Cato Institute Event Podcast

Ron Paul's rEVOLution: The Man And the Movement He Inspired

Tue, 15 May 2012 18:00:00 -0400

(http://www.amazon.com/Ron-Pauls-rEVOLution-Movement-Inspired/dp/0062114794)Ron Paul's two presidential campaigns have galvanized a mass movement for smaller government, sound money, and an end to our interventionist foreign policy. This genuinely spontaneous movement has featured blimps, "money bombs," the rEVOLution logo, and thousands of college students chanting "End the Fed" at campuses across the country. Somehow the message Ron Paul had been advancing for 30 years caught on in an era of financial collapse, bailouts, unprecedented deficits, and the two longest wars in American history. Brian Doherty, a senior editor at Reason and author of several books on libertarian history, has been covering Ron Paul since 1999. In his new book he looks at Paul's background, his early years in Congress, his 1988 Libertarian presidential run, his recent campaigns, the grassroots activists who joined the Ron Paul revolution, and indeed the election of Senator Rand Paul. Join us to hear two close observers of Ron Paul discuss "the man and the movement he inspired."

The Tea Party: Three Principles

Tue, 15 May 2012 12:00:00 -0400

(http://www.amazon.com/The-Tea-Party-Three-Principles/dp/1107011353#reader_1107011353/?tag=catoinstitute-20)With the 2012 elections before us, we've seen much speculation about whether the Tea Party will repeat the crucial role it played in the 2010 elections. Focusing on three principles—limited government, unapologetic U.S. sovereignty, and constitutional originalism—Elizabeth Price Foley's new book addresses that question, and more, head on. As George Will put it, "at last, someone conversant with the large issues now roiling contemporary American politics has taken the Tea Party seriously and concluded that it is intellectually substantial and politically constructive." Please join us for what will doubtless be a stimulating discussion, with comments from both a leading critic of the Tea Party and perhaps the nation's foremost political demographer.

The American Welfare State: How We Spend Nearly $1 Trillion a Year Fighting Poverty — And Fail

Mon, 14 May 2012 12:00:00 -0400

This year, the federal government will spend more than $668 billion on at least 126 different programs to fight poverty; welfare spending by state and local governments adds an additional $284 billion. Clearly we are doing something wrong, as the poverty rate is now at the highest level in nearly a decade. Join us to hear Cato senior fellow Michael Tanner discuss his new paper, "The American Welfare State: How We Spend Nearly $1 Trillion a Year Fighting Poverty — And Fail (http://www.cato.org/publications/policy-analysis/american-welfare-state-how-we-spend-nearly-$1-trillion-year-fighting-poverty-fail?utm_source=Cato+Institute+Emails&utm_campaign=6d883a5e1c-Cato_Today&utm_medium=email&mc_cid=6d883a5e1c&mc_eid=%5bUNIQID%5d)," and whether it is time to reevaluate our approach to fighting poverty.

The Clash of Economic Ideas

Mon, 14 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400

(http://www.amazon.com/The-Clash-Economic-Ideas-Experiments/dp/1107012422/?tag=catoinstitute-20)The last 100 years have seen dramatic experiments in economic policy, from the Bolshevik Revolution to the World Trade Organization. All the while government's role in the economy has steadily grown. The recent global housing bubble and its subsequent burst — with ensuing bailouts, budget deficits, and sovereign debt crises — has rekindled old debates over fundamental policy issues: the monetary regime, the business cycle, state regulation and ownership of enterprises, and taxes and spending. In his new book, The Clash of Economic Ideas, Lawrence H. White examines the intellectual roots of today's debates, tying the development of economic ideas to the key events in economic history. Along the way we learn why economists so often disagree about the kinds of government policies required for economic prosperity.

Public Policy Day and "Liberating the Future" Celebration

Sat, 05 May 2012 09:00:00 -0400

9:30 a.m. David Boaz — Welcoming Remarks Executive Vice President, Cato Institute 9:35 a.m. Roger Pilon — Constitutional Restoration: Catoâ€™s Contribution Vice President, Legal Affairs, Cato Institute 9:50 a.m. Christopher A. Preble — Challenging the Bipartisan Foreign Policy Consensus Vice President, Defense and Foreign Policy Studies, Cato Institute 10:05 a.m. Daniel J. Ikenson — Outsourcing and Other Blessings of Globalization Director, Herbert A. Stiefel Center for Trade Policy Studies, Cato Institute 10:20 a.m. Sallie James — Who Needs an Ex-Im Bank? Trade Policy Analyst, Herbert A. Stiefel Center for Trade Policy Studies, Cato Institute 10:35 a.m. Break 10:45 a.m. Chris Edwards — Federal Tax and Budget Outlook Director, Tax Policy Studies, Cato Institute 11:00 a.m. Dan Mitchell — Restraining Government Spending: Is There Any Hope? Senior Fellow, Cato Institute 11:15 a.m. Michael D. Tanner — Deficits, Debt, and Entitlements: Is the U.S. becoming Greece? Senior Fellow, Cato Institute 11:30 a.m. Pat Michaels — Global Climate Regulation: A View of the Long Game Senior Fellow, Environmental Studies, Cato Institute 11:45 a.m. Jerry Taylor — Whoâ€™s to Blame for High Gasoline Prices? Senior Fellow, Cato Institute 12:00 p.m. David Boaz — The Politics of Freedom Executive Vice President, Cato Institute 12:30 p.m. Lunch — George M. Yeager Conference Center

Nuclear Weapons Spending in the 2013 Budget

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 12:00:00 -0400

The Obama administration plans to spend $7.6 billion in the coming year on nuclear weapons, but that does not reflect the full cost of maintaining and operating the nation's nuclear arsenal. There is additional spending for nuclear nonproliferation and for nuclear reactors. And the military spends many billions more on multiple delivery platforms: bombers, missiles, and submarines. How much of this spending is necessary for U.S. national security? Could the United States maintain a credible deterrent with a smaller, less expensive force? Join us for a discussion with national security and budget experts who will discuss nuclear-weapons spending in the current budget and explore plans for the nation's nuclear arsenal.The Cato Institute gratefully acknowledges the support of the Ploughshares Fund (http://www.ploughshares.org/) in helping make this event possible.

