that with the death of communism history had come to an end in the sense that liberalism — democracy and market capitalism — had triumphed as an ideology. Fukuyama will be joined by other scholars to examine this proposition in the light of experience during the subsequent quarter century.
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In an article that went viral in 1989, Francis Fukuyama advanced the notion that with the death of communism history had come to an end in the sense that liberalism — democracy and market capitalism — had triumphed as an ideology. Fukuyama will be joined by other scholars to examine this proposition in the light of experience during the subsequent quarter century.
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When law in America can be made by executive “pen and phone” alone — indeed, by a White House press release — we're faced starkly with a fundamental constitutional question: Is administrative law unlawful? Answering in the affirmative in this far-reaching, erudite new treatise, Philip Hamburger traces resistance to rule by administrative edict from the Middle Ages to the present. Far from a novel response to modern society and its complexities, executive prerogative has deep roots. It was beaten back by English constitutional ideas in the 17th century and even more decisively by American constitutions in the 18th century, but it reemerged during the Progressive Era and has grown ever since, regardless of the party in power. Please join us for a discussion of the most pressing constitutional issue before the nation today.
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Financial history is characterized by a consistent fear of bank runs, especially during times of crisis. The financial crisis of 2007-09 was no exception. The Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission identified no less than 10 cases of runs. Those runs were a major consideration in the shifting policy responses that authorities employed during the crisis. In the early stages, troubled institutions facing runs were dealt with through a scattered blend of voluntary mergers, outright closures, and bailouts. By late 2008 and thereafter, panic had descended on the major financial agencies. That resulted in the decision to backstop the full range of large institutions, as government officials feared a collapse of the entire financial system. However, serious analysis of the risks facing the financial sector was sorely lacking. In a recent Cato Policy Analysis, Vern McKinley provides such an analysis, asking whether many of the crisis decisions were appropriate.
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In November 2012 voters in Colorado and Washington passed landmark measures to legalize the production and sale of cannabis for social use—a first not only in the United States but also the world. Medical cannabis is now legal in 21 states and Washington, D.C., and more than one million Americans have turned to it in place of conventional pharmaceuticals. Public opinion continues to shift toward policies that favor increased personal liberty on the issue of cannabis.
In A New Leaf: The End of Cannabis Prohibition, investigative journalists Alyson Martin and Nushin Rashidian present an expert analysis of how recent milestones toward legalization will affect the war on drugs both domestically and internationally. Reporting from nearly every state with a medical cannabis law, the book features in-depth interviews with patients, growers, doctors, entrepreneurs, politicians, activists, and regulators. The result is a unique account of how legalization is manifesting itself in the lives of millions.
Please join us for a discussion of this book and the changing tide of public opinion on prohibition.
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Public opinion polls show that, by overwhelming margins, Americans believe that the United States “has a unique character because of its history and Constitution that sets it apart from other nations as the greatest in the world.” However dissatisfied they are with the characters who run it, Americans take great pride in our system of government, with its separation of powers and independently elected president.
Should they? That’s the question F. H. Buckley asks in his powerfully argued new book, The Once and Future King: The Rise of Crown Government in America. Buckley points out that “parliamentary governments, which lack a separation of powers, rank significantly higher on measures of political freedom” than presidential systems. There are good reasons for that, he argues, among them: parliamentary systems make executives more accountable to the legislature; they discourage political cults of personality by separating the roles of “head of state” and “head of government”; and they make it easier to “throw the bum out” if all else fails.
Should we celebrate our presidential system, or, as Buckley suggests, count ourselves lucky that, for more than 200 years, we’ve “remained free while yet presidential”? Please join us on May 29th for a lively discussion of these foundational issues.
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Medicaid is already the largest item on many state budgets, and federal spending on the program is expected to increase dramatically in the next decade, putting additional strain on an already overextended national budget as well. As enrollment in the program expands under the Affordable Care Act, policymakers will face challenging decisions in how to best manage the program and its escalating costs moving forward. Please join us for a broad discussion of the economics of Medicaid and to hear ideas for reform from our diverse panel of experts.
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The president has a constitutional duty to “take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed.” Previous administrations have been criticized for overreaching — that is, going beyond what the law expressly authorizes. But the Obama administration has pioneered a new way to shirk this duty: suspension of the law. In numerous areas — including Obamacare implementation, immigration law, education funding, and environmental regulation — the administration has carried out its policy objectives not by exceeding the law’s limits but by picking and choosing which provisions to enforce. In some cases it has relaxed legal requirements as an inducement for states to carry out its preferred policies, without any legal basis. In other cases, like immigration, it has established entirely new programs never authorized by Congress. And in every instance this approach has allowed the administration to avoid legal challenge by ensuring that no party suffers an injury sufficient to confer the legal “standing” necessary to bring suit. At least that’s been the working assumption — but it may not hold true in every instance. Please join us to learn about this new abuse of executive power and the prospects for challenging it.
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This panel will discuss various economic and developmental aspects of ISDS, debate whether ISDS is a necessary inducement for foreign investors, examine the costs and benefits of ISDS rules to various U.S. entities, and consider whether and how ISDS provisions may be impacting the trade agenda.
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The federal regulatory code has become so voluminous that it now bewilders ordinary citizens. The web of rules and regulations is now so vast that people can become ensnared in circumstances where they meant no harm. Even when there is no infraction, it can be financially ruinous to mount a legal defense against powerful agencies that seem bent on coercing a plea deal or settlement. And what about the reputations, livelihoods, and civil liberties that are sacrificed in that process? Join us for a discussion of these troubling trends and what can be done about them.
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Purchase BookSmoking is risky for smokers, but is it bad for the rest of us? Science says no. Those who die from smoking tend to die close to retirement age. Lifetime medical costs for smokers are less than for nonsmokers. The risk to others of secondhand smoke is impossible to measure and is probably negligible. In short, smokers are not a public cost. So why are they over-taxed, dissed, and discriminated against in so many ways? A good question, examined at length in Unlucky Strike by John Staddon, author of more than 200 scientific papers, with original illustrations by the renowned artist David Hockney.
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President Obama recently declared that “the debate” over the Affordable Care Act “is over.” That may be wishful thinking given that the law continues to be unpopular and its implementation keeps hitting snags. Moreover, lawsuits challenging Obamacare are once again reaching the nation’s highest courts. On May 8, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit will hear arguments in Sissel v. Department of Health & Human Services, which involves the claim that the ACA’s “tax” on people without health insurance—as the Supreme Court deemed it two years ago—still violates the Constitution. The Constitution’s Origination Clause requires all tax bills to “originate” in the House of Representatives, while Obamacare came from the Senate (recall how the House voted on the Senate bill after Scott Brown won a special Senate election in Massachusetts and deprived the Democrats of their filibuster-proof majority). Please join us to hear about Sissel and its implications for limited government from the attorney who will have just argued the case, Cato adjunct scholar Timothy Sandefur.
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The debate over copyright seems to consist of two irreconcilable poles. One side dismisses copyright as a plaything of political forces, imposing illegitimate restraints on freedom of expression. The opposing side regards copyrights as fundamental property rights that deserve the fullest protection of the law—like rights to houses, cars, and other forms of property. Neither view, however, captures the essence of copyright.In his new book, Intellectual Privilege, Chapman University law professor Tom W. Bell reveals copyright as a statutory privilege that threatens not just constitutional rights, but natural rights as well. He proposes a new libertarian view of copyright that reconciles the desire to create incentives for creators with our inalienable liberties. From this fresh perspective come solutions to copyright’s problems and a path toward a world less encumbered by legal restrictions and yet richer in art, music, and other expressive works.
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The technocratic approach to ending global poverty favored by development experts often strengthens authoritarian governments and neglects or undermines the preferences and personal choices of poor people. William Easterly will explain why a different branch of economics emerged for poor countries and how it has served the interests of decisionmakers in powerful countries, political leaders in poor countries, and humanitarians in rich countries. Join us to hear Professor Easterly make a case in favor of liberty that has so far been disregarded by the experts: poverty can only be ended and development sustained by respecting the individual rights of the world’s poor.
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The Italian law scholar Bruno Leoni was a champion of law over legislation. In his classic Freedom and the Law (1961), he presented the case for organic legal systems that adjust to human behavior and against legal systems that attempt to adjust human behavior to fit the needs and desires of the politically powerful. It’s a message still urgently needed today. Please join us for a discussion of Leoni’s contributions to classical liberal thought as we celebrate his 101st birthday.
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Tumblr sits at the unique intersection between blogging and social media, presenting an unusual challenge for social media managers. What role should Tumblr play in your online marketing strategy? How can you find and engage supporters on the platform and what are some best practices for measuring ROI?
Join Tumblr’s Liba Rubenstein for a live-streamed lunchtime presentation, followed by a private Q&A session.
Come prepared to share your own experiences and join in the discussion with other digital strategy and new and social media professionals. You can also follow along the conversation on Twitter using #NewMediaLunch.
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Soaring tuition and student debt, the rise of high-tech alternatives, and a persistently sluggish economy have provoked a startling question: "Is college worth it?" It's a question that raises many others: Must I go to college to learn skills I'll need for my career? Is just getting a degree — any degree — the key to my future prosperity? Should higher education be about marketable skills, or is it about personal fulfillment and expanding human knowledge? These questions disconcert students, parents, and taxpayers alike. We hope you'll join us to hear intriguing answers to such difficult questions.
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The advent of wearable tech creates huge new opportunities for liberty advocates to engage in innovative strategies for changing policy. At the same time, the inherently invasive nature of the technology invites a number of serious privacy and legal concerns. Google Glass has particularly stirred up controversy, with several high profile confrontations between users and skeptics making national headlines. How can this exciting technology best be used to advance liberty, without harming individual rights to privacy?
Join three freedom fighters doing hands-on work with Google Glass for a live-streamed lunchtime presentation, followed by a private Q&A session.
Come prepared to share your own experiences and join in the discussion with other digital strategy and new and social media professionals. You can also follow along the conversation on Twitter using #NewMediaLunch.
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American higher education is being swept by two potentially irresistible waves of change. The first is intense scrutiny of academia’s costs and benefits, driven by soaring prices, student debt, and the ensuing public anger. The second is the emergence of postsecondary models that threaten to replace traditional colleges and universities on a major scale. In this special forum, we’ll look at the threats to accreditors — and through them, schools — stemming from federal reactions to public unhappiness, and at ways to foster quality in the many postsecondary options coming our way.
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American higher education is being swept by two potentially irresistible waves of change. The first is intense scrutiny of academia’s costs and benefits, driven by soaring prices, student debt, and the ensuing public anger. The second is the emergence of postsecondary models that threaten to replace traditional colleges and universities on a major scale. In this special forum, we’ll look at the threats to accreditors — and through them, schools — stemming from federal reactions to public unhappiness, and at ways to foster quality in the many postsecondary options coming our way.
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In recent years, concerns have been raised about the potential market risks associated with high frequency trading and algorithmic trading in general. Proponents of high frequency trading suggest the practice is a contemporary tool that facilitates informational market efficiency and is capable of being regulated by the market and market participants. Opponents have argued that these practices create risk and require aggressive regulation. This discussion takes place against a backdrop of heightened regulatory scrutiny given the recent push by the Securities and Exchange Commission to monitor high-frequency trading and related practices, such as the creation of dark pools, more closely.
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From the doctor’s office to the workplace, the federal government is taking on ever more responsibility for managing our lives. At the same time, Americans have never been more disaffected with Washington, seeing it as an intrusive, incompetent, wasteful giant. In this book, lawyer and political scientist Peter Schuck lays out a wide range of examples and an enormous body of evidence to explain why so many domestic policies go awry. Economist David Henderson, research fellow at the Hoover Institution and coeditor of EconLog, lauds the book as full of “gems” and “juicy” insights: “Schuck does a beautiful job of laying out all the problems with government intervention.” But can the state get better results by pursuing more thoughtfully conceived policies designed to compensate for its structural flaws? Schuck believes it can. Many libertarians will disagree — and that debate will enliven our discussion.
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Purchase bookOne of the most contentious ethical issues surrounding transplantation today is the question of organ selling. Given the shortage of donated organs, should people be able to sell their organs either directly or indirectly? Today, organ selling is illegal in nearly all industrialized countries. One of the few that does allow it is the Islamic Republic of Iran. Until recently, that country’s experience has gone largely unreported. But Sigrid Fry-Revere, a leading medical ethicist, traveled to Iran and observed how the market in organs functions in practice. Now in her new book, The Kidney Sellers, she describes her experience. Please join the Cato Institute for a discussion of the book and how it can inform the ethical issue of organ selling.
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The immigration reform debate is increasingly polarized and has policymakers looking for new and innovative reform options. State- or regionally managed guest-worker visa programs, in addition to federal visas, should be considered as part of any immigration reform. Under such a system, individual states could manage and experiment with different guest-worker visa systems designed to suit their particular economic circumstances. Canada and Australia have regional visa programs that have worked well, aided economic growth, and slowed population decline in some areas. Their approaches could be adapted to the United States. This panel will address the potential economic, political, and legal issues that come with regionally managed visas. Please join us for an in-depth discussion of the costs and benefits of state and locally managed guest-worker visas.
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Purchase bookNo country is as misunderstood as North Korea, and no modern tyrant has remained more mysterious than the Dear Leader, Kim Jong Il. In his new work, DEAR READER: The Unauthorized Autobiography of Kim Jong Il, Michael Malice pulls back the curtain to expose the life story of the "Incarnation of Love and Morality." Taken directly from books spirited out of Pyongyang, DEAR READER is a carefully reconstructed first-person account of the man behind the mythology, as well as a stranger-than-fiction history of this unique country. Please join us Friday, March 21, at 4:00 p.m., as Malice separates the fact from fiction and explains what life is really like in the least-free nation on earth.
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On March 19, 2011, the United States and nineteen allied states launched an air assault against the Libyan military. President Obama and other leaders argued that military action would protect Libyan civilians, aid the progress of democracy there and across the region, and buttress the credibility of the U.N. Security Council, which had passed a resolution demanding a cease fire. By October, local rebel militias had killed Libya’s long-time ruler, Muammar el-Qaddafi, and overthrown his government. Three years later, it is time to ask whether the intervention worked. Did it protect Libyans or, by prolonging the civil war and creating political chaos, heighten their suffering? Is Libya becoming a stable democracy, a failed state, or something else? Did the intervention help other revolutions in the region, heighten repression of them, or was it simply irrelevant? Should the United States help overthrow other Middle Eastern dictators?
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The Ticket: The Many Faces of School Choice, is a new documentary film that takes viewers on a whistle-stop tour across the United States, asking: “What is school choice?” As the film illustrates, various forms of choice are proliferating around the country, from charter schools to scholarship tax credits. The film finds one simple premise underlying these different models: parents and children deserve the freedom to choose the schools that work best for them. Please join us for a screening of this highly informative documentary, followed by questions and answers with director/producer Bob Bowdon.
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“What do you think of burglarizing an FBI office?” That was the question a mild-mannered physics professor at Haverford College privately asked a few fellow antiwar activists in late 1970. Soon, as part of an unlikely band calling itself “the Citizens Commission to Investigate the FBI,” he did just that. On March 8, 1971, the group broke into a Bureau branch office outside of Philadelphia, seeking evidence for what they’d long suspected: that Hoover’s FBI was engaged in a secret, illegal campaign of surveillance and harassment of American citizens. The documents they found revealed massive abuses of power and helped lead to new legal checks on domestic surveillance.As a young Washington Post reporter, Betty Medsger was the first to receive and write about the secret files. Now, 43 years later, in The Burglary: The Discovery of J. Edgar Hoover’s Secret FBI, she reveals the never-before-told full story of that history-changing break-in, bringing the activists into the public eye for the first time. It’s a riveting story, and one that, in the wake of last summer’s Snowden revelations, could hardly be more relevant today.
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Twitter has certainly come a long way since it first launched in 2006. While it may seem obvious that Twitter deserves a central position in every social media manager's online strategy, the specifics of what those tweets should look like remain hotly debated. Are unsolicited tweets uncouth or par for the course? How many hashtags are too many hashtags? When IS a retweet an endorsement? The latest updates to Twitter's interface, coupled with their gradual roll-out, further complicate things.
Join Twitter's Sean Evins for a live-streamed lunchtime presentation, followed by a private Q&A session.
Come prepared to share your own experiences and join in the discussion with other digital strategy and new and social media professionals. You can also follow along the conversation on Twitter using #NewMediaLunch.
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For four years, the Obama administration has been engaging in the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations with 11 Pacific Rim nations, and last year initiated similar talks called the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership with the European Union. These negotiations offer the promise of significantly reduced barriers to international trade and investment, which would be an important source of economic dynamism and growth. But Congress is not on board with the administration’s trade policy agenda, and the president’s effort to secure fast-track trade promotion authority has been derailed, in all likelihood, at least until after the 2014 mid-term election. What are the strengths and shortcomings of the administration’s trade agenda? What are the major concerns of Congress, and what should we expect from trade policy in 2014 and beyond?
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Our children are in constant danger from — to quote Lenore Skenazy's list — "kidnapping, germs, grades, flashers, frustration, failure, baby snatchers, bugs, bullies, men, sleepovers and/or the perils of a non-organic grape." Or so a small army of experts and government policymakers keep insisting. School authorities punish kids for hugging a friend, pointing a finger as a pretend gun, or starting a game of tag on the playground. Congress bans starter bikes on the chance that some 12-year-old might chew on a brass valve. Police arrest parents for leaving a sleepy kid alone in the back seat of a car for a few minutes. Yet overprotectiveness creates perils of its own. It robs kids not only of fun and sociability but of the joy of learning independence and adult skills, whether it be walking a city street by themselves or using a knife to cut their own sandwich. No one has written more provocatively about these issues than Lenore Skenazy, a journalist with the former New York Sun who now contributes frequently to the Wall Street Journal and runs the popular Free-Range Kids website where she promotes ideas like "Take Your Kids to the Park and Leave Them There Day." Her hilarious and entertaining talks have charmed audiences from Microsoft headquarters to the Sydney Opera House. Please join her and Cato's Walter Olson for a discussion of helicopter parenting and its unfortunate policy cousin, helicopter governance.
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Intellectual property has been a focus of U.S. trade policy for many decades, and the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations include an especially ambitious effort by the United States to strengthen international intellectual property laws. At the same time, however, there is serious debate within the United States over the proper scope and level of intellectual property protection. Is it in the interests of the United States to seek to harmonize intellectual property rules around the world, or is the U.S. position overly influenced by special interests hoping to export bad policy abroad and to lock it in at home? Come hear our panel of experts discuss why trade agreements cover intellectual property law, whose interests are served, and what, if anything, should be done about it.
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On the Friday after Thanksgiving, the IRS quietly proposed major changes to the rules governing nonprofit social welfare groups, or 501(c)(4)s. For years, pundits and politicians have attacked (c)(4)s as so-called “dark money” groups that are illegitimately trying to influence elections. Last year, Congress heard testimony that the IRS had targeted conservative (c)(4)s with demands to answer onerous questions and to fill out endless forms, purportedly in order to assess the scope of a (c)(4)’s “political activity.” Now, with the proposed rules, the IRS seems intent on codifying many of those practices and thus greatly limiting what (c)(4)s can do. Get-out-the-vote initiatives, candidate scorecards, and voter registration are just some of the activities that, under the proposed rules, will be considered “candidate-related political activity,” even though no candidate is directly supported or opposed. The proposed rules have both frightened and baffled people from all over the political spectrum, and the IRS has received a record number of public comments. Why has the IRS decided to heavily regulate political activity via the tax code, how do the proposed rules work, and how will the political landscape change if these rules are codified as proposed? Ideologically diverse panelists will be discussing these questions, as well as the broader issue of outside election spending.
