Cato Institute Event Podcast

To Reform Health Care, Don't Increase Taxes, Cut Them - Capitol Hill Briefing

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 23:00:00 CDT

To cover the likely $2 trillion cost of extending health insurance coverage to the uninsured, Democratic leaders are scrambling to find ways to increase the American people's taxes. Should Congress tax health benefits? Charitable contributions? Soda pop? Wages? The rich? Or are congressional leaders barking up the wrong tree? Is this rush to tax based on false premises? Two health policy experts from the Cato Institute—the co-authors of Healthy Competition: What's Holding Back Health Care and How to Free It—will explain the pitfalls of tax-and-spend health care reform, as well as how true reform requires reducing the amount of money that politicians control.

Is This Socialized Medicine?

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 23:00:00 CDT

As with past attempts to overhaul America's health care sector, critics have labeled the reforms before Congress "socialized medicine." Is this a fair accusation? Are President Obama and congressional Democrats really trying to impose socialized medicine on the United States? What is socialized medicine, anyway? Scholars with different perspectives on these questions will debate what relevance socialized medicine has to today's health care reform debate.

Bringing Transparency to the Federal Reserve

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 23:00:00 CDT

The recent financial crisis has led to a massive expansion of government involvement in our capital markets. Foremost among those interventions has been the almost tripling of the Federal Reserve's balance sheet, from just over $800 billion before the crisis to almost $2.3 trillion now. Even more astounding is that the increase, with its massive exposure of loss to the American taxpayer, has been conducted with almost no oversight from Congress. Rep. Ron Paul has long led efforts to bring greater transparency and accountability to the workings of government. Join us for a discussion on increasing the public transparency of the Federal Reserve.

Pakistan and the Future of U.S. Policy

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 23:00:00 CDT

In recent months, Pakistani security forces have been battling extremists from Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, Tehreek-e-Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi, and other interconnected networks of terrorist groups in the country's northern districts. Insurgents routinely attack local authorities and have forced over a million persons to flee. These developments are sparking fears that as extremist influence spreads, an al Qaeda ally could get its hands on Pakistan's nuclear weapons. How serious is the militant threat to Pakistan? How does this threat affect U.S. interests? How reliable of an ally is Pakistan to the United States? And what are the prospects for stability in the region? Join us as we explore these questions. Speaker Biographies: Ambassador Wendy Chamberlin has been president of the Middle East Institute since March 2007. Before that she served as deputy high commissioner for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. As assistant administrator in the Asia-Near East Bureau for the US Agency for International Development, Chamberlin held posts in Iraq, South Asia and the Middle East, among other national and international assignments. Mukhtar A. Khan is a Pakistani Pashtun journalist-cum-analyst based in Washington, DC. Since 9/11, he has extensively covered Pakistan's troubled frontier, both for the local and international media, including the BBC, Mail on Sunday, and Voice of America, and has visited the region frequently. Currently, he is working on a book on increasing trends of militancy in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border regions and its spillover to the rest of the world. He is also working as Chief Media Strategist for AfPak Media Solutions and Senior Advisor to the Pashtun Focus, besides contributing analytical articles for The Jamestown Foundation and the Combating Terrorism Center (CTC) at West Point. Ken Luongo is president of the Partnership for Global Security. He has experience in fissile material control, nuclear terrorism and proliferation, and geographic expertise in Pakistan, India, Russia and the former Soviet Union. Previously, he served as senior advisor to the secretary of energy for nonproliferation policy and the director of the Office of Arms Control and Nonproliferation at the U.S. Department of Energy. Luongo has served with the Senate and House Armed Services Committee and has worked extensively on Russian and Pakistani nuclear security issues. Malou Innocent is a Foreign Policy Analyst at the Cato Institute. Her primary research interests are U.S. foreign policy toward Pakistan, Afghanistan, and China. She recently traveled to Pakistan through the Ford Foundation. She has published reviews and articles on national security and international affairs in scholarly and policy journals such as Survival, Congressional Quarterly, and Harvard International Review, as well as in publications such as Armed Forces Journal, Christian Science Monitor, Wall Street Journal Asia, and the Huffington Post. She has appeared as a guest analyst on BBC News, Fox News Channel, Al Jazeera, Voice of America, CNBC Asia, and Reuters. Christopher Preble is the Cato Institute's director of foreign policy studies. His book The Power Problem: How American Military Dominance Makes Us Less Safe, Less Prosperous and Less Free documents the enormous costs of America's military power, and proposes a new grand strategy to advance U.S. national security. He is also the author of Exiting Iraq: How the U.S. Must End the Occupation and Renew the War against Al Qaeda, and John F. Kennedy and the Missile Gap. In addition, Preble has published over 100 articles in major publications, including USA Today, the Financial Times, and the Wall Street Journal. He has appeared on many television and radio news networks including CNN, MSNBC, Fox News Channel, NPR, and the BBC. Preble was a commissioned officer in the U.S. Navy and is a veteran of the Gulf War, having served onboard USS Ticonderoga (CG-47) from 1990 to 1993.

Massachusetts — Three Years Later - Capitol Hill Briefing

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 23:00:00 CDT

When Massachusetts passed its pioneering health care reforms in 2006, critics warned that they would result in a downward spiral toward a government-run health care system. Three years later, those predictions appear to be coming true. With the "Massachusetts model" frequently cited as a blueprint for health care reform, it is important to understand what has resulted since the legislation was implemented. Please join Cato senior fellow Michael Tanner, along with Consumers for Health Care Choices president and CEO Greg Scandlen, and Heritage Foundation policy analyst Greg D'Angelo as they examine the lessons to be learned from Massachusetts. Read more in a new study by Michael D. Tanner, "Massachusetts Miracle or Massachusetts Miserable: What the Failure of the 'Massachusetts Model' Tells Us about Health Care Reform."