Financing Failure: A Century of Bailouts

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 12:00:00 -0400

Purchase Now (http://www.amazon.com/Financing-Failure-A-Century-Bailouts/dp/1598130498/?tag=catoinstitute-20)In the economic crisis, no issue has aroused more passion than the mega-trillion-dollar bailouts of large financial firms. The standard narrative has been one of necessity and fear, claiming the government must have greater power to respond or we all face terrible consequences. Now, in Financing Failure, Vern McKinley examines the policy decisions behind the bailouts and reveals the untold story and how it relates to the history of U.S. government intervention. Based on new revelations from documents uncovered through the Freedom of Information Act, he scrutinizes the decisions made by the Treasury Department, Federal Reserve, and FDIC during the crisis of the first decade of the 21st century and connects them to decisions of the 1930s and 1980s. These findings reveal that the genesis of financial crises is government itself, be it the interventions behind the Great Depression or the mandates that pushed for expanded homeownership that led to the recent crisis.

Is Immigration Good for America - Panel 3: Immigration Solutions

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 13:00:00 -0400

The Winter 2012 issue of Cato Journal (http://www.cato.org/pubs/journal/) was devoted to the critical question of "Is Immigration Good for America?" In conjunction with its publication, we are pleased to present this special Conference, featuring presentations by many of the national experts who contributed to the publication, along with addresses by other key figures in the immigration debate. We are a nation peopled almost exclusively by immigrants or those who are descended from immigrants. More than any other major nation, we are defined by our immigrant past, present, and future. Yet there are significant incongruities between the immigration system we currently have and the one that would best serve our economic interests and our ideals as a free society. This conference will address a number of key questions, including: What are the arguments for immigration restriction? What are the economic benefits and costs of immigration? What are the economic effects of an "amnesty" for unauthorized workers in the U.S.? What is the demographic impact of immigration in an era of declining birthrates? How easy or difficult is it to immigrate legally to the United States? What is the effect of immigration enforcement on the border and in the workplace? Should we retain the doctrine of birthright citizenship as it has been interpreted in the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution? Is immigration incompatible with a welfare state? What kind of reforms of current immigration policy would be most beneficial, and can market incentives be utilized to allocate immigration visas? 8:30 a.m. Registration 9:00 a.m – 9:05 a.m. Opening Remarks Dan Ikenson (http://www.cato.org/people/daniel-ikenson), Director, Herbert A. Stiefel Center for Trade Policy Studies, Cato Institute 9:05 a.m. – 9:25 a.m. Keynote Address Tamar Jacoby (http://www.immigrationworksusa.org/index.php?p=40), President and CEO, ImmigrationWorks USA 9:25 a.m – 10:35 a.m. Panel 1: The Economics and Demographics of U.S. Immigration Moderator: Sallie James (http://www.cato.org/people/sallie-james), Cato Institute Panelists: Pia Orrenius (http://www.dallasfed.org/research/economists/orrenius.cfm), Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas Ali Noorani (http://www.immigrationforum.org/images/uploads/AliNoorani_bio.pdf), National Immigration Forum Barry Chiswick (http://departments.columbian.gwu.edu/economics/people/161), George Washington University 10:35 a.m. – 10:50 a.m. Coffee Break 10:50 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Panel 2: Assessments of the Current U.S. Immigration System Moderator: Ilya Shapiro (http://www.cato.org/people/ilya-shapiro), Cato Institute Panelists: Jim Harper (http://www.cato.org/people/jim-harper), Cato Institute Madeline Zavodny (http://ecademy.agnesscott.edu/~mzavodny/), Agnes Scott College Stuart Anderson (http://www.nfap.com/about/biographies/), National Foundation for American Policy 12:00 p.m. – 12:30 p.m. Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) (http://lofgren.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=52&Itemid=32), ranking minority member on the House Subcommittee on Immigration Policy and Enforcement 10:50 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Panel 3: Immigration Solutions Moderator: Dan Ikenson (http://www.cato.org/people/daniel-ikenson), Cato Institute Panelists: Ted Alden (http://www.keyschool.org/documents/authorbios/AldenBioA.pdf), Council on Foreign Relations Bryan Caplan (http://www.bcaplan.com/), George Mason University Alex Nowrasteh (http://cei.org/expert/alex-nowrasteh), Competitive Enterprise Institute

Is Immigration Good for America? - Address

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 12:00:00 -0400

Is Immigration Good for America - Panel 2: Assessments of the Current U.S. Immigration System

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 11:00:00 -0400

Is Immigration Good for America - Panel 1: The Economics and Demographics of U.S. Immigration

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 09:30:00 -0400

Is Immigration Good for America? - Opening Remarks and Keynote Address

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 09:00:00 -0400

The Swing Vote: The Untapped Power of Independents

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 12:00:00 -0400

Purchase Now (http://www.amazon.com/The-Swing-Vote-Untapped-Independents/dp/0312581777/?tag=catoinstitute-20)Many Americans identify themselves as political independents who vote on the basis of issues and candidates, rather than party affiliation. Linda Killian argues that these independent and swing voters are "the centrist voters who decide elections and represent more voters than those at the conservative and liberal ends of the spectrum." In 2010, self-identified independents swung sharply against the Obama administration and handed the House of Representatives to the Republicans. Nonetheless, given our polarized politics, it is no surprise that these independents, who are "fiscally conservative and socially tolerant," as David Kirby also noted in his papers on "the libertarian vote," might feel overlooked and ignored. How will independents affect the 2012 election? Please join us for an uncommon look at the American electorate.

Why Capitalism?

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 12:00:00 -0400

(http://www.amazon.com/Why-Capitalism-Allan-H-Meltzer/dp/0199859574/?tag=catoinstitute-20)The only economic system that maximizes both growth and individual liberty is capitalism, explains Allan H. Meltzer in his new book. Capitalism succeeds because it is adaptive, not rigid, whereas so much regulation often fails despite good intentions. The author will explain why European welfare states lag behind the United States, the causes of postwar progress and current enormous budget deficits, and why inflation will return. Join us to hear Professor Meltzer's passionate defense of the free market at a time when U.S. citizens seem to lack a shared vision of the way to maintain domestic or world growth. John Mueller will comment on the role of capitalism in human progress.

"Stand Your Ground" Laws: Self-Defense or License to Kill?