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The Federal Reserve Act was signed into law on December 23, 1913. It was designed to provide an elastic currency and prevent banking panics. The Great Depression, the Great Inflation, and the Panic of 2008, however, seriously mar the Fed’s record. In particular, the Fed’s failure to detect and prevent the 2008 financial crisis needs close public scrutiny. Moreover, the Fed’s vast expansion of its balance sheet during the last five years and its suppression of market interest rates have failed to generate robust economic growth and full employment. Those issues will be addressed by our speakers and a case made for creating a Centennial Monetary Commission (HR 1176) to explore alternatives to the current pure discretionary government fiat money regime.
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There has been an explosion of partnerships, exchanges, and programs between U.S. institutions of higher education and those in China. While made in the spirit of intellectual and scholarly collaboration, these relationships have proceeded without serious consideration of the practical and moral/ethical issues posed by dealing with authoritarian regimes. This presentation focuses on the case of Wellesley College's relationship with Peking University as it unfolded in light of the persecution and dismissal of Chinese economist and dissident Xia Yeliang. This case illustrates the pressure that authoritarian-controlled universities can exert on universities in a free society to overlook human rights violations.
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Purchase bookNobody likes to fail, yet failure is a ubiquitous element of our lives. According to Megan McArdle, failing often — and well — is an important source of learning for individuals, organizations, and governments. Although failure is critical in coping with complex environments, our cognitive biases often keep us from drawing the correct lessons and adjusting our behavior. Our psychological aversion to failure can compound its undesirable effects, McArdle argues, and transform failures into catastrophes. Please join us for a discussion of how “failing up” allows us to reinvent ourselves and our institutions.
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In this sequel to Gold: the Once and Future Money, Nathan Lewis describes the theoretical basis of gold-standard monetary systems. Lewis argues that the pre-1913 world gold standard system was perhaps the most successful monetary system the world has ever seen, enabling high levels of economic growth. Descriptions of both Britain’s economic rise under the gold standard and the United States’ rise to economic prominence under gold are also discussed. Lewis offers the technical details necessary to implement and maintain a gold-standard system. Join us for a lively discussion of monetary history and a glance into one possible monetary future.
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More than three years after the departure of U.S. combat troops from Iraq, a determined insurgency rages against the government led by Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. Violence has claimed thousands of lives. Some question whether the Iraqi government can maintain control of several major cities, including Fallujah, the scene of some of the toughest fighting during the eight-year-long U.S. war in Iraq. Some of Maliki’s critics accuse him of stoking the unrest by refusing to make concessions to minority groups in Iraq, in particular Iraq’s Sunni Arab community. Others say that the prime minister should firmly reassert his authority by going after violent extremism and deterring others from supporting the insurgency. The panelists will consider several questions, including: What explains the continuing violence in Iraq? Can Iraq’s disparate communities unite behind a strong central government? And what role, if any, should the United States play?
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A once-in-a-generation supply shock is transforming global energy markets, lowering crude oil and natural gas prices, and quickly making the United States the world's largest producer of oil and gas. But energy politics threatens to short-circuit this American economic boom. Of immediate concern are federal regulations — in particular, discretionary export-licensing systems for natural gas and crude oil — that were implemented during the 1970s, an era of energy scarcity. By restricting exports and subjecting approvals to the whims of politicians, the current licensing systems distort energy prices and deter investment and employment in these promising sectors of the U.S. economy. They also irritate global trading partners, likely violate U.S. trade treaty obligations, and undermine other U.S. policy objectives. Ernest Moniz, President Obama's energy secretary, recently stated that these export restrictions are deserving of "some new analysis and examination in the context of... an energy world that is no longer like the 1970s." Please join us at the Cato Institute for our examination of these issues.
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Purchase BookStumbling Giant: The Threats to China's Future addresses the challenges China will face during the coming decades and why it is unlikely to overtake the United States this century. The book provides an in-depth analysis of the threats to China's continuing rise, offers bold policy prescriptions addressing those challenges, and explains why — without substantial reform — China is unlikely to replace America as the next superpower. Yale nominated the book for the prestigious Samuel Johnson Prize for nonfiction. Timothy Beardson founded, majority-owned, and ran Crosby Financial Holdings, which became the largest independent investment bank in the Far East. He is a permanent resident of Hong Kong.
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In his latest Cato book, Tim Sandefur addresses one of the most neglected topics in modern American constitutional law, the philosophical foundations of the Constitution. He argues that for that we should look to the “conscience” of the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, as Abraham Lincoln did. And if we do, we discover that the Constitution was written not to empower democratic majorities to rule widely, as happens today, but to secure our natural rights to liberty through limited government. In his penetrating analysis of those issues, Sandefur examines the origins of “substantive due process” and “judicial activism and restraint” to argue that only through an engaged judiciary will the promise of the Declaration be realized. Hadley Arkes, one of America’s leading scholars on these issues, will offer comments for what should be an enlightening and timely discussion of a subject of enduring importance. Please join us.
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Glamour promises to carry us out of quotidian life into a world more beautiful and fulfilling. But what is glamour? A mere daydream distracting us from our true duties and long-term well-being? An illusion created to stimulate commerce in a capitalist economy? How does glamour relate to envy, to art, to self-improvement, to personal charisma? In her new book, Virginia Postrel builds on her path-breaking work in The Substance of Style to show that beauty and luxury are far from the only touchstones of glamour: the glamour of military life, of the church, of exploration and discovery, have been driving forces throughout human history, unleashing a dazzling form of persuasion that operates by rousing aspiration and longing in the individual. Please join us for a sparkling discussion of these ideas with three leading public intellectuals.
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Are we harming public health in the name of environmental protection? Is the theoretical model that drives the regulation of carcinogens and radiation not only flawed, but fundamentally wrong? For over a half-century, this regulation has been based largely on a linear response to pollutants, often with a threshold of a single molecule or a single photon. Voluminous research now shows this paradigm is often wrong.
Rather than being harmed by small doses of many regulated compounds, health is often enhanced by low doses. Two obvious examples of this are sunlight and the entire pharmacotherapeutic model. Calabrese’s research has documented hundreds of compounds for which low doses are beneficial while larger ones are detrimental. His presentation will show how the erroneous regulatory paradigm was established and why it now must be abandoned.
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In his new book, Tim Harford attempts to demystify macroeconomics in the same way his earlier bestseller, The Undercover Economist, demystified microeconomics. Using his characteristic conversational style, Harford will discuss abstract macroeconomic ideas, explaining the most common models of recessions and the difficulty of discriminating between them on empirical grounds. For example, was the crisis of 2008 driven by supply- or demand-side factors? And why do failures of the financial sector seem to have such severe economic consequences? He will not shy away from other topics, including income inequality, or the growing interest in alternative measures of economic well-being, such as self-reported happiness. Please join us for a discussion of what macroeconomists believe about the economy and of why those beliefs often seem to lead to bad public policy.
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In his first book of all new, previously unpublished material since 2007, best-selling humorist P. J. O’Rourke turns his lens on his fellow post-war babies. In The Baby Boom: How It Got That Way … And It Wasn’t My Fault … And I’ll Never Do It Again, O’Rourke draws on his own experiences and leads readers on a candid, laugh-out-loud journey through the circumstances and events that shaped a generation. “We’re often silly, and we’re spoiled by any measure of history,” writes O’Rourke. “At the same time we made the world a better place — just not necessarily in the ways we set out to.”
O’Rourke has reported on the inner workings of the U.S. government, explained the global economy, and written on the American automobile industry. At this Cato Book Forum, he will tackle the big, broad problems stemming from the generation that, for better or worse, changed everything.
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In recent years, controversy has arisen over perceived conflicts between intellectual property protection and public health, and also over the role of international investment rules that allow corporations to sue governments before international tribunals. A new case combines both issues. Pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly has filed a claim before a NAFTA tribunal, alleging that Canadian court decisions in response to challenges from the Canadian generic drug industry have unfairly invalidated some of the company's Canadian patents. Eli Lilly has asked for CDN$500 million as compensation for the damages it has suffered. This forum assembles experts with different perspectives on the case to sort through the various intellectual property, public health, and international law issues involved: Is the "promise utility" doctrine relied on by the Canadian courts credible? Is public health undermined or helped by this shift, which will favor the generic drug industry? Is it appropriate for international tribunals to play a role here? Please join us for a spirited discussion.
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On Monday, January 13, the Supreme Court will hear oral argument in an important separation-of-powers case concerning the president’s recess appointments power. Under the Constitution the president may “fill up all Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate” without going through the normal requirements of obtaining the “advice and consent” of the Senate. On January 4, 2012, when the Senate was arguably not in recess, President Obama appointed three members to fill vacant seats on the National Labor Relations Board. Noel Canning, a business adversely affected by a subsequent NLRB decision, then challenged the constitutionality of the appointments in the D.C. Circuit. The three-judge panel found that the president had exceeded his authority, as have two other appellate courts since then in separate suits. Please join us for what should be a spirited debate about the meaning and history of the recess appointments power.
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With American education seemingly stuck in neutral no matter what elementary and secondary reforms we try, policymakers are looking to younger children to improve achievement. Indeed, touting the benefits of “high-quality” programs, President Obama has proposed spending $75 billion to expand preschool to all four-year olds. But on what research basis does the argument for greatly expanding early childhood education rest? What do we know about the effectiveness of preschool? Please join us for an in-depth discussion on this important topic.
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In his latest book, a wide-ranging tome covering vast areas of our law, Richard Epstein mounts a principled attack on modern Supreme Court jurisprudence and much of the legal scholarship that has grown up around it. The major disarray that infects every area of modern American life, he argues, from deficits and debt to health care, financial services, declining standards of living and more, could not have happened under the original constitutional structure, faithfully interpreted in light of changed circumstances. It arose from a profound progressive break with the classical liberal tradition that guided the drafting and interpretation of the Constitution. Please join us for what should be a spirited discussion of these fundamental issues.
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In 2001, Argentina defaulted on $81 billion of debt — the largest sovereign default in history. While years later most of its creditors settled to swap their old bonds with heavily discounted new bonds, a group of holdout creditors challenged Argentina in the courts. In October 2012, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit sided with plaintiffs to rule that Argentina must treat all its creditors equally and pay owners of defaulted bonds that were issued under New York law. As the long standoff nears judicial resolution, a distinguished panel of experts will discuss the significant implications of this case for the protection of creditor rights, future debt restructuring processes, and emerging markets.
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Americans have been stunned by revelations that the National Security Agency is collecting vast troves of information about ordinary citizens. But the NSA is only part of the surveillance story.Since the attacks of September 11, 2001, state and local police have formed data “fusion centers” across the country and partnered with the federal intelligence community to share a wide array of personal information in an effort to detect and prevent terrorism. New research, however, finds that this system of data gathering and sharing produces mountains of data with little or no counterterrorism value, operates under vague and inconsistent rules with little oversight or accountability, and could hinder the investigation of actual criminal or terrorism activity.Join us for a panel discussion with leading scholars on privacy and national security. Does federal support for fusion centers and suspicious activity reporting make sense? What can be done to mitigate the risks they pose to civil liberties, to prevent waste, and to improve oversight?
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George Gilder is the living author who was most quoted in President Reagan’s speeches. His books Wealth and Poverty (1981), Microcosm (1989), and Telecosm (2000) had a big impact on the way people looked at economics and technology. Now he’s back with a new analysis of capitalism that just might do the same thing. In Knowledge and Power, Gilder breaks away from the supply-side model of economics to present a new economic paradigm: the epic conflict between the knowledge of entrepreneurs on one side, and the blunt power of government on the other. The knowledge of entrepreneurs, and their freedom to share and use that knowledge, are the sparks that light up the economy and set its gears in motion. The power of government to regulate, stifle, manipulate, subsidize or suppress knowledge and ideas is the inertia that slows those gears down, or keeps them from turning at all. Steve Forbes calls Knowledge and Power “a book that will profoundly and positively reshape economics.” It should be of interest to economists, fiscal conservatives, business owners, investors, and anyone interested in propelling America’s economy to future success.
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Purchase BookIn a process that began some 250 years ago, most of humanity has managed a great escape from grinding poverty and early death that characterized its existence for thousands of years. Professor Angus Deaton will describe the dramatic scope and speed of that progress, why we are living longer, healthier lives, and how progress has created inequalities that can have positive or negative impacts. He will also discuss measures rich countries can take to help the world’s poor, including reducing foreign aid, which has been ineffective and often harmful. Charles Kenny will provide comments based on his own research on global improvements in human well-being.
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The United States maintains nearly 1,600 deployed nuclear weapons and a triad of systems — bombers, intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), and submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) — to deliver them. Current plans call for modernizing all three legs of the nuclear triad, which could cost taxpayers over $100 billion. A just-released Cato paper explains why a triad is no longer necessary. U.S. nuclear weapons policies have long rested on Cold War–era myths, and the rationales have aged badly in the two decades since the Soviet Union's demise. Two of the paper's authors, Benjamin Friedman and Christopher Preble, will discuss the origins of the nuclear triad and explain why a far smaller arsenal deployed entirely on submarines would be sufficient to deter attacks on the United States and its allies and would save roughly $20 billion annually.
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In the 12 years since the creation of the TSA it has become clear that the federal takeover of airport security was a mistake. Cato scholar Chris Edwards writes in an upcoming paper that TSA operations should be privatized and passenger and baggage screening "moved to the control of airports and opened to competitive bidding." In a recent New York Times article, EPIC administrative law counsel Khaliah Barnes highlighted that the TSA deploys Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response (VIPR) squads to perform random sweeps of individuals outside of airports and argues that these practices are problematic because they are devoid of true legal standards like probable cause. Also in response to the growing use of VIPR squads, Congressman Scott Garrett (R-NJ) introduced the Freedom of Travel Act, which denies the TSA the authority to conduct random searches of surface transportation travelers. Join us for a discussion about restructuring airport screening to improve security, increase efficiency, and reduce civil liberties concerns.
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For many fields of science, there is little doubt that the period 1830-1965 was a golden age. There is also little doubt that changes in the support structure for science since the late 60's have powerful elements that serve to inhibit major developments. Dr. Lindzen will discuss these changes from the personal perspective of a climate scientist, and place them in the historical perspective of other areas of study.
Quantification of the effects of the support structure is complicated. There are a multiplicity of factors involved, including the existence of branches of science that are closely associated with political and social agendas. Changes in the character of major research centers, including the federalization of major research universities, also plays a major role, independent of the particular area of science. Serious studies of marginal factors such as diminishing returns as funding increases are sorely lacking.
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In many fields of science, there is little doubt that the period 1830-1965 was a golden age. There is also little doubt that changes in the support structure for science since the late 60s have powerful unintended consequences that serve to inhibit major developments. Richard Lindzen will discuss these changes from the personal perspective of a climate scientist and place them in the historical perspective of other areas of study.
Specifically, Lindzen will explore how the symbiotic relationship between support for climate science and support for climate policy has been powered by the political process. Has this happened before at the technical-policy interface for other issues in other nations? Are we witnessing the rise of yet another instance of "public policy [becoming] a captive of a scientific-technological elite," as predicted by President Eisenhower in his 1961 farewell address?
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What is the extent of improvements in human well-being and what challenges lie ahead? That will be the topic of conversation between two distinguished journalists, Robert Samuelson of the Washington Post and Ronald Bailey of Reason magazine.
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Robert Zoellick will discuss the importance of Open Data and HumanProgress.org as a research tool in economic development and human progress.
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Please join us as Marian L. Tupy and Marc Garrett introduce HumanProgress.org—a comprehensive new research tool that will allow users to: * Explore human development indicators from a variety of sources * Compare different indicators with one another * Create and share graphics in a visually compelling way * Calculate differences in human well-being between different countries over time
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The sluggish recovery from the Great Recession raises a troubling question: is this the new normal? Tyler Cowen launched an ongoing debate of that question with The Great Stagnation, in which he argued that the "low-hanging fruit" of growth has already been picked. In a new Cato paper entitled "Why Growth Is Getting Harder," Brink Lindsey offers an analysis that differs from Cowen's but shares his conclusion that slow growth will be hard to avoid in the coming years. Martin Baily, one of the world's leading experts on productivity, is optimistic about the future of innovation but cautions that other factors can hold growth back. Please join these experts for a stimulating discussion of a vitally important issue.
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To what extent does disorder threaten the global economic system, and must the United States prevent piracy, international crime, and general lawlessness in order to maintain our relative prosperity? Does uncertain access to sources of energy pose a threat to U.S. and global prosperity? The leading advocates of U.S. global primacy contend that trade has expanded because the United States provides a global public good of security within the commons, and that such trade would slow or contract if the United States were to reduce its global policing function. Does global order depend upon a single power enforcing the rules of the game, and is the United States capable of playing this role indefinitely?
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Beyond traditional threats to security such as wars and terrorism, fears have arisen in response to supposed new, but less visible, dangers. These include cybersecurity and cyberwar, potential problems derived from climate change, and issues of uncertainty, economic stagnation, and complexity. How do we assess these purported threats? Should we fear general instability and anarchy, which are persistent features of the international system? Can we do anything about them?
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With a lack of credible state rivals since the end of the Cold War, security studies scholars and policy analysts in the United States have increasingly turned their attention to sub-state threats: insurgents, terrorists, criminal networks, and increasingly civil war, or the absence of authority itself. What have we learned of late about the sort of danger these troubles pose to the United States itself? To what extent should we fix, manage, or live with the lack of authority that lets these problems grow? Is disorder abroad a growing problem?
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Historically, states have posed the greatest threats to international security, especially through wars that have caused massive death and destruction. Is that still the case? What sort of security threat does China’s growing power pose to the United States? Another fear is that of nuclear weapons “cascades,” or a “tipping point” beyond which a large number of states will acquire nuclear weapons. Is such a cascade likely? What danger would such a scenario pose to Americans? And finally, American alliances are justified on the basis of fears that current U.S. allies would engage in security competition or war with each other or with third parties in the absence of U.S. security guarantees. How likely would this result be, and what sort of threat would it pose to Americans?
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In 1993, when Jonathan Rauch's landmark book Kindly Inquisitors was first published, the idea that minorities need special protection from discriminatory or demeaning speech was innovative. Today, it's standard operating procedure--routinely enforced by universities, employers, foreign governments, and even international treaties. In a newly expanded electronic edition of his book, Rauch, an openly gay advocate of same-sex marriage and of gay equality generally, argues that suppressing hateful speech does minorities more harm than good, and that the gay civil rights movement of the past two decades dramatically illustrates the point. Join us as the author explains why gays and other minorities are better off if government protects bigoted speech than if government protects them from it.
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The rise in economic freedom in countries across the globe in recent decades has led to greater prosperity and improvements in the well-being of hundreds of millions of people. Economic Freedom in Action: Changing Lives profiles inspiring entrepreneurs from some of those countries and shows how increased opportunity has allowed them to build better futures for themselves and their communities. Join us to see a segment of the documentary from the Free to Choose Network, which will air on public television this fall. Michael Walker, founder of the Fraser Institute and originator of its annual Economic Freedom of the World report upon which this film is based, will comment on the impact of the report. Film host Johan Norberg will discuss the transformative power of economic freedom.
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President Obama recently voiced his ambition to reduce the U.S. nuclear arsenal to as few as 1,000 deployed warheads. Yet while the United States has cut the arsenal's size greatly since the Cold War's end, its missions and composition have barely changed. Around 1,600 deployed nuclear weapons remain tied to a triad of systems — bombers, intercontinental ballistic missiles, and submarine-launched ballistic missiles — that are designed for preemptive strikes against enemy arsenals. Current plans call for modernizing all three systems, which could cost taxpayers over $100 billion. A new Cato White Paper — The End of Overkill? Reassessing U.S. Nuclear Weapons Policy — argues for getting rid of the triad by basing U.S. nuclear weapons exclusively on submarines. It explains how the triad came from bureaucratic compromises, not strategic necessity; punctures the myths that sustained it; and shows how its burden on taxpayers is increasingly unjustified.