It's Our Turn to Eat: The Story of a Kenyan Whistleblower - Book Forum

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 23:00:00 CDT

Purchase at Amazon When the 24-year-long reign of Daniel arap Moi ended in 2002, Kenyans looked to their new democratically elected government to end pervasive corruption and fix the economy. The new president, Mwai Kibaki, quickly appointed John Githongo as Kenya's anti-corruption czar and took tentative steps to make the government more transparent. Veteran Africa correspondent Michela Wrong charts Githongo's losing fight. As hopeful beginning gave way to disappointment, Githongo realized that the new ruling elite—including people closest to the president—partook in grand corruption with the same gusto as the old. Kibaki's lack of concern at Githongo's findings was only matched by the resolve of most Western governments and aid agencies to ignore widespread corruption so that more aid dollars could flow to Kenya.

Dred Scott's Revenge: A Legal History of Race and Freedom in America

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 23:00:00 CDT

Purchase at Amazon The Declaration of Independence proclaimed America's belief in legal equality and inalienable rights. But American governments legally suspended the free will of blacks for 150 years and then denied blacks equal protection under the law for another 150 years. How did this happen in America? How were the Constitution and laws of the land twisted so as to institutionalize racism? How did it — or will it — end? In his new book Judge Andrew P. Napolitano takes a no-holds-barred look at the role of the government in the denial of freedoms on the basis of race. Juan Williams of NPR, author of Eyes on the Prize and of a biography of Thurgood Marshall, calls it "the best history of the law and race I've ever read." Damon Root and Jason Kuznicki, both of whom have written on the history of race and the law, will comment.

Cato Institute Conference on Health Care Reform - Health Care Reform: the Long-Term Perspective

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 23:00:00 CDT

Cato Institute Conference on Health Care Reform - Panel 1: Should Congress Mandate Coverage?

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 23:00:00 CDT

Cato Institute Conference on Health Care Reform - Panel 2: Where Does Delivery-System Reform Fit?

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 23:00:00 CDT

Cato Institute Conference on Health Care Reform - Luncheon Address: Perspectives on reform from the U.S. Congress

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 23:00:00 CDT

Cato Institute Conference on Health Care Reform - Panel 3: Another Government Health Insurance Program?

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 23:00:00 CDT

Cato Institute Conference on Health Care Reform - Panel 4: Is There a Free-Market Alternative?

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 23:00:00 CDT

A New Course for Antitrust

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 23:00:00 CDT

On May 11, Assistant Attorney General Christine Varney announced plans to restore an aggressive enforcement policy against corporations that engage in anti-competitive behavior. Specifically, the Justice Department was revoking legal guidelines that were adopted in September 2008 that made it more difficult to pursue antitrust cases. "The recent developments in the marketplace should make it clear that we can no longer rely upon the marketplace alone to ensure that competition and consumers will be protected," explained the new head of the Antitrust Division. This policy reversal could be a shot across the bow of the tech industry, with Google and Intel now fearing the sort of legal action that plagued Microsoft in the 1990s. But should the government be going after profitable companies during weak economic times? What makes a merger anti-competitive or a business action monopolistic? How much does antitrust enforcement ultimately benefit the consumer? Please join us for an exploration of these and other issues that lie at the intersection of legal and economic theory and practice.

A New Course for Antitrust

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 23:00:00 CDT

Restoring the Pro-Trade Consensus

Sun, 14 Jun 2009 23:00:00 CDT

The bipartisan, pro-trade consensus that served U.S. interests so well for nearly six decades collapsed during the Bush administration. Today, the direction of U.S. trade policy remains unclear to most observers. Although President Obama seems to appreciate the importance of trade and speaks about the dangers of protectionism, the 111th Congress has given mixed signals on the topic. What caused the collapse of the pro-trade consensus? Can that consensus be restored? Is its restoration a requirement of meaningful and effective trade policy? If so, how can it be accomplished? Please join Congressman Cuellar and Cato scholar Daniel J. Ikenson to discuss the importance of restoring bipartisan support for open international commerce.

Fusion Centers: Domestic Spying or Sensible Surveillance?

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 23:00:00 CDT

Police departments across the country are starting to create networks of databases called "fusion centers" in an effort to detect and prevent acts of terrorism. The ultimate objective is to create a nationwide reporting system of suspicious behaviors so that the authorities can "connect the dots" before an attack can occur. Civil liberties groups claim these fusion centers are beset with legal and practical problems. One legal problem is that the police should not be opening files on people because they exercised their right to free speech, such as demonstrating against the foreign policies of the United States. One practical problem is that the police are gathering so much mundane information that practically anyone could end up on a list of "suspicious" persons because some official arbitrarily decided to fill out a tip sheet. Join us for a discussion of the pros and cons of this newly proposed system of policing.

Who Are the Real Free Traders in Congress?

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 23:00:00 CDT

Which members of Congress most consistently support the freedom of Americans to trade and invest in the global economy—free of market-distorting subsidies and barriers? Cato trade scholar Daniel Griswold will reveal who in the 110th Congress earned the title of "Free Trader" and demonstrate the new Cato web feature, "Free Trade, Free Markets," which allows users to search an up-to-date database containing more than a decade of votes. Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH), one of the Senate's most distinguished and consistent supporters of free trade, will offer remarks on the prospects for trade legislation in the 111th Congress and beyond. Due to the overwhelming public response to this program we are unable to accept additional reservations. A video of the event will be posted to this website within one week. Thank you for your interest in our programs.