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 16:00:00 -0400

Since the tragic shooting death of Trayvon Martin, Florida's Stand Your Ground law has come under intense scrutiny. Florida governor Rick Scott is presently forming a task force to reexamine that state's law. Critics argue that such laws have led to shootouts over petty disputes and have hampered police investigations with a sweeping grant of legal immunity. Supporters of the Stand Your Ground law say it does not apply to the Martin case and that such laws merely protect those who use a firearm in self-defense from prosecution and financially ruinous litigation. Join us for a discussion of what these laws actually cover and what has happened in the 24 states that have enacted them since 2005.

Citizens v. the Ruling Elite

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 12:00:00 -0400

Only 12 percent of Americans now approve of the job Congress is doing. Despite that, incumbents are overwhelmingly re-elected. Eighty-six percent of them survived the 2010 elections for the House of Representatives. That’s not much of a surprise when you consider that 80 percent of House districts are safe for one of the two major parties and 62 percent of incumbents face no primary challenge at all. No wonder many Americans feel those who “represent” them in Washington don’t really represent them at all. A new organization, the Campaign for Primary Accountability, is trying to level the playing field and to restore real representation by making incumbents more accountable to citizens. Its efforts have won praise across the political spectrum and condemnation from fans of the status quo. But it is not alone. Mark Meckler, a founder of the Tea Party Patriots, is launching a new effort to change American elections for the better. Please join us to hear these leaders talk about their continuing struggle to take back America.

Free Market Fairness

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 12:00:00 -0400

(http://www.amazon.com/Free-Market-Fairness-John-Tomasi/dp/069114446X) (http://www.amazon.com/Free-Market-Fairness-John-Tomasi/dp/069114446X)Can libertarians care about social justice? In Free Market Fairness, John Tomasi argues that they can and should. Drawing simultaneously on moral insights from defenders of economic liberty such as F. A. Hayek and advocates of social justice such as John Rawls, Tomasi presents a new theory of justice. This theory, free market fairness, is committed to both limited government and the material betterment of the poor. Unlike traditional libertarians, Tomasi argues that property rights are best defended not in terms of self-ownership or economic efficiency but as requirements of democratic legitimacy. At the same time, he encourages egalitarians concerned about social justice to listen more sympathetically to the claims ordinary citizens make about the importance of private economic liberty in their daily lives. Free market fairness is also a distinctively American ideal. It extends the notion, prominent in America's founding period, that protection of property and promotion of real opportunity are indivisible goals. Indeed, according to Tomasi, free market fairness is social justice, American style. Please come hear a lively discussion of this provocative new book.

Evaluating the Homegrown Terrorist Threat: Panel 2: Homegrown Terrorism Elsewhere in the West

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 12:00:00 -0400

Many security analysts say the terrorist threat has increasingly become a local one. They argue that as the crackdown on the al Qaeda organization has fractured the movement, small groups of friends and isolated individuals, all receiving little more than inspiration from abroad, have become the primary concern. This half-day conference brings together leading homeland security and counterterrorism scholars and practitioners to assess these claims. The panelists will discuss whether the phenomenon is actually all that new and how big a threat it presents. Might the increased efforts to find terrorists have caused a perceived increase in their number? Have they effectively been invented in some cases by the policing methods applied? How dangerous are they? What role, if any, have al Qaeda leaders in Pakistan, Yemen, and elsewhere lately played? And what do the answers to these questions imply for counterterrorism policy? This conference is made possible with support from the Mershon Center for International Security Studies, Ohio State University. 9:00 a.m. Registration 9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Panel 1: The Homegrown Threat in the United States Moderator: Benjamin Friedman (/people/benjamin-friedman), Cato Institute Panelists: Risa Brooks, Marquette University John Mueller (/people/john-mueller), Ohio State University and Cato Institute Brian Jenkins, RAND Corporation 11:15 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. Panel 2: Homegrown Terrorism Elsewhere in the West Moderator: Max Abrahms, Johns Hopkins University Panelists: Mitchell Silber, New York Police Department and Columbia University Michael Kenney, University of Pittsburgh Glenn Carle, CIA (retired) 12:45 p.m. Luncheon

Evaluating the Homegrown Terrorist Threat: Panel 1: The Homegrown Threat in the United States

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 09:00:00 -0400

Trade Policy Priority One: Averting a U.S.-China Trade War

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 12:00:00 -0400

An emerging narrative in 2012 is that a proliferation of protectionist Chinese policies is to blame for worsening U.S.-China relations. There is no question that some Chinese policies have been discriminatory and provocative, but the U.S. government has also indulged in protectionism and made some poor choices that have and will continue to fuel bilateral disputes. Responsible policymakers should be looking beyond the politics to find solutions that remind people in both countries of our interdependence and the mutual benefits of the relationship. Join us for a discussion with U.S.-China trade policy experts about Dan Ikenson's new paper "Trade Policy Priority One: Averting a U.S.-China Trade War (http://www.cato.org/publications/free-trade-bulletin/trade-policy-priority-one-averting-uschina-trade-war)" and the nature of the bilateral trade relationship.

Trade Policy Priority One: Averting a U.S.-China Trade War

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 12:00:00 -0400

Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 16:00:00 -0400

(http://www.amazon.com/Why-Nations-Fail-Origins-Prosperity/dp/0307719219/?tag=catoinstitute-20)Institutions — not geography, culture, or other factors — explain why some nations succeed and others fail. So says Daron Acemoglu in an ambitious new book drawing evidence from thousands of years of human history and from societies as diverse as those of the Inca Empire, 17th century England, and contemporary Botswana. Inclusive political and economic institutions, influenced by critical junctures in history, produce virtuous cycles that reinforce pluralism in the market and in politics. Acemoglu will contrast that pattern of development with that experienced under extractive institutions. He will also describe the conditions under which institutions favorable or inimical to development tend to arise. Karla Hoff will provide critical comments.

The Lost Majority: Why the Future of Government Is Up for Grabs — and Who Will Take It

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 12:04:11 -0400

(http://www.amazon.com/Lost-Majority-Future-Government-Grabs/dp/0230116469/?tag=catoinstitute-20)How did the Democrats, who seemed unstoppable in 2009, lose their momentum so quickly, and what does it mean for the future of our two-party system? Sean Trende’s new book explores the underlying weaknesses of the Democratic promise of recent years, and shows how unlikely a new era of big government always was. Trende persuasively argues that both Republicans and Democrats are failing to connect with the real values of the American people, and that long-held theories of cyclical political "realignments" are baseless. Please join us to hear surprising insights about the current presidential race and the future of American politics.