Please join us for a discussion of these issues at a forum featuring the paper's authors and two leading experts on U.S. nuclear policy.
What is the role of government in society? Different answers to this question have important consequences. Such disagreement recently led to the partial shutdown of the U.S. government. Thinkers from Aristotle to the American Founders to Ron Paul have argued that a crucial role of government is to protect individuals’ liberty to pursue happiness. While other thinkers have challenged this view, deeming it simplistic or unambitious in its pursuits, the Millennial generation has widely adopted the mantra “live and let live.” These arguments about liberty imply other questions. What are the benefits of a political system based on liberty? What are the implications of limiting individual liberty in pursuit of collective goals, whether on the Right or the Left? And how will the appeal of liberty to young people change the way the world views government? Please join us on October 14 at 6:00p.m. for an exploration of these ideas and more.
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Since June, news reports based on documents leaked by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden have revealed the depth and breadth of NSA surveillance activities. The NSA scandal’s many dimensions include: mass domestic surveillance of telephone call information; allegations that officials deceived Congress, the courts, and the public about the nature of the NSA’s programs; alleged access to the Internet’s backbone and the traffic of major Internet companies; and systematic efforts to undercut the use of the encryption that secures communications and financial information.
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Since June, news reports based on documents leaked by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden have revealed the depth and breadth of NSA surveillance activities. The NSA scandal’s many dimensions include: mass domestic surveillance of telephone call information; allegations that officials deceived Congress, the courts, and the public about the nature of the NSA’s programs; alleged access to the Internet’s backbone and the traffic of major Internet companies; and systematic efforts to undercut the use of the encryption that secures communications and financial information.
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Since June, news reports based on documents leaked by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden have revealed the depth and breadth of NSA surveillance activities. The NSA scandal’s many dimensions include: mass domestic surveillance of telephone call information; allegations that officials deceived Congress, the courts, and the public about the nature of the NSA’s programs; alleged access to the Internet’s backbone and the traffic of major Internet companies; and systematic efforts to undercut the use of the encryption that secures communications and financial information.
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Since June, news reports based on documents leaked by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden have revealed the depth and breadth of NSA surveillance activities. The NSA scandal’s many dimensions include: mass domestic surveillance of telephone call information; allegations that officials deceived Congress, the courts, and the public about the nature of the NSA’s programs; alleged access to the Internet’s backbone and the traffic of major Internet companies; and systematic efforts to undercut the use of the encryption that secures communications and financial information.
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Since June, news reports based on documents leaked by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden have revealed the depth and breadth of NSA surveillance activities. The NSA scandal’s many dimensions include: mass domestic surveillance of telephone call information; allegations that officials deceived Congress, the courts, and the public about the nature of the NSA’s programs; alleged access to the Internet’s backbone and the traffic of major Internet companies; and systematic efforts to undercut the use of the encryption that secures communications and financial information.
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Since June, news reports based on documents leaked by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden have revealed the depth and breadth of NSA surveillance activities. The NSA scandal’s many dimensions include: mass domestic surveillance of telephone call information; allegations that officials deceived Congress, the courts, and the public about the nature of the NSA’s programs; alleged access to the Internet’s backbone and the traffic of major Internet companies; and systematic efforts to undercut the use of the encryption that secures communications and financial information.
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Since June, news reports based on documents leaked by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden have revealed the depth and breadth of NSA surveillance activities. The NSA scandal’s many dimensions include: mass domestic surveillance of telephone call information; allegations that officials deceived Congress, the courts, and the public about the nature of the NSA’s programs; alleged access to the Internet’s backbone and the traffic of major Internet companies; and systematic efforts to undercut the use of the encryption that secures communications and financial information.
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Purchase BookThe Constitution was designed to limit government power and protect individuals from oppressive regulation and the tyranny of majorities. But those protections are meaningless if judges aren't committed to enforcing them. America's judges have largely abdicated that responsibility. Instead of judging the constitutionality of government action, courts too often simply rationalize it. The problem lies not with the Constitution but with courts' reflexive deference to the other branches of government. From the abandonment of federalism to open disregard for property rights and economic freedom, the Supreme Court consistently protects power at the expense of liberty. Terms of Engagement combines real-world examples of the harm wrought by judicial abdication with a rigorous case for a more engaged judiciary, offering both an indictment of the current system and a guide to reform.
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Purchase BookAfter its release in 2009, The Beautiful Tree drew widespread praise. The book tells the remarkable story of author James Tooley's travels from Africa to China, and of the children, parents, teachers, and others who showed him how the poor are building their own schools and learning to save themselves. Publishers Weekly declared it "a moving account of how poor parents struggle against great odds to provide a rich educational experience to their children." Writing in The Claremont Review of Books, John Blundell called it "a masterpiece."
In conjunction with the release of the book's paperback edition, James Tooley will discuss the extraordinary changes in educating the poor that have occurred since The Beautiful Tree was published, as well as his experiences as a cofounder of both Omega Schools, a chain of low-cost private schools in Ghana, and Empathy Learning Systems, an educational service company that runs a chain of inexpensive private schools in Hyderabad, India.
We hope that you will join us to hear James Tooley discuss what's going right in some of the world's poorest nations and communities. The entrepreneurial spirit, Tooley makes clear, and the love of parents for their children, can be found in every corner of the globe.
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What is the Common Core? Supporters assert that it is a high-quality, voluntarily adopted set of national mathematics and language arts standards that will help transform American education by aiming all students at uniform, lofty goals. Opponents argue that adoption of the Core was federally coerced, the standards are of dubious quality, and one size simply cannot fit all. Meanwhile, polling shows that the large majority of Americans know nothing about the standards, despite the fact that they are being implemented in 46 states. We hope you'll join us for a freewheeling debate that promises to be not only highly engaging, but highly informative.
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Only a few weeks ago, President Obama seemed set on intervening militarily in Syria. He asked Congress for a vote authorizing the use of force, despite polls showing Americans were overwhelmingly against intervention in Syria. He then made his case in a primetime address. That, too, fell flat. Luckily for Obama, something strange happened leading up to the speech: diplomacy. Assad agreed to give up his chemical weapons. But will this U.S.-Russia accord work? How long before the calls for the United States to “do something” begin again? And did the president respect Congress’s war powers? Cato scholar Christopher Preble has followed developments closely since the Syrian Civil War broke out in 2011. He’ll provide a much needed update on the situation and take your questions.
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The World Trade Organization has been a pillar of the global trading system since its inception in 1995, serving an especially important role in the adjudication of trade disputes and, ultimately, helping to subdue protectionism. But the failure of multilateral negotiations to achieve broader and deeper reductions in global trade barriers, while bilateral and regional agreements have flourished, raises important questions about the WTO and its future. Will large agreements that establish new rules in new areas, such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, relegate the WTO to insignificance, merely lower its profile, or provide a much-needed jolt by suggesting best practices that will ultimately strengthen the multilateral system?
Additional Resources
- Speaker Biographies
- Washington Trade Report, Volume XXIX, Number 37, September 30, 2013.
- "Saving Multilateralism: Renovating the House of Global Economic Governance for the 21st Century," by Jennifer Hillman, Brussels Forum Paper Series, March 2010.
- "An Emerging International Rule of Law? The WTO Dispute Settlement System's Role in its Evolution," by Jennifer Hillman, Ottawa Law Review, Vol. 42, No. 2, 2010-2011.
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Purchase Book A leading justification for the growth of government is the supposed need to control the power of big business and to spread the benefits of the liberal economic order to the greatest possible number of beneficiaries. However, according to Randall Holcombe and Andrea Castillo, the expansion of government results in a different concentration of power: cronyism, in which some people — typically the wealthy and the politically well-connected — have access to privileges that are denied to the rest of the population. Please join us for a discussion of real-world manifestations of big-government cronyism, ranging from central planning to environmentalism and industrial policy, and an exploration of how they invariably enable small groups of individuals — the cronies — to gain at the expense of everyone else.
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The Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations have just completed their 19th round, and there is talk now that they are nearing the "end game" and a deal might be reached by the end of the year. However, there are reportedly still many unresolved issues and a fair amount of work ahead. Is a 2013 completion date realistic? If not, when will the TPP countries reach agreement? And if they do, what will the U.S. Congress think about the deal? Please join us for a discussion of these and other issues related to the TPP.
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America's Longest War is a new documentary from the Reason Foundation about the federal government's 40-year war on drugs. It chronicles the history of drug prohibition from President Nixon's declaration of war in 1971 through President Obama's broken promises on medical marijuana. After more than $1 trillion taxpayer dollars and thousands of paramilitary raids on American homes and drug arrests each year, the prisons are overflowing with drug offenders.
Is the drug war working? According to the documentary, drug usage rates have not declined and illegal drugs are more available — and cheaper — than ever before. America's Longest War examines how a policy escalated from a relatively small domestic program that focused on treatment to the multi-billion dollar international war it is today.
Purchase bookHow can America find its way back from economic stagnation, fiscal calamity, and national "malaise"? In his new book, American Conservative Union vice chairman Donald J. Devine argues: the same way it has before, through "a restoration of the constitutional synthesis of freedom and tradition" at the heart of the American experiment.
In America's Way Back, Devine makes "the case for 21st century 'fusionism'" — a reinvigoration of the Cold War–era conservative-libertarian alliance that employed "libertarian means for traditionalist ends."
But the politics of the new century have strained that alliance significantly. In the gay marriage and immigration debates, conservatives decry libertarians' rejection of "traditionalist ends," while libertarians point to the Bush years as depressing evidence of conservatives' lack of commitment to "libertarian means."
Have the differences become too vast to bridge, or can libertarian-leaning Republicans like Sen. Rand Paul and Rep. Justin Amash breathe new life into post–Cold War fusionism? Join us for what promises to be a lively discussion of these issues.
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After the needless death of his father, business executive David Goldhill began a personal exploration of a health care industry that for years has delivered poor service and irregular quality at astonishingly high cost. In Catastrophic Care, Goldhill shows the U.S. health care sector is not worth preserving in anything like its current form — and President Obama’s health care law is likely to exacerbate its failings. Goldhill proposes a different and radical solution to these agonizing problems.
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Purchase BookIn 2012 the U.S. Supreme Court became the center of the political world. In a dramatic and unexpected 5–4 decision, Chief Justice John Roberts voted to save the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare. Unprecedented tells the inside story of how this constitutional challenge raced across all three branches of government and narrowly avoided a collision between the Supreme Court and President Obama. The book offers unrivaled inside access to the key decisionmakers in Washington, based on interviews with over 100 of the people who lived this journey — including the academics who began the challenge, the attorneys who litigated the case at all levels (and their allies at Cato and elsewhere), and the Obama administration attorneys who defended the law. It reads like a political thriller, providing the definitive account of how the Supreme Court almost struck down the president's "unprecedented" law. It also explains what this decision means for the future of the Constitution, the limits on federal power, and the Supreme Court. Commenting on this book will be Randy Barnett, who has been called the "intellectual godfather" of the Obamacare constitutional challenge, and Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center.
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Purchase BookIn the conventional wisdom, conspiratorial thinking lurks mainly on the fringes of American politics — the "preferred style only of minority movements," as Richard Hofstadter put it in his influential 1964 essay, "The Paranoid Style in American Politics." In his new book, The United States of Paranoia: A Conspiracy Theory, Jesse Walker begs to differ.
Walker insists, contra Hofstadter, that "the Paranoid Style Is American Politics." From the colonial era, through sundry Red Scares, militia scares, and post-9/11 panics, he writes, "the fear of conspiracies has been a potent force across the political spectrum, at the center as well as the extreme." What’s more, some of the most dangerous forms of political paranoia are "the kinds that catch on with people inside the halls of power." Please join us for a lively and timely discussion of political paranoia Right, Left, and Center.
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The two main federal disability programs have experienced rising enrollment and soaring spending in recent years. Indeed, combined outlays on Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income have roughly doubled over the last decade to more than $200 billion annually. The programs distort the economy and are adding to the federal government’s fiscal crisis. Cato senior fellow Jagadeesh Gokhale and budget analyst Tad DeHaven have published recent studies on the programs, and they will discuss the causes of recent spending growth, distortions created by the programs, and prospects for reform.
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Immigration reform will increase economic growth and productivity in the United States — but not uniformly. Most Americans and immigrants will reap rewards, while others could face increased competition in the labor market. Ethan Lewis will discuss how lower-skilled immigrant workers affect the labor market decisions of similarly skilled Americans. Madeline Zavodny will delve into the economic impact of highly skilled immigrants and how business cycles affect immigrant flows. Michael Clemens will assess the global economic impact of immigration reform and the enormous economic potential of removing most immigration restrictions.
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Purchase bookOne of the most disturbing trends in American policing in recent years has been the militarization of police weaponry and tactics. In his new book, The Rise of the Warrior Cop, author Radley Balko traces the arc of American law enforcement from the constables of colonial times to present day SWAT teams and special response units. With the martial rhetoric surrounding the "war on drugs" and the "war on terrorism," policymakers have signed off on a dangerously aggressive style of policing that too often leads to unnecessary deaths and injuries. Is modern law enforcement on a collision course with our Bill of Rights? Join us for wide-ranging discussion of paramilitary police tactics in America.
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The Korean War ended six decades ago, but so far hopes for reform and liberalization in North Korea have been frustrated. On the 60th anniversary of the signing of the armistice, South Korea’s ambassador to the U.S. will address the future of the U.S.-South Korean alliance, which also turns 60 this year. Two Korea experts will follow with commentary on relations between Washington and Seoul, as well as appropriate policy towards Pyongyang. Should America pursue more intense involvement or turn the North Korean “problem” over to its neighbors, including China?
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When President Barack Obama signed the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank) into law on July 21, 2010, he promised that "because of this law, the American people will never again be asked to foot the bill for Wall Street's mistakes." Three years on, the implementation of Dodd-Frank has turned out to be more costly, lengthy, and complex than most proponents anticipated. As of July 1, 2013, nearly 63 percent of the rulemaking deadlines under Dodd-Frank have been missed. To mark Dodd-Frank's third anniversary, panelists will discuss whether Dodd-Frank really addressed the root causes of the 2008 financial crisis, the implementation progress to date, and the way forward.
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The 2012 Supreme Court decision in NFIB v. Sebelius held that the threatened loss of all federal Medicaid funds made ObamaCare’s Medicaid expansion unconstitutionally coercive. However, Secretary Sebelius has continued to hold federal Medicaid funds hostage in order to limit the effect of the decision in NFIB and coerce states into implementing elements of the Medicaid expansion that the Court rendered optional.
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Purchase bookLewis E. Lehrman, President Ronald Reagan’s gold commissioner and co-signer of the iconic commission minority report, The Case for Gold, will make a rare Washington, D.C., public appearance to debut his latest work, Money, Gold, and History. In his new book, Lehrman, founder and chairman of the Lehrman Institute, compiles many of his key writings from almost 40 years of publications and complements them with new and important essays on the classical gold standard. Among the works included are his testimonies at the request of former representative Ron Paul before the House Subcommittee on Domestic Monetary Policy, his address before the Parliament of France, and many essays in leading publications, including the Wall Street Journal, the American Spectator, and the Weekly Standard. Lehrman, a student of iconic French economist Jacques Rueff, and author of the critically acclaimed book The True Gold Standard, is a preeminent advocate of restoring a modern classical gold standard.
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Although it has been studied intensely by political scientists, the relationship between public opinion and U.S. foreign policy remains murky. Today, pundits argue about whether an "Iraq syndrome" among the public is inhibiting the Obama administration from going to war with Syria. Public anxiety about the debt and deficit has led to increased support for cutting military spending. In this context, a growing number of scholars and academics are calling for Washington to adopt a grand strategy of restraint. Does the public support the existing strategy, or is it more in alignment with restraint? What does the public believe America’s role in the world should be? Should presidents listen to public opinion regarding foreign-policy decisions? Must they?
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Purchase bookWhy do millions of people continue to risk their lives, sometimes losing them, in the pursuit of a chance to establish themselves in a foreign land? Alvaro Vargas Llosa will describe who immigrants are and why they move, and he will compare the immigrant experience today to that of previous eras, identifying far more similarities than differences. By reviewing such topics as religion, education, entrepreneurial spirit, and attitudes toward the receiving society, Mr. Vargas Llosa will assess whether critics are justified in pointing to a major cultural shift. Taking into account economic factors, including the role of the welfare state, the author will outline a pro-immigration agenda for the United States and other rich countries that minimizes costs and harnesses the benefits of globalization.
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The rise of the West can be understood only as a result of an ideological change that occurred in England in the 17th century and of the emergence of a “bourgeois deal” through which entrepreneurs were let free to engage in innovation and creative destruction, so argues Deirdre McCloskey in her forthcoming book, The Treasured Bourgeoisie: How Markets and Innovation Became Ethical, 1600-1848, and Then Suspect. Please join us for a discussion that will link culture, ethics and rhetoric with entrepreneurship and economic development.
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The Social Security disability program has seen a significant increase in costs and enrollment in recent years. The Trustees project that the program will be insolvent as early as 2016. This recent growth and the program’s looming insolvency have brought it increased attention and added urgency to calls for solutions. Cato senior fellow Jagadeesh Gokhale, Social Security Administration chief actuary Stephen Goss and leading scholars David Autor from MIT and Harold Pollack from the University of Chicago will provide their insights into the problems with the program’s current structure, causes of recent program growth, and prospects for reform.
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Congress needs to reauthorize the federal gas tax and decide how to spend federal surface transportation dollars in 2014. Unfortunately, argues Cato’s Randal O’Toole, too much spending in the past has gone to obsolete transportation technologies. Author Scott Beyer argues that the federal government’s role in funding infrastructure has stripped both money and decision-making power from localities, particularly major cities. Emily Goff, of the Heritage Foundation, will present ways reauthorization can embrace future technologies rather than be stuck in the past.
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While many members of Congress claim to support free trade, Cato’s congressional trade votes database tells a different story. Rather than simply noting support or opposition to trade liberalization, Cato’s Free Trade, Free Markets methodology distinguishes between trade barriers and trade subsidies. As a result, the database allows researchers to evaluate members of Congress more precisely. In particular, voting patterns during the 112th Congress shed light on the relative importance of ideology, regionalism, and partisanship in setting trade policy. Many members who consistently support lowering barriers also consistently support expanding subsidies. So who are the real free traders in Congress? And what do the voting records of the 112th Congress tell us about the prospects for trade policy in the current term?
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Purchase BookThe greatest reduction in mass poverty in human history has occurred during the current era of globalization. The world’s poor are now catching up with the rich at a rapid pace in terms of human well-being. Deepak Lal will discuss how, despite those achievements, confusion about poor countries abounds: the World Bank exaggerates the extent of poverty; the benefits of new development fads including microfinance or randomized testing of projects, are vastly oversold; and discredited theories, such as the need for massive foreign aid to save Africa, have been resurrected. Marcus Noland will draw from his experience working in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East to comment on the book and its view that increased liberalization in the developing world is decreasing the influence of the West’s advocates of dirigisme.