Driving Like Crazy

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 23:00:00 CDT

Purchase book If scathing, uproarious, and insightful political satire were not enough, for more than 30 years P. J. O'Rourke—acclaimed humorist and H. L. Mencken Research Fellow at the Cato Institute—has written about his love affair with the automobile. His newest book, Driving Like Crazy: Thirty Years of Vehicular Hell-bending, Celebrating America the Way It's Supposed to Be—With an Oil Well in Every Backyard, a Cadillac Escalade in Every Carport, and the Chairman of the Federal Reserve Mowing Our Lawn combines his classic articles on automobiles with new material and traces the birth and death of America's car obsession. Starting with his childhood as the grandson of an Ohio Buick dealer, O'Rourke details some of his earliest adventures as an automotive writer, on assignment for Car and Driver, Rolling Stone, Forbes, Esquire, among others. What emerges is a love letter to the glory days of the American automobile, from the perspective of a 60-something who has been driving like crazy for a lifetime. O'Rourke opens the book by chronicling the end of an era, as the government bails out the auto industry, places ever-more-strident restrictions on emissions, and, as he sees it, brings to a halt the heyday of the American car. "Pity the poor American car when Congress and the White House get through with it," he laments, "a light-weight vehicle with a small carbon footprint, using alternative energy and renewable resources to operate in a sustainable way. When I was a kid we called it a Schwinn." Reaffirming O'Rourke's stature as "the funniest writer in America"—with previous best-sellers including Parliament of Whores, Give War a Chance, Eat the Rich, The CEO of the Sofa, and his most recent, On the Wealth of Nations—this new addition to his dazzling canon takes readers on a wild ride—from his earliest live-fast-and-drive-fast days to his older, wiser, SUV-driving, Prius-hating self.

The Financial Fix — Limited Purpose Banking

Sun, 07 Jun 2009 23:00:00 CDT

The Obama administration is expected to propose a comprehensive reform of the American financial system some time in June. Goodman and Kotlikoff find the administration's financial strategy — fighting each financial fire one by one and rebuilding the old system pretty much as it was — deeply misguided. It treats the symptoms, not the disease, and will leave us financially and fiscally weaker. It is more important to offer a solution based on a simple principle: no one should be able to gamble with other people's money, including the taxpayers' money, without their consent.

Will Cost Containment Derail Health Care Reform?

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 23:00:00 CDT

From a patient's point of view, the ideal health insurance policy would offer unlimited access to medical services at no charge. Unfortunately, it is not feasible to offer this to everyone. The key to sustainable health care reform is restraining the use of services that have high costs and low benefits. How will a government-funded system restrain spending? Why might a market-oriented alternative be attractive? Please join Cato scholar Arnold Kling to examine the challenges facing health reformers and the feasibility of alternative proposals.

Brother, Can You Spare A Trillion? - Lessons from the New Deal and Great Depression - Keynote Address

Sun, 31 May 2009 23:00:00 CDT

12:30 or 1 start, 2panels, a key note and reception. However-confirming sched

Brother, Can You Spare A Trillion? - Lessons from the New Deal and Great Depression - Panel 1: The New Deal's Economic Legacy

Sun, 31 May 2009 23:00:00 CDT

12:30 or 1 start, 2panels, a key note and reception. However-confirming sched

Money, Markets, and Sovereignty - Book Forum

Mon, 18 May 2009 23:00:00 CDT

Purchase at Amazon The current state of international economic relations is unusual and precarious. Benn Steil and Manuel Hinds will explain how protectionism has historically coincided with monetary nationalism, whereas eras of liberal trade have been accompanied by a universal monetary standard. But the situation today is prone to crisis, because an unprecedentedly liberal global trade regime exists alongside monetary nationalism of an extreme kind. According to the authors, national monies and globalization don't mix. "If anything is likely to throw globalization into reverse, it is not trade itself, but the money that facilitates it." Please join us to hear their prescient analysis and their views on the future of the dollar and the emergence of a global monetary standard.

The Welfare State We're In

Sun, 17 May 2009 23:00:00 CDT

Purchase at Amazon "A splendid book. A devastating critique of the welfare state. A page-turner, yet also extensively sourced. I congratulate Mr. Bartholomew." – Milton Friedman In this controversial book, James Bartholomew argues that the welfare state in Britain has resulted in a generation of badly educated and dependent citizens, leading to lives of deprivation for thousands and undermining the original intent behind its creation in the 1940s. Has the welfare state really led to more harm than good? What does this imply for the ever-expanding welfare state in the United States?

Is It Time to End the International War on Drugs? - Capitol Hill Briefing

Thu, 14 May 2009 23:00:00 CDT

Since President Nixon launched the War on Drugs in 1971, its escalating direct and indirect costs have become increasingly apparent. As we have seen over the decades in Colombia, Mexico, Afghanistan, and other drug-source countries, banning the drug trade creates economic distortions and an opportunity for some of the most unsavory elements to gain tenacious footholds. Drug prohibition inevitably leads to an orgy of corruption and violence. Do any perceived benefits of the current prohibitionist policies outweigh the growing costs to the United States and other countries? Please join Cato scholars Ted Carpenter and Ian Vásquez for a discussion of the international consequences of America's war on drugs and whether alternative approaches would lead to better outcomes.

How Overreaction and Misdirection Play into the Strategy of Terrorism

Sun, 10 May 2009 23:00:00 CDT

Terrorism seeks to weaken strong powers like the United States by goading them to overreact and waste their own blood and treasure, give sympathy and recruiting gains to terrorists, and come loose from their ideological moorings. Beyond avoiding war and misdirected homeland security efforts, sound counterterrorism strategy requires subtle awareness of the different ways a victim state's actions can play into terrorists' hands. Countering the strategic logic of terrorism will require policymakers to adopt very disciplined responses and deny superficially appealing impulses toward overreaction. Please join Cato scholars David Rittgers and Christopher Preble to discuss a more effective way to respond to terrorist threats and activities.