U.S. Policy toward Iran: The Prospects for Success — And for Failure: Panel 2: The Options if Diplomacy Fails

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 10:45:00 -0400

In the months since the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) issued its November 2011 report, which raised new questions about Iran's nuclear program, the debate in Washington, D.C., over Iran has grown hotter. Policymakers, politicians, scholars, and pundits are now offering wildly divergent predictions and prescriptions. While these open debates are an improvement over the Beltway groupthink that accompanied the run-up to the Iraq War, many questions remain about the Obama administration's policy. This conference examines the two central questions surrounding U.S. policy toward Iran: Can diplomacy work? What are the options if diplomacy fails Please join us for a vigorous discussion of these critical issues. 8:30 a.m. Registration 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Panel 1: Can Diplomacy Work?Is the current policy—or any diplomatic offer—likely to work? Has the administration defined "diplomacy" as being limited to sanctions and pressure? Could a different approach hold a better chance of success? How is success defined? Justin Logan, Cato Institute Alireza Nader, RAND Corporation Barbara Slavin, Atlantic Council Michael Adler, Woodrow Wilson Center 10:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. Break 10:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. Panel 2: The Options if Diplomacy FailsIf diplomacy fails, what are the military and non-military options the U.S. administration would have? What are the prospects for success? What likely repercussions would follow from bombing Iran? Jamie Fly, Foreign Policy Initiative Matthew Kroenig, Georgetown University Nuno Monteiro, Yale University Joshua Rovner, U.S. Naval War College 12:15 p.m. Luncheon

The People's Money: How Voters Will Balance the Budget and Eliminate the Federal Debt

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 12:00:00 -0400

(http://www.amazon.com/Peoples-Money-Balance-Eliminate-Federal/dp/1451666101/?tag=catoinstitute-20) For years, political observers have blamed voters for Washington's failure to balance the budget and reform entitlements, claiming that voters support a balanced budget in the abstract, but are unwilling to support the types of cuts actually needed to achieve that balance. But, in his new book, leading political pollster Scott Rasmussen says that Americans are willing to support the necessary changes if politicians provide the leadership required. Drawing on a comprehensive review of history, revelatory budgetary documents, and enlightening public opinion polls, Rasmussen lays out a step-by-step budget that could wipe out trillions of dollars from the national debt.

Obamacare in the Supreme Court: Panel 2: Medicaid and the States

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 13:00:00 -0400

On Monday, March 26, the Supreme Court will begin hearing oral argument on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, "ObamaCare," which will run for six hours over three days. Brought against the Obama administration by 26 states, the National Federation of Independent Business, and two individuals, the case, Florida v. Dept. of Health & Human Services, raises fundamental questions about the scope of Congress's powers, the powers reserved to the states, and the rights of individuals in the critical realm of medical care. It is, without question, the most important case the Court has taken in decades. Please join us, three days before oral argument begins, for an analysis of this Act, the legal theories that will be before the Court, and the implications of its possible rulings. 10:15 a.m. Registration 10:45 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Panel 1: The Individual Mandate and Severability Moderator: Ilya Shapiro (/people/ilya-shapiro), Cato Institute Panelists: Michael Cannon (/people/michael-cannon), Cato Institute Randy Barnett (/people/randy-barnett), Georgetown University Law Center (Invited) Elizabeth Wydra, Constitutional Accountability Center 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. Luncheon 1:00 p.m. – 2:15 p.m. Panel 2: Medicaid and the States Moderator: Roger Pilon (/people/roger-pilon), Cato Institute Panelists: Jagadeesh Gokhale (/people/jagadeesh-gokhale), Cato Institute Timothy Sandefur (/people/timothy-sandefur), Pacific Legal Foundation Simon Lazarus, National Senior Citizens Law Center This event can be viewed live at http://www.cato.org/live (http://www.cato.org/live).

Cybersecurity: Will Federal Regulation Help?

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 12:00:00 -0400

With the Senate poised to consider comprehensive "cybersecurity" legislation this month, a bevy of questions need answers. Although it is difficult to secure computers, networks, and data, are government spending and regulation the answer? Are the cybersecurity threats touted in Washington real or trumped up? Should legal protections for privacy and other values give way in the name of "information sharing" with the Department of Homeland Security? Join us for a discussion with technology policy experts about cybersecurity's challenges and the approaches taken in current legislation.

Obamacare in the Supreme Court: Panel 1: The Individual Mandate and Severability

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 10:45:00 -0400

Internet Taxation: Should States Be Allowed to Tax outside Their Borders?

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 12:00:00 -0400

State officials have spent the last 15 years attempting to devise a regime so they can force out-of-state vendors to collect sales taxes, but the Supreme Court has ruled that such a cartel is not permissible without congressional approval. Congress is currently considering the Main Street Fairness Act, a bill that would authorize a multistate tax compact and force many Internet retailers to collect sales taxes for the first time. Is this sensible? Are there alternative ways to address tax "fairness" concerns in this context? Join us for a discussion with technology policy experts about Internet tax policy and the legal and economic issues raised by current legislation.

Internet Taxation: Should States Be Allowed to Tax outside Their Borders?

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 12:00:00 -0400

Internet Taxation: Should States Be Allowed to Tax outside Their Borders?

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 12:00:00 -0400

Flagrant Conduct: The Story of Lawrence v. Texas

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 12:00:00 -0400

(http://www.amazon.com/Flagrant-Conduct-Story-Lawrence-Texas/dp/0393062082/?tag=catoinstitute-20) In 2003 the Supreme Court struck down America's sodomy laws in the case of Lawrence v. Texas. In Flagrant Conduct, a work nine years in the making, Dale Carpenter challenges what we thought we knew about the case. Drawing on dozens of interviews, he analyzes the claims of virtually every person involved. Carpenter first introduces us to the interracial defendants themselves, who were hardly prepared "for the strike of lightning" that would upend their lives, and then to the Harris County arresting officers. He charts not only the careful legal strategy that Lambda Legal attorneys adopted to make the case compatible to a conservative Supreme Court but also the miscalculations of the Houston prosecutors who assumed that the nation’s extant sodomy laws would be upheld. Dale Carpenter clerked for Judge Edith H. Jones of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and blogs frequently for The Volokh Conspiracy. Charles Lane is the author of The Day Freedom Died: The Colfax Massacre, the Supreme Court, and the Betrayal of Reconstruction. Geoffrey R. Stone of the University of Chicago Law School says, "Dale Carpenter's Flagrant Conduct does for Lawrence v. Texas what Richard Kluger's Simple Justice and Anthony Lewis's Gideon's Trumpet did for Brown v. Board of Education and Gideon v. Wainwright. It tells the story of a profoundly dramatic and important Supreme Court decision in a way that brings to life the stakes, the participants, the justices, and the drama of the constitutional controversy. It is a landmark achievement." Read a newly published article (http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/books/2012/03/12/120312crbo_books_lithwick?currentPage=all) on Flagrant Conduct and the story behind this landmark case in the March 12 issue of The New Yorker.