In Halbig v. Sebelius, four individual taxpayers and three employers are challenging a seemingly obscure IRS decree. The IRS claims the authority to issue hundreds of billions of dollars in subsidies to health-insurance companies, and to impose penalties on individual taxpayers and employers, in the 33 states that have refused to establish a health insurance "exchange" under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). The Halbig plaintiffs assert this decree would penalize them in violation of the clear, consistent, and unambiguous language of the PPACA, as well as congressional intent. The Congressional Research Service writes that Halbig "could be a major obstacle to the implementation of the Act." Law professor Michael Greve writes, "all of ObamaCare hangs on the outcome." The lead attorney in Halbig, Michael Carvin, and three other panelists will discuss the legality of the IRS's decree and the implications for the PPACA.
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In 1920, in Missouri v. Holland, the Supreme Court seemed to say, contrary to basic constitutional principles, that a treaty could increase the legislative power of Congress. That issue is now back before the Court in Bond v. United States, a case with deliciously lurid facts involving adultery, revenge, and the Chemical Weapons Convention. Cato has filed an amicus brief in the case, written by Nicholas Rosenkranz, based on his Harvard Law Review article on the subject. Please join us for a discussion of this fundamental constitutional question.
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Purchase bookClint Bolick argues in his new book, written with Jeb Bush, that the three broad components of immigration reform—better immigration enforcement, a lawful pathway for future migrants, and the legalization of current unauthorized immigrants—must work together to produce a viable immigration policy. The 1986 Reagan amnesty failed because it was a partial reform that increased immigration enforcement but did not increase legal opportunities for lower skilled immigrants. The 2007 immigration reform bill failed to even pass the Senate for a similar reason—its guest worker visa program was eviscerated. Immigration reform must produce an easily enforceable law that allows the world’s best, brightest, and most industrious a chance to contribute to the American economy.
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"India grows at night while the government sleeps" is an Indian expression referring to the country's impressive economic rise despite the presence of a large, burdensome state. Gurcharan Das will explain how India's story of private success and public failure is not sustainable and that the country's recent growth slowdown signals the need for a strong liberal state that would ensure accountability, perform limited and well-defined functions, and base itself on the rule of law. Swami Aiyar will discuss contemporary Indian society and the prospects of Das's proposals.
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The Constitution gives the federal government no authority to govern education, and numerous laws prohibit Washington from influencing school curricula. How has the federal government gotten around these barriers? Primarily by attaching demands to federal money, which is exactly what it did to get states to adopt the supposedly “state-led" and "voluntary" Common Core curriculum standards. This unprecedented drive to national uniformity is dangerous for many reasons, not the least of which is that it puts Washington in control of what almost all schools teach. But just as the federal government has been the most powerful entity behind forced standardization, it is also the key to halting it.
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Top officials in the U.S. government, the International Monetary Fund, and the European Union blame Europe’s ills on fiscal austerity and advise Europeans to pursue stimulus spending or delay spending cuts. Simeon Djankov and Anders Aslund will show how the evidence counters that prevailing view. Countries that have reined in their spending are growing briskly while the profligate founder. Aslund will discuss why the level of debt and access to international markets still matter to responsible fiscal policy; Djankov will explain why Europe badly needs a growth plan that includes reducing the burden of regulation. Both speakers will explain why Europeans should focus on policy reform rather than devaluation or exit from the Euro.
Download "The Problem with Europe's Austerity Debate" from Anders Aslund (Powerpoint Presentation)
Download "Saving the Euro" by Simon Djankov (Powerpoint Presentation)
Purchase bookA common argument for intervening abroad is to alleviate potential or existing human suffering. Repeatedly, however, state-led humanitarian efforts have failed miserably. Why do well-funded, expertly staffed, and well-intentioned humanitarian actions often fall short of achieving their desired outcomes, leaving some of the people they intended to help worse off? Why are well-meaning countries unable to replicate individual instances of success consistently across cases of human suffering?Using the tools of economics, Dr. Christopher Coyne’s new book, Doing Bad by Doing Good: Why Humanitarian Action Fails, shifts the discussion from the moral imperative of how governments should behave to a positive analysis of how they actually do. Coyne examines the limits of short-term humanitarian aid and long-term development assistance, the disconnect between intentions and reality, and why economic freedom—protection of property rights, private means of production, and free trade of labor and goods—provides the best means for minimizing human suffering. Join us as experts discuss this hotly debated topic.
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Despite increasing population, global food production per capita is at all-time highs, even as the amount of agricultural land is reaching new lows. The prime driver has been technology, beginning with the Green Revolution of the 1960s, when Norman Borlaug discovered the key to high-yielding wheat. Since then, "slow" genetics has been replaced by DNA-splicing, giving rise to fears of genetic "mistakes" damaging the world food supply or resulting in inadvertent harm to consumers. Jon Entine and Kevin Folta embrace these innovations, promoting genetic literacy and post-modern agriculture. At this forum they will answer the charge that biotechnology is "a Brave New World of agriculture."
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Five years ago, the Supreme Court issued its landmark decision in District of Columbia v. Heller. By a 5-4 vote, the Court ruled that the strict gun-control laws in the nation’s capital—which amounted to a complete ban on any usable weapon for self-protection, even in the home—were unconstitutional. The Court finally confronted a long-simmering controversy over the scope of the Second Amendment and declared that, yes, that amendment does secure an individual the right to keep and bear arms. Now, five years later, with gun controls being debated both in the Congress and state legislatures, it is a good time to assess the impact of the Heller precedent. Please join us for a wide-ranging discussion of the Second Amendment, self-defense, and the right to keep and bear arms.
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Congress may pass a major farm bill re- authorization this year for the first time since 2008. Farm bill supporters claim that draft bills in the House and Senate would save taxpayers billions of dollars, but that isn't the case. The bills would eliminate so-called direct payments to farmers, but the savings would be plowed into new subsidy programs and higher guaranteed prices for certain crops. What can be done to reform costly farm subsidies that harm agricultural markets and damage the environment? Chris Edwards, Scott Faber, Andrew Moylan, and Josh Sewell will discuss the impact of farm programs on taxpayers and the environment and suggest possible reform steps.
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Purchase bookIn his new book, The End Is Near and It’s Going to Be Awesome, Kevin D. Williamson examines the crisis of the modern welfare state and demonstrates that the crucial political failures of our time, from education to health care, are the direct result of government monopolies providing and regulating these services. Entitlement programs have promised far more than they can deliver, and slow moving bureaucracies have stifled innovation and efficiency in attempts to deliver on these failed promises. There is, however, a light at the end of the tunnel, as millions of Americans reject the status quo and turn to their own ingenuity to create successful market-derived alternatives to these government monopolies. Please join Kevin Williamson and Cato Institute senior fellow Michael Tanner for an examination of the current state of U.S. entitlement programs and a lively discussion of how the free-market responds when the government fails.
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Trust and reputation are central to the operation of capital markets. But in our generation, reputational mechanisms are failing; and when they fail, markets and societies are also at risk of failure. The usual response has been to call for more aggressive regulation, yet this only worsens the problem, as Jonathan Macey shows in his new book. There, he demonstrates how and why poorly considered regulation has undermined traditional trust mechanisms throughout financial institutions, credit rating agencies, and accounting and law firms. Please join us for a discussion of these issues, including a better path to restoring trust and integrity.
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As the United States continues its use of drone technology overseas, the potential for increased domestic drone use has also begun to raise serious concerns. Sen. Rand Paul's (R-KY) recent filibuster on the topic brought widespread public attention to the issue and lawmakers are now beginning to ask important questions; namely, is use of this technology for surveillance appropriate and, if so, what risks will a drone program pose to civil liberties and individual privacy? What are the appropriate legal limits on overseas use, and are those limits being followed? Please join Cato Institute scholars Ben Friedman and Julian Sanchez, and journalist Spencer Ackerman, as they examine the current state of U.S. drone policy at home and overseas, whether this technology is good for the country, and what the future looks like for drone use.
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A century after the creation of the Federal Reserve and two generations after Congress gave the Fed a dual mandate for price stability and full employment, the Fed's extraordinary actions since 2008 have raised questions about the appropriate role for the Fed and the monetary policy that the Fed should pursue to ensure a strong U.S. economy throughout the 21st century. Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX), chairman of Congress's Joint Economic Committee, is at the forefront of this debate. He will be discussing his proposals both for monetary reform (Sound Dollar Act) and for a bipartisan Centennial Monetary Commission to review the Fed's performance and make recommendations for its role in the future.
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Join us for a non-technical primer on risk and cost-benefit analysis with applications to policies ranging from homeland security to climate change. Our panel will consider key issues as probability neglect, cost neglect, and acceptable risk. In general, the place to begin is not with the perennial question, “Are we safer?” but rather with the rarely asked, “How safe are we?” Increases in domestic homeland security spending since 9/11 exceed $1 trillion. How many post-9/11 security programs reduce risk enough to justify their cost? Panelists John Mueller and Mark Stewart are the authors of Terror, Security, and Money (Oxford University Press, 2011).
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The OPEC cartel has been the key actor in world crude oil markets for four decades and counting. Even so, there is a surprising amount of disagreement about the nature of OPEC’s influence on oil markets.
In a new study published by Securing America’s Future Energy (SAFE), authors Andrew Morriss and Roger Meiners survey the academic literature and conclude that OPEC is an unstable cartel that has, at times, been effective in significantly increasing the price of oil. When the cartel has failed in this exercise, however, the price of oil has collapsed, possibly lower than would have been the case were the market not subject to cartelization. Morriss and Meiners believe that much of the volatility that characterizes world crude oil markets can be laid at the cartel’s doorstep and, as a consequence, “the international market for oil is not a free market.” Fred Smith will discuss the policy implications of Morriss and Meiners’ findings. James Smith, who has written extensively on the OPEC cartel, will comment.
This book reviews nine Supreme Court cases and decisions that dealt with monetary laws, together with a summary history of monetary events and policies — notably, the gold standard and the Federal Reserve System — as they were affected by the Court’s decisions. Several cases and decisions had notable consequences for the monetary history of the United States, and some were blatant misjudgements stimulated by political pressures. The cases included in this book begin with McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) and end with the Gold Clause Cases (1934–35). Those decisions remain in force today. The final chapter describes the adjustments necessary to return to a gold standard and briefly examines other monetary arrangements that would be consistent with the Framers’ Constitution.
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How does the Gang of Eight immigration bill reform guest worker visas? How will those reforms affect the rest of the immigration system? How else can guest worker visas be tweaked to improve the outcomes? These vital questions must be answered so that the guest worker visa program provides the maximum benefit to the American economy. A robust and large guest worker visa program will accomplish two goals. First, it will channel healthy and peaceful people into sectors of the U.S. economy that demand their skills. Second, it will reduce the pressure of immigrants seeking to enter illegally and focus border security on security and health threats. The complexities of the guest worker visa, including its good points and its shortcomings, will be examined in detail.
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With what appears to be a never-ending fiscal crisis in Europe, it would be tempting to conclude that every country in Europe is at the risk of impending failure. Such a conclusion would be false. In the middle of Europe lies one country, Switzerland, where moderate taxes and regulation have not strangled innovation. R. James Breiding, author of Swiss Made: The Untold Story behind Switzerland’s Success, will describe the institutions and characteristics that have made the Swiss economy a success. Our panel will also examine what lessons the Swiss model offers for the rest of Europe.
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On February 4, 2013, NBC News obtained a confidential Justice Department white paper detailing the Obama administration’s legal justification for the targeted killing of American citizens abroad. The leak called attention to a discernible shift in the “War on Terror” and how America wages it. The U.S. government has yet to disclose the number of drone strikes launched, the number of people killed, and the full scope of collateral damage. How does the U.S. government determine who is a legitimate target and who poses an immediate threat? What are the constitutional issues surrounding targeted killings, given their secrecy and the lack of reliable data? What standards do decision makers apply for deciding if the costs outweigh the benefits in a given country? What are the practical issues of such highly classified programs in an age of worldwide, and seemingly perpetual, war? Join us for what should be a fascinating discussion on a highly important topic.
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In At the Brink, economist John Lott argues that the Obama administration’s policies are destroying what has been a health care system that has been the envy of the world. Furthermore, Obama inherited a severe recession, but the spectacular “stimulus” spending with which Obama launched his presidency not only has failed to help the economy—it has poisoned it, slowing the recovery. His positions on regulations and taxes have also harmed the economy.
But the Obama administration’s legacy isn’t just going to be on health care and the economy, Lott says. For example, another long-lasting legacy will be on people’s ability to defend themselves with guns. The administration’s appointments to the courts, as well as federal actions and its unprecedented push for states to adopt gun control, will reduce gun ownership and endanger lives. Join us for a spirited critique of President Obama and his policies.
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Is it possible to reduce the risk of protectionist influence in health, safety, and environmental regulation? Should international law prohibit domestic regulations that unnecessarily inhibit trade? A new Cato Policy Analysis says the answer is "yes" and calls on policymakers and activists to be more cautious of domestic industry influence. Our distinguished panel will discuss the political origins of regulatory protectionism and consider how the United States might keep its laws and regulations free of protectionism and prevent future trade disputes.
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Is the United States moving toward legal equality between gay and straight couples? What does the U.S. Constitution have to say about the question? And should the Republican Party, long committed to opposing marriage equality, rethink its position? This panel will examine these questions as well as the shifting politics of support for marriage equality after several state initiatives passed in the 2012 elections.
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When Calvin Coolidge became president in 1923, the top personal income tax rate was 77 percent. The national debt had risen from $1.5 billion in 1916 to $33 billion in 1919 — in large part due to America’s entry into World War I. Together with his treasury secretary, Andrew Mellon, Coolidge cut the top personal income tax rate to 24 percent and dramatically reduced government spending. The economy expanded along with tax revenue, and that allowed the national debt to fall to $16 billion by 1929. Please join us for a discussion of the lessons that Coolidge administration reforms hold for the United States today.
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In Juche Strong, director Rob Montz examines the propaganda apparatus that exists in North Korea, the underlying Juche philosophy of national “self-reliance” that fuels it, and the pivotal role it plays in the continued existence of the secretive country. Montz argues that a collective sense of purpose instilled by cradle-to-grave propaganda has been key to sustaining the country, and has created a quasi-religious fervor around the Kim dynasty that persists even as North Koreans suffer under the brutal regime. Can North Korea continue indefinitely in this fashion? If so, what policies should the U.S. consider as North Korea strives to develop its nuclear program? How should the U.S. respond when North Korean leaders threaten aggression?
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The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 was intended to “promote the financial stability of the United States by improving accountability and transparency in the financial system, to end ‘too big to fail,’ to protect the American taxpayer by ending bailouts, to protect consumers from abusive financial services practices, and for other purposes.” The law is extraordinarily complex, requiring almost a dozen federal agencies to complete 398 rulemaking requirements, plus about 145 studies that will affect rulemaking. With the rulemaking process underway, there are growing concerns about the Act’s constitutionality. In particular, the Act has implications for the separation of powers, the role of congressional oversight, vagueness and unfettered regulator discretion, and due process. Does Dodd-Frank provide effective oversight by any branch of government, and how can constitutional concerns about the law’s grants of regulatory power be resolved?
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The December 2001 Bonn Agreement proclaimed the international community’s determination to “end the tragic conflict in Afghanistan and promote national reconciliation, lasting peace, stability and respect for human rights in the country.” Over a decade later, while access to health care and education has improved, the central government in Kabul remains corrupt and incapable of exerting control over its territory, the Afghan security forces are rife with criminality and internal divisions, and the Afghan Taliban and other insurgent forces still threaten the country. The mission to build an effective Afghan state and eradicate indigenous militants has resulted in a costly, time-intensive, and troop-heavy campaign, even though the United States accomplished the limited goal of incapacitating al Qaeda and punishing the Taliban only months after 9/11.
What went wrong? In autumn 2001 what could U.S. policymakers have done differently? Years later, in spring 2009, was an Iraq-like surge the right option? Should U.S. officials have ever oriented the mission around grand promises of civilian reconstruction and long-term development assistance? Could the United States have met the limited objective of disrupting al Qaeda without a broader nation-building presence? In the future, if America is attacked and finds itself in a similar situation, how should it meet the threat without getting trapped? Please join us for an in-depth discussion among experts of the Afghan war on the challenges of achieving regional stability and the lasting policy impact of America’s longest war.
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The Great Deformation is a searing look at Washington's fiscal crisis. It counters conventional wisdom with an 80-year revisionist history of how the American state — especially the Federal Reserve — has fallen prey to the politics of crony capitalism and the ideologies of fiscal stimulus, monetary central planning, and financial bailouts.
David Stockman points a finger at Franklin Roosevelt, who fathered crony capitalism; Richard Nixon, who destroyed fiscal discipline and the gold-backed dollar; Fed chairmen Greenspan and Bernanke, who fostered bubble finance and addiction to debt and speculation; George W. Bush, who repudiated fiscal rectitude and ballooned the warfare state via senseless wars; and Barack Obama, who revived failed Keynesian "borrow and spend" policies that have driven the national debt to perilous heights. He doesn't spare Ronald Reagan and Milton Friedman, either. He's guaranteed to provoke liberals, conservatives, and libertarians.
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The United States government practices surprisingly comprehensive surveillance of air travel, amassing data about the comings and goings of all Americans who fly. By April 2, the Transportation Security Administration will either have begun a public comment process on its policy of putting travelers through imaging machines that can see under their clothes, or it will be in clear violation of a D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling requiring it to do so.
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The Obama administration’s recent large-scale legislative initiatives, The Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank) and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, have a significant theme in common. Both acts rely on unelected and unsupervised bodies to oversee and enact new laws — a trend that threatens both our political and our economic liberties. Our panelists will discuss the constitutionality of creating these new "super-legislative" bodies – the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Orderly Liquidation Authority, and the Independent Payment Advisory Board – and the implications for the rule of law. The panel will also discuss the possibility of reviving the "non-delegation" doctrine.
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Is the United States moving toward legal equality between gay and straight couples? What does the U.S. Constitution have to say about the question? And should the Republican Party, long committed to opposing gay marriage, rethink its position? Two of the nation’s best-known advocates on the issue — Evan Wolfson, widely seen as the master strategist behind the movement for same-sex marriage, and Ken Mehlman, a key figure in Republican rethinking of the issue, will be joined by Ilya Shapiro, who heads the Cato Institute’s amicus program and presided over the development of Cato’s briefs in Windsor and Perry.
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What impact has immigration had on the U.S. economy over these last few decades? How will immigration reform change the economy for native-born Americans? With few exceptions, immigrants expand the size of the economic pie by creating businesses and expanding the scope and quantity of economic production—with mostly positive affects on Americans. To understand this complex phenomenon, different types of immigrants—those who are higher skilled and those who are lower skilled—and their various impacts on the American economy will be examined in detail.
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Cuba’s Castro dictatorship has clung to power for more than five decades. As the regime ages and the outside sources of finance that buttress it are put in jeopardy, a new generation of Cubans is using the Internet to dissent against the pervasive lack of freedom and opportunity in their country. Prominent Cuban dissident writers Yoani Sanchez and Orlando Luis Pardo Lazo — recently given permission to travel outside Cuba — will describe life in current-day Cuba, the activities of the island’s dissident community in the face of repression, and the prospects for a free country. They will also assess the extent of Raul Castro’s so-called reforms and share their vision of a pluralistic, tolerant society.
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In the wake of the financial crisis, commentators have suggested a transaction tax (Tobin tax) on financial markets. The potential consequences of such a tax could be hazardous to the financial markets affected, as well as to the economy. Professor Wang, in a recent Cato paper, reviewed the relevant theoretical and empirical literature and applied these findings to estimate the possible impact of a transaction tax on U.S. futures market activity as well as its utility as a potential source of tax revenue. Wang showed that a transaction tax on futures trading will not only fail to generate the expected revenue, it will likely drive business away from U.S. exchanges and toward untaxed foreign markets. Our panelists will discuss the implications of this paper as well as general issues related to any proposed financial transactions tax.