The Dangers of U.S. Military Dominance

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 23:00:00 CDT

Purchase from Cato Bookstore Numerous polls show that Americans want to reduce our military presence abroad, allowing our allies and other nations to assume greater responsibility both for their own defense and for enforcing security in their respective regions. Why haven't we done so? In The Power Problem, Christopher Preble contends that the vast military strength of the United States has induced policymakers in Washington to broaden the perception of the "national interest," and ultimately to commit the United States to the impossible task of maintaining global order. What does preserving American security require, and how engaged should U.S. forces be beyond protecting our core national interests? To what extent does the status quo advance U.S. security, and to what degree is it undermining our security, imposing unnecessary costs, and forcing all Americans to incur additional risks? Please join Cato's Christopher Preble and the Nixon Center's Paul Saunders for a discussion about the nature of American military power, its purpose in U.S. foreign policy, and its power to define the national interest.

Restoring the Pro-Trade Consensus - Policy Forum

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 23:00:00 CDT

The bipartisan, pro-trade consensus that served U.S. interests so well for nearly six decades collapsed during the Bush administration. Today, the direction of U.S. trade policy remains unclear to most observers. Although President Obama seems to appreciate the importance of trade and speaks about the dangers of protectionism, the 111th Congress flirts with legislation that can only be described as protectionist. What caused the collapse of the pro-trade consensus? Can that consensus be restored? Is restoration of consensus a requirement of meaningful and effective trade policy? If so, how can it be accomplished?

The Power of Freedom: Uniting Human Rights and Development

Wed, 22 Apr 2009 23:00:00 CDT

Purchase at Cato Are the quests for human rights and economic development compatible? Jean-Pierre Chauffour takes the development and human rights communities to task for working at cross purposes and often advocating policies that violate basic rights, whether those rights are economic freedoms or broader issues of personal choice. The author will explain how the two traditions can be reconciled by empowering people with economic, civil, and political liberty, and he will outline a mutually supportive agenda for advocates of growth and human rights. Susan Aaronson will draw on her years of scholarship on trade and human rights to comment on the book.

The Power Problem: How American Military Dominance Makes Us Less Safe, Less Prosperous, and Less Free

Sun, 19 Apr 2009 23:00:00 CDT

Purchase at Cato Numerous polls show that Americans want to reduce our military presence abroad, allowing our allies and other nations to assume greater responsibility both for their own defense and for enforcing security in their respective regions. Why haven't we done so? In The Power Problem, Christopher A. Preble contends that the vast military strength of the United States has induced policymakers in Washington to broaden the perception of the "national interest," and ultimately to commit ourselves to the impossible task of maintaining global order. Preble holds that the core national interest — preserving American security — is easily defined and largely immutable. In his view, military power is purely instrumental: if it advances U.S. security, then it is fulfilling its essential role. If it does not — if it undermines our security, imposes unnecessary costs, and forces all Americans to incur additional risks — then our military power is a problem, one that only we can solve. Please join us as we discuss the nature of American military power, its purpose in U.S. foreign policy, and its power to define the national interest.

Health Care University: Which Reforms Are Better—or Worse—than Doing Nothing? - Line in the Sand #1: No Public Plan

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 23:00:00 CDT

President Obama and others on the Left have proposed a public plan--modeled on Medicare--to compete with private insurers. But Medicare is not the solution; it is the problem. Besides, there's no true competition if one of the players is also the referee. This session will explain why any package of reforms including "Medicare for More" deserves defeat.

Health Care University: Which Reforms Are Better—or Worse—than Doing Nothing? - Line in the Sand #2: No Mandates

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 23:00:00 CDT

Health Care University: Which Reforms Are Better—or Worse—than Doing Nothing? - Line in the Sand #3: No Price Controls

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 23:00:00 CDT

Can Government Be Trusted with the Money Supply?

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 23:00:00 CDT

Purchase at Amazon The Federal Reserve's contribution to the current financial crisis, far from being exceptional, is typical of central banks' frequent, myopic mismanagement of money. So why, given their dismal record, do we allow governments to manage money at all? The standard answer is that were money left to private enterprise, bad money would drive good money out of circulation. In Good Money: Birmingham Button Makers, the Royal Mint, and the Beginnings of Modern Coinage, 1775–1821 (University of Michigan Press, 2008), George Selgin reveals a forgotten episode of private coinage that proves the contrary. At the onset of Great Britain's Industrial Revolution, the British Royal Mint proved utterly incapable of meeting the monetary needs of an industrializing economy; and it was only thanks to private mints and their "commercial" coins that Great Britain managed to avoid slipping back into feudalism. We hope that you will be able to join us and hear Professor Selgin discuss this fascinating, important, and unjustly forgotten episode in the history of money.

Health Care University: Which Reforms Are Better—or Worse—than Doing Nothing? - Yes, Mr. President: Markets Can Fix Health Care

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 23:00:00 CDT

Health Care University: Which Reforms Are Better—or Worse—than Doing Nothing? - Line in the Sand #1: No Public Plan

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 23:00:00 CDT

Health Care University: Which Reforms Are Better—or Worse—than Doing Nothing? - Line in the Sand #2: No Mandates

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 23:00:00 CDT

Health Care University: Which Reforms Are Better—or Worse—than Doing Nothing? - Line in the Sand #3: No Price Controls

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 23:00:00 CDT

Health Care University: Which Reforms Are Better—or Worse—than Doing Nothing? - Yes, Mr. President: Markets Can Fix Health Care

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 23:00:00 CDT

Left Turn? South Africa after the Election - Policy Forum

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 23:00:00 CDT

On April 22, South Africa will hold its fourth general election since the advent of multiracial democracy in 1994 and first general election since the break-up of the once-hegemonic African National Congress. Will a strong showing by the new party-the Congress of the People-reduce the ANC's majority, reinvigorate the opposition, and make the government more accountable? Or will it lead the ANC to embrace more populist economic policies in an effort to regain the loyalty of its former supporters? Please join us for a discussion of the likely effects of this pivotal election on the future of sub-Saharan Africa's most powerful nation.