Still a Better Deal: Private Investment vs. Social Security

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 12:00:00 -0400

Critics of private investment of Social Security taxes have long pointed to the supposed dangers of an unstable market as creating conditions too risky to allow workers personal choice in planning for retirement. Indeed, the financial crisis is often used to bolster the argument that retirement funds are best left in the safe hands of the state, but how true is this claim?In a new Cato study, "Still a Better Deal: Private Investment vs. Social Security (http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=14088)," Cato Senior Fellow Michael Tanner demonstrates that actual investment returns over the past 40 years show that a system of private investment will, in fact, provide significantly higher rates of return than the current Social Security system.Please join us for a conversation with Michael as he discusses this latest policy analysis and challenges the myth of the superiority of the Social Security safety net.

A Landmark Legal Challenge

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 12:00:00 -0500

(http://wpc.0873.edgecastcdn.net/000873/archive-2012/cpf-03-01-12.m4v)Watch the Event in QuickTime (M4V) (http://wpc.0873.edgecastcdn.net/000873/archive-2012/cpf-03-01-12.m4v) (http://wpc.0873.edgecastcdn.net/000873/archive-2012/cpfa-03-01-12.mp3)Download a Podcast of the Event (MP3) (http://wpc.0873.edgecastcdn.net/000873/archive-2012/cpfa-03-01-12.mp3)The Environmental Protection Agency now claims powers so broad that it can impose the most comprehensive, sweeping, and expensive regulatory regime in American history. These vast powers will be challenged in court on February 28 and 29, when the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia hears oral arguments from the Coalition for Responsible Regulation on a petition to vacate EPA's greenhouse-gas emission standards for cars and light trucks, as well as regulations on "stationary" sources like power plants and factories. Current proposals range as high as 62mpg for cars. The briefs of 67 petitioners have been consolidated into a single filing that will be the subject of argument. Petitioners will argue that the EPA is in gross violation of the Clean Air Act, that the proposed regulations will have no detectable effect on global temperature or carbon dioxide concentrations, and that they impose "extraordinary costs, burdens, and other adverse consequences." On March 1, following their Court appearance, petitioners in this landmark legal action will speak at the Cato Institute on the case and its historic implications. We hope you will join us in what promises to be an exceptionally compelling event.

A Landmark Legal Challenge

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 12:00:00 -0500

President Obama's 2013 Budget

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 04:00:00 -0500

The Obama administration is scheduled to release its FY2013 federal budget this month. The budget is likely to include high levels of spending, huge deficits, and various tax increases. Which federal agencies would win and lose under the plan, and how would the tax and spending changes affect the economy? Will Democrats in Congress embrace the administration's proposals, and do House Republicans have a better plan? How will the scheduled "sequester" cuts affect the budget picture? Join us for a discussion with Cato fiscal experts, who will explore the new budget and the upcoming fiscal battles in Congress.

European Integration: What's Gone Wrong?

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:00:00 -0500

The process of economic and political integration that Europeans began in the early 1950s is being put to the test by the euro crisis, which threatens to spread economic and financial turmoil through Europe. Richard Sulik, one of the few eurozone leaders who opposed increasing Europe's bailout fund, will explain why sovereign bankruptcy, decentralization of certain policies, and other market-based solutions are better approaches for a well-integrated Europe. Doug Bandow will discuss why the euro crisis implicates the European Union and why EU governance is unlikely to improve without fundamental changes to its structure. Antonio de Lecea will explain the EU's approach to the current turmoil and discuss proposals for greater European fiscal consolidation.

Tea Party Patriots: The Second American Revolution

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 12:00:00 -0500

(http://www.amazon.com/Tea-Party-Patriots-American-Revolution/dp/0805094377/?tag=catoinstitute-20) In 2009, an unemployed mother of two and a politically inexperienced northern California attorney met on a conference call that would end up launching one of the largest grassroots political movements in American history. Mark Meckler and Jenny Beth Martin have since become the faces behind the Tea Party Patriots. By promoting the basic principles of free markets, limited government, and fiscal responsibility, the Patriots have capitalized on the recent groundswell of discontent around the country, inspiring a much-needed resurgence in the importance of constitutional constraints. In their new book, Meckler and Martin explain the genesis of this movement, what the Tea Party is and is not, and what its plans are for the future. Join us for the launch of this book by two emerging leaders, with comments by John Fund, a senior editor at the American Spectator and former political columnist for the Wall Street Journal.

The Libertarian State of the Union

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:00:00 -0500

As Barack Obama begins the fourth year of his presidency, what is the real state of our union? The president's policies have left us with continued high unemployment, difficult fiscal realities, ongoing wars, concerns over civil liberties, and general economic malaise. But do Republicans offer any better ideas? Join us for a discussion with Cato experts on what can be done with entitlement, fiscal, legal, and financial policy to solve these problems and promote limited government and economic growth.

Unintended Consequences of the Rogue Website Crackdown SOPA, PIPA and OPEN Legislation

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 11:45:00 -0500

Join us for a panel of leading technology policy experts who will discuss the implications of proposed "rogue website" legislation for entrepreneurship, free speech, Internet governance, and holders of copyrights and trademarks. TechFreedom's Berin Szoka will deliver opening remarks at this event, which marks the one-year anniversary of TechFreedom's launch.You can see who else is planning to watch or join at the Facebook event page (http://www.facebook.com/CatoInstitute?sk=events). Or follow the Twitter discussion in real time at the #SOPA (https://twitter.com/#%21/search/%23SOPA) and #SOPAnel (http://www.twitter.com/#%21/search/%23#SOPAnel) hashtags.