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The basis for EPA’s increasingly expensive regulation of greenhouse gases is their “Finding of Endangerment” from carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. With regard to the climate of the United States, it is largely based on one document, called “Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States,”, published by the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP).
Patrick J. Michaels, director of the Center for the Study of Science at the Cato Institute, recently completed a landmark document in precisely the same format as the important USGCRP one, except it includes the vast volume of the scientific literature that the USGCRP somehow neglected to include in their work. Michaels will provide a very informative and entertaining examination of the outright misinformation, disinformation, and ignored information that permeates the document that serves as the basis for EPA’s ever-tightening regulatory approach to atmospheric greenhouse gases.
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With immigration reform once again on Congress’s near horizon, many proposals take as a given that there should be “internal enforcement” of immigration law through federal background checks on all workers. But the E-Verify system and proposals for a national E-Verify mandate are shot through with complications and challenges. Costs to businesses and workers will mount. Citizens, both natural-born and naturalized, will have to appeal to the federal government for the right to work. And identity fraud will drive E-Verify to become a biometric national identification system capable of use well beyond immigration control. Join us for a discussion of E-Verify’s many perils.
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The euro crisis has exposed deep structural flaws in the functioning of the common currency and put pressure on the cohesion of the European Union as a whole. Stagnant growth, and rising unemployment and public dissatisfaction are threatening to undermine the European project. Conventional wisdom holds that deeper political integration is needed in order to preserve and strengthen the European Union. However, an increasing number of analysts argue that current problems in Europe are symptoms of a unification process gone too far. Frits Bolkestein and Luke Coffey will discuss the reform proposals and identify powers that are currently exercised in Brussels but could be repatriated to the member states.
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Richard Gamble's book, In Search of the City on a Hill: the Making and Unmaking of an American Myth, helps make sense of exceptionalism's evolution. Gamble traces the “city on a hill” metaphor, from Puritan leader John Winthrop, who took it from the gospels, to its reincarnation in the 20th century as an explicitly political idea at the heart of foreign policy debates.
Historians Walter McDougall, the author of Promised Land, Crusader State: The American Encounter with the World since 1776, and Derek Leebaert, the author of Magic and Mayhem: The Delusions of American Foreign Policy from Korea to Afghanistan, will provide commentary.
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The Supreme Court's ruling last June was only the end of the beginning as far as Obamacare litigation is concerned. Myriad lawsuits unrelated to the individual mandate have continued and — following Nancy Pelosi's advice to dig deeper into what's in the law — others have been filed based on new developments. Issues range from employer mandates to the constitutionality of Chief Justice John Roberts's health insurance nonpurchase tax, from infringement on religious beliefs to a separation-of-powers challenge against the Independent Payment Advisory Board. We're even starting to see lawsuits regarding the implementation of the law, as a host of agencies promulgate rules that often go beyond even the legislation's expansive text. We will bring the lawyers leading two of these cases here to discuss them — one of whom is an intellectual godfather of a fascinating challenge to new IRS regulations. Please join us to learn what we can expect from this new round of Obamacare litigation.
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The Constitution gives Congress the power to establish copyrights “to promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts.” This would require Congress to engage in a delicate balancing act, giving authors enough protection to motivate their creation of expressive works, but not so much that it hampers innovation and access to information. Copyright Unbalanced makes the case that Congress has not struck that balance well and that over the last half-century, Congress has routinely shifted the balance in only one direction — away from public access and freedom and toward greater and deeper privileges for organized special interests.
The book argues that conservatives and libertarians, who are naturally suspicious of big government, should be skeptical of an ever-expanding copyright system. And they should be skeptical of the recent trend toward criminal prosecution of even minor copyright infringements, of the growing use of civil asset forfeiture in copyright enforcement, and of attempts to regulate the Internet and electronics in the name of piracy eradication. Join us for an interesting and challenging discussion of copyright and its enforcement.
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In his new book Cosmic Constitutional Theory: Why Americans Are Losing Their Inalienable Right to Self-Governance, Judge Wilkinson strongly criticizes the liberal "living Constitution" movement, but also takes issue with many libertarians and other legal theorists who have successfully urged the Supreme Court to apply closer constitutional scrutiny to government action in areas such as eminent domain and gun control. Responding to Judge Wilkinson, and defending a tradition of vigorous judicial protection of constitutional liberty, will be Roger Pilon, founder and director of Cato's Center for Constitutional Studies.
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The Budget Control Act passed by Congress directs that on January 2, 2013, the Obama administration must cut the defense budget by at least $55 billion and cut the same amount from domestic discretionary spending. Some observers assert that such reductions will damage the economy and increase unemployment. Even many who view excessive government spending as economically counterproductive oppose Pentagon cuts. These concerns are overblown, Cato scholars explain.
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Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt has filed a lawsuit alleging the Obama administration is violating the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and imposing illegal taxes in states such as Oklahoma. As Jonathan H. Adler and Michael F. Cannon detail in their forthcoming Health Matrix article, "Taxation Without Representation: The Illegal IRS Rule to Expand Tax Credits under the PPACA," the PPACA cannot function without state buy-in. The Obama administration's response to state push-back has been to rewrite the statute by imposing, on both employers and individuals, taxes that Congress never authorized. Pruitt is challenging the IRS rule that imposes those illegal taxes. Supporters and opponents agree the PPACA's "entire structure" depends on the IRS's interpretation of the statute, and that this dispute "could be a fatal blow to Obamacare."
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Roger Pilon, Ilya Shapiro, Michael F. Cannon, Michael D. Tanner and Trevor Burrus evaluate the ObamaCare Supreme Court ruling.
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Is there a market for good law? Without the state providing law, could it be offered by multiple, private, and competing agencies? David Friedman, professor of law at Santa Clara University, explored this idea in his classic 1973 book, The Machinery of Freedom: Guide to a Radical Capitalism. But in the years since, he's revised and strengthened some of his theories. In this talk, Friedman will offer these new ideas from the last 30 years of thinking about the market for law.
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A Government Thumb on the Election Scale?
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The one-year anniversary of the Obama presidency is time for a review of the administration's counterterrorism policies. What are those policies, and how well have they met the challenge of terrorism over the past year? Does the absence of a formal counterterrorism strategy leave the nation exposed? Should the administration produce such a strategy and a terrorism communications plan aimed at thwarting overreaction to any future attack? These key questions, and more, will be explored at a Cato Institute policy forum featuring counterterrorism and communications experts, followed by an address by Daniel Benjamin, a top Obama administration counterterrorism official.
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The one-year anniversary of the Obama presidency is time for a review of the administration's counterterrorism policies. What are those policies, and how well have they met the challenge of terrorism over the past year? Does the absence of a formal counterterrorism strategy leave the nation exposed? Should the administration produce such a strategy and a terrorism communications plan aimed at thwarting overreaction to any future attack? These key questions, and more, will be explored at a Cato Institute policy forum featuring counterterrorism and communications experts, followed by an address by Daniel Benjamin, a top Obama administration counterterrorism official.
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In 2001, Portugal began a remarkable policy experiment, decriminalizing all drugs, including cocaine and heroin. Some predicted disastrous results — that drug addiction rates would soar and the country would become a haven for "drug tourists." Now that several years have passed, policy experts can study the results. In a new paper for the Cato Institute, attorney and author Glenn Greenwald closely examines the Portugal experiment and concludes that the doomsayers were wrong. There is now a widespread consensus in Portugal that decriminalization has been a success. The debate in Portugal has shifted rather dramatically to minor adjustments in the existing arrangement. There is no real debate about whether drugs should once again be criminalized. Join us for a discussion about Glenn Greenwald's field research in Portugal and what lessons his findings may hold for drug policies in other countries.
- White Paper: Drug Decriminalization in Portugal: Lessons for Creating Fair and Successful Drug Policies
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Despite the defeat of network neutrality legislation in 2006, President-elect Obama—a "net neutrality" supporter—and Congress are likely to put government regulation of the Internet at the top of their technology agenda for 2009. Technology policy scholars Tim Lee and Jerry Brito will review what network neutrality is, why it matters, and how regulations could stifle innovation online. They will also talk about the recent power grab in the Comcast network neutrality case.
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President-elect Obama and other politicians are urging a massive expansion in government spending, ostensibly to help the economy recover. This Keynesian endeavor is supposed to boost growth by “priming the pump” by means of circulating extra money through the economy. Yet the notion that bigger government leads to more growth is theoretically suspect: any money that the government “injects” into the economy with new spending (or tax rebates) must first be borrowed and diverted from private use. The economic pie gets sliced differently, but it is not any bigger. The real-world evidence is similarly unfavorable to Keynesianism. Huge increases in government spending under both Hoover and Roosevelt did not help the economy during the 1930s, and more recent Keynesian initiatives—Gerald Ford’s rebates in the mid-1970s, Japan’s stimulus efforts in the 1990s, and President Bush’s rebates in 2001 and 2008—do not seem to have generated positive results. Please join Dan Mitchell of the Cato Institute and Steve Entin of the Institute for Research on the Economics of Taxation to review the theoretical arguments and empirical evidence regarding economic stimulus proposals.
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Seven years after the invasion of Afghanistan, coalition troops are no closer to winning the war against the Taliban. With security getting worse and a violent insurgency raging in western Pakistan, can the "war on terror’s" central front be won? Will a heavier combat presence, endorsed by President-elect Barack Obama, provide a solution or contribute to the widening problem? Please join us for an in-depth discussion on this critical and turbulent region, and what the next administration can do to save this deteriorating mission.
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On December 5, 1933, the 21st Amendment to the Constitution was ratified, thus ending our nation's failed experiment with Prohibition. Organized crime flourished during Prohibition, but what were the other effects of the national ban on alcohol? How and why was it repealed? Please join the Cato Institute for a celebration of the 75th anniversary of the repeal of Prohibition and a discussion of its legacy and continuing impact on America. Drinks will be served following the discussion.
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Americans spend far more per capita than other nations on medical care. Defenders of America's health sector, such as Rudy Giuliani, claim it delivers superior health outcomes, such as longer cancer survival rates. Detractors claim that other nations systems' deliver equal or better health outcomes such as longer life expectancy and better infant mortality rates. Who is correct? Our speakers will look at what the evidence says about different health care sectors� contributions to population health, and the implications for health care reform.
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George Will writes in Newsweek, "Improbable as it might seem, perhaps the most important fact for a voter or politician to know is: No one can make a pencil. That truth is the essence of a novella that is, remarkably, both didactic and romantic. Even more remarkable, its author is an economist. If you read Russell Roberts's The Price of Everything: A Parable of Possibility and Prosperity, you will see the world afresh-unless you already understand Friedrich Hayek's idea of spontaneous order. Roberts sets his story in the Bay Area, where some Stanford students are indignant because a Big Box store doubled its prices after an earthquake. A student leader plans to protest Stanford's acceptance of a large gift from Big Box. The student's economics professor, Ruth, rather than attempting to dissuade him, begins leading him and his classmates to an understanding of prices, markets and the marvel of social cooperation." Roberts will discuss his novel way of teaching economics at a Cato Book Forum, with comments by Nick Gillespie, a literature Ph.D. who is surely the only journalist to have interviewed both Ozzy Osbourne and the 2002 Nobel laureate in economics, Vernon Smith.
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Last June, the Supreme Court had its first opportunity in seven decades to address one of America's most impassioned constitutional debates: Does the right to possess firearms, as stated in the Second Amendment, apply to individuals? Yes, the Court ruled, it does. And, with that decision, the District of Columbia's handgun ban-one of the most controversial in the nation-was ended. In Gun Control on Trial, journalist Brian Doherty tells the full story behind the landmark District of Columbia v. Heller ruling. With exclusive, behind-the-scenes access throughout the case, Doherty's new book takes readers on a remarkable journey-through the legal, scientific, and historical debates; the political battles; and the myths about gun control that have become widespread. How is the District's new registration process working? How will the Heller precedent impact the firearm regulations in other American cities? Join us for a discussion of the Heller case and its impact.
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Purchase at AmazonRob Bradley, formerly Ken Lay's speechwriter and a 16-year Enron employee, argues that the Left has incorrectly blamed capitalism for Enron. But he also believes that the Right’s take on the company's collapse has scarcely acknowledged the extent to which the mixed economy and anti-capitalist doctrines allowed the worst to get on top.
Bradley maintains that a preoccupation with the diagnostics of Enron's failure (the market did exact its revenge) has neglected the why behind the why. The systemic failure known as Enron, Bradley argues, not only exonerates free-market capitalism but also strengthens the capitalist worldview. Enron's boom and bust is the story of how company founder and chairman Ken Lay developed a sophisticated business model based on rent-seeking (political capitalism). Of particular note, Enron tried and failed to parlay climate alarmism, "energy sustainability," and social corporate responsibility into business viability.
Bradley's unique, insider interpretation of Enron has direct implications for today's debates over energy and climate policy, business ethics theory, and best business practices. William Niskanen, who holds a somewhat different view, will comment.
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Africa is more democratic than ever before and elections more frequent, but poll results are often predetermined and much of the region remains in the hands of autocratic governments. How free are Africans in countries that have seen some degree of political or economic liberalization? Tony Leon, a longtime member and opposition leader in the South African Parliament who criticized first the National Party apartheid government and then the African National Congress government, will assess African states’ progress on the road to political, economic, and civil liberty. Ugandan journalist and political activist Andrew Mwenda will discuss ways in which Africans are fighting for their freedoms.
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The Cato Institute invites you to join us as we unveil The Encyclopedia of Libertarianism, the first comprehensive, encyclopedic treatment of the libertarian movement. Editor in Chief Ronald Hamowy, a distinguished scholar who studied under Mises, Hayek, and Friedman, has included more than 300 succinct, original articles on libertarian ideas, institutions, and thinkers. Contributors include James Buchanan, Richard Epstein, Tyler Cowen, Randy Barnett, Deirdre McCloskey, Ellen Frankel Paul, and more than 100 other scholars. This comprehensive book, years in the making, will become an indispensable guide to libertarianism in the years to come.Our distinguished guests will discuss the place of libertarianism in world and U.S. politics, the contributions of libertarian thought, and the challenges it faces from both left and right.
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One message is delivered relentlessly in American education: Everyone should go to college. And then there's Charles Murray's message: Few people either need, or are able to handle, the rigorous liberal-arts training that college is supposed to provide. But this isn't a death sentence for those who are not academically inclined. Opportunities to enter well-paying professions and lead good lives abound for these people, and the sooner that's recognized, the sooner everyone can get the education they need. Christopher B. Nelson, whose 'great books' college provides the sort of liberal arts education Murray believes is beyond most people's reach, will respond.
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For thousands of years, slavery went unchallenged in principle. Then in a single century, slavery was abolished and more than seven million slaves were freed throughout the Western hemisphere. The scope and speed of this transformation make it one of the most amazing feats in modern history. Greatest Emancipations tells this fascinating story, focusing on abolitionists in areas where slavery was most entrenched: Haiti, the British Caribbean, the United States, Cuba, and Brazil. In this lively book, Jim Powell concisely illuminates the beginnings of the abolitionist movement, then proceeds through the processes, the battles, the final victory of emancipation, and the incredible impact of its aftermath. Ultimately, Powell argues, the more violence was involved in the emancipation process, the worse the outcomes were, making a provocative case for peaceful antislavery struggles.
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The collapse of WTO negotiations and the upcoming presidential election have deepened doubts about the future of free trade and the global economy. In an illuminating new book, Dr. Razeen Sally of the London School of Economics argues forcefully that trade policy has become disconnected from 21st-century business and consumer realities. As trade agreements yield diminishing returns, the world's fastest-growing economies in Asia have embraced freer trade and global integration unilaterally. The author renews the argument for free trade, warns of the imminent dangers of protectionism, and charts a new way forward for trade liberalization in the United States and globally. A top international economist at the World Bank will comment.
New Frontiers in Free Trade: Globalization's Future and Asia's Rising Role is available at the Cato Bookstore.
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Whenever gasoline prices are on the rise, so is the political interest in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, the largest single stockpile of crude oil in the world. Some argue that part of its approximately 700 million barrels should be released into the market to help relieve high prices at the pump. Others argue that the Reserve should be carefully husbanded for use in a future crisis. Jerry Taylor, author of “The Case against the Strategic Petroleum Reserve,” questions the very need for the SPR and calls not for release, but for total liquidation. Economist Steve Hanke argues that, if we’re going to have an SPR, it should be reformed so that it can play a constructive role in crude oil markets.
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The Prince George’s County police department is under fire for a recent drug raid on the home of Berwyn Heights mayor Cheye Calvo. Unbeknownst to Calvo, a box containing marijuana was delivered to his home. Shortly thereafter, police officers kicked in the front door and shot both of Calvo’s pet Labrador retrievers. The police have subsequently cleared Calvo of any wrongdoing but are unapologetic about their raid tactics. Are no-knock, paramilitary raids an appropriate tactic for drug investigations? Or do sudden, unannounced entries bring unnecessary violence to police investigations? Join us for a discussion of the Prince George’s incident and, more broadly, the militarization of police work in America.
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Released to great acclaim in May 2008, The Dirty Dozen: How Twelve Supreme Court Cases Radically Expanded Government and Eroded Freedom analyzes 12 U.S. Supreme Court decisions that, according to coauthors Robert Levy of the Cato Institute and William Mellor of the Institute for Justice, changed the course of American history away from constitutional government. In addition, The Dirty Dozen provides insights into the proper role of the Court and calls for judicial engagement to remedy these harmful decisions. The book has rapidly become the catalyst for an energetic, wide-reaching debate about the Supreme Court, generating an extensive range of opinions among legal professionals, concerned non-lawyers, and Court followers about the 12 cases, their impact, and the role of the Court. The Cato Institute and the American Constitution Society are pleased to provide a public platform for this important debate. Leading practitioners and academics from different perspectives will discuss the cases and the authors’ legal analyses. Please join us for what promises to be a dynamic event made even more significant by the historic Court decisions that have been handed down since the book’s publication only 2 months ago.
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The southern African countries of Botswana and Zimbabwe are neighbors. Botswana is peaceful, stable, and increasingly prosperous. Zimbabwe, in contrast, is beset by political and economic crises. Their diverging fortunes are partly explained by their government’s attitudes to economic freedom: Botswana is one of Africa’s economically freest states, and Zimbabwe is among Africa’s least free countries. Please join Zimbabwean human rights activist Rejoice Ngwenya and Cato’s Africa analyst Marian Tupy to discuss Zimbabwe’s meltdown, Botswana’s ascent, and lessons for the rest of Africa.
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Among the highest remaining U.S. tariffs are those imposed on imported shoes, with the highest duties applying to the cheapest shoes. Critics of the tariffs contend that they fall most heavily on the poorest American households while “saving” few domestic jobs. Defenders argue that the tariffs provide revenue for the federal government, have little impact on consumer prices, and steer trade to our free-trade partners at the expense of China. A bill in Congress to eliminate certain shoe tariffs, the Affordable Footwear Act, currently has more than 140 co-sponsors in the House and may be attached to the upcoming Miscellaneous Tariff Bill. Please join us for a forum featuring a co-sponsor of the footwear act and two trade experts who will debate the merits of lowering tariffs on imported shoes.
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Improving the international trading system does not depend solely on new, comprehensive multilateral agreements. Countries can realize significant gains in commercial flows by undertaking trade facilitation—reforms that decrease administrative and physical impediments to transporting goods and services across borders. According to recent studies from several international economic institutions and a new Cato paper, trade facilitation reforms could increase global trade flows even more than further reductions in tariff rates and are primarily and substantially in the interest of the country implementing reform. Please join Cato trade scholar Daniel Ikenson and World Bank economist Simeon Djankov to discuss how to expand international commerce even without new multilateral trade agreements.