Health Care University: Which Reforms Are Better—or Worse—than Doing Nothing? - Line in the Sand #1: No Public Plan

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 23:00:00 CDT

Health Care University: Which Reforms Are Better—or Worse—than Doing Nothing? - Line in the Sand #2: No Mandates

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 23:00:00 CDT

Health Care University: Which Reforms Are Better—or Worse—than Doing Nothing? - Line in the Sand #3: No Price Controls

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 23:00:00 CDT

The Beautiful Tree: A Personal Journey Into How the World's Poorest People Are Educating Themselves - Book Forum

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 23:00:00 CDT

Purchase at Cato "A moving account of how poor parents struggle against great odds to provide a rich educational experience to their children." --Publishers Weekly Everyone from Bono to the United Nations is looking for a miracle to bring schooling within reach of the poorest children on Earth. James Tooley may have found one. While researching private schools in India for the World Bank, and worried he was doing little to help the poor, Tooley wandered into the slums of Hyderabad's Old City. Shocked to find it overflowing with small, parent-funded schools filled with energized students, he set out to discover if the small, parent-funded schools could help achieve universal education. So began the adventure told in Tooley's new book, The Beautiful Tree - the story of his journey from the largest shanty town in Africa to the mountains of Gansu, China, and of the children, parents, teachers, and entrepreneurs who taught him that the poor are not waiting for educational handouts. They are building their own schools and educating themselves. Named after Mahatma Gandhi's phrase for the schools of pre-colonial India, The Beautiful Tree is not another book lamenting what has gone wrong in the Third World. It is a book about what is going right, illustrating that even the most disadvantaged parents in the poorest corners of the globe have the power to create tremendous educational experiences for their children. We hope you will be able to join us and hear first-hand not just what Americans can do to help education in poor countries, but what we can learn from these education entrepreneurs who are succeeding under the most challenging conditions imaginable.

Health Care University: Which Reforms Are Better—or Worse—than Doing Nothing? - Yes, Mr. President: Markets Can Fix Health Care

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 23:00:00 CDT

Health Care University: Which Reforms Are Better—or Worse—than Doing Nothing? - Line in the Sand #1: No Public Plan

Mon, 13 Apr 2009 23:00:00 CDT

Health Care University: Which Reforms Are Better—or Worse—than Doing Nothing? - Line in the Sand #2: No Mandates

Mon, 13 Apr 2009 23:00:00 CDT

Health Care University: Which Reforms Are Better—or Worse—than Doing Nothing? - Line in the Sand #3: No Price Controls

Mon, 13 Apr 2009 23:00:00 CDT

Health Care University: Which Reforms Are Better—or Worse—than Doing Nothing? - Yes, Mr. President: Markets Can Fix Health Care

Mon, 13 Apr 2009 23:00:00 CDT

What the Administration's College Proposals Would Do for America

Mon, 06 Apr 2009 23:00:00 CDT

President Obama has called for the United States to have "the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by the year 2020." The goal is lofty, but is simply having more college graduates really that important? And will significantly increasing federal student aid actually make college more accessible, or will it worsen the tuition inflation that has run rampant for decades? Please join our panelists as they analyze these proposals in light of the latest research on higher education policy and outcomes.

Seasteading: Homesteading the High Seas for Liberty

Mon, 06 Apr 2009 23:00:00 CDT

History provides us with many examples of powerful institutions being disrupted by technology. The invention of the printing press undermined the authority of the Catholic Church by democratizing access to knowledge. Today, the Internet is undermining the traditional copyright industries. Now, an ambitious new project aims to achieve a similar result by creating competition for the world's sovereign nations. The Seasteading Institute seeks to build self-sufficient deep-sea platforms that would empower individuals to break free of national governments and start their own societies. Executive director Patri Friedman predicts a future in which any group of people dissatisfied with their current government would be able to start a new one by purchasing a floating platform — called a seastead — and building a new community on the open ocean. He hopes that the availability of alternatives will encourage existing governments to reform themselves to better serve their citizens. Can seasteading succeed where past plans have not? Are people willing to brave the high seas for liberty? Economist Arnold Kling will address the viability of the project in light of similar efforts in the past. Doug Bandow will address whether existing governments will tolerate seasteads, and specifically how the international Law of the Sea Treaty might complicate matters. Please join us for an in-depth discussion of the prospects of this exciting new effort.

Securing Land Rights for Chinese Farmers: The Progress So Far

Sun, 05 Apr 2009 23:00:00 CDT

Between 700 and 800 million Chinese, more than half of China's population, are still rural. Economic reforms have helped Chinese farmers, but rural China is falling further and further behind urban China. The lack of land rights for rural Chinese is a major cause of the disparity and a major source of social instability. Secure land rights would allow farmers to increase investments, improve productivity and accumulate wealth. In recent years, the Chinese government has passed laws to make those rights more secure. Based on their 2008 survey of farmers in 17 provinces, Roy Prosterman and Zhu Keliang will assess the current status of farmers' rights, document ongoing violations, and propose policies that would do much more to give farmers legal security in their land.

Drug Decriminalization in Portugal

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 23:00:00 CDT

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.

Dead Aid: Why Aid Is Not Working and How There Is a Better Way for Africa

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 23:00:00 CDT

Purchase at Amazon One of the greatest myths of our time is that foreign aid can help Africa fight poverty and increase growth. So says Zambian author Dambisa Moyo, who calls aid an "unmitigated economic, political, and humanitarian disaster" that has made Africans poorer. She will explain why aid fails and propose an "aid-free solution" to development based on the experience of successful African countries. Todd Moss will comment on the book and aid effectiveness by drawing on his research and work in the region, most recently as Deputy Assistant Secretary of African Affairs in the U.S. Department of State.