FDR Goes to War: How Expanded Executive Power, Spiraling National Debt, and Restricted Civil Liberties Shaped Wartime America

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 12:00:00 -0500

(http://www.amazon.com/FDR-Goes-War-Executive-Restricted/dp/1439183201/?tag=catoinstitute-20) Lots of books examine the military history of World War II. In this new book, Burt Folsom and Anita Folsom, authors of New Deal or Raw Deal? (http://www.amazon.com/New-Deal-Raw-Economic-Damaged/dp/1416592229/?tag=catoinstitute-20), look at some of the domestic aspects of the war. Taxes and spending soared — along with government propaganda for taxes — laying the groundwork for a permanently larger government. History books tell us the war ended the Depression. But the food rations, nonexistent luxuries, crippling taxes, labor strikes, and dangerous work of the time tell a different story — hardly the stuff of recovery. Indeed, the war ushered in a new level of power in the executive branch. Roosevelt seized private property, conducted illegal wiretaps, tried to silence domestic opposition, and interned 110,000 Japanese Americans. Join us for a discussion of some of the lesser-known aspects of President Roosevelt's conduct of the war.

Design for Liberty: Private Property, Public Administration, and the Rule of Law

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

(http://www.amazon.com/Design-Liberty-Private-Property-Administration/dp/0674061845/catoinstitute-20)Without question, the most profound domestic change in America over the past century has been the vast expansion of government under the progressive worldview. Defining itself in opposition to once-dominant classical liberal theories that stressed the roles of private property, individual liberty, and limited government, progressivism received its highest expression during Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal, yet its influence continues to dominate our politics today. The signs are clear, however, that government is creaking under the enormous weight of this expansion. In his new book, Richard Epstein argues that our overregulated state allows too much discretion on the part of regulators, which results in arbitrary, unfair decisions, rent-seeking, and other abuses. Please join us for what promises to be an illuminating exchange of ideas about our current state of affairs.

Publication Practices for Transparent Government: Budgeting, Appropriating and Spending

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 12:00:00 -0500

In the Internet era, the public expects a more transparent government, but Congress and the administration do not perform their budgeting, appropriating, and spending functions in ways that facilitate public oversight and participation. The government could make the flow of spending authority and dollars vastly more transparent by publishing fiscal data consistent with practices such as authoritative sourcing, availability, machine-discoverability, and machine-readability. Join us for the release of an assessment of the federal government's fiscal data publication practices and a discussion of how Congress and the administration can make these functions more transparent.

Congressional War Powers after Libya

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 12:00:00 -0500

The United States' engagement in Libya led to the overthrow of the Qaddafi regime. President Obama declared and conducted the war in Libya with little regard for Congress or the War Powers Act, with the acquiescence, if not the approval, of Congress. Does war in Libya mark a final transfer of the power to declare limited wars to the executive? Should Congress seek to recover its constitutional authority to declare war in cases like Libya? If so, what might Congress do to recover those powers? Please join us for a lively discussion of a central constitutional question. For recent published work on this topic, see: "Congress Surrenders the War Powers: Libya, the United Nations, and the Constitution, (http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=13805)" by John Samples.

Left Turn: How Liberal Media Bias Distorts the American Mind

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 12:00:00 -0500

Many people believe that the mainstream media favors liberal points of view. Studies of media bias, however, have found mixed results. Tim Groseclose, a professor of political science and economics at UCLA, has spent years constructing precise, quantitative measures of the slants of media outlets. Utilizing these tools, he finds that all mainstream media outlets have a liberal bias and that while some supposedly conservative outlets lean right, their conservative bias is less than the liberal bias of most mainstream outlets. Equally important, Groseclose shows that the general leftward bias of the media affects the political views of Americans. Media bias matters in shaping elections and policymaking. Please join us to hear Professor Groseclose discuss his new book, a work that could not be more important as we enter a presidential election year.

The Market for Law

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 12:00:00 -0500

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.

Trendy or Green: Are Our Environmental Policies Helping?

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 12:00:00 -0500

As environmentalism has become socially popular, public policy has become increasingly geared toward cultivating a green appearance rather than helping the environment. From "green" buildings to biofuels, we too often fall for trendy environmental ideas that waste resources on approaches that fail. Join us for a discussion of how Congress can avoid eco-fads and create sound environmental policy that focuses on achieving real environmental results.

Panel 3: The Texas Saga: Needed Reform or Impending Disaster?

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 14:00:00 -0500

Viewed from a traditional perspective, higher education gives people both new skills and enlightenment, making it indispensable to economic growth and personal fulfillment. But is that what we are getting? Viewed from other perspectives, we may not be: The Ivory Tower, it seems, is often weighed down by waste and excess, such as gold-plated sports programs, and highly compensated, yet inaccessible, faculty whose jobs are set in tenure stone. And tuition costs find new stratospheric highs every year. This special conference provides an opportunity for a number of national experts to examine how well our higher education system is really working and how – or even if – it can be improved. One key question the conference will take on is how to assess the productivity of faculty members, including examining the groundbreaking – and highly controversial – efforts recently undertaken in the state of Texas. In addition, conferees will debate whether higher education, as now structured, maintained, and funded, can possibly be made more efficient, or whether a fundamentally different model must be created. With hundreds of billions of dollars pouring into colleges and universities every year, the questions that will be raised and energetically debated at this conference are of vital importance. We hope you will be able to join us.

Luncheon Address from Squeezing the Tower: Are We Getting All We Can from Higher Education?

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 12:00:00 -0500

Panel 1: How Should We Define and Measure Faculty Productivity?

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 09:15:00 -0500

Capital Inadequacies: The Dismal Failure of the Basel Bank Capital Standards

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 12:00:00 -0500

Cato scholar Kevin Dowd will present his recent paper, "Capital Inadequacies: the Dismal Failure of the Basel Regime of Bank Capital Regulation (http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=13490)." The Basel regime is an international system of capital adequacy regulation designed to strengthen banks' safety and soundness. "Capital Inadequacies" provides an assessment of the Basel regime and a focus on its most ambitious feature: the principle of "risk-based regulation." Professor Dowd demonstrates how the Basel system provides a textbook example of the dangers of regulatory empire building and regulatory capture, and the underlying problem it addresses — how to strengthen the banking system — can only be solved by restoring appropriate incentives for those involved. Professor Dowd is also the co-author of Alchemists of Loss: How Modern Finance and Government Intervention Crashed the Financial System.