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The world's largest democracy, India, is an emerging economic giant. Reforms that began in the late 1980s and accelerated in the 1990s have led to high growth and have reduced poverty by one third. Professor Panagariya will discuss changes in Indian society that favor continued rapid growth. He will also explain why India should avoid policies that focus on equality rather than poverty reduction, and he will propose innovative reforms—such as school vouchers or cash transfers for health care—where government services have failed the poor. Swaminathan Aiyar will comment on the book’s outlook for India.
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As the Doha Round lies in a cryogenic state, it is important to recognize that comprehensive, multilateral agreement to reduce trade barriers is not the only way to improve the international trading system. In fact, according to recent studies from the World Bank and other international economic institutions— a new study published by the Cato Institute —“trade facilitation” reforms could do more to increase global trade flows than further reductions in tariff rates.
In broad terms, trade facilitation includes reforms aimed at improving the chain of administrative and physical procedures involved in the transport of goods and services across international borders. Countries with inadequate trade infrastructure, burdensome administrative processes, or limited competition in trade logistics services are less capable of benefiting from the opportunities of expanding global trade. And that goes for rich countries as well as developing countries.
By streamlining and reforming bureaucratic procedures and encouraging competition in communications and transportation services, governments have been helping increase trade, investment, and growth in their economies. And these reforms have not required international consensus to implement.
Please join us for a panel discussion with some of the world’s foremost experts on the topic of trade facilitation.
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On a continent scarred by political repression and economic underdevelopment, Botswana and Mauritius stand out. In 2007, Freedom House certified both countries as free, and the Fraser Institute’s Economic Freedom of the World report found that Botswana and Mauritius had the two freest economies in Africa. According to the World Bank, the two also have—along with Seychelles—Africa’s highest per capita incomes. What explains that success? Why did the institutions of freedom take root in Botswana and Mauritius, while failing to do so in most other African countries? How do the two countries intend to maintain high growth in an increasingly globalized world? Please join us to hear our speakers elaborate on the past successes and future challenges facing Botswana and Mauritius.
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In a provocative new book, Jason Riley makes the case for welcoming more legal immigrants to the United States. Drawing on history, scholarly studies and first-hand reporting, Riley argues that today’s newcomers are fueling America’s prosperity and dynamism. He challenges the prevailing views on talk radio and cable TV that immigrants are overpopulating the country, stealing jobs, depressing wages, bankrupting social services, filling prisons, resisting assimilation and promoting big government. Comments will be provided by one of the nation’s leading political analysts.
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Prof. Philip Zimbardo, the conductor of the infamous 1971 Stanford Prison Experiment, has become a leading authority on the psychology of evil: How is it that people are induced to commit evil, even when they consider themselves “good” people? What social dynamics encourage—or discourage—cruelty toward other human beings? The Lucifer Effect offers a full reconstruction of the 1971 experiment based on archival video, subject diaries, exit interviews, and other contemporary material. It then gives an introduction to the psychology of social morality as it has developed over the years. The book culminates with an examination of the prisoner abuse scandals of Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo Bay, and elsewhere, challenging accounts that would hold individual soldiers solely responsible for their actions, and indicting the chain of command for knowingly creating conditions that would lead to degrading treatment and torture.
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What makes military occupations more or less likely to succeed? Drawing on 26 cases since 1815 where outside powers have seized territory without a claim to its sovereignty, David Edelstein attempts to determine why some occupations succeed and why so many seem doomed to failure.
Edelstein combines detailed case studies with a theoretical approach and concludes that occupations face a paradox: Success requires a long-term and massive commitment of resources and attention; however, such large-scale occupations can elicit nationalist responses from the occupied populace. Further, as the occupier faces difficulty, discontent grows at home, and pressure builds to remove occupying forces. Examining the history of occupation as a component of grand strategy, Edelstein offers warnings for today’s policymakers, who seem tempted to include military occupations as part of the approach to countering terrorism.
Please join the author and our distinguished commentators for a discussion of this timely and pathbreaking book.
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In reauthorizing the federal gas tax and surface transportation funding, the next Congress can continue historic trends of dictating thousands of earmarks and other mandates that reduce our transportation efficiency and, like recent ethanol programs, have huge unintended consequences. Or it can streamline federal transportation programs to make urban and other surface transport systems run smoothly, efficiently, and with minimal waste of energy and greenhouse gas emissions. This policy forum will present a variety of proposals for breaking out of the transportation gridlock we currently suffer.
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It is 2008. Research suggests the federal Medicare program spends as much as $100 billion per year on medical care that makes seniors no healthier or happier. Its payment system continues to reward low-quality and even harmful medical care. The trustees of the Medicare program have issued yet another annual report containing dire warnings about Medicare's financial sustainability, including an unfunded liability of $86 trillion. The picture is far worse than it was when politicians were developing fundamental Medicare reforms 10 years ago. Yet politicians today seem uninterested. The president has proposed reforms that would barely slow the program's growing dependence on general revenues-a proposal that Congress has largely ignored. Leading presidential candidates advocate tweaks-such as reducing payments for private plans and prescription drugs, or tying payments to quality measures-rather than fundamental reform. Come hear leading analysts discuss whether the case for Medicare reform is any less powerful now than in the past.
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Starting in the 1970s, conservatives learned that electoral victory did not easily convert into a reversal of important liberal accomplishments, especially in the law. As a result, conservatives' mobilizing efforts increasingly turned to law schools, professional networks, public interest groups, and the judiciary—areas traditionally controlled by liberals. Drawing from previously unavailable internal documents, as well as interviews with key figures, The Rise of the Conservative Legal Movement examines this sometimes fitful, and still only partially successful, conservative (and libertarian) challenge to liberal domination of the law. Steven Teles explores how this mobilization was shaped by the legal profession and the difficulties in matching strategic opportunities with effective organizational responses. He explains how foundations and other groups promoting conservative ideas built a network designed to dislodge legal liberalism from American elite institutions. And he portrays the reality, not of a grand strategy masterfully pursued, but of individuals and political entrepreneurs learning from trial and error. The book provides an unprecedented look at the inner life of one of the most striking developments in American public affairs over the last several decades.
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Following the Rose Revolution of 2003, the former Soviet Republic of Georgia began far-reaching reforms in governance and economic policy that are turning the country into a post-socialist success story. Georgia now ranks 44th out of 141 countries on the Economic Freedom of the World index, is cited by the World Bank as one of the world's leading reformers, and is sustaining economic growth of more than 9 percent per year. Kakha Bendukidze, one of Georgia's key reformers, will explain how his country is rapidly modernizing and will share his vision for continued high growth in a sometimes hostile neighborhood. Andrei Illarionov will assess Georgia's progress and highlight its remaining challenges in consolidating democratic capitalism.
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Taxation was central to the evolution of government in colonial America, and complaints about taxation led directly to the Revolution in 1776. Taxation in Colonial America provides a definitive history of taxation in the colonies from Jamestown to the Revolution. In almost 1,000 pages, Rabushka’s book covers an array of fascinating subjects such as the monetary systems of the colonies, British governance and politics, tax evasion and tax revolts, the development of colonial legislatures, and differences in tax systems between the colonies. The level of interesting detail about both tax and nontax subjects in this book is astounding. This forum will be a treat for anyone interested in taxation, American history, or the development of English and American political structures.
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Expanding on their widely discussed article on "libertarian paternalism," Professors Sunstein and Thaler argue that people often make bad choices on diet, retirement savings, health insurance, and contributing to climate change. In their new book they examine how human beings make decisions. Recent scientific research shows that people are susceptible to cognitive biases and blunders. Because we are human, we are fallible, and because we are fallible, we can use all the help we can get. Sunstein and Thaler argue that by knowing how people think, we can design choice environments that make it easier for people to choose what is best for themselves, their families, and their society. Using colorful examples from the most important aspects of life, Thaler and Sunstein demonstrate how thoughtful "choice architecture" can be established to nudge us in beneficial directions without restricting freedom of choice. Will Wilkinson and Terrence Chorvat will raise questions about the proper place of "choice architecture" in a free society and the plausibility of "libertarian paternalism."
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A quarter century ago, A Nation at Risk shook the country and energized two education reform movements: school choice, and government-driven standards and accountability. For years, proponents of these reforms coexisted, even cooperated, but rifts have begun to appear. "Instructionists" now argue that markets without government standards are doomed to fail, while market reformers assail government standards as futile and anti-competitive. Please join our panelists as they debate the role of these reforms in fixing American education, 25 years after A Nation at Risk.
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In May 2007, congressional leaders agreed to consider free trade agreements (FTAs) with Colombia, Korea, Panama, and Peru if they were accompanied by additional labor and environmental standards. In the wake of the December 2007 U.S.-Peru FTA passage, key congressional leaders now demand substantial expansion in the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program before considering the other three FTAs. But can TAA expansion ensure enactment of the other agreements? Is it a trade-off worth making? And why are these particular bilateral trade agreements important to American interests? Finally, should the White House use the fast-track rules to force Congress to vote? Please join Cato Institute trade scholars Daniel Griswold and Sallie James for a discussion about why expansions of free trade should not be held hostage to a domestic welfare program.
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America's increasingly loud and bipartisan call for energy independence may well be having a negative impact on world crude oil markets. A. F. Alhajji, one of America's most widely published academic oil economists, believes that investment trends in oil-producing countries are being affected by our (largely rhetorical) campaign against foreign oil. The net result is less oil and gas exports and higher world prices. Alhajji is a syndicated columnist and a regular contributing editor for one of the industry's premier publications, World Oil magazine. In addition, he is an associate editor for Oil, Gas and Energy Law. Alhajji is also the energy columnist for the major daily business newspaper in Saudi Arabia, Aleqtisadiah. His articles have appeared in numerous countries and in more than 10 languages.
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Many African states have been addicted to Western aid for decades. Unfortunately, Africa as a whole has stagnated and some African countries are poorer today then they were in the 1960s. In recent years, advocates of foreign aid have called for making aid more efficient, but that may be easier said than done. The problem, some critics argue, is that aid supports predatory governments and perpetuates institutions that are alien to Africa. The "modern" state, characterized by Western-style elections and bureaucracies, may be ill-suited to African conditions. Failing governments should be allowed to collapse and be replaced by institutions indigenous to Africa. Our panel will discuss the likely consequences of ending aid and consider subsequent institutional developments.
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On March 29 Zimbabweans will cast their votes in presidential and parliamentary elections that are likely to be rigged in favor of Robert Mugabe and his ZANU-PF party. Mugabe and the ZANU-PF elite have presided over the collapse of living standards in Zimbabwe and the destruction of her economy. They are also responsible for massive human rights abuses that include a massacre of some 20,000 civilians in the Matabeleland in the 1980s. The panel will discuss the current economic and political situation in Zimbabwe, and possible post-election scenarios. The forum will coincide with the release of a new Cato study detailing Zimbabwe's decline.
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This book takes a fresh look at the role of the Supreme Court in our constitutional system. Although criticisms of judicial power often attribute its rise to the activism of justices seeking to advance particular political ideologies, Patrick Garry argues instead that the Court’s power has grown mainly because of certain New Deal-era decisions that initially seemed to portend a lessening of that power. The Rehnquist Court tried to strengthen the Constitution's structural protections of liberty but, according to Garry, this effort only went halfway because the Court relied exclusively on judicially enforced rights. A more comprehensive reform would require a return to a reliance on federalism and separation of powers as devices for protecting liberty.
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Some believe the 2008 election may transform the modern conservative movement. Others say the administration of George W. Bush has already moved the Republican Party away from any claim to being the champion of limited government and individual liberty. Mickey Edwards argues that conservatives have abandoned these principles in favor of an imperial presidency. These “conservatives” have gutted the system of checks and balances, abandoned due process, and trampled on our cherished civil liberties. From Goldwater to Reagan, conservatives tried to protect citizens from government intrusion; now they see few limits on what government can do. Please join us for a discussion of this new book and its implications for the next administration and beyond.
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On December 2, 2007, Venezuelans rejected through a referendum constitutional changes proposed by President Hugo Chávez that would have turned their country into a socialist state. The Venezuelan student movement played the key role in that outcome. Student leader Yon Goicoechea will explain how and why students from public and private universities from across the country came together in defense of basic liberties. Author and human rights activist Gustavo Tovar will describe how the movement's philosophy of nonviolence helped to forge an effective opposition. Gerver Torres will discuss the significant impact of the "No" vote on public opinion and politics in Venezuela and throughout Latin America. All three speakers will discuss the future of the student movement and of Venezuelan politics.
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Throes of Democracy, the second volume in Walter McDougall's series on American history, illuminates a period of profound transformation in American politics and society. From the presidency of Andrew Jackson to the splits and regeneration of American political parties, Throes of Democracy describes in vivid detail America's transformation from frontier Republic to national state.
McDougall, winner of the Pulitzer Prize, pays particular attention to the diverse experiences of the new Americans representing a mélange of religions, ethnicities, and ideologies: Jews, Protestants, Catholics; Germans, Irish, Africans; Whigs and Democrats. Examining the outcome of the Civil War, McDougall makes a compelling argument that the failure of Reconstruction can be seen as a progenitor of America's latter-day failed attempts at regime change and nation building. In the end, McDougall's dedication to historical accuracy, his elegant prose, and his sharp analysis make for an eminently readable and moving narrative.
Please join the author and our distinguished commentators for a discussion of this fine new history.
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Returning to the subject that first made him famous over two decades ago, Richard Epstein, the author of Takings, has a new book on property rights. In it, he takes readers from the strongly protective property rights advocated by the Constitution's Framers to the weak property rights supported by progressive and liberal politicians in the 20th century. Using both political theory and economic analysis, Epstein offers a compelling interpretation of the Fifth Amendment's Takings Clause to draw the connections between property rights, individual liberty, and social progress. And he looks also at the renewed appreciation of property rights that has arisen in the aftermath of the Supreme Court's infamous Kelo v. New London decision. Please join us for a discussion of this new work, with vigorous comments from the other side.
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"We all know what to do, but we don't know how to get re-elected once we have done it," said Jan-Claude Juncker, the prime minister of Luxembourg. He was referring to a key political conundrum faced by leaders in most democracies, including members of the European Union and the United States, who realize the need for economic reforms but often fail to tackle them out of fear of voters' displeasure. Munkhammar argues in his new book The Guide to Reform that many supposed obstacles to reform are not obstacles at all and shows that almost all of the reformist governments in the OECD have been reelected. His book discusses successful reforms in, among other nations, Ireland, Spain, and Sweden, and offers practical advice on how to get them done.
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February is Black History Month, so it’s an appropriate time to take a critical look at the way government has treated racial minorities, especially African Americans. Is government more likely to be the friend or adversary of minority groups? Has it been liberals, conservatives, or libertarians like William Lloyd Garrison and Frederick Douglass who have been the most consistent defenders of everyone's rights? What does history suggest would be the best public policy for racial minorities in the 21st century? Bruce Bartlett, a former Reagan administration economist with a provocative new book, and Casey Lartigue, coeditor of Educational Freedom in Urban America and a controversial former XM 169 talk show host, will discuss these questions.
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As the U.S. organ donor waiting list nears a record 100,000 and an average of seven Americans die every day waiting for an organ that never comes, solving the U.S. organ shortage takes on new urgency. Matas and Hippen will argue that the shortage could be solved by lifting the U.S. prohibition on the sale of human organs. Delmonico and Crowe will argue that the legalization of organ sales would do more harm than good. Matas will present his model for a regulated organ market described in his recent Cato study "A Gift of Life Deserves Compensation." And Hippen will present his observations on why Iran is the only country in the world without an organ shortage, the subject of his forthcoming study.
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Twilight at Monticello is an unprecedented and engrossing personal look at Thomas Jefferson in his final years that will change the way readers think about him. During the years from his return to Monticello in 1809 until his death in 1826, Jefferson dealt with illness and debt, corresponded with the leading figures of the Revolution, and became a radical decentralist and admirer of the New England townships, where, he believed, the real fire of liberty burned bright.Jefferson had witnessed the strength of local governments during his ill-advised, near-dictatorial embargo, which proved to be the great crisis of his political life, not because he placed too much faith in his countrymen's capacity for self-government but because, for once in his life, he placed too little faith in it. During these years, Jefferson also became increasingly aware of the costs to civil harmony exacted by the Founding Fathers' failure to effectively reconcile slaveholding within a republic dedicated to liberty.
Right up until his death on the 50th anniversary of America's founding, Thomas Jefferson remained an indispensable man, albeit a supremely human one. Based on new research and documents culled from the Library of Congress, the Virginia Historical Society, and other special collections, including hitherto unexamined letters from family, friends, and Monticello neighbors, Alan Pell Crawford paints an authoritative and deeply moving portrait of Thomas Jefferson as private citizen — the first original depiction of the man in more than a generation.
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Since 1991, federal transportation law has imposed an endless long-range transportation process on states and metropolitan regions. This process has consumed huge amounts of money to little benefit. Few, if any, metropolitan regions are seriously considering alternatives that would reduce congestion. Many have written plans that will lead to major increases in congestion. Repealing the planning requirements would actually make transportation work better.
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In his new book, The Mind of the Market: Compassionate Apes, Competitive Humans, and Other Tales from Evolutionary Economics, Michael Shermer examines such questions as: How did we evolve from ancient hunter-gatherers to modern consumer-traders? Why are people so irrational when it comes to money and business? He argues that the new science of evolutionary economics provides an answer to both of those questions. Shermer shows how evolution and economics are both examples of a larger phenomenon of complex adaptive systems. Along the way, he answers such provocative questions as, Do our tribal roots mean that we will always be a sucker for brands? How is the biochemical joy of sex similar to the rewards of business cooperation? How can nations increase trust within and between their borders? Finally, Shermer considers the consequences of globalization and why free trade promises to build alliances between nations. Michael Shermer is the founding publisher of Skeptic magazine, a monthly columnist for Scientific American, and the author of Why People Believe Weird Things and Why Darwin Matters.
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John McCain is one of the most familiar figures in American politics, a figure with great appeal to many. However, his concrete governing philosophy and actual track record have been left unexamined. Matt Welch’s new book McCain: The Myth of a Maverick gives a flesh-and-bones political portrait of a man onto whom people project their own ideological fantasies. It is the first realistic assessment of what a John McCain presidency might look like. Welch lays out the root cause of the senator's worldview: his personal transformation from underachieving youth to war hawk, in which he used the "higher power" of American nationalism to save his life and soul. Please join us to discuss this new work on the day that New Hampshire decides the fate of Senator McCain’s enduring aspiration to attain the presidency.
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One of the world's greatest economists, Milton Friedman, passed away on November 16. Friedman did groundbreaking work on the economics of monetary policy, inflation and unemployment, exchange rates, and lifetime savings. He was also one of the 20th century's most vigorous and effective advocates of individual freedom, on issues ranging from school choice to the draft to drug prohibition — which is why the Milton Friedman Prize for Advancing Liberty was named in his honor. Please join us Monday as Cato executive vice president David Boaz remembers a few of the highlights of Friedman's illustrious career and introduces an episode of his pathbreaking television series, Free to Choose.
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Since September 11, 2001, there have been no terrorist attacks in the United States, even though a single person with a bomb-filled backpack could carry one out. Why hasn't it happened? Among the possibilities is that the threat of domestic terrorism is not as great as generally assumed. In his provocative book Overblown, national security expert John Mueller argues that the capacity of al-Qaeda or of any similar group to do damage in the United States pales in comparison to the capacity other dedicated enemies have possessed in the past. Our responses to the terror threat may be more costly than any damage terrorists could do. Indeed, they may play into terrorists' hands. Mueller argues that it is time to rethink our approach to terrorism, target resources proportionately to the threat, and avoid the fear-mongering that has been such a staple of post-9/11 public dialogue. Please join us for a lively discussion with this interesting author and a very distinguished commentator.