NATO at 60: A Hollow Alliance

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 23:00:00 CDT

As the North Atlantic Treaty Organization celebrates its 60th birthday, there are mounting signs of trouble within the alliance and reasons to doubt the organization's relevance to the foreign policy challenges of the 21st century. Today's NATO is a bad bargain for the United States. We have security obligations to countries that add little to our own military power. Even worse, some of those countries could easily entangle America in dangerous parochial disputes. Please join Cato scholar Ted Galen Carpenter as he discusses NATO's burgeoning defects and their implications for the United States.

Obama's Blueprint for Growing the Welfare State

Mon, 30 Mar 2009 23:00:00 CDT

Even by Washington standards, President Obama's budget blueprint is astounding in its big-government ambitions: massive deficits, a huge health care plan, enormous global warming taxes, new subsidy programs, and punishing tax hikes on individuals, small businesses, and multinational corporations. Public debt is expected to soar from 41 percent of the economy in 2008 to 67 percent by 2011. What are the prospects for the Obama plans on health care, tax hikes, and spending increases becoming law? How will economic growth and freedom be affected? Please join Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) and Cato scholars Chris Edwards and Michael Tanner to analyze the scope and implications of President Obama's agenda.

Can the Market Provide Choice and Secure Health Coverage Even for High-Cost Illnesses?

Mon, 30 Mar 2009 23:00:00 CDT

At his White House summit on health care reform, President Obama said, "If there is a way of getting this done where we're driving down costs and people are getting health insurance at an affordable rate, and have choice of doctor, have flexibility in terms of their plans, and we could do that entirely through the market, I'd be happy to do it that way." In a study recently published by the Cato Institute, economist John Cochrane argues that the market can solve a huge piece of the health care puzzle: providing secure, life-long health insurance and a choice of health plans to even the sickest patients. The key, Cochrane explains, is to eliminate government policies that force the healthy to subsidize the sick, such as the tax preference for employer-sponsored coverage and other attempts to impose price controls on health insurance premiums.

Georgia's Liberal Institutions In the Wake of War and the Global Economic Crisis

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 23:00:00 CDT

Since the Rose Revolution of 2003, Georgia has implemented perhaps the most ambitious economic reform program of all formerly socialist countries. Years of high growth have been transforming it into an economic success story. But beginning last year the country suffered a war with Russia, partial occupation and secession of part of its territory, and the effects of the global economic crisis. Kakha Bendukidze will explain the economic policies that Georgia is undertaking to confront that adversity. David Bakradze will discuss the country’s move toward greater democratization, including in the areas of free speech and a greater role for parliament in national decision making and presidential accountability.

Tax Havens Should Be Celebrated, Not Persecuted

Sun, 22 Mar 2009 23:00:00 CDT

Politicians from high-tax nations, working through international bureaucracies such as the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, are trying to undermine tax competition by persecuting so-called tax havens. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner recently testified that the Obama administration intends to push legislation to penalize Americans who utilize these jurisdictions. European politicians, meanwhile, have announced that they want to use the upcoming G-20 Summit to launch an attack on low-tax jurisdictions. Governments do not like tax havens because it is more difficult to enforce oppressive tax laws in a globalized economy. Any assault against tax havens, however, would be bad news for the global economy. Without the pressure of tax competition, politicians would raise tax rates, wiping out many of the pro-growth reforms of recent decades. Such a campaign would also undermine the U.S. economy, both because the United States is a tax haven for foreign capital and because most major "offshore" centers are conduits for investment in the American economy. To learn more about these issues, please join Cato scholar Dan Mitchell and former member of the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority Richard Rahn to review the myths and realities about the role of tax havens in the global economy.

The Tie Goes to Freedom: Justice Anthony M. Kennedy on Liberty - Book Forum

Sun, 22 Mar 2009 23:00:00 CDT

Purchase at Amazon Justice Anthony M. Kennedy sits at the center of the Roberts Court. Two terms ago he was in the majority in all 24 of the 5/4 decisions. During that term, in fact, he was in the majority in all but two of the Court's decisions, and his pivotal role on the Court continues. It is no stretch, therefore, to call today's Supreme Court the Kennedy Court. Yet only now do we have the first book-length study of Justice Kennedy and his constitutional jurisprudence. Author Helen Knowles examines how Kennedy's background as a law student and classroom teacher has influenced his judicial philosophy. The book begins by examining Kennedy's judicial thought in the context of libertarian thought. Knowles does not call the justice a libertarian. Instead, in a sympathetic but not uncritical analysis, she uses libertarian philosophy, focusing on privacy, race, and speech cases, to draw out Kennedy's views about limited government and individual liberty. Please join us for a discussion of Justice Kennedy's "modest libertarianism," with comments by one of the nation's foremost constitutional scholars, Professor Randy Barnett.

The Tie Goes to Freedom: Justice Anthony M. Kennedy on Liberty

Sun, 22 Mar 2009 23:00:00 CDT

The Politics and Science of Medical Marijuana

Mon, 16 Mar 2009 23:00:00 CDT

Ten years ago, on March 17, 1999, an important government study was released regarding certain patients’ use of marijuana as prescribed by their doctors. The Institute of Medicine, a branch of the National Academy of Sciences, issued what was then the most comprehensive analysis of the scientific and medical literature about marijuana. The report stated, "The accumulated data indicate a potential therapeutic value for cannabinoid drugs, particularly for symptoms such as pain relief, control of nausea and vomiting, and appetite stimulation."Many medical experts continue to caution about harms that may result from smoking marijuana, though those harms need to be weighed against other harms that particular patients may be facing. In the political realm, the debate over the legal status of medical marijuana continues to rage. Since 1996, 12 states have legalized marijuana for medical use. What have medical scientists learned about marijuana over the past 10 years? And how have the politics on this contentious issue shifted at the federal and state level? Join us for a lively discussion of the science and politics of medical marijuana.

Can the Pentagon Be Fixed?