29th Monetary Conference: Closing Remarks

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 17:00:00 -0500

CATO'S 29th ANNUAL MONETARY CONFERENCE — MONETARY REFORM IN THE WAKE OF CRISIS — will address the fundamental issue of how to prevent another global financial crisis — not by tinkering with the present government discretionary fiat money regime but by fundamental reform. The first step is to rethink the role of government and central banks in the existing system, and then consider alternatives — such as the gold standard — that would substitute rules for discretion, increase choice in currency, and allow markets to determine the optimal quantity of money. After nearly a century of U.S. central banking, it's time to reconsider whether the Federal Reserve's monopoly status, discretion, and growing regulatory powers are more a source of crisis than a cure. Join leading U.S. and global experts to discuss How to reform the global fiat money system Fed policy and the misallocation of credit Policies needed to create a "free banking" regime The possibility of another financial crisis Debt and the dollar Follow the conversation on Twitter with the Hashtag: #CMC29 (https://twitter.com/#%21/search/realtime/%23cmc29).

Panel 4: A Program for Monetary Reform

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 16:00:00 -0500

Panel 3: Transition to a New Monetary Regime

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 14:00:00 -0500

29th Monetary Conference: Luncheon Conversation

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 13:00:00 -0500

Panel 2: Fed Policy and the Allocation of Credit

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 11:15:00 -0500

Panel 1: Rethinking the Global Fiat Money System

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 09:45:00 -0500

29th Monetary Conference: Welcoming Remarks and Keynote Address

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 09:00:00 -0500

Ending the Global War on Drugs: Closing Address

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 15:31:00 -0500

Although the global prohibition of drugs has manifestly failed to stem the use of narcotics, it has generated enormous costs and perverse outcomes. In the United States, the war on drugs is generating alarming violations of civil liberties, weakening the rule of law, and compromising law enforcement efforts. The U.S.-led drug war is also undermining legitimate foreign policy goals around the world, including the spread of liberal democracy and an effective war on terror. This conference will bring together prominent scholars and international leaders to analyze current policy and propose practical alternatives such as legalization. Speakers will discuss: The impact of the drug war in Mexico, on the U.S. border, and in Central America How prohibition helps fund terrorist groups in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and beyond How Washington's anti-narcotics campaign violates the Constitution The effects of criminalization on minorities in the United States Lessons from South America The evolution of drug policy in the United States and what decriminalization or legalization would look like in practice Follow the conversation on twitter with the hashtag: #EndDrugWar (https://twitter.com/#%21/search/%23enddrugwar).

Panel 4: A Non-prohibitionist Way Forward for U.S. and International Drug Policy

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 15:30:00 -0500

Panel 3: Other Battlegrounds: South America, Afghanistan, Pakistan

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 14:00:00 -0500

Panel 2: The Impact on Rights and the Rule of Law in the United States

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 11:30:00 -0500

Panel 1: The Fire Next Door: Drug Violence in Mexico and Central America

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 10:00:00 -0500

Ending the Global War on Drugs: Keynote Address

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 09:00:00 -0500

The Relationship between Intelligence and Policy

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 12:00:00 -0400

At the heart of recent national security controversies, including 9/11 and the war in Iraq, lies the troubled relationship between intelligence and policy. Two timely new books shine a spotlight on the problem. In Fixing the Facts, Joshua Rovner chronicles major episodes in the history of American foreign policy that have been closely tied to the manipulation of intelligence estimates and considers how these have affected military strategy, and the conduct of foreign policy. In Intelligence and U.S. Foreign Policy, Paul R. Pillar challenges the belief that intelligence drives major national security decisions, and he casts doubt on fixes intended to prevent future failures. He believes such efforts often waste critical resources and divert attention away from more sensible reforms. Please join the authors as they discuss their books, with comments by intelligence veteran and scholar Mark Lowenthal.

Engineering the Financial Crisis: Systemic Risk and the Failure of Regulation

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 16:00:00 -0400

(http://www.amazon.com/Engineering-Financial-Crisis-Systemic-Regulation/dp/0812243579/?tag=catoinstitute-20)The financial crisis revealed the most significant danger of modern government: it homogenizes the behavior of the people subject to its regulations. If the regulators make a mistake, the entire system is at risk, because everyone has had to behave in line with the regulators' fallible opinions. In this light, the supreme advantage of capitalism is that it allows the heterogeneous opinions of fallible people to compete with each other, eliminating mistakes over time. This is the best solution available to ubiquitous human error. Jeffrey Friedman and Wladimir Kraus argue that the financial crisis exemplified the danger of regulatory homogenization. Banking regulations penalized banks that did not buy mortgage-backed securities rated AAA. For that reason, a housing crisis turned into a banking crisis. Even now, banking regulations are spawning a second financial crisis in Europe, because the same set of rules penalizes banks that lend to businesses or consumers instead of governments. Please join us for an all too timely examination of the unintended — and sometimes disastrous — effects of regulation on complex economies.

Is Liberty Losing Ground in America?

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 12:00:00 -0400

America is widely known as the land of the free, but is it also true that liberty has been yielding ground to government power? Two recent books maintain that civil liberties have dramatically eroded here in recent years. ACLU president Susan Herman argues that our constitutional system of checks and balances is breaking down because of exaggerated claims of presidential power in our war against al Qaeda terrorists. That shift in power has made it difficult for the courts to fully examine whether certain policies are constitutional. Pulitzer Prize-winning author David Shipler does not dispute the erosion of liberty since the 9/11 attacks, but he says the Bill of Rights has also deteriorated because of the war on drugs. His book relates numerous stories of searches without warrants, punishments without due process, and other unreasonable procedures. In criminal justice as in counterterrorism, Shipler argues, the executive branch has grabbed immense power and distorted the process of determining guilt or innocence. Join us for a discussion of these legal trends and what can be done to correct them.

How Much Ivory Does This Tower Need?

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 12:00:00 -0400

It is often asserted that taxpayer support for higher education is dwindling, endangering the nation's economic future and forcing higher tuition prices. In reality that is far from the truth. Almost any way you slice it the taxpayer burden for America's ivory tower has been on the rise, while the returns on investment have been at best indeterminate and at worst significantly negative. Please join us for this important discussion of why the federal role in higher education needs to be seriously reexamined.

How Much Homeland Security Is Enough?