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Although North Korea and the ongoing Iraq operations will likely remain significant foreign policy challenges for years to come, the issue with potentially the gravest consequences for American national security is Iran's nuclear program. Our first panel examines the most widely discussed options available to the United States today: either diplomacy or attempting to undermine the Iranian regime. Which policy holds the best prospect of advancing American interests? Our second panel will look at the options facing the United States in the event that any proactive policy should fail: either preventive war or deterrence. Which of those undesirable policies would yield the "least bad" result for the United States? Please join us for a wide-ranging discussion of these urgent questions.
The Cato Institute gratefully acknowledges the support of the Ploughshares Fund in making this event possible.
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When the Supreme Court decided the infamous Kelo case nearly a year and a half ago, it lit a fire under a property rights movement that had been growing for years in America. Since then, 31 states have enacted measures to better protect property rights. And in the November elections, voters passed 9 of 12 property rights measures on the ballots, often by overwhelming margins.
But there is still a great deal to be done if property rights are to be protected as they were meant to be under the Constitution. In several states government can still take private property for almost any reason it chooses. In far more states government can still strip owners of their rights with impunity. And governments are rapacious in other ways too, as is evidenced, for example, by the "deprivatization" efforts afoot in parts of the nation.
To address those issues and reflect on where the property rights movement might go from here, the Cato Institute's Center for Constitutional Studies has drawn together a number of legal experts and movement figures. Please join us for a look at the future of the property rights movement in America.
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Russian energy policy is reflecting a change in the conduct of the Kremlin's domestic and foreign affairs. Robert Amsterdam, a partner at Amsterdam and Peroff, will explain how the treatment of private energy companies in Russia is part of a broader pattern of political centralization and will describe what he believes are the global goals of Russia's more aggressive, energy-driven foreign policy. Andrei Illarionov, the newest senior fellow at the Cato Institute, will describe the accelerated pace of change in Russia and new ways in which political, economic and civil liberties are being eliminated.
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Since January 2004, Slovakia has had a flat tax on income, consumption, and corporate profits. Most other taxes and tax exemptions were eliminated. Other formerly, communist countries, including Estonia, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Russia, Serbia, and Ukraine, have also adopted flat tax rates. Unfortunately, in the United States, where the idea of a flat tax originated, the tax code remains absurdly complicated and inefficient. Ivan Miklos will evaluate the performance of the new tax system and explain how the Slovak government overcame special interests opposed to reform. Chris Edwards will assess the chances for a meaningful tax reform in the United States.
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The national election of 2006 may mark a partial or complete partisan change in the control of Congress. At the same time, incumbents are likely to enjoy a high rate of re-election. Does 2006 mark revitalization of American democracy marked by vigorous electoral competition nationally and in the states? Or is 2006 just a closely fought struggle that may yield a narrow majority for one of the political parties? Please join the editors of the new book, The Marketplace of Democracy: Electoral Competition and American Politics along with two leading political analysts to discuss the outcomes and implications of Election 2006.
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America's conventional military supremacy has failed to deliver decisive results against irregular forces employing unconventional military tactics. The U.S. military learned some useful counterinsurgency lessons in Vietnam but had completely forgotten those lessons by the end of the Cold War. Military leaders and defense experts are attempting to resurrect some of those old ideas, while also developing new approaches to counterinsurgency in the age of transnational terrorism. Are there deeper cultural problems that prevent the U.S. military from waging effective counterinsurgency campaigns? Does the American public have the will to risk American lives on such operations, and is the public prepared to wage limited, indecisive military campaigns for long periods of time? What lessons from Iraq and Afghanistan might be applied to future conflicts?
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The insurers and government agencies that purchase 80 percent of medical care in America have traditionally ignored quality. As a result, quality is lower than it could be. For over a decade, the private sector has experimented with financial incentives that reward doctors and hospitals for providing recommended care. Some, most recently the Institute of Medicine, argue that the federal Medicare program should do the same. Would Medicare give "pay-for-performance" a much-needed boost? Or would Medicare ruin the promise of P4P?
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The Constitution was written to protect individual sovereignty, but we have gradually allowed a regime of public morality and intolerance to replace that inheritance from the Founders. That's the thesis of a new book by Elizabeth Price Foley. An expert on health care law and bioethics, Foley explains "the morality of American law," then applies those principles to marriage; sex; reproduction; medical care; and food, drug, and alcohol regulation to show how far we've strayed from the Constitution's promise of liberty for all. William Galston, a former adviser to President Clinton and an expert on family policy, will offer comments. Please join us for what promises to be an entertaining and informative exchange.
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Last year, Sir Charles Crawford, the British ambassador to Poland, called the European Common Agricultural Policy "the most stupid, immoral state-subsidized policy in human history, give or take communism." In spite of partial reform, the CAP remains an immensely wasteful farm subsidy program that harms European consumers as well as some producers in developing countries. The CAP is also one the most important obstacles to the successful conclusion of the Doha Round of negotiations on global trade liberalization. Patrick Messerlin, one of the world's leading authorities on agricultural protectionism, will discuss the prospects for CAP's reform and for the future of Doha.
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Africa is one of the most protectionist regions in the world. Most imports, including life-saving drugs and medical equipment, continue to be subjected to high tariff and nontariff barriers. Moreover, African countries impose some of their highest tariffs on goods from other African countries. African trade liberalization could increase intra-African trade by 54 percent. It is hypocritical for African leaders to call for greater access to global markets while rejecting trade openness at home. Andrew Mitchell will explain why African governments should support a Pan-African Free Trade Agreement if they are truly serious about the benefits of trade liberalization.
PDF of speech "A Pan-African Trading Area"
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Debates over evolution range from Pennsylvania to Kansas to the University of California. Michael Shermer, a former evangelical Christian and creationist, argues that "intelligent design" theory appeals to a human predisposition to look for a designer behind life's complexity. But in fact the theory of natural selection is supported by the scientific evidence and is the foundation on which modern biology rests. Conservatives and Christians should accept evolution because it explains family values, social harmony, human nature, and the origins of morality. Jonathan Wells, author of The Politically Incorrect Guide to Darwinism and Intelligent Design, disagrees with Shermer.
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Since September 11, but particularly in the wake of the Iraq war, many Americans have been asking questions about the foundations of U.S. foreign policy. Foreign policy realists base their approach to foreign policy on long-standing American traditions, but they have yet to set forward a compelling alternative vision for national security that will appeal to idealistic Americans. In Ethical Realism, Anatol Lieven, former Financial Times foreign correspondent, and John Hulsman, recently of the Heritage Foundation, sketch out a foreign policy framework based on the philosophy of American scholars and statesmen from Hans Morgenthau to George F. Kennan, outlining an approach that promises to restore America's credibility and legitimacy in the world, while advancing American interests without apology or hesitation. Please join us for a lively discussion with the authors and our two distinguished commentators.
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Many Americans support campaign finance reform. They believe that private money in politics and elections corrupts and demeans our democracy. These concerns have contributed to a 40-year effort to regulate, restrict, and even eliminate private money in politics. But many Americans know that there is little or no evidence that campaign contributions really influence members of Congress? Or that so-called negative political advertising actually improves the democratic process by increasing voter turnout and knowledge? Or that limits on campaign contributions make it harder to run for office, thereby protecting incumbent representatives from losing their seats of power? The Fallacy of Campaign Finance Reform argues that our most common concerns about money in politics are misplaced. The chance to regulate money in politics allows representatives to serve their own interests at a cost to their constituents. And, ironically, the long crusade against the corruption caused by campaign contributions allows public officials to reduce their vulnerability by suppressing freedom of speech.
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Andrew Sullivan says that today's conservatives are facing a crisis from within, one that threatens their ideals as never before. Traditionally committed to limited government, balanced budgets, and the rule of law, they see their political leaders today sharply increasing government spending and debt, intruding the federal government into marriage law and a single family's struggle over the end of life, and centralizing power in the federal government and the executive branch. Sullivan says conservatives cannot in good conscience keep supporting a political party that believes that its God-given mission is to change people's souls instead of protect their liberty. Join us for the launch of an important new book.
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Two things everyone seems to know about higher education are that it’s extremely expensive and that it gets more so every year. That, however, is about the extent of our collective certainty, because many critical questions never seem to get answered: Why does tuition rise relentlessly? What are students actually learning? What’s the payoff of higher education? In light of all the open questions, it’s no surprise that Americans are getting increasingly uneasy about the prices that colleges and universities are asking them to pay.
Last year, the U.S. secretary of education established a commission to inspect America’s ivory tower and formulate a “national strategy” for its renovation. With the commission’s final report now out, we invite you to join our diverse panel of experts for a lively debate of higher education’s problems, and the best ways to fix them.
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The collapse of communism led to much euphoria about the future of the former Soviet bloc countries. Today it is clear that some countries, like those in Central Europe and the Baltics, were more successful than others in transitioning from communist dictatorship to free-market democracy. Oleh Havrylyshyn will explain why that was the case. He will also explain how countries with a greater chance of joining the European Union were more successful in establishing the rule of law and democratic government than countries without such an opportunity. Both he and Ambassador Reiter will assess the current state of economic liberalism in transition countries.
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Recently, almost all House members running have won reelection. Incumbent senators also enjoy remarkable success, and such results are not limited to Congress. Incumbents running in state elections have also seen their rates of reelection rise over time. This decline in electoral competition has fostered much talk of needed reform to restore competitive elections. Most recently, several states have considered or enacted reforms on redistricting. States have also imposed term limits on elected officials. The question of competition and incumbency also comes up often in arguments about campaign finance regulation. Has electoral competition declined in the United States? If so, what might be done about it? Please join us for a wide-ranging discussion of incumbents, challengers, and the future of American elections, based on the new book The Market of Democracy, edited by Michael McDonald and John Samples.
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Nations that are more economically free outperform less free nations in growth and levels of prosperity. James Gwartney, coauthor of the annual Economic Freedom of the World report, will review current trends and the latest research on the impact of regulations, the rule of law, and other aspects of economic freedom on the whole range of development indicators. Simeon Djankov will show how excessive bureaucratic procedures and government fees make it prohibitively expensive for the world's poor to join the formal economy. Reform can make it easier for entrepreneurs and businesses to create wealth. Djankov will show which countries are making progress, how they are successfully reforming, and the potentially large growth opportunities they can expect.
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In 1996 Congress passed the Freedom to Farm Act, which put our country on a new path toward fewer subsidies and less reliance on market-distorting price support programs. In 2002 Congress abruptly and dramatically shifted course in the wrong direction with the enactment of the 2002 farm bill. This legislation formalized the significantly increased "emergency" spending of the previous two years with a massive expansion of the cost and scope of agriculture programs. As Congress prepares to craft a new farm bill in 2007, Rep. Jeff Flake and Sallie James will discuss why it is time to overhaul U.S. agriculture policy once again.
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Let's say you're the devil, and you want to corrupt the American republic. How would you do it? According to David Hyman, you might create something like Medicare, the federal health care program for the elderly. In Medicare Meets Mephistopheles, Hyman wryly suggests that Medicare may be the greatest trick the devil has ever played: a massive government program that promotes all seven deadly sins as it drives the United States toward financial ruin. Two leading Medicare scholars will critique Hyman's work.
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Americans think negative campaign ads undermine elections and even democratic government itself. But John G. Geer argues that when political candidates attack each other, raising doubts about each other's views and qualifications, voters—and the democratic process—benefit. In Defense of Negativity, Geer's study of negative advertising in presidential campaigns from 1960 to 2004, asserts that proliferating attack ads are far more likely than positive ads to focus on salient political issues, rather than politicians' personal characteristics. Accordingly, the ads enrich the democratic process, providing voters with relevant and substantial information before they head to the polls. Geer concludes that, if we want campaigns to grapple with relevant issues and address real problems, negative ads just might be the solution.
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A little over a year ago, the Supreme Court lit a firestorm across America when it upheld the decision of the City of New London, Connecticut, to transfer Susette Kelo's home to another owner who could make "better" use of it. With that, Americans finally came to realize the present perilous state of their property rights — and many state legislatures have responded. But others argue that the Court got it right, that the judiciary, except in extreme cases, should leave the political choice of whether to exercise eminent domain to our elected representatives, and that the state legislatures have so far basically gotten it right by charting different courses for different state circumstances. Please join us as Timothy Sandefur, one of a growing number of young attorneys defending owners today, discusses his new book on the problem, with comments by John Echeverria, who will offer a very different perspective on the issue.
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Over the last 25 years, America has seen a dramatic and unsettling rise in the use of SWAT units for routine police work. The most common use of SWAT teams today is to serve narcotics warrants, usually with forced, unannounced entry into homes. These increasingly frequent raids, 40,000 per year by one estimate, are needlessly subjecting nonviolent drug offenders, bystanders, and wrongly targeted suspects to the terror of having their homes invaded while they're sleeping. In a new Cato Institute white paper, Overkill: The Rise of Paramilitary Police Raids in America, policy analyst Radley Balko looks at this disturbing trend in police work and analyzes the drug war incentives that have inspired it.
The Cato Institute gratefully acknowledges the support of the Marijuana Policy Project in making this event possible.
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The horrific events of September 11, 2001, dramatically demonstrated the threat posed by suicide terrorism. With the precipitous rise of suicide attacks against democracies, particularly in the five years since 9/11, the time is right to reflect on the rationale and effectiveness of the tactic. Robert Pape, author of the seminal book Dying to Win: The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism, will present the findings of his most recent research, "Suicide Terrorism and Democracy: What We've Learned Since 9/11." Pape's conclusions, that suicide terrorism continues to follow a strategic logic, and that suicide attackers are primarily motivated by resistance to occupation by a foreign power, suggest that important changes should be made in U.S. strategy in the War on Terrorism. Pape's talk will be followed by a panel discussion including some of America's leading experts on terrorism, counter terrorism, and U.S. foreign policy.
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The European Union appears to be in trouble. The rise of economic nationalism among member states has thrown the Lisbon Agenda's goal of European economic revival into disarray, and Europe's trade protectionism has contributed to the collapse of the Doha round of trade negotiations. Europe's decision makers have been paralyzed by the rejection of the European Constitution, and many wonder if the European integration, process can recover its former vitality. John Gillingham, one of the world's leading experts on the EU, argues that current attempts to revive the EU through initiatives centrally planned in Brussels are doomed to fail. He calls on Europe to instead embrace the wave of liberal reforms that swept through the former communist countries.
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If the Republican Party is no longer the party of Barry Goldwater, Ronald Reagan, Newt Gingrich, limited government, or fiscal restraint, then what is it? And what's a self-respecting, small-government, fiscally conservative, socially liberal voter supposed to do? In his new book, Ryan Sager argues that George W. Bush's brand of big-government, big-religion conservatism risks causing a serious split in the GOP — in particular, between the traditional South and the "leave me alone" states of the interior West, such as Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Montana. Please join us for a spirited discussion of the Republican Party's present and future.
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In the next six to nine months, a new farm bill will be written in the United States. The World Trade Organization's Doha Development Agenda negotiations were an oft-cited reason for reforming U.S. agricultural policy. Now that those negotiations have been suspended, what are the prospects for liberalizing the farm sector and reducing the significant costs imposed on American consumers, taxpayers, and trade partners as a result of government farm policies?
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Why do so many pundits say that America's health care system is in crisis? Economist Arnold Kling says that the fundamental challenge in American health care today is that we have many highly trained specialists and advanced technologies but do not know when their use is appropriate or how we should pay for them. He calls this a Crisis of Abundance. Kling argues that markets could do a better job of allocating these resources, and he advocates cutting government health care budgets by two-thirds and reducing third-party payment as a way to encourage better medical decisions.
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On August 22, 1996, President Bill Clinton signed into law the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, the most extensive reform of the nation's welfare laws since the Great Society. Ten years later, welfare rolls have declined dramatically, but poverty and long-term dependence on government programs persist. A panel of leading experts will look back at welfare reform successes and failures and forward to ask what the future of welfare reform holds.
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In Washington today, it seems the biggest impediment to reducing the size and scope of the federal government is not the Democratic Party. It’s the Republicans on Capitol Hill and in the White House. Instead of building a party that stands against Big Government, national GOP leaders have built a party of Big Government. In the book Buck Wild, Stephen Slivinski tells the surprising story of the GOP’s unfortunate transformation and reveals how Republicans have abandoned the limited-government principles that catapulted them to power in the first place and planted the seeds of their own undoing in the coming elections. At the forum, columnist Bob Novak will add his own pointed comments.
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In January 2004, President Bush called upon Congress to enact comprehensive immigration reform that would secure our borders, meet our economic needs, and uphold our best traditions as an immigrant nation. In response, the House and Senate will soon begin the difficult task of reconciling two starkly different immigration bills. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez, a prominent member of the president’s economic team and an immigrant himself, has called on Congress to pass an immigration bill that not only protects our borders but also “recognizes the needs of a growing economy.” In a major address, the secretary will explain why reform must include a temporary worker program and a "hard-earned path to legalization" for undocumented workers already in the United States.
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Against the backdrop of the war in Iraq, the nuclear crisis with Iran, and the deadlocked Israeli-Palestinian peace process, there is a growing sense that U.S. policy in the Middle East has failed to advance American national interests. In his book, Sandstorm: Policy Failure in the Middle East, Cato Research Fellow Leon Hadar surveys the historical evolution of what he calls the U.S. "Middle East Paradigm" and concludes that its costs have outweighed its benefits. Hadar argues instead for a policy of "constructive disengagement" from the Middle East, whereby the United States would transfer greater responsibility for security in the area to other global players while encouraging the formation of regional security institutions.
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One year after China's modest currency reforms, the issue remains a sticking point in U.S.-China trade relations. Critics argue that China's yuan remains grossly undervalued, bestowing an unfair advantage on imports from China at the expense of U.S. producers. Other observers contend that benefits from trade with China far outweigh any concerns about its currency. Policy options range from doing nothing to aggressive diplomacy to imposing steep tariffs on Chinese imports. Three experts on U.S.-China trade will discuss the status of reform in China, the impact of U.S.-China trade and exchange rates on our economy, and what change, if any, should be made in U.S. economic policy toward China.
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Today's largest corporations have mastered the art of working with government officials at every level to stifle market competition. They reap billions through a complex web of higher taxes, stricter regulations, and shameless government handouts. The Big Ripoff pulls back the curtain to show who is strangling America's tradition of free enterprise and how and why they are doing it. Author Timothy Carney will discuss how the incestuous relationship between big business and even bigger government works to the detriment of consumers, taxpayers, and entrepreneurs. Columnist and Fox News contributor Jim Pinkerton will provide comments on the book.
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More than any other Founding Father, Thomas Jefferson made his reputation on the brilliance of his writing, not least the stirring defense of limited government and individual rights in the Declaration of Independence. Few writers have said so much on so many subjects—and said it so well—as Jefferson. The Quotable Jefferson—the most comprehensive and authoritative book of Jefferson quotations ever published—demonstrates that. John Kaminski of the University of Wisconsin has collected and arranged Jefferson's pronouncements on almost 500 subjects, ranging from the profound and public—the Constitution—to the personal and peculiar—cold water bathing. Please join us to discuss the life and writings of our foremost defender of liberty.