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 23:00:00 CDT

Most defense analysts agree: the Pentagon is in serious need of reform. Acquisition programs run above cost and behind schedule. The U.S. defense budget is higher than at any point during the Cold War, but capability has not kept pace. We field fewer ships, aircraft, and tanks than we did in the days of lower procurement spending. And our defense spending prepares us better for the conventional wars we imagine than the unconventional conflicts we fight. The question is what to do about these problems. Should we give more power over budgets to civilians or combatant commanders? Should we change procurement rules or push the services to buy cheaper but less capable weapons? Should we continue to reform the ground forces to fight small wars or simply avoid them? Should we slash defense spending? Please join us for a discussion about alternatives for defense reform.

Transportation Reauthorization: Looking Beyond the Recession

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 23:00:00 CDT

After passing an economic "stimulus" bill containing billions of dollars of infrastructure spending, members of Congress will soon turn their attention to reauthorizing surface transportation funding for five more years. Given the substantial public resources that will be committed to transportation, how should Congress structure programs to best encourage wise investments—those that promote the safe and rapid movement of people and products while minimizing the negative impacts? How can Congress address concerns about energy and the environment? Can the federal government ensure that transportation networks respond flexibly to changing conditions? Please join Cato and Reason experts to discuss transportation policy pitfalls and substantive reform ideas.

Climate of Extremes: Global Warming Science They Don’t Want You to Know

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 23:00:00 CDT

Purchase There's a whole new world of global warming science today-but few ever hear about it. In recent years, an internally consistent body of scientific literature has emerged that argues cogently for global warming but against the gloom-and-doom, apocalyptic vision of climate change. Not that you would know. Consult the daily newspaper or evening newscast: dire predictions are nearly all we see or hear. In their new book, Climate of Extremes, coauthors Patrick J. Michaels and Robert C. Balling Jr. illuminate the other side of the story, the science we aren’t being told. This body of work details how the impact of global warming is far less severe than is generally believed and far from catastrophic. However, because it is not infused with horrific predictions and angst about the future, regardless of its quality it is largely repressed and ignored. This in-depth exploration illustrates the crucial unreported forecasts: that changes in hurricanes will be small, that global warming is likely to be modest, and that contrary to daily headlines, there is no apocalypse on the horizon. Climate of Extremes is a book for all who are intent on exploring the evidence and the arguments in the climate change debate.

Should Government Deliver Comparative-Effectiveness Research – or Can It?

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 23:00:00 CST

Studies comparing the effectiveness of medical treatments have the potential to reduce health care costs by helping purchasers, such as Medicare, eliminate low-value services. Health care analysts generally agree that current institutions underproduce comparative-effectiveness research, and economists agree that private sector tends to underproduce such public goods. Many, therefore, want Congress to fund such research. But is market failure really the culprit? And would taxpayer-funded research solve the problem, or would it lead to government rationing? Or would it have no effect on health care costs?

Obama and Presidential Power: Change or Continuity?

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 23:00:00 CST

George W. Bush's administration pushed relentlessly to expand presidential power at the expense of Congress. In late 2007, in an interview with the Boston Globe, presidential candidate Barack Obama repudiated virtually all of the Bush administration's most controversial executive power claims. Will President Obama follow through and oversee a more modest presidency that recognizes constitutional limitations? Or will the new administration end up expanding the powers of the presidential office? Please join us to discuss the prospects and possibilities for the presidency in the Obama era.

Why Markets Are the Key to Quality, Coordinated Medical Care

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 23:00:00 CST

The uninsured are not the only problem our health care sector faces; powerful forces suppress the quality of care for insured and uninsured alike. Notably, Americans receive dangerously uncoordinated medical care. Most approaches to improving health care coordination rely on government-imposed top-down reforms, yet this very approach has suppressed coordination and other innovations in health care delivery. In the recent Cato Institute Briefing Paper "Does the Doctor Need a Boss?," Arnold Kling and Michael F. Cannon explain that coordinated care requires free markets. They propose to let consumers control the money that purchases their health insurance and for policymakers to liberalize licensing laws--two steps that would enable consumers to pick health plans that coordinate rather than force consumers to sit and wait until policymakers finally get it right.

Mexico’s Drug War: The Growing Crisis on Our Southern Border

Wed, 18 Feb 2009 23:00:00 CST

As the new Obama administration surveys possible national security threats confronting the United States, policymakers need to recognize that an especially lethal one is brewing close to home: the increasing drug-related violence in Mexico. Since January 2007 there have been more than 6,800 drug-war related deaths in Mexico, and Mexican drug cartels continue to expand their operations in American cities. Washington's response has been to expand its prohibitionist efforts with the Mérida Initiative, a U.S.–Mexico anti-drug-trafficking program. Historically, however, prohibitionist policies have had little success in reducing the flow of drugs. Instead, those policies have led to increased turmoil and corruption. Please join us as we explore more effective alternatives for the new administration. This forum is funded by a grant from the Open Society Institute. Due to the overwhelming public response to this program we are unable to accept additional reservations. The event will be simulcast live on this Website. Thank you for your interest in our public programs.

Falling Behind: Explaining the Development Gap Between Latin America and the United States

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 23:00:00 CST

During the past 400 years, the development gap between Latin America and British North America dramatically widened. Francis Fukuyama will discuss prominent theories for that divergence -- including those that emphasize the roles of natural resources, culture, and geography -- and explain how institutions and economic policies are the keys to understanding growth outcomes. At different times, several Latin American countries have narrowed the gap with the United States, and genuine institutional reform has occurred in the past several decades across the region. Norman Loayza will comment on the relevance of those findings to an ideologically divided Latin America. Due to the overwhelming public response to this program we are unable to accept additional reservations. The event will be simulcast live on this Website. Thank you for your interest in our public programs.