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 12:00:00 -0400

(http://www.amazon.com/Terror-Security-Money-Balancing-Benefits/dp/0199795762/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1316809993&sr=8-1?tag=catoinstitute-20)Americans tend to evaluate homeland security by asking, "Does it make us safer?" That, however, is the wrong question. Even the most extravagantly wasteful security measures enhance physical safety from attack, however microscopically. The better question is, "Are the gains in security worth the funds expended?" John Mueller and Mark Stewart's new book, Terror, Security, and Money: Balancing the Risks, Benefits, and Costs of Homeland Security, uses cost-benefit analysis to show that for the vast majority of U.S. homeland security and counterterrorism policies, the answer to this question is a resounding "no." Though the analytic approach employed in the book is common in regulatory agencies charged with protecting public safety, the Department of Homeland Security still neglects it. Mueller and Stewart will discuss the findings in their book and the U.S. government's curious disinterest in them.

James Madison

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 12:00:00 -0400

(hhttp://www.amazon.com/James-Madison-Richard-Brookhiser/dp/0465019838/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1317137015&sr=8-1?tag=catoinstitute-20)James Madison led one of the most influential and prolific lives in American history. Although sometimes overshadowed by his more celebrated contemporaries, Madison helped to shape our country as perhaps no other Founder did: collaborating on the Constitution, the Federalist Papers, and the Bill of Rights; assembling one of the nation's first political parties (the Republicans, who became today's Democrats); and taking to the battlefield during the War of 1812, becoming the last president to lead troops in combat. More than just a figure from history, Madison today inspires a continued desire for liberty and limited government. What might his legacy mean for Americans today? Please join us to hear historian Richard Brookhiser discuss his new book about the "Father of the Constitution," an accomplished, yet humble, statesman who nourished Americans' fledgling liberty and vigorously defended the laws that have preserved it to this day.

ECPA at 25: How to Modernize the Law to Better Protect Electronic Privacy

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 09:00:00 -0400

In 1986, when cellular phones were brick-sized novelties and most Americans had never even heard of "electronic mail," Congress passed the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA). Yet after 25 years of innovation, ECPA has fallen badly out of step with the way Americans use information technology. Now, the law hinders innovation by failing to give sensitive e-mails and personal documents stored in the "cloud" the same strong protection they would enjoy under the Fourth Amendment if kept on a personal hard drive. Courts have struggled with how to regulate police access to the increasingly detailed location-tracking data generated by mobile devices. Perhaps most disturbing, the public and Congress have been left with little sense of how frequently law-enforcement demands access this sensitive information. Join us as a panel of experts discusses how to provide strong protection for the privacy of citizens — as well as clarity and consistency for both technology companies and law enforcement. To take part in the discussion on Twitter, use hashtag #ECPA (http://twitter.com/#!/search/%23ECPA).

Mexico and the War on Drugs: Time to Legalize

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 12:00:10 -0400

Mexico is paying a high price for fighting a war on drugs that are consumed in the United States. More than 40,000 people have died in drug-related violence since the end of 2006 when Mexico began an aggressive campaign against narco-trafficking. The drug war has led to a rise in corruption and gruesome criminality that is weakening democratic institutions, the press, law enforcement, and other elements of a free society. Former Mexican president Vicente Fox will explain that prohibition is not working and that the legalization of the sale, use, and production of drugs in Mexico and beyond offers a superior way of dealing with the problem of drug abuse.

Is Islam Compatible with the Free Market?

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 12:00:00 -0400

Islamist literature rejects central features of modernity common in the West, including capitalism. Many Muslim countries restrict economic freedoms necessary to sustain other liberties. Author Mustafa Akyol will describe how the theological attitude and historical experience of Islam toward business and profit-making is, in fact, consistent with an embrace of free markets. He will also discuss the un-Islamic origins of Islamic radicalism, pre-Islamic traits that have long characterized the Middle East and have left their mark on the religion, and how Turkey's conservative masses are experiencing a socio-economic boom due to that country's market reforms. Kris Mauren will compare the history of liberalism in Islam with that of Christianity.

Frédéric Bastiat: Campaigner for Free Trade, Political Economist, and Politician in a Time of Revolution

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 12:00:00 -0400

Frédéric Bastiat was a pivotal figure in French classical liberalism in the mid-19th century. He suddenly emerged from the southwest province of Les Landes to assume leadership of the fledgling French free trade movement in 1844, which he modelled on that of Richard Cobden's Anti-Corn Law League in England. Bastiat then turned to a brilliant career as an economic journalist, debunking the myths and misconceptions people held on protectionism in particular and government intervention in general, which he called "sophisms" or "fallacies." When revolution broke out in February 1848, Bastiat was elected twice to the Chamber of Deputies where he served on the powerful Finance Committee and struggled to bring government expenditure under control. He confounded his political opponents with his consistent libertarianism: he denounced the socialists for their economic policies, but he took to the streets to prevent the military from shooting them during the riots that broke out in June 1848. Until his untimely death in 1850, Bastiat was an indefatigable foe of political privilege, unaccountable monarchical power, the newly emergent socialist movement, and above all, the vested interests benefited from economic protectionism. He was a giant of 19th century classical liberalism, and Liberty Fund is publishing a six-volume collection of his work.

The Oregon Health Insurance Experiment and Evidence-Based Health Reform

Fri, 07 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400

The Oregon Health Insurance Experiment is the first study ever to measure the effects of health insurance by randomly assigning subjects to receive Medicaid coverage or no coverage. At this forum, lead investigator Katherine Baicker will present the Oregon Health Insurance Experiment's first set of results and what additional data this experiment will produce. The discussants will examine the effects of health insurance and what the Oregon Health Insurance Experiment means for medicine, Medicaid, and health care reform.

Abolish the Transportation Security Administration

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 12:00:00 -0400

Ten years after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, federalized aviation security has proven costly, reactive, and an intrusive failure. Restoring security responsibility to airports and airlines would provide numerous benefits to the traveling public without compromising security. Join us for a discussion of why Congress should privatize airport security and abolish the Transportation Security Administration. For recent published work of the speakers, see: "Does Risk Management Counsel in Favor of a Biometric Traveler Identity System? (http://www.cato-at-liberty.org/does-risk-management-counsel-in-favor-of-a-biometric-traveler-identity-system/)" by Jim Harper and "Abolish the Department of Homeland Security (http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=13650)," by David Rittgers.