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The U.S.-Japan strategic relationship is evolving. With the United States struggling to meet military commitments abroad, and with Japan increasingly asserting military autonomy, more can be done to equitably distribute security burdens between the two countries. Christopher Preble will discuss his recent Policy Analysis, "Two Normal Countries: Rethinking the U.S.-Japan Strategic Relationship," which explains that a more equitable alliance will provide a durable foundation for addressing the most pressing security challenges in the region and beyond. Preble is joined by two experts on U.S.-Japan strategic relations to discuss the paper and frame the debate over the proper roles and missions for the United States and Japan.
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The current era of globalization is only a partial return to a liberal economic order. Renowned development economist Deepak Lal will explain why minimal government intervention, free trade, free capital flows, and the abolition of international organizations such as the World Bank offer the best path for growth and healthy international relations. In his view, attempts to ameliorate the impact of the market threaten global economic progress and stability. Ethan Kapstein believes that countries will shape their own destinies only in an international system that emphasizes the central role of states and the diverse social contracts they represent. Can these two views be reconciled?
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As the Senate prepares to debate the Federal Marriage Amendment many scholars are looking at evidence from Scandinavia, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Some observers have argued that experience in those countries shows that legal recognition of same-sex unions leads to a decline in traditional marriage and marital child rearing. A new book challenges that analysis. William N. Eskridge Jr. and Darren R. Spedale find that the argument often advanced is inconsistent with the Scandinavian evidence. In no way, they write, has marriage in the Nordic countries suffered from legalization of same-sex unions. A close look at the data suggests that the sanctioning of gay marriage in the United States would neither undermine marriage as an institution nor harm the well-being of children. Maggie Gallagher argues that the move toward gay marriage in Europe is part of a larger marriage crisis, including a powerful trend away from marriage as a social norm for childbearing and child rearing.
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Tuesday, May 30
The Basic Economics of Health Care and Insurance Markets
FeaturingPeter Van Doren, Senior Fellow, Cato Institute, Former professor of public policy at Princeton, Yale, and UNC–Chapel Hill
Public debate about health care is often very ill informed about what insurance markets can and cannot do and what effects health care expenditures actually have on morbidity and mortality. This session will explain to Hill staff basic facts and concepts essential to the understanding of insurance and health care markets as well as the political struggles that accompany them.
Wednesday, May 31
How Not to Reform Health Care
Featuring Michael Tanner, Director, Health and Welfare Studies, Cato Institute
In reforming health care, policymakers should follow the principle "First, Do No Harm." There are many proposals for health care reform that will do more harm than good. This session will look at some of them: a single-payer system, employer and individual mandates, insurance regulation, and managed competition.
Thursday, June 1
Liberalizing the Private Health Care Sector
Featuring Michael F. Cannon, Director, Health Policy Studies, Cato Institute
Health insurance grows increasingly expensive, and the number of uninsured continues to rise. Is there relief? This session will focus on the problems faced in the private health care sector, how public policy contributes to those problems, and how free-market reforms can make medical care and health insurance more affordable and more valuable.
Friday, June 2
Reforming Government Health Insurance Programs
Featuring Michael F. Cannon, Director, Health Policy Studies, Cato Institute
Today's struggles with Medicare Part D will look like a walk in the park once Congress begins to grapple with large numbers of baby boomers entering the Medicare program. The federal-state Medicaid program poses similar problems. This presentation will introduce Hill staff to those programs and suggest market-based reforms that would save taxpayer dollars and improve the quality of care.
Cato Institute luncheon seminars on the Hill are free of charge. Registration for each seminar closes 24 hours in advance. Please arrive early. Seating is limited and not guaranteed. News media inquiries only (no registrations), please call (202) 789-5200.
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In April Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney signed into law one of the most ambitious health care reform proposals in recent history. The legislation mandates that all Massachusetts residents purchase health insurance, provides subsidies for low- and middle-income families, and sets up a new purchasing mechanism to reform the health insurance marketplace. Some observers hail this law as a major step toward achieving universal coverage. Others worry that it is a first step on the slippery slope to national health care. Four experts will examine the benefits and flaws of the Massachusetts plan and whether other states or the nation should follow its example.
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Deluged by indecency complaints since Janet Jackson's infamous "wardrobe malfunction," Congress continues to look for ways to respond that may or may not be constitutional, even as the FCC imposes multi-million-dollar fines on TV networks. But those measures may soon be eclipsed by a new campaign underwritten by TV stations, cable systems, DBS, movie studios, TV programmers, and the Consumer Electronics Association to inform parents about a recently developed, simplified program that will enable parents to control all TV programming coming into their homes. Please join us for a discussion of this nongovernmental effort to address the issue, with comments from the FCC.
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As Ben Bernanke settles into his new role as chairman of the Federal Reserve, now is an opportune time for him to reassess certain aspects of the central bank's activities and practices. The Shadow Open Market Committee will discuss some of the dimensions of the challenges facing the Fed. How much further should the Fed tighten monetary policy? As the Fed considers inflation targeting, what would be an appropriate measure of inflation to target? To improve transparency, the Fed needs to provide a more open discussion of what it considers the most important drivers of inflation and why. In addition, the Fed might consider ways of conducting policy based on alternative sets of rules or guidelines. The SOMC will also review the appropriate role of the Fed in select nonmonetary activities that the Fed has taken on over the years. Do they contribute to the Fed's performance of its monetary policy responsibility, or are they time-consuming distractions? Examples include setting margin requirements for equity purchases, supervising consumer finance, regulating banks, and intervening in the foreign exchange markets.
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Since it was revealed recently by the New York Times, the administration's previously secret NSA surveillance program has brought to the fore a number of novel and complex legal questions. Does the executive branch have inherent authority to conduct the program? What is Congress's authority to set limits on the executive branch? What role should the courts play? Those and other questions have led to different conclusions even within the Cato Institute. Please join us for a debate between two Cato scholars on this most timely issue.
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The single most important economic and sociological change in our society in the past 60 years has been the entry of women into the labor market. Our public policy institutions have not kept apace. Tax law, labor law, and a host of other institutions are still designed to favor women who remain in the home and are often unfair to married women who enter the labor market. Many changes in tax law, employee benefits, and retirement policy are needed to bring aging institutions in sync with the way people live in the 21st century. Just before Mother's Day, join us for a discussion of women living and working in a 21st-century economy with 20th-century laws and policies.
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Although Americans generally think of global trade only in terms of economics, the free exchange of goods and services between nations can also have important political effects. With America's attention increasingly turned toward the Middle East, the role of free trade in sparking peaceful reform must not be forgotten. To counter the threat from al-Qaeda we must fight with ideas as well as bullets.
Cato senior fellow Tom G. Palmer, who has recently made three visits to Iraq, will be joined by Rep. Paul Ryan of the Congressional Middle East Economic Partnership Caucus and Zainab Al-Suwaij from the American Islamic Congress for a discussion of the importance of trade and ideas in furthering the twin goals of economic freedom and geopolitical stability. At the event the Cato Institute will unveil its Arabic-language edition of the U. S. Declaration of Independence and Constitution.
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Belarus attained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Since he took power in 1994, however, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko has cracked down on his opponents and rigged successive elections. Today, Belarus lacks basic political freedoms, including the freedoms of the press, association, and expression. The Belarusian economy continues to be run according to the discredited socialist principle of central planning. Jaroslav Romanchuk, a prominent Belarusian opposition figure, and Anders Aslund, renowned specialist in post-Soviet economics, will discuss the state of political and economic freedom in Belarus and the role that Russia plays in keeping Lukashenko in power. Please join us for a discussion of life under what the State Department and the European Union have called "the last dictatorship in Europe."
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As the War on Drugs continues to fill America's prisons with nonviolent offenders, many cities and states are looking at mandatory treatment as an alternative to incarceration. Although treatment is generally preferable to prison, not all methods of treating drug addiction are the same. Some methods, particularly the "tough love" programs aimed at teens and adolescents, have documented records of mental abuse, physical abuse, and even death.
In her new book, Help at Any Cost, Maia Szalavitz takes a critical look at the history, controversy, and effectiveness of "tough love" rehabilitation programs. Blending personal stories and anecdotes with the detached narrative of a reporter, Szalavitz paints a troubling picture of the increasingly popular "get tough" approach to drug abuse.
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Since Enron's collapse in 2002, the federal government has stepped up its campaign against white-collar crime. In Trapped: When Acting Ethically Is against the Law, John Hasnas compellingly illustrates how the campaign against corporate fraud has gone overboard. Hasnas debunks the common assumption that the law only mandates ethical behavior. That may have been true 20 years ago, but no longer. Hasnas points out that business executives have responsibilities to their stockholders, employees, customers, and suppliers. And in addition to their contractual obligations, CEOs have ordinary ethical obligations as human beings to honor their informal commitments. Those ethical complexities are rarely acknowledged by contemporary federal policies that demand compliance with myriad rules and regulations. The result is increasingly a Catch-22 situation in which businesspeople must act either unethically or illegally.
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The idea that the United States needs a standing nation-building office has gained strong bipartisan support in Congress. The arguments in favor of such an office are rooted in the belief that failed states are threats to U.S. national security. But do failed states pose such a threat? Further, to the extent that they do, would a permanent nation-building office succeed in averting or remedying state failure? When interventions are absolutely necessary, do we need a standing nation-building corps to plan for the missions?Justin Logan will discuss his and Christopher Preble's recent Policy Analysis, "Failed States and Flawed Logic: The Case against a Standing Nation-Building Office," which explains why the presumption that state failure poses a threat to the United States is flawed. He will also explore the likely costs and risks of a foreign policy dedicated to nation building, given that U.S. nation-building projects in the past have had a highly dubious track record. Preble will explore the greatest foreign policy challenge facing the United States today — looming state failure in Iraq — and describe why it is unlikely that a standing nation-building office would have reduced the costs and risks of the current military mission there.
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The election of Mwai Kibaki to the Kenyan presidency in 2002 was meant to put an end to the pervasive culture of corruption in that country. One of Kibaki's first acts as head of state was to appoint John Githongo as his anti-corruption czar. Under Kibaki's rule, however, corruption in Kenya continued unabated, and Githongo resigned his position in 2005 and moved to Great Britain. Githongo has implicated Kenya's vice president and three senior ministers in a corruption racket that has cost Kenyan taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars. Githongo will discuss the extent of corruption in Kenya, its effect on development, and the implications for foreign aid donors.
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On Tuesday, March 28, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in the case of Hamdan v. Rumsfeld, which concerns a legal challenge to the military tribunals that are seeking to try certain prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay for war crimes. The Bush administration maintains that the president can convene military tribunals to try and punish enemy combatants for offenses against the law of war. Others dispute the idea that the president can presume to decide what rights a prisoner will have and to adjudicate the prisoner's guilt or innocence. Join us for a debate on these matters one day before the Supreme Court hears the controversy.
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Congress has been moving rapidly toward enacting new ethics and lobbying regulations. Such regulations have consequences for the elections in the fall, the public's views of Congress as an institution, and the basic political rights of all Americans. Please join us for an examination of the proposed ethics and lobbying regulations by Bradley A. Smith, former chairman of the Federal Election Commission and senior adviser to the Center for Competitive Politics, and Nan Aron, president of the Alliance for Justice.
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Many conservatives questioned the wisdom and efficacy of using the U.S. military for humanitarian missions in Somalia in 1993 and Haiti in 1994. More recently, however, voices on both the left and the right have called for U.S. military intervention in Darfur, Congo, and elsewhere.
What should trigger U.S. military intervention? Some observers advocate an expansive definition of the national interest to include consideration of America's moral obligations. Those who favor a more constrained view of American interests worry that so-called moral missions carry high and frequently overlooked costs, and could therefore distract us from the business of defending America. Should policymakers focus their attention solely on U.S. security, or is the United States obligated to prevent genocide, ethnic cleansing, or wholesale violations of human rights?
The panelists will explore these and other questions in an attempt to frame the debate over the proper role of U.S. power in the world today.
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Russia has become richer but less free since President Vladimir Putin came to power in 2000. Andrei Illarionov will describe how the Kremlin's policy decisions in the past few years have given rise to a new corporate state in which state-owned enterprises are governed by personal interests and private corporations have become subject to arbitrary intervention to serve state interests. The reduction in economic freedom is negatively affecting political freedom, civil society, and foreign relations. Illarionov —who, in protest of government policies, recently resigned the post he had held for six years— will discuss the role that oil wealth has played in creating the corporate state, Russia's dim development prospects, and the possibility of restoring basic liberties.
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Bruce Bartlett, a veteran of the Reagan White House and Treasury Department, argues that George W. Bush has betrayed the Reagan legacy by expanding the size and scope of the federal government and letting the federal budget mushroom out of control. He charges that the Medicare expansion of 2003 may be "the worst legislation in history" and raises the question of whether Bill Clinton was a better fiscal conservative than Bush. Bartlett writes as a fiscally conservative Republican and worries that his party will have little future if it loses the trust of voters who want small government and fiscal responsibility. Blogger extraordinaire Andrew Sullivan will comment on Bartlett's critique and the state of American conservatism.
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There was a time in the not-too-distant past when large companies and powerful governments reigned supreme over the little guy. But new technologies are empowering individuals like never before, and the Davids of the world—the amateur journalists, musicians, and owners of small businesses—are suddenly making a huge economic and social impact.
In An Army of Davids, author Glenn Reynolds, the man behind the immensely popular Instapundit.com, provides an in-depth, big-picture view of a world where the small guys matter more and more. Reynolds explores the birth and growth of the individual's surprisingly strong influence in arts and entertainment, anti-terrorism, nanotech and space research, and much more.
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The Constitution was written and ratified to secure liberty through limited government. Central to its design were two principles: federalism and economic liberty. But at the beginning of the 20th century, Progressives began a frontal assault on those principles. Drawing on the new social sciences and a primitive understanding of economic relationships, their efforts reached fruition during the New Deal when the Constitution was essentially rewritten, without benefit of amendment. In a new Cato book, Richard Epstein traces this history, showing how Progressives replaced competitive markets with government-created cartels and monopolies. Please join us for a discussion of the roots of modern government in the Progressive Era.
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Despite a federal budget deficit of about $400 billion, President Bush and Republicans in Congress say that spending is under control and that the budget outlook is improving. Proposed spending growth in President Bush's fiscal year 2007 budget is below the large increases of prior years. But are the White House and Congress doing enough to restrain spending? What will happen to the budget as entitlement costs explode in coming years? Have Republicans created enough budget room to extend the president's supply side tax cuts?
Donald Marron will discuss the newly released CBO projections for federal revenues and spending. Stephen Slivinski will discuss the outlook for spending and the administration's proposed changes in department and agency funding. Chris Edwards will discuss the budget's tax proposals and comment on the danger of rising taxes if spending is not cut in coming years.
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The federal government grows each year. Taxes rise and regulations pile higher — and our quality of life suffers. Bristling with data and drama, Size Matters warns of big government's measurable negative impact on the lives of ordinary Americans. The book argues that excessive government reduces family income, drives up the cost of housing and health care, hurts employment, and stifles vital marketplace creativity and innovation. Please join us for a discussion of how the federal government impedes the pursuit of happiness with the author, Joel Miller, and award-winning journalist Jonathan Rauch.
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Parental choice is the most contentious educational policy issue in America, and no choice plan is more closely watched than the District of Columbia’s school voucher program. Critics of parental choice frequently allege that such programs would increase costs and that public schools would suffer.In "Spreading Freedom and Saving Money," economists Susan Aud and Leon Michos analyze the impact of the D.C. voucher program and find no support for either allegation. They report that the program saves taxpayers money as it is currently structured and that it would save taxpayers even more money if expanded to include all students. They also find that principals are able to cut spending when enrollment declines. Aud and Michos conclude, however, that the voucher program's current design is problematic, rewarding D.C. Public Schools for declining enrollment instead of creating incentives for improved fiscal responsibility and accountability.
Former D.C. city councilman Kevin Chavous will conclude the program by sharing his insights on the struggle for educational freedom in the nation's capital.
Please join us for a discussion of these nationally relevant findings.
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There is one issue that could lead to a disastrous war between the United States and China. That issue is the fate of Taiwan. A growing number of Taiwanese want independence for their island and regard mainland China as an alien nation. Mainland Chinese consider Taiwan a province that was stolen from China more than a century ago, and their patience about getting it back is wearing thin. Washington officially endorses a “one China” policy but also sells arms to Taiwan and maintains an implicit pledge to defend it from attack. That vague, muddled policy invites miscalculation by Taiwan or China--or both. The three parties are on a collision course, and unless something dramatic changes, an armed conflict is virtually inevitable within a decade. Carpenter explains what the United States must do quickly to avoid being dragged into war. Please join the author and our distinguished commentators for a discussion of this timely and important book.
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Franklin is back! With the creative assistance of a direct descendant, Ben Franklin has now finished writing his memoirs. When Franklin died in 1790, he left unrecorded the last 33 years of his illustrious career as signer of the Declaration of Independence, ambassador to France, and delegate to the Constitutional Convention. Now the rest of the story can be told. Mark Skousen, a university professor and professional economist, drew upon Franklin's private letters and journals to publish The Compleated Autobiography — all in Franklin's own words.
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The United States has signed free trade agreements with four Middle Eastern countries--Israel, Jordan, Morocco, and Bahrain--and plans to sign a fifth with Oman this month. The hope behind the U.S. policy is that expanding economic freedom and openness in the Middle East will create private-sector opportunities in a region plagued by high trade barriers and stagnant growth. Can freer markets bring more democracy and peace to the region? Two speakers from Oman, one of the freest and most open economies in the Muslim world, will offer their insights from the government and private sectors, with comments from a leading expert on economic freedom in the Middle East.
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The promotion of democracy is a top foreign policy priority for both Republicans and Democrats. Many political scientists argue that promoting democracy is sound policy because democracies do not go to war with each other; thus, more democracies should equal less war. But what are the risks of democratization? In Electing to Fight: Why Emerging Democracies Go to War, Edward D. Mansfield and Jack Snyder argue that the process of democratization -- when incomplete or undertaken prematurely -- often leads to an increase in war and instability. Drawing on nearly 200 years of historical data, Mansfield and Snyder find that the transition to democracy is often characterized by a belligerent nationalism that substantially increases the risk of war. Their findings call into question the existing U.S. policy of pushing the democratic envelope in the Muslim world and China. Please join the authors and our distinguished commentators for a discussion of this timely and important book.
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The federal criminal justice system is in disarray. Each week some 1,200 people are sentenced in federal court, but the legality of these sentences is suddenly in doubt. That is because the Supreme Court recently held that the constitutional right to trial by jury requires that any factor that can be used to increase the amount of prison time that a defendant will serve must be proven to a jury beyond a reasonable doubt. The ruling in Blakely v. Washington initially invalidated the sentencing system in the State of Washington, but it has called into question the power of federal judges to make certain factual findings and increase prison time on the basis of those findings. Chief Judge Young had already declared the federal guidelines unconstitutional and now the Justice Department is urging the Supreme Court to clarify its ruling and preserve the federal sentencing regime. Please join us for a discussion of whether the federal sentencing rules ought to be saved or scrapped.
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David Boaz is the executive vice president of the Cato Institute, and has played a key role in both the Institute's development and the growth of the American libertarian movement at large.
Charles Murray is a political scientist, author, and scholar at the American Enterprise Institute.
William A. Galston currently holds the Ezra Zilkha Chair in the Brookings Institution's Governance Studies Program, where he serves as a senior fellow.
Robert J. Shapiro is co-founder and chairman of Sonecon, LLC, and former Undersecretary of Commerce in the Clinton administration.
In this 1997 policy forum at the Cato Institute, Boaz and Murray present their books, respectively titled Libertarianism: A Primer and What it Means to be a Libertarian. Galston and Shapiro offer their comments.
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