A Service to the Economy: The Importance of Free Trade in Services

Mon, 09 Feb 2009 23:00:00 CST

Although they are a large and growing segment of world trade, services are frequently relegated to second-tier status in trade negotiations--behind high profile sectors such as agriculture and manufactured goods. That’s unfortunate, because studies from several international economic institutions--and a new Cato paper--show that liberalizing services will bring huge benefits to consumers and taxpayers--from lower prices to increased choice--and will deliver indirect benefits to the many industries that use services as an input to their own production. What opportunities exist for capturing the benefits of freer services markets with the Doha round of multilateral trade negotiations in a deep funk? Please join us to discuss these important issues.

In Search of Jefferson's Moose: Notes on the State of Cyberspace

Tue, 03 Feb 2009 23:00:00 CST

In 1787, Thomas Jefferson put a stuffed American moose in the lobby of his Paris residence. As the U.S. minister to France, Jefferson displayed the moose to powerfully symbolize the enormous possibilities of America. The new world of the Internet has equally vast possibilities and, like North America in Jefferson's day, its landscape remains largely unexplored. In his new book, In Search of Jefferson's Moose: Notes on the State of Cyberspace, David Post draws remarkable and entertaining parallels between the Internet and the natural and intellectual landscape that Thomas Jefferson explored, documented, and shaped. Creatively drawing on Jefferson's Notes on the State of Virginia, Post describes how the Internet functions technically and applies Jefferson's views on natural history, law, and governance to the unfolding complexities of cyberspace. Jefferson's Moose is a book for both fans of Thomas Jefferson and for fans of the Internet, each of whom should know more about the other topic. Come hear Professor Post present the ideas from In Search of Jefferson's Moose, with commentary from two equally insightful writers.

Climate of Extremes: The Global Warming Science They Don't Want You to Know - Capitol Hill Briefing

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 23:00:00 CST

A radically different view of global warming science has emerged in recent years contrary to the shrill gloom-and-doom projections that are so popular in Washington and elsewhere. In the new book Climate of Extremes: Global Warming Science They Don't Want You to Know, Cato scholar and University of Virginia scientist Patrick Michaels explains this consistent alternative view of climate change, which has arisen in the peer-reviewed scientific literature yet receives little public attention. Why, for example, have the last 12 years shown no net surface warming? What does this say about projections from the United Nations- Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change? What's the relationship between hurricanes and global warming? Are editors who issue dramatic projections rewarded over those who publish findings of more moderate impacts? Michaels will demonstrate evidence for modest climate change impacts and propose that we continue our adaptation to these changes. Comments by Marlo Lewis, a senior fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, will follow.

Little Pink House: A True Story of Defiance and Courage - Book Forum

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 23:00:00 CST

No U.S. Supreme Court decision in the modern era has been so quickly and widely reviled as the infamous Kelo decision, in which the Court ruled that Susette Kelo's little pink house in New London, Connecticut, and the homes of her neighbors could be taken by the government and given over to a private developer based on the mere prospect that the new use for her property could generate more taxes or jobs. Now, three years after that decision comes a riveting new book that looks behind the scenes of the fight and focuses on the actions of two strong women diametrically opposed to each other: Susette Kelo, who struggled to save her home vs. Claire Gaudiani, a college president who headed up the New London Development Corporation's effort to take Susette's home for a private development plan. As Jeff Benedict details in his book, Susette takes on the City of New London, a cast of characters too evil to be believed, and, ultimately, the U.S. Supreme Court, in a case that was followed by thousands and sparked a revolutionary change in state law across the country—except in the case's home state. We hope you will be able to join us and hear first-hand from major participants in one of the Supreme Court's most historic and controversial rulings.

Avoiding a Health Care Disaster

Wed, 21 Jan 2009 23:00:00 CST

With the return of one-party government, major policy changes in health care seem all but inevitable. Yet fundamentally divergent interests in both Congress and the health industry will make consensus difficult to obtain. The most dangerous proposals are those that expand political control over patients’ health care decisions: mandates, price controls, and government-run health care for the middle class. How will centrists and market proponents recognize the forms these mistakes might take, and how can they defend against them? Please join Cato scholar Michael Cannon for an exploration of these and related issues.

Obama's Fiscal Policies: Ignoring the Global Tax Revolution - Hill Briefing

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 23:00:00 CST

The incoming Obama administration has proposed many tax code changes, but it has not come forth with any substantial tax reforms to boost competitiveness and long-run growth. In an era of globalization, U.S. policymakers need to respond to the dramatic tax reforms taking place abroad, or else they risk stifling U.S. job creation and investment. Given the pro-investment thrust of recent reforms abroad, how desirable are the new administration’s tax proposals? What kinds of fiscal reforms would actually stimulate the economy this year and over the long run? Please join Cato scholars Daniel Mitchell and Chris Edwards, authors of Global Tax Revolution: The Rise of Tax Competition and the Battle to Defend It, and Heritage fiscal expert J.D. Foster to discuss these important issues.

Does Public Higher Ed Funding Drive Economic Growth? - Policy Forum

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 23:00:00 CST

Everyone knows that people who graduate from college earn more than those who don't. It's also widely understood that technology drives economic growth, and university research drives technology. Finally, it seems clear that in a rapidly evolving world workers will need to transform their skills, and higher education provides the means to do so. In light of all this, shouldn't we provide public funding for higher education to keep college cheap and innovation going, especially during a recession? Not necessarily. Please join our panelists as they discuss both the benefits and costs of public funding for higher ed.

Shaping the Obama Administration’s Counterterrorism Strategy - Panel 1: How Overreaction and Misdirection Play into the Terrorism Strategy

Mon, 12 Jan 2009 23:00:00 CST

Shaping the Obama Administration’s Counterterrorism Strategy - Panel II: Terrorism's Causes: Grievances, Goals, or Gang Membership

Mon, 12 Jan 2009 23:00:00 